Podcast Episode 78 - The Denver & Rio Grande Western, the K-37 Engines, and Engine 499
During financially turbulent times, the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railway used its own shops to recycle locomotives and create some of the largest and most powerful narrow gauge engines Colorado has ever seen.
This is the photo I took that inspired this episode. Engine 499 sits as a static display on the south side of the Royal Gorge Park’s parking lot. Unfortunately, due to the area’s fire in June 2013, the caboose is gone as is the “dog house” on top of the tender.
D&RGW engine 499 hauling the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club Special northward towards Poncha Pass in September 1949. This photo can be found in the Denver Library’s Digital Collection. Click on the picture to be taken to its source page.
D&RGW engine 488 as this train’s road engine with engine 499 cut in behind it as helper for the climb. This photo can be found in the Denver Library’s Digital Collection. Click on the picture to be taken to its source page.
Related Episodes:
The Two Types of Railroads into the Gold District:
· Webpage - https://www.storiesfromthemidland.com/podcast/the-two-types-of-railroads-into-the-gold-district
· Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3E30rB0gAzdJuL7jzpGM8z?si=UM9u47IcRLyTfsUKnDrxVQ
· Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-from-the-midland/id1602876194?i=1000554448508
The Whyte Notation Method of Classifying Locomotives:
· Webpage - https://www.storiesfromthemidland.com/podcast/the-two-types-of-railroads-into-the-gold-district
· Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/20WXvWVoWKyQw8ZHuWeIwN?si=rdg2qRr0SUmnaj3Ah7VmFA
· Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-from-the-midland/id1602876194?i=1000624218030
References:
· Colorado Railroad Museum. (2022, September 5). Big Train Tours: Last and Largest - Denver & Rio Grande Western Steam Locomotive No. 491 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL7jbTyD5B0
· Steam Locomotive dot Com. (n.d.). Denver & Rio Grande / Denver & Rio Grande Western 2-8-2 "Mikado" Locomotives in the USA. Retrieved August 15, 2023. https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=2-8-2&railroad=drgw#13
· Rgusrail.com. (2018, June 1). D&RGW K-37 #499. Retrieved August 17, 2023. http://www.rgusrail.com/codrgw499.html
· Llanso, S. (n. d.). Denver & Rio Grande / Denver & Rio Grande Western 2-8-2 "Mikado" Locomotives in the USA. Steam Locomotive dot Com. Retrieved August 17, 2023. https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=2-8-2&railroad=drgw#13
· Turner, D. (2016). Denver & Rio Grande Western. Denver’s Railroads. Retrieved August 17, 2023. https://denversrailroads.com/DRGW.htm
· Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Tractive effort. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved August 17, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tractive%20effort
· Denver Public Library. (1949, September 25). D&RGW train with engine 499, engine type 2-8-2. Digital Collections. Retrieved August 17, 2023. https://digital.denverlibrary.org/digital/collection/p15330coll22/id/92684/
· CBS Colorado. (2013, June 12). Royal Gorge Fire Damages Bridge, Most Of Park. CBS News. Retrieved August 17, 2023. https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/royal-gorge-fire-burns-tourist-buildings-bridge-spared/
· Royal Gorge Bridge & Park. (2023). About the Park. Retrieved August 17, 2023. https://royalgorgebridge.com/about-the-park/
· Parsons, V. W. (1949, September 22). Railroad Club Will Have Trip On Sunday. Colorado Transcript. 5.
· LeMassena, R. A. (1999). Denver and Rio Grande Western: Superpower Railroad of the Rockies. TLC Publishing, Inc.