Re: Colorado & Southern 2-8-0 #71

Rick,

An interesting post script to your work on getting the lettering correct on the combine #20.
When we stopped operating at Central City and moved the #14 and the other equipment that Lindsey owned to Silver Plume he paid me a little to restore the end platform and roof on the combine, and paint the gondola and #71. It should be noted that he had not used this equipment in his operation but felt it was a moral responsibility to put the stuff into safe and weather protected condition.
With help from Fred Oster I rebuilt the end platform to its original design and specs even though we thought it would never be anything but a display piece. I was glad we did because it was later used in service by the folks who operated the #71.
I carefully traced your lettering that said "Adams Express Company Baggage" and then "pounced it back on to the sides and hand painted it. While I was pouncing the pattern back on some model railroader was up there measuring the trucks under the gondola. He spent the entire time berating us for having abandoned the operation, and telling us that if we had "really" cared we could have saved the operation. I bit my tongue the whole time and didn't argue with him while I painted the lettering. After he was gone I moved my old stake bed jeep pickup which I had been using as a scaffold only to discover that while biting my tongue I had gotten the whole damn stencil on crooked by about an inch. Boy was I steamed.

John Bush

If I can get a decent slide scanned I'll post some pics.