Re: Rebuilding 497 - Short Answer

William, my main point is that, if there ever is a financial possibility of adding a K-37 to the C&TS motive power fleet, that decision would be made on the basis of a technical evaluation by the C&TS management of the condition of the four out-of-service K-37's. Of course, that management is now being headed up by John Bush, former CMO of the C&TS, who knows the C&TS locos better than anyone else.

I for one am not troubled by a mating of the the boiler of one K-37 to the frame/running gear of another K-37. After all, as you no doubt know, those circa-1906 K-37 boilers no longer sit on their original std. gauge Consolidation frames.

BTW, there is also a good long-term argument for restoring a K-37 because there are three more left from which too-expensive-to-fabricate-forge-or-cast parts can be retrieved (or cannibalized if you prefer). On the other hand, the four K-36's don't even have 483 to pick over anymore as it gets cosmetically restored.