Re: 489 in Green, why I'd like to see it happen
| July 25, 2009 08:55PM |
Dear Michelle,
First, I'd like to thank you and all the great people at C&TS for the work you do. Without you folks we would have no railroad, and dreams like seeing 489 with a green boiler jacket would be just that; dreams.
I would like to see the 489 with a green boiler jacket for several reasons. It was the last Rio Grande narrow gauge locomotive to be painted with a green boiler jacket, and one of a very few that can actually be verified by color photos. No, it didn't run on the San Juan in that paint scheme, at least that we know of, but that's not what we're asking for. The C&TS does not have any San Juan equipment except for a couple of RPO cars, so re-creating the San Juan is not really a possibility. We're just asking for an historical paint job on one locomotive for one season (I know Russ says until Labor Day weekend, but I'd like to see it remain green until the end of the operating season; that way the railroad might use it on charters in the Fall and make some money on it, and I'm for the railroad making money!). The engine was not painted with a bright green boiler that would look out of place;
As you can see from this photo, the green was pretty dark, most likely a match for the green on the passenger cars.
We're not asking for green passenger cars, either; the railroad has already spent a lot of effort and money on a unified paint scheme for the passenger car fleet, and to paint any cars green would cost a lot of money and wouldn't be practical.
I'm not a 'rabid railfan' or a 'foamer'. I work in the railroad industry, 35 years as a train dispatcher, and I know full well how budgets play a very big role in what can and cannot be done. There are a lot of folks that would love to see 489 with a green boiler jacket. Some are still around from May 21, 1950 when 489 ran for the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club. (Have to wonder if the Club would help support returning 489 to a green jacket?). Some of us, myself included, are descendants of those who got to ride and photograph the train that day. I grew up looking at my Dad's slides of that trip, always wishing I could go back in time to see that engine in that paint scheme. We know time travel isn't possible, but repainting 489 would be a great alternative! I hope that Soni and the C&TS will reconsider. Sorry for the long post. Hope you enjoy the photos!
Best regards,
Wayne Hills
P.s., Welcome back Jerry, always enjoyed your posts!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2009 08:57PM by Wayne Hills.
First, I'd like to thank you and all the great people at C&TS for the work you do. Without you folks we would have no railroad, and dreams like seeing 489 with a green boiler jacket would be just that; dreams.
I would like to see the 489 with a green boiler jacket for several reasons. It was the last Rio Grande narrow gauge locomotive to be painted with a green boiler jacket, and one of a very few that can actually be verified by color photos. No, it didn't run on the San Juan in that paint scheme, at least that we know of, but that's not what we're asking for. The C&TS does not have any San Juan equipment except for a couple of RPO cars, so re-creating the San Juan is not really a possibility. We're just asking for an historical paint job on one locomotive for one season (I know Russ says until Labor Day weekend, but I'd like to see it remain green until the end of the operating season; that way the railroad might use it on charters in the Fall and make some money on it, and I'm for the railroad making money!). The engine was not painted with a bright green boiler that would look out of place;
As you can see from this photo, the green was pretty dark, most likely a match for the green on the passenger cars.
We're not asking for green passenger cars, either; the railroad has already spent a lot of effort and money on a unified paint scheme for the passenger car fleet, and to paint any cars green would cost a lot of money and wouldn't be practical.
I'm not a 'rabid railfan' or a 'foamer'. I work in the railroad industry, 35 years as a train dispatcher, and I know full well how budgets play a very big role in what can and cannot be done. There are a lot of folks that would love to see 489 with a green boiler jacket. Some are still around from May 21, 1950 when 489 ran for the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club. (Have to wonder if the Club would help support returning 489 to a green jacket?). Some of us, myself included, are descendants of those who got to ride and photograph the train that day. I grew up looking at my Dad's slides of that trip, always wishing I could go back in time to see that engine in that paint scheme. We know time travel isn't possible, but repainting 489 would be a great alternative! I hope that Soni and the C&TS will reconsider. Sorry for the long post. Hope you enjoy the photos!
Best regards,
Wayne Hills
P.s., Welcome back Jerry, always enjoyed your posts!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/2009 08:57PM by Wayne Hills.
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
The NGDF was started by Don Richter and is currently operated in his memory by Nathan Holmes and others. Others who have contributed to the upkeep of this board are (in no particular order): Charles McCandless, Everett Lueck, Ted Wilton, Cole Adams, James Bane, John Moellmer, Jon Bentz, Linn Moedinger, lloyd lehrer, Rod Jensen, John Craft, Steven Forney, Herb Kelsey, Bill Ramaley, Russ Sperry (El Russo Loco), Josh McNeal, John West, Jim Armstrong, Bob Bergstrom, Greg Scholl, Blake Forbes Doug van Veelen and Mark Fuller.