Depends on who you talk to

Dennis ,You are an acknowledged expert on the Class K-27 .However , it depends entirely on who you talk to . A fellow who fired on the RGS out of the Dolores area told me the firemen did not like #454 .#463 also had a reputation as a weak steamer that went back several decades ,and this basically proved to be true when it was returned to service in 1994 . As an engineer ,I agree ,from the standpoint of the engineer ,#463 is an excellent engine .It is responsive and can pull , and is easy to switch with .I would rate it along with with #473 , 476 and 484 as the best engines of the 15 different ones I have had the opportunity to run .The clinker is the firing .Class K-27s and K-28s have "Master Mechanic" ront ends ,which are far touchier to fire than the "Cyclone" front ends featured on the Class K-36 and 37 . Since the "MM" front end is a system of baffle plates and skirts , a plate or skirt in the wrong position can affect firing . This can sometimes be a matter of an inch or two . Remember , too , that these engines may have received less attention as they approached retirement . Another factor is the "old heads" would say nice things about the Class K-27 simply because they were superior to any of the smaller power found on the old Third Division . Incidentally , #463 fired a lot better when a baffle plate was moved a few inches down from its original position .