As one of the authors of the master plan for this project, I may be able to contribute some information…
0452, aka first F was never a green car, having been replaced by 2nd F, now Cinco Animas on the D&S c 1909. The D&RG(W) lowered the car after its conversion to a work car (butchering the car framing in the process) so presenting the car as a red passenger car will be a bit incongruous. There is clearly enough of the original interior to present the car as a business car (used as a parlor car)
292 is a very original. It was painted green and lowered as a passenger car (before being converted to a work car).
256 is a very modified Billmeyer and Smalls coach… so modified as to be more D&RGW than B&S… It lasted until after the war, as a lowered green car.
Wooden cars are still legal per FRA rules. Mail Service rules called for much more steel (and effectively demanded steel cars on standard gauge cars) The D&RGW added steel over time to all the cars. The result was that they got heavier… in the case of RPO cars much heavier. It appears that the cast trucks used on the RPO cars was needed because the cars got too heavy for the original trucks. The cast trucks have larger journal bearings.
If the cars are painted into the proper historic colors for their configuration, Car F would be red (but lowered) the others should be green.(292 might be either red or green) Paint is reversible, and if the C&TS chooses to paint them all red or all green it would not be a major sin.
The T-12 should be able to pull the 4 car set anywhere but up the grade from Chama to Cumbres… It might even be able to pull the 4 car train up that hill but it would be a close call… The tourist sleeper, with all the added steel the Friends added will possibly be too heavy for frequent use with the other cars.
I note that the San Juan (and Shavono), while beloved by railfans were short lived, only at the end of operations. Coaches 256 and 292 are much better examples of typical D&RG(W) passenger cars.
Randy
Randy Hees
Director, Nevada State Railroad Museum, Boulder City, retired
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