Re: Splitting Hairs *LINK*

Kevin,
I took Douglas' post concerning the origin of 312 and 319 to request whether they were additional Burnham Shops creations or if they were equipment that had a "few years seniority" on the narrow gauge. I'm sure they are as much original as the "General".
A sidelight if you will.....I was in Colorado taking-in the C&TS, Rio Grande and Georgetown Loop operations in the fall of 1978. I have a slide of baggage car 126 loaded on a flatbed truck for her meeting with fate (being converted into a commissary coach). The next time I was in Durange and saw what Burnham had done, was I P.Oed! It was a rainy morning in Durango and I drove up to the "new" Highway 550 overpass to wait for the train....and I waited and waited. Finally, the sound of a steam locomotive could be heard struggling upgrade on the rain-soaked rails.....slipping, then regaining her feet and slipping again. #473 slowly curved into view around the outcropping along Highway 550 and labored into the "S" curve at the overpass. The train wasn't to Rockwood yet and was at least 15 minutes behind schedule. I don't know what time they made it to Silverton that day, as we drove through on our way to Gunnison and the train didn't arrive while we were in town. I have always suspected that the additional weight from the steel sides on the modified old coaches added just enough weight to tip the car count that a K28 could handle back just enough to make what would have been a "normal" trip into a really fight for the engine crew.
Don C.