Re: Any News On The Great Locomotive Swap?

The 478 has been part of the Durango scene for so many years that it is sad to see it go. From the initial excitement of the first years of the D&S under Bradshaw when so many new and innovative things were happening to the rather sterile and unimaginative operations of today's D&S, at least the 470s were a reminder of the D&RGW's earlier operations of the Silverton branch. But under the current management of the C&TS, with an open minded commission and leadership from John Bush, it will good to see the 478 back in operation. It has taken me a while to truly appreciate what's happening over on the other railroad. I think the spirit of the narrow gauge we were afraid was going to disappear in the late 1960s has indeed survived on the C&TS.

When I was spending time in Silverton in the 1960s, the people operating the narrow gauge and primarily the operating crews were going to great lengths to save what they had--there was a feeling of dread that the end was in sight and the abandonment of the line to Durango was inevitable. But the Silverton crews worked hard at keeping our branch alive. And there were the K-27s, performing all of the Silverton work. The 478 has always been my favorite engine, and this picture taken by Roger Cook of Al Stevenson riding the pilot of the engine switching in Durango brings back to me those final years of what we were seeing as a real railroad operation:

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