I sent an email to the Gunnison park about 278. I asked about access to the engine after it is moved and also about the elusive drawings of the engine that the NPS made that I have read here and elsewhere about.
Here is the response I got. I felt it was a very nice and helpful response. Cheers to the NPS.
Thank you for your interest in the D&RGW 278. Yes, it is off the bridge
display. It was pulled off Saturday, and moved it to a nearby fenced
maintenance yard for temporary storage. As it stands now the park plans to
run scheduled tours of the train, or at least have a ranger present while
the yard is open for viewing. That schedule has not been set as of now. I
assume it will be posted on the park's web site (www.nps.gov/cure) or you
can call the main park number (970-641-2337 x205). The way it is stored
now you should be able to get to within a few feet of the locomotive during
the tour. There will be no access to the cab until after restoration due
to safety issues.
The park does have some photos of the train, but they are the same photos
anybody would be able to take of the train while it was on the bridge.
Actually, after thinking about this question, we do have a very few photos
taken on the bridge while preparing the train for moving. I'm not sure
what we have. Are there specific parts of the locomotive you are
interested in? If we have photos of it we could send you a copy, but as I
said, the images are very limited. We do have a drawing of a "generic"
D&RG C-16-60 class locomotive. I think it is based on D&RG 42 and provides
general measurements for both Grant and Baldwin locomotives. Beyond that,
we have little graphic documentation of the train.
If you have any other questions about the train please feel free to contact
me. If I know the answer I be happy to let you know. If I don't know the
answer I may have to "ask around".
Forest Frost
Archeologist
CURE/BLCA
