As stated above, this is a restoration of a historic object, not a new tender for a common carrier locomotive in general revenue service. The locomotive as she now exists represents efforts to restore it to an appearance when in general service on the D&RGW. But this is a good example of some of the problems involved in historic preservation. What year or time span is the museum trying to preserve? Is it economically possible to do this? Is it entirely practical to do this?
When Robert W. Richardson bought No. 346 from the junk dealer, the locomotive looked much as it had during the last ten years the D&RGW owned it. The mis-matched dome covers and steel cab were non-D&RGW standard items, being the work of the CB&Q / C&S shops rebuilding the locomotive after a wreck on Keniosha Pass while leased to the C&S. That same wreck left a dent in the tender which the CB&Q / C&S shop did not remove.
After the movie people wrecked Nos 345 and 319 in the staged head on collision in 1951, Richardson obtained the dome covers from 345, and replaced the mis-matched covers from the CB&Q on 346. This makes 346 look a bit more as she did in the 1930's, but of course, there is still the steel cab. an exact recreation of the G. M. Best photo of 346 under the cottonwoods at Cimmaron would require a recreation of the wood cab.
But, that rebuilt wood cab would eliminate some of the historic fabric of the locomotive, because the steel cab was on 346 when in regular use on the C&S, D&RGW, and RGS. As a visual matter, I applaud Richardson for obtaining the appropriate dome covers, which look much better than the ones from the scrapped CB&Q standard gauge loco. As a historian, I have mixed emotions.
The museum seems to have made a good choice in having the historically appropriate patches placed on the new tender. I realize that the restoration of 346 to either its pre C&S wreck appearance, or the post- C&S rebuild is probably not the most wise use of the museum's funds, also the locomotive has probably existed as a museum piece with 345's dome covers and the C&S cab longer than it was in any of the earlier configurations. So arguably that too is historic.
