Re: state funding

491 was, to all apparent indications, taken out of service by the D&RGW RR and stored in rather good condition. I presume that the CRRM has the equipment cards and other railroad records that define what repairs were made by the railroad and when.

The D&RGW 'donated' the 491 to the Colorado State Historical Society.
The Historical Society made a long term 'loan' of the 491 to The CRRM and subsequently did little or nothing in the way of maintenance, apparently not even basic cosmetic maintenance.

The Historical Society removed the 491 from the State's Historical collection and donated it to the CRRM. I have no knowledge of any particular conditions or restrictions that may have been part of the State Historical Society donating the locomotive to the CRRM.

The CRRM, being insulated from FRA regulations, returned the 491 to operating conditions without being required to essentially strip the boiler to a bare barrel and start over with tubes and flues and the great expense of a total boiler overhaul. So far as is publically known, the work was deliberate and not done in haste or without regard to operational safety of the locomotive and/or its boiler. The people I have known at the CRRM would not turn on a light bulb if there was any risk of injury to anyone.

So far as I have read on the public forums, little or no state funding was used to return the locomotive to service on the CRRM loop. Just a crew of hard working volunteers and CRRM staff, funded with gratefully received donations and other Colorado Railroad Museum funds.

I do not know anything about any 'State Funding' having been used for refurbishing D&RGW locomotive 491. That may be, to some, not surprising. There are quite a lot of things about which I know nothing.


Perhaps you could explain the "State Funding" that you know to have been used to return the locomotive to service.

Rex Beistle
NMRA RMR
Estes Valley Division