Re: Firebox work by D&RGW

Earl,
Thanks for posting about the 487, I couldn't recall the time line on that as it occurred before I got to Chama.
Between the fall of 89 and the spring of 96 we did firebox work on three of the locomotives as I recall. First in the winter of 89-90 we made and installed a rear flue sheet knuckle in the 489. In the winter of 91-92 we made and installed a new rear tube bundle and knuckle in the 484 (it might have been the winter of 92-93 I don't recall for sure). In the winter of 94-95 we made and installed a new rear tube bundle and knuckle in the 497.
Generally speaking we did a flue job and a running gear rebuild each winter between 90 and 96 except when we did the 463 they were always on different locomotives ie boiler work on 484 and running gear on 487. I was always nervous that if both a boiler job and a running gear job were both scheduled for the same engine there would be strong pressure to just park it.
Whenever we worked on an engine we made every possible attempt to hit the blueprint dimensions in all important areas, just like they did in Salida or Alamosa.
Our accomplishments were made possible by the efforts of those who had gone before us, Watts, Yeamans, Oldberg, Stamps, Fischer, Ranger et-al, The backing of Joe Vigil and Lynn Cecil, the tireless dedication of our crew Jack Campbell, Donald Martinez, Marvin Cassias, Fred Delgado, Orlando Ullibarri, Tommy Garcia, Mark Yates, Chris King, Ricky Rivas, Gerald Blea, Juno Cassias, Bernie Holmes, and others whos names I have temporarily blanked.
We were also assisted by not having an active internet peanut gallery telling us how we were doing it wrong, or fighting about what should be done and in what order.