K-37 Steam locomotive #491: Colorado Railroad Museum, Summer 2014.
2,847 views · Published 31 March 2016 · 2:33 · Indexed 8 November 2026
Channel: John Horvath · 2016 · Travel & Events
K-37 #491 defies staff, volunteers, us rail fan wannabees. NO D&RGW K-37 will ever operate again! WELL! Here is #491 operating at The Colorado Railroad Museum west of Denver. A crew of youths in their teens and early twenties, got # 491 going. K-37 are a class of 10 engines converted from standard gauge to narrow gauge. 8 of the original 10 survive. These are the ratty engines seen in Durango, Silverton, Chama, Antonito. One, #497 in Chama, is called out of service, requiring a rebuild. They are the largest and heaviest narrow gauge engines in the America’s. Being big. K-37 class burn a lot of coal and use a lot of water for a lot of power and tractive effort not needed with today’s tourist segments of the old narrow gauge system. A few folks call South Africa Beyer Garrets larger. True only if you call the standard gauge of South Africa narrow gauge. The hulks of 494 and 495 mark the yard at Antonito, CO. 499 is on display in Canon City, CO. 498 is dead in Durango, CO. Silverton, CO has 493. Chama, NM keeps 492, 497, in their dead line. . The person I am talking with the last minute of this 2 minute clip, Dan, volunteers at the museum. Dan is expert steam.
