Somebody made a serious midnight raid on Alamosa in 1969. While the narrow gauge slept through "the longest night", somebody got into the roundhouse and made off with all the builder's plates, all the backhead badge plates (except 487's) and all the class lights. There are those who blame the railfans, while others (like me) who feel it was an inside job, otherwise the artifacts would have surfaced by now.

When I started in Chama, we were getting 489 on the road for the first time. I heard about a fan out in CA, who what also a manufacturer of detail parts. It was said he had one of 489's builder's plates. I wrote to him asking if he would loan us the plate to re-unite it with the locomotive from which it was removed. Now, if I had such a part, I would be proud to return it from which it came. The letter I got was rather scalding, saying he got the plate when the engine was on the scrap line in Alamosa, with the permission of the foreman. It was HIS, and no one was going to get it.

Swell guy. I never bought any more of his product either.

I would like it known, that I own the boiler badge plate for 495. It came off when stripping the backhead for display many years ago. It is a simple cast brass plate saying "Boiler Number 495", "Maximum Pressure 200 lbs". The locations where "495" and 200" are located are brass pads where the numbers where deeply stamped in the brass.

If 495 ever is returned to operation, I will gladly return the plate to the engine. In the meanwhile, it is in safe hands.......