Ed:
The 474 did sometimes pull passenger cars. When the Crested Butte mixed train was replaced by a bus in 1933, the D&RGW promised the PUC that they would run the mixed train when the highway was closed. The Crested Butte branch mixed train was sometimes 50 to 60 cars with two passenger cars. A lady from Crested Butte told me that it was not a great ride with all that coal dust.
February 13, 1936
Train service was relied upon early this week to take mail and passengers in and out of Crested Butte, the highway being blocked temporarily as the blizzard which swept that section Friday and Saturday made it inadvisable to operate snow moving equipment.
February 17, 1938
Crested Butte News
A special train of five coaches was chartered Friday night to take local boosters to Gunnison for the basketĀ¬ball game.