Re: SP 18 run, piston failure, and rescue 4-9-19 -3

A section of the piston remained on the far side of the piston rod and an attached fragment, and in spite of intense effort that loose piston section proved impossible to remove. The segment was finally pushed to the back of the cylinder and secured with wooden wedges so that the piston rod could move freely when the locomotive was moved.





The DSNG crew brought the diesel down from Rockwood and coupled it to the SP 19 for moving the train to the next siding



The diesel is backing the train to Pinkerton siding where the SP 12 is to be set out, and the train and passengers returned to Durango



I want to express my admiration for the professionalism of the DSNG crews and the way they overcame a challenging situation

Just to end on a happier note, here is looking forward to seeing SP 18 once again, in the not too distant future, cruising the Silverton line like earlier this morning