I would bet that 498 is in much better shape than you think. It ran up until the end of the Grande and was stored inside the Alamosa roundhouse for another decade. If it were in poor shape, it would have been sent to Antonito with 494 and 495. It wouldn’t surprise me is 498 is in better shape than 499, hence why 499 was sent out on trade instead. The worst missing part is the tender. Too many fans think of steam locomotives like old cars. Sheet metal rust and missing appliances are not the big challenge. You can buy bells, whistles, injectors, dynamos and cross compound air pumps far easier than you can replace tires, or tube sheets.
Mike Stillwell
Buena Vista, VA.