Re: 498

I couldn't tell you that other than the 497 had issues when she ran on the D&S due in part to being more rigid than the K-36's and not having a square pilot truck. This caused her to spread the rails and I believe even breaking the rails in some instances due to tight curves on portions of the line. This is why the Grande never tried to run a K-37 past Rockwood (which the 492 was the only 36 or 37 to run on the branch until 1981 when the 481 was restored.) Those are the reasons the D&S doesn't want to operate them anymore. Once the 497 had her pilot truck replaced--I think she took the 492's it was reported that she ran much better. I think the pilot truck issue played some part in the way she tore up track on the D&S, but I'm not an expert nor was I there. I do believe that if they ran another K-37 up the Silverton branch it may produce different results than that of the 497, but we may never know. I don't claim to be an expert on this subject, but these are things that I have learned over the years from this message board.
William
aka drgwk37