IMHO, The
D&RGW K-36 green-jacket question has been settled.
Earl's records show that the K-36s were delivered by Baldwin not with the green jackets customary at the time, but with black jackets.
Jerry's records show that, with only one exception, there is no evidence that the D&RGW shop crews in either Alamosa or Salida gave the K-36s green jackets.
The one exception is #489, which is reportedly shown in photos and in at least one color movie as having had a dark-green jacket for a short time per a request by the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club to have special paint for an excursion in either 1949 or 1950.
* I presume that the D&RGW did not go to the expense of repainting her immediately after said excursion, and that her jacket remained in green paint for a few months at least. (As this green paint would have quickly been covered with soot and road grime, she probably
looked green for only very a short time.)
Since #489 spent over forty years - about 500 months - in D&RGW service with a black jacket, and only a few months at most in green (say five, just to keep the math simple), then she spent only about one percent of her D&RGW years in green. Thus, for the ten K-36s, Black defeats Green 9.99 to 0.01 in the
history arena.
The ten "new" K-37s were apparently equipped by Burnham Shops in 1929-30 with green jackets. How long the K-37s retained their green jackets is not known. The
argument debate as to whether
C&TS #489, or any other K-36 being operated by either the C&TS or the D&S, should have a green jacket is a matter of opinions. To summarize a couple of them:
1) The C&TS should replicate the D&RGW as closely as possible.
PRO: The C&TS is on the National Register of Historic Places, and it's charter requires that it replicate history as exactly as possible within the constraints of safety and the practical aspects of restoration, preservation and operation. [Which era(s) of D&RGW history to replicate is itself a hot topic of debate.]
CON: The C&TS is an active tourist railway, created by the two states in part to enhance economic development in the area. It is dependent on ridership for a significant portion of its funding. Unlike the EBT and the NN, it's name has changed. Use of the D&RGW name or the
Rio Grande logo could cause confusion among potential future customers viewing their friends' slides or movies if they remember the name on the engine and later try to contact the RR for reservations. In addition, use of the D&RGW name and the
Rio Grande logo for other than occasional historic recreations ("photo freights") would likely require the additional expense of licensing them from "the railroad formerly known as 'Uncle Pete'" (currently better referred to as 'Uncle Scrooge').
2) Black is the traditional color for railroad locomotives. Anything else creates a circus atmosphere and should be avoided.
PRO: Most of us lucky enough to remember steam locomotives in regular service saw them painted black. Everybody expects engines to be black.
CON: Prior to 1900, most locomotives were NOT plain black. Even after 1900 and prior to the depression, many locomotives were not entirely black. Black became prominent during the depression and WWII as a cost-saving measure, but even then a great many railroads painted their premier passenger locomotives very colorfully. NYC 20th Century Hudsons, Milwaukee Road Hiawathas, Southern PS-4s (and 4-8-2s), SP Daylights (and 4-8-2s), CP's Royal Hudsons & Selkirk 2-10-4s and Santa Fe's "Blue Goose" are only a few examples. D&RGW's premier standard gauge passenger power had dark-green jackets in the 1930s, as did numerous other engines throughout the U.S.
Will equipping #489 with a dark-green jacket when her restoration is completed in a few months attract additional riders (and foamers) to the C&TS? There's only one way to find out ...
- El Curmudgeono Viejo y Verde
* If anyone reading this can post date(s) and/or color photo(s) of #489 and #499s "green" excursions in 1949 or 1950, it would be greatly appreciated. Also, did #489 have the "flying"
Rio Grande lettering or the "classic" Denver & Rio Grande Western roman lettering on her tender (with or without the "bug" logo?) for the excursion(s)?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/31/2007 12:49AM by Russo Loco.
