I arrived in Colorado on August 25 after stopping in Palmer Lake to pick up a buddy Scott Leidenberger. We showed up in Los Pinos on the 26th just in time to see the 489 working up hill with a work train. But to my disappointment no GREEN to be seen.

At Cumbers a closer look showed that 489 were covered in heavy grime. Looking at Scott, I said that I was one of many that had put money in to have the boiler painted GREEN and that I was not very happy. So down to Chama to see what could be done.

Down in Chama the paper work done. It was decided that Russo and I would go to Cumbers for 7:00 am on the Friday to clean the boiler, Scott was the offical photographer.

7 am or so we are at Cumbers. So the first thing to do is get water and lots of it. This we got from the tank over flow at the west side of the section house and it had to be carried all most to the highway 11 crossing. Fortunately we got help with that part of the job.

Now I am one that is use to working at 650ft above sea level so 10,000 feet is going to be a new thing for me. So off we go! Before long with the altitnde the sun and the heat from the boiler it be came a job and by the time we were half way done on the fireman's I was running out of steam. But we finished in the GREEN.