Re: 1023 aka K-37 496 and ditcher

Ditcher 086 was acquired by the Grande in August 1923 under AFE 886 from the Marion Steam Shovel Co., Marion, Ohio.
for $8,205.28. It would remain in service as the 086 until December 1943 when it was retired and dismantled at Pueblo, Colo.
Sister 085, acquired under the same AFE, was also a Marion product.

The original flat car 21147 on which 086 rides was released 10-20-1926 replaced by the 21071. This car in turn was eventually
renumbered X-3159 in March 1944.

Those are indeed rails the ditcher is riding on. The larger over-all view shows the ends of the rail and other ditcher photos
from the era also show the same configuration. The wheels were multi-gauge for narrow or standard gauge service.

The machine is not tied or chained down because it travels back and forth on top of the flat car in order to fill the air dumps coupled
on each end of the flat, with over burden and debris from cleaning the ditches along side the right of way and improving drainage.
When filled the work train will then take the outfit to another location where the air dump cars are emptied. Though standard for the
era, the system was cumbersome in that the outfit would have to constantly get in the clear for regular traffic. Eventually, with the
acquisition of crawler or tracked drag line / shovels by the D&SL and D&RGW as well as other heavy equipment, the process
became much more efficient.

The photo by the way is at Glade, Colorado, some 7 miles south of Castle Rock. August 1926.

John T.