Engine No. 74 - The Rio Grande Southern Years
(1948 - 1952)
Mike Trent
COPYRIGHT -- ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
In the spring of 1948, the Cerro de Pasco Copper Company came to Morse Bros. in search of motive power for their operations near Lima, Peru. They purchased the 75 and 76, and left the 74. There has been much speculation over the last 51 years that the engines were to be regauged for use either on meter or standard gauge. All available evidence would indicate that there were no meter gauge lines in Peru, so any plans the company had for regauging the engines must have been to standard gauge. For almost 50 years nothing was known of what became of the two engines once they left Denver, bound for Peru. Rumors and speculation over the years included a story that one of the two (which might that have been?) had gone over the side of a mountain and laid there for years until it was retrieved for scrap. Both engines were believed to have been scrapped in Lima, in the early sixties. Not a shred of documentation or a single photograph surfaced until, in 1994, someone, whose name has been lost or misplaced, sent the Colorado Railroad museum a photograph which is definitely one of the two engines being scrapped in Lima in the early sixties. It appears to be No. 76, as the Brooks steam dome cover is lying on the ground beside the engine. The C&S half-flange is still in evidence on the very worn third driver tire. The cab support appears to be almost identical to the 74's - a C&S, not Brooks, design. The engine appears to still be 36" gauge, so it would appear that the engines were, in fact, not regauged, and probably never left Peru. Hopefully, more will be learned about the history of the two engines in Peru now that worldwide electronic communication is possible.
It is not at all clear why the Cerro de Pasco took only the 75 and 76, but it would seem logical to speculate that for economic reasons, the two piston valve equipped engines were selected. Parts could easily be swapped between the two engines as needed. If the possibility of regauging the engines was a consideration, the 74's Walschaert's gear would have complicated the operation, as additional parts would have to be fabricated, adding to the cost. Another consideration would have been the 74's older slide valve design and its lubrication problems. A final reason, which may or may not have been a consideration, would have been the relative condition of the 74 in relation to the other two. As stated previously, the 74 was used sparingly in the last two years of service on the C&S as it was due for a major overhaul.
What irony it would be if engine 74 was spared the doom of her sister engines by those flat valves, which had been a source of frustration and difficulty for 50 years. Regardless of the cause, the 74 now sat at the Morse Bros. yard alone, awaiting her fate. It is not known how long Morse Bros. would have held the engine before selling her for scrap, but with the growing number of surplus locomotives available at that time, it probably wouldn't have been long.
 (Photo 12) A very rare photo which definitely shows either the 75 or 76 ready for scrapping in Lima, Peru, in the early 1960's. Upside down beside the 2nd driver is the 76's original Brooks steam dome cover, indicating that this is likely No. 76. The round plate near the third driver is the actual steam dome lid. The cab support visible is virtually identical to that of the 74. The origin of this photo is unknown, but it was sent to the Colorado Railroad Museum years ago with the inscription, "DB&W engine in Lima, Peru, 1960's." Colorado Railroad Museum Collection |
 (Photo 13) RGS #74 sits at the head of the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club excursion of 1949. The engine crew is struggling to get up steam, for what may well be their first assignment with the 74. Both of these senior enginemen had likely not run or fired the old veteran engine before today, and already anxiety was building among the club members. Among the few changes to the engine at this time are the new paint scheme, a small window near the fireman's front cab door to allow stack visibility, and new 4-pane windows. 5/28/49. Otto Perry Photo, Ed Haley collection. |
Also, in the spring of 1948, Rocky Mountain Railroad Club member and Excursion Chairman E.J. "Ed" Haley met with Rio Grande Southern Receiver Mr. Pierpont Fuller, Jr. to discuss the Club Excursion that year over the southwest Colorado Narrow Gauge line. The Rio Grande Southern ran from Durango to Ridgway, Colorado, and was in the last years of its existence. The little railroad's determination to survive had been matched by its creativity and ingenuity, but it had lasted about as long as it could and Club members were anxious to see the line as often as possible before it was too late. During the discussion, Fuller lamented the "high cost" of leasing D&RGW K-27 class engines to meet the railroad's motive power needs. The road's own power was pretty well worn out by that time, and leasing had seemed to be the only option. When Haley asked, "Why don't you buy some engines?"
Fuller answered, "Where in the world am I going to find narrow gauge engines for sale?"
Haley replied, "Right here in Denver at Morse Bros. are the biggest engines the C&S owned, and they are for sale."
Negotiations were underway with the Cerro de Pasco at that time, which precluded consideration of the 75 and 76. However, the 74 was still available and so, in November 1948, Engine No.74 was sold to the Rio Grande Southern Railroad, and shipped to her last curtain call in Ridgway, Colorado.
To say that there was no brass band awaiting No.74's arrival in Ridgway would be something of an understatement. Actually, the scene that day is pretty easy to imagine. Gray heads shaking slowly with disapproval. Hands on hips. Frowns, scowls, and grumbling. No one would have cared that the sight before them was at one time the largest and grandest narrow gauge engine in the world. No one would have cared that this engine was once the pride of the Colorado & Southern narrow gauge. No one would have cared that this engine once pulled 21 loads over the transfer in Leadville, or even that it had represented the "ultimate" in modern narrow gauge power on the C&S.
What these men saw before them was another worn-out, fifty-year-old locomotive that had not been steamed in over five years. There was a completely foreign-looking contraption on the stack, and the longest, narrowest firebox any of them had ever seen. Somebody was going to have to fire that thing! Clearly, what these men saw before them was another boneheaded example of penny-pinching management. Besides, there would be one less K-27 paddling around on the property now, and no one liked that idea, either.
Nevertheless, there was work to be done, and the Ridgway shop crew set themselves to the task of making the best of what seemed to be a bad situation. The first things to go, of course, were the spark arrestor and the C&S livery. The engine required new flues and a considerable amount of other repair. If anything could be said of the Ridgway shop crew, it was that they knew how to squeeze the last mile out of a locomotive, and it didn't take them long to discover there was still some life left in this one.
In order to bring the 74 into the fold, other changes were made. New sheet iron coal doors were fabricated and installed. The C&S had used wood boards and pallet-like "gates" to manage coal at the front of the bunker. Wide iron steps were cut off the pilot, replaced with more traditional, square steps to each side. A window was cut into the front cab wall adjacent to the fireman's door, to allow a view of the stack from the rear of the cab. The engine was shopped, tested, and painted. Bright white lettering, featuring the famous RGS "sunrise" herald and striping set off her lines as never before. And, for the first time in her life, No.74 sported a green boiler.
Despite her new appearance, however, No.74 was a worn out locomotive. There were many nagging little problems, most of which simply resulted from neglect. One example of this condition is a tale told after the engine made it's first trip from Dolores to Durango in the spring of 1949.
The 74's engineer was having all kinds of problems with appliance leaks, the fireman was struggling to keep pressure, the valves were dry, and it was hot. The engineer struggled to open the cab window without success. Later, he tried again with no result. Several miles slowly went by, and he tried again. Then, he tried to remove it. No luck. The old wood had swelled in either the frame or the casement. Frustration overcame him. This was a problem he could do something about. He got his hands on a brake club and beat out every window in the cab. Problem solved. The 74 made her inglorious first trip into the Durango yard without a pane of glass in her cab. It is not known if the engineer appeared cool at the throttle. It would seem doubtful.
New four pane windows were quickly fabricated and installed.
There seem to be several conflicting dates regarding the engine's sale, and it's "arrival" on the railroad. There are published dates indicating the engine was sold and/or delivered to the RGS in 11/48, 1/49, and 3/49. The best information and guess is that there may be a grain of truth with all these dates. The engine was sold in November 1948. The engine may well not have been shipped to Ridgway until January 1949. It is known that major work was required to get the engine in running order, so it was probably not out on the line until March 1949. Two things are indisputable. The 74 pulled the May Rocky Mountain Railroad Club excursion in May, and it had new cab windows.
In 1949 the Rocky Mountain Railroad Club returned to the RGS for its annual trip. Plans had been made for the train to leave Ridgway May 28, spend the night in Telluride, returning to Ridgway on the 29th. Much of the 74s reputation as "poor steamer" can be traced to this trip. There was considerable enthusiasm among many members for the opportunity to see one of their favorite C&S engines under steam again. Excursion Chairman Ed Haley had prevailed on Mr. Fuller in the course of making arrangements for the trip to use the 74. RGS management agreed, particularly since there was money to be made on the trip.
Unfortunately, the engine crew, engineer Bert Nash and fireman Leo Croonenbergs, did not share either the members' enthusiasm or management's willingness to accommodate such a request. Seniority being what it was, both enginemen on the run had started on the RGS the same year, 1903.
They had planned to give the Club Members from Denver a ride behind one of the K-27s, but management, as was its custom, had other ideas. It is not known if either of these senior RGS enginemen had actually run or fired the 74 before that day. It's very possible, and perhaps even likely they had not, as they were usually running K-27s on preferred freight runs, and the 74 had not been on the line very long. The fireman for the day, Leo Croonenberg, was heard early that morning grumbling about the engine being a "poor steamer."
 (Photo 14) Engineer Bert Nash is visible as the 74 puffs along near Placerville, with Fireman Leo Croonenbergs' thin trail of smoke from the stack dissipating quickly. This picture shows the difference in color of the green boiler jacketing, which was applied to the engine with her first RGS livery. 5/28/49. Otto Perry Photo, Ed Haley collection. |
 (Photo 15) At the end of a frustrating day for all aboard, the 74, passengers and crew are ready for a rest. Tomorrow's events will be much better, but there are already concerns about the engine being a "poor steamer," despite almost 50 years of flawless performance in that regard. Note the C&S inward opening door to the cab. 5/28/49. Otto Perry Photo, Ed Haley Collection. |
When steam pressure was sufficient to get underway, the "passengers" nervously and excitedly boarded amid rapidly spreading word about "steaming problems". The train clattered out of town headed for the hills. It was immediately clear that the engine seemed to be having trouble, but the train continued to puff along toward the hills, and, eventually, Dallas Divide. Ten miles out of Ridgway, at the worst, bramble-infested, miserable spot on the entire railroad (according to Haley), the struggling engine pulled itself out of steam, and stopped. Many of the passengers attempted to de-train, but were turned back by the thorny, almost impenetrable brambles. A handful of the most determined fought their way out, at the expense of considerable wear and tear to trousers and flesh, and got some pictures at the "unscheduled" photo stop. Finally, after a lengthy delay, and to everyone's relief, the 74 whistled, and got underway again. But not for long. Twice more, the engine had to stop to "blow up" steam before the little train reached the summit at Dallas Divide. The other two unscheduled stops were at more accommodating locations, and several pictures were taken at these spots, amid wildflowers, without so much as a whisp of steam, or a puff of smoke visible from the engine. When the train finally arrived at Dallas Divide, the novelty of the situation had long since worn off and a fuming Haley approached the RGS official riding the train.
You tell that fireman that if he can't fire this engine, I've got three men on this train who can!
- Ed Haley
According to former Durango & Silverton, and Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad engineer John Coker, it is difficult for the engineer on an engine new to him to find the right combination of throttle and Johnson Bar.
"The way I was taught is to first set the throttle, and try to run the engine high on the bar to control steam. What I've been told, and what I've experienced on an older, smaller engine, is that you'd probably have to drop the bar down and use the throttle with more steam. Reasons for this had to do with the age and condition of the engine, and how much tonnage you had. Long, heavy trains are easier to keep steady steam on than a short train. On an old engine like that, if the rods were worn, or if the valve gear was not set right, or out of adjustment, the engine could be running a little out of square*, and you had to fight that, too, with more steam. More steam means more draft, and you don't want too much draft. The inside frame fireboxes on those older 2-8-0s have a completely different vortex than a bigger, square firebox. I've actually seen where the fire was dancing around, and even lifting up off the grates. It's real easy to imagine how it took those guys a while to figure out how to get the 74 to run right. Narrow gauge engines, especially when they have been pulling maximum tonnage so much of the time, beat themselves to death pretty fast, and there was a lot that could go wrong with them. You just had to run them by the seat of your pants and figure out what worked best as fast as you could."
- John Coker
*The term "out of square" refers to the geometry of how a steam locomotive operates. The position of axles, frame, wheels and pistons has to be in exact position to work properly. The wheels on one side of a locomotive are "quartered" to those on the opposite side, to allow the valves to pass steam into and out of the cylinders in exact sequence. Any deviation caused by worn rods or sloppy settings on the valve gear will cause the engine to run "out of square".
To everyone's relief, there were no further problems. Photographs taken later that day show the 74 "popping off" in Telluride, where the train laid over for the night. Unfortunately, however, Quist's remarks made that morning were not forgotten, and the damage was done. Engine 74 had been branded a "poor steamer" in the minds of many.
The next day, on the return trip from Telluride, everyone, including the engine crew, was in better humor, and there were no "steaming problems". The only unexpected incident was when the engine was cut off at Matterhorn to push a mechanically challenged Galloping Goose No.4 off the main line, and onto a siding, out of the way. The Goose, operating as train No.376, had broken down, and was unable to "clear the main" for the special train. Ironically, the 74's pop valves were wide open during this operation. Haley, and several other Club members were quite disappointed with the events of the first day, but still glad to have had the rare opportunity the trip provided.
Firing the 74 was probably never a pleasant experience on the RGS, and to the enginemen, she was a one-of-a-kind. The engine still had draft problems over the fourth axle in the firebox, and the valves still required plenty of lubrication. It is a credit to the firemen of the RGS that they were able to keep the 74 under steam as well as they did. Their experience, determination, skill, creativity, and, of course, their shovels, or "scoops" were obviously sufficient to get the job done. None of the "extra long" rakes, hooks, or augers the engine carried on the C&S even made it to Morse Bros., let alone to Ridgway. There is occasional evidence of a rake stored across the tender deck, and other instances showing a small hook for use in the rear corners in some photographs on the RGS. But that is all. If tools of the required length discussed earlier had been on the engine, they would have been plainly visible.
I worked on the 74 as both engineer and fireman. There was nothing wrong with the 74's steaming that good coal and a knowledgeable fireman could not fix. On that engine, you needed to bank the fire against the forward wall of the firebox, not in the center of the firebox as with No.20 and the K-27's.
-Leo Croonenbergs, Retired RGS engineer, 1951 (Ferrell)
 (Photo 16) In what must have been a most interesting day to be carrying a camera on the RGS, Bob Richardson capures the 74 as helper on a stock extra doubleheaded with K-27 No. 452 at Placerville. 9/25/51. Bob Richardson Photo, DPL collection. |
 (Photo 17) RGS #74 at Telluride, Colorado. The occasion was the last Rocky Mountain Railroad Club Excursion over the RGS, and the last passenger train operated over the line. Note that the cylinder chest has been strangely painted silver. 9/1/51. |
 (Photo 18) In May, 1951, Bob Richardson photographed the 74 idle, at Ridgway, Colorado. 5/24/51. Bob Richardson Photo, DPL |
 (Photo 19) RGS #74 with a stock extra at Brown Tank, 9/25/51. Bob Richardson Photo, DPL collection. |
 (Photo 20) The RGS was world famous for its trestles. In this view, "Old Jumping Jack", as the 74's RGS crewmen named her, steps out onto the trestle at Green Mountain Ranch, running light. One wonders about the origin of such a nickname on a railroad so infamous for it's track work. Bob Richardson Photo, DPL collection. |
 (Photo 21) Engineer Alvin Talber "oils 'round" his engine, RGS #74, on the Placerville wye, as leased D&RGW engine #452 turns in the background. Visible behind Talber is the 74's big 11" airpump. Also visible is the cab door which has been rehung to open outward against the boiler. 9/25/52. Bob Richardson photo, DPL collection. |
There are photographs taken in September 1949 of the 74 in Durango. Ross Grenard photographed it westbound on the RGS lead, as helper with D&RGW #464, leaving the yard with a stock train. Over the 464's tender, the top of the Durango coal tower is visible. Five days later, on September 30, she was photographed on the Durango turntable. By all accounts, however, the engine spent most of her time on the north end, based in Ridgway, and rarely strayed south to Durango. According to Mal Ferrell, 4-6-0 No. 20 and leased D&RGW 2-8-0 No. 318 handled light duty tasks on the south end, between Durango and Dolores most of the time, in 1948 and until the end of operations in 1952.
Eventually, out of sheer necessity, the 74 was accepted into the RGS family, and performed fairly well over the line, considering her age and condition. She was occasionally used in helper service, and used regularly each fall during the annual stock rush. She was also an asset in the winter for snow removal operations. The majority of freight movements continued to be handled by the K-27s, as before. The 74's duties primarily involved replacing those of worn-out older RGS engines, which the shop just couldn't continue to keep in serviceable condition. Gone were the days of money for a major overhaul or rebuild.
By 1951, engine 74 had received a few additional modifications and a nickname, "Old Jumping Jack." The front cab doors were rehung to swing outward, against the boiler. This was consistent with practice on both the RGS and D&RGW. The two split doors on the rear of the fireman's side were hinged together, creating a single, folding door hinged on the outer side. Steps had been added to the stirrups on the rear corners of the tender. A large, sheet iron extension was bolted to the cab roof to provide better protection over the deck from the cold San Juan winters, and long all-weather canvas curtains had been applied. The engine was once again black-boilered, and the cylinder housings under her sloped steam chests had strangely been painted silver.
In September 1951, the Rocky Mountain Club returned to the RGS again. This time, they had chartered what would be the last passenger excursion ever to run on the railroad. Again, they requested the 74, and this time, there was no resistance. The 74 was, after all, an RGS engine, and an RGS engine was needed to carry the torch as well as the train on this fateful run. The trip, September 1-2, 1951, went perfectly, and was, as before, an overnight run from Ridgway to Telluride, returning the next day. The event was well documented in photographs and some very rare 8mm movies. Everyone knew this was the last time to ride the fabled "Silver San Juan," and the last time they would ever ride behind the 74. Everyone, passengers and crew alike, made the most of it. They all knew the end was at hand.
The 74 continued her duties until April 1952, when regular operations on the railroad were suspended, and scrapping operations began.
The Rio Grande Southern could hang on no longer, and the 74 had no where else to go.
 (Photo 22) Idle once again, #74 awaits a call to duty that may never come. The end is very near for both the RGS and this "Boomer" locomotive. As this bleak, cold picture was taken, the citizens of Boulder were raising money to save the engine and bring her home. 11/18/51. Bob Richardson Photo, DPL collection. |
 (Photo 23) In August, 1952, engine #74 sat near the Ridgway depot, ready for her last trip "back home" to Boulder with caboose 0401. Dr. J.B. Schoolland has made the final settlement for the engine's purchase and returned to Boulder with the bell in the trunk of his car. As can be clearly seen in this picture, the "midnight raid" has already been made on the 74, taking her 11" airpump and leaving the engine with a small, bad-order, misfitting 9-1/2" pump in its place. Many modelers yet unborn will be misled by this twist of fate. 8/52. Mallory Hope Ferrell collection |
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