I'm sure anyone who has ever visited the Central City railroad prior to its closing in 1981, or the Georgetown Loop from 1981 to 2004, or the Colorado Railroad Museum from 2004 onwards remembers good old number 40. Or maybe I am completly wrong and you saw her in Central American between 1923 and the mid 1970's
Her life at the museum is sporadic at best, at times she looks like she is broken, forgotten, maybe even abandoned. Rust and decay taking over everything from the smokebox to the faded green boiler jacket, the rust on the cylinder jackets, the rusty rods and the rust colored wheels.
While, seemingly back from the dead again, guess what, its 40. And some things have changed! She has a new(ish) tender, and one hell of a new coat of paint, and new lettering (not that we didn't like the Flying Royal Gorge lettering).
I believe it was 44's tender that was lettered for Royal Gorge and 40's tender was....well blank for a while. But now 40 has its tender back....I think, hell they have been swapped so many times its rather hard to keep track of them, and 44 is......well still 44 (kit form, some assembly required).
Anyway, back on subject, she has been repainted black, and is now lettered for the Colorado Central. She looks astounding! She rides wonderfully, but still full of her typical attitude. She is hard to fire, your always either giving her too little or too much fuel, either a clear stack or a black one, when you want to be in the middle. Thankfully, the Fireman's injector is not like the one of West Side 12, it actually opens after its primed! The throttle is different then on some engines since it has a pilot valve, allowing a little bit of steam past before opening the actual throttle valve. Although we spent about 20 minutes trying to get the bell ringer to work.....go figure. And the tender light still does not work, we gave up.
Anyway, I could site here and talk for hours, but pictures do her more justice
Before (November 2009)
After (Today)
Something else that got mentioned today. 40 is now better taken care of then she ever was during her working life in Central America, I say this nearly 90 year old is getting spoiled!
Her life at the museum is sporadic at best, at times she looks like she is broken, forgotten, maybe even abandoned. Rust and decay taking over everything from the smokebox to the faded green boiler jacket, the rust on the cylinder jackets, the rusty rods and the rust colored wheels.
While, seemingly back from the dead again, guess what, its 40. And some things have changed! She has a new(ish) tender, and one hell of a new coat of paint, and new lettering (not that we didn't like the Flying Royal Gorge lettering).
I believe it was 44's tender that was lettered for Royal Gorge and 40's tender was....well blank for a while. But now 40 has its tender back....I think, hell they have been swapped so many times its rather hard to keep track of them, and 44 is......well still 44 (kit form, some assembly required).
Anyway, back on subject, she has been repainted black, and is now lettered for the Colorado Central. She looks astounding! She rides wonderfully, but still full of her typical attitude. She is hard to fire, your always either giving her too little or too much fuel, either a clear stack or a black one, when you want to be in the middle. Thankfully, the Fireman's injector is not like the one of West Side 12, it actually opens after its primed! The throttle is different then on some engines since it has a pilot valve, allowing a little bit of steam past before opening the actual throttle valve. Although we spent about 20 minutes trying to get the bell ringer to work.....go figure. And the tender light still does not work, we gave up.
Anyway, I could site here and talk for hours, but pictures do her more justice
Before (November 2009)
After (Today)
Something else that got mentioned today. 40 is now better taken care of then she ever was during her working life in Central America, I say this nearly 90 year old is getting spoiled!
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