According to F. Hol Wanger, Jr.'s book, "The Colorado Road--History, Motive Power and Equipment of the Colorado & Southern and Fort Worth & Denver" (1970), the C&S approached Baldwin in 1930 to prepare specifications and cost figures for three simple articulated locomotives exerting 42,000 to 45,000 pounds of traffic effort. The only limiting factor set by the C&S was that the locomotives have tenders and not side tanks like the Uintah engines.
Baldwin came back with a proposal for three 2-6-6-2s similar to those built for the Rio Grande do Sul Railway of Brazil in 1925, but having tenders identical to those behind the D&RGW's K-36s! Approximate cost per engine was estimated at $48,000. Baldwin intimated that using three articulateds on the Clear Creek division instead of the six 2-8-0s used there at the time would provide cost savings of $17,472/year. Declines in business due to the Great Depression caused the purchase of any new power to be postponed indefinitely.
Business began to pick up again in 1934. The C&S again approached Baldwin, which came back with the same proposal, but with the price tag boosted to $56,500/locomotive. Serious consideration was given to the proposed purchase, but instead the railroad filed to abandon the South Park lines in 1935, obviating the need for additional/new power, and the order was never placed.
The Clear Creek line continued to operate until 1941, however, and so in 1938, when the Uintah was abandoned, the C&S briefly considered buying the Uintah's articulateds, which were for sale for $28,750 each, FOB Mack, CO. But it was determined that adding tenders would cost $6,750 each, $12,150 would have to be expended to reinforce bridges to handle the articulateds and that the high bridge on the Loop could not carry the articulateds, could not be reinforced to do so, and could not economically be replaced. An additional $60,000 would be needed to recondition the track. Since business was down to bi-weekly, the C&S ended its flirtation with articulated locomotives. The last of the narrow-gauge C&S was abandoned in 1941.
The foregoing information shamelessly cribbed from Mr. Wanger's book.
Mike
