Re: RGS Shay Class

There are many unanswered questions about the Shay service on the RGS because of the following notes:
Following notes from the Fort Lewis College collection of RGS and NG
material:
Rio Grande Southern Ry.
Notes in typed letter for the next Annual Report #1 April 8, 1896
Class 60 19 engines
Class 56 8 engines
Class 40 1 engine
Class Shay 1 engine
Class 48 1 engine
Class 45.5 3 engines
Class 47 1 engine
Class 42 1 engine
"The Shay (34) was not listed in my report and has never been in
service on this road. The #11 is a 6 wheel connected engine with no
pony truck of no use except to use in pile driver service. No. 14 is
saddle tank yard engine service. No. 36 can not handle 2 coaches on
grades –of no use to us."
The same report as above was made for 1895 with the same counts.
Note added: "No. 269 Shay as of 8/01/1894: Poor Condition. Never
in service on the Southern".
But there are original notes showing the Shay working for the RGS Construction Company building the line Durango to Mancos.
Following is what I wrote 7/21/2001:
My Silverton related question is search of confirmed data about the
use of the Shay #269 on the RGS. Following use on construction train
work west to Mancos, the engine was returned to Silverton. Then it
was traded by the SRR going back to the RGS. In 1899 the RGS sold the
Shay, with notes on some record saying "never used on the RGS". One
note I believe even called it "the Turkey" in its attempt to get rid
of it. Russ Colman believes that the view of a train on the
Enterprise branch was a photo of the Shay but it is hard to tell for
my satisfication. My reference to original sources of information
would be things like the Dolores Message Book, or Train Dispatcher
sheets and Disp. record of engine mileage report, just for example.
Also look at message 1682 of NGDG.
It had part: RGS File: A Bill Collectable to SRR August 1892: "Labor at Durango repairing Silverton rR engine #269 month of March, 1892." "It was in March that time sheets show #269 as work engine on the south end of the Silverton Branch." [note said "I found copy" signed by R W Richardson]
The engine is Thompson Brother Lumber Co. #4 and is photographed in American Lumberman Magazine Sept 26, 1908 issue page 110 two views.