Re: Low Light & Fresh Paint In Alamosa In May 1955!

You can see white crud on the tank frame from stuff leaching out of wet coal in the bunker, so this is not a fresh, if slightly weathered paint job. It seems to be a rare occurrence - a washed D&RGW NG engine..... 473 is in storage, the windows are shut and the gangway curtain is down. 473 came back from its baptism in the Animas in the summer of 1952. Her flue time would have lasted until at least summer of 1956, so she is not there for a class 3 flue job. Knowing the month of the pic would help sort this out, but my guess is she is in ALA during the off-season for her annual inspection. I agree the only freshly shopped engine is the 490 over on the next track.