No Mystery--It's the 9

C&S #9 began her weird oddessy in 1939 when she was shipped off to the New York World's Fair, along with a coach and an RPO.
After the Fair, she was sent to the CB&Q shops in Aurora, Ill. where she resided in storage for the better part of 10 years. In 1949, #9 was decorated as "Chief Crazy Horse", steamed, and operated at the Railroad Exposition in Chicago. This was also the occasion of #268's appearance as the "Montezuma", decked out in Silver and Gold.
After the exposition, #9 was returned to the Aurora shops, and was eventualy leased to the Deadwood Central in South Dakota (about 1958?). From what we have learned, the 9 was never operated there, but was at least on one occasion a time when a fire was placed in the engine and hauled behind an ex WP&Y engine (69?) which was operated there to sort of look like a double-header.
The line was soon after stripped of the third rail which had been placed to operate the 3 foot gauge equipment and operated only as a standard gauge line.
The CB&Q railroad, then BN, still owned the equipment and donated the 9 and the passenger equipment which by then included business car 911 to the Colorado State Historical Society in the early '90's, I believe.
All of it's time in South Dakota the 9 was still in the rediculous Chief Crazy Horse livery with a fake diamond stack. When the equipment arrived at the Georgetown Loop, which the Historical Society is involved in, the engine was given black and silver paint once again, and now sports the Ridgeway cinder catcher made by a member of the Boulder Model Railroad Club for #74.
It is in terrible condition as it was robbed of virtually every possible appliance and as I said, even had fire in the firebox without water in the boiler on at least one occasion. #9's greatest contribution to the Deadwood Central, as I have stated here before was to serve as an impromptu outhouse.
The good news is that she survived and she is home.
Mike