489 Tender

Carlos--In your 4th week of January C&TS Shop update you remarked about the old numbers stamped on the upper part of the front end of 489's tender tank. You may already know this, but, yes, the numbers are quite old. They were stamped there at the Baldwin shops when the tender was built. That number, 1234 1/4 E-77, is the Baldwin shop number for locomotive 489. The 1234 1/4 is a Baldwin code that signifies the number of pony truck wheels, drivers and trailing truck wheels, plus at least one other bit of data--possibly cylinder bore or stroke--I've forgotten. Thus, the 1234 1/4 part of the number is not unique to the 489. In fact, all the other K36's carry the same code numbers. The E-77 number is unique to 489. Each of the other K36's has an E number, beginning with E-68 for the 480 and ending with E-77 for the 489. For quick reference, when you see the Baldwin number stamped on part of a K36, if you add 12 to the E number you'll have the last two digits of the D&RG road number for the locomotive. If it doesn't match, then the part has been swapped sometime in the past.
I had never noticed the stamping on the upper part of the tender tanks as shown in your photograph. No doubt the paint was so thick the number was covered up. You will find the Baldwin number stamped on the web of the tenders' right hand frame channel, in the area of the front step casting. Last time I checked, sometime around 1980, I think only one of the K36's in Chama had its original tender (based on the tender frame number). It's likely that the Rio Grande played musical tenders frequently, probably beginning with the earliest locomotive overhauls.
There are two places (at least) where it is a pretty safe bet that the parts carrying the Baldwin numbers have not been swapped among the locomotives, namely, the steam dome at the top near the opening, and the valve crosshead guide casting at the back end of the guide arm (the outer arm, if I remember correctly).
All the original side rods and valve motion levers also carried the Baldwin numbers, but many of those rods and levers have been replaced over the years.
I enjoy your weekly shop updates and appreciate the effort that goes into putting them together and sharing them.