Re: What is the latest on 488

Progress on 488 is moving along again with the goal of having it in service at the beginning of next season. Much work was completed last winter but the other locomotives took priority so we would have them out and ready to go opening day.

The boiler survey and inspection has been completed with no major issues found. Tubes and flues are on hand awaiting installation.

Mechanical work is the focus at the moment. The valve gear is being rebuilt with about 75% of the work completed. Spring rigging is being rebuilt requiring many new pins and bushings. That work is ongoing. The driver tires, lead truck, and trailing truck wheels have been turned. Driving box work is in progress now. Our current plan is to convert the driver journals to oil cellars with this overhaul. Our experiments with the conversion of 489s cellars last summer were a success after a bit of a learning curve and some refinements. Once we got things settled in they worked quite well and 489 became the favorite of the servicing crews due to the comparative ease of maintaining them. All rod bushings will be renewed.

We checked the frame alignment and, somewhat to my surprise, it is fairly straight, requiring only minor adjustments to the driving box hubs liners. The draw bar pin hole in the deck plate had wandered to one side over the years requiring boring to get it in correct alignment with the frame center line.

Boring draw bar pin hole.


Turning the trailing truck wheel set.


Checking cylinder bore, frame, and crosshead alignment.


Boring the crown brass in a driving box.



This is only a part of what is going on in the shop in Chama. Work is being done on the other locomotives along with some machine work for the car repair shop in Antonito. Our Christmas trains will be running over the next two weekends as well. I will try to post updates as work progresses.

Russ