Re: 'Twas the 400

Well, yes and no. She was doing back up duty for the 318 on the Ouray Branch at the time. Not used much, but not really sidelined.
And what they got was a C-19 that, while not a good steamer on a long haul, is perfect for the starts and stops on the 3/4 mile loop of the Ghost Town & Calico! 49 years of pretty dependable service says a lot.
When you get right down to it, they needed a backup locomotive for the 41 and in 1952 there was one 2-8-0 available: 340. There were only seven consolidations left: 268 and 278 were busy on the little branches out of Gunnison, 318 was the holdout power on the Ouray Branch, 346 and 42 were in private hands, 41 was already at Knotts. There was no other choice but our old friend the 400.