476 : its qualities and problems

The 476 and 473 were some of the best riding locomotives I ever pulled a throttle in.They were also some of the most worn-out. As Ken Queen reported ,50 years of going up the steep Silverton grades under several owners with tonnage trains every day really did these engines in .
476 has a variety of problems ,some very serious .The problem of the cylinders working in the frame started over 20 years ago in the last years of the Grande ownership . The steel wedges that hold the cylinders in the frame fell out ,and were not replaced until it was too late . The cylinder bolts worked oblong holes in the bottom of the smokebox ,and the wedges will not stay in place ,even when welded . The only real way to solve the problem is to separate the boiler from the cylinder saddle and frame and replace the entire smokebox barrel ,an outrageously expensive oporation. When this was done in the rebuild of the Grand Canyon(Ex-CB&Q)#4960 , the cost of the rebuild came to a whopping $650,000 . Some even speculate that was the main reason why the GCRy became a primarily diesel operation Another problem is a flue sheet was incorrectly intalled in the late 1980s (NOT by Ken Queen) . The barrel of the boiler may also need patches or replacement ,as it could hardly hold its bottom washout plugs . So the obvious question presented is if the owner of the locomotive has gone this far ,why not replace the boiler at this critical juncture .Add another $quarter million .The steel cab is worn out ,and wobbling on the frame.This a problem peculiar to ALCOs ,as the UP 4-8-4s ,including #844 , had this problem .
I would love to see a 470 back on Cumbres . Any trade ,however ,would be one wore-ourt engine for another .Even at its very dilapidated state , the #483 would be far cheaper to repair .Sure the #476 could be returned to a serviceable state , but the aforementioned big repairs would loom in the future . The D&S would never let go of #473 ,its flagship engine .I would take #478 It rides like a lumber wagon ,but is still a great engine .