487
K-36 Locomotive

At Antonito. Jun 19, 2005. Photo: Curt Bianchi. Click image for larger size.

Number:	487
Type:	Locomotive
Class:	K-36
Category:	Motive Power
Year Built:	1925
Manufacturer:	Baldwin
How Acquired:	Purchased from D&RGW, 1970.

1971

Painted and lettered. [TT 3-4]

Winter 1972-3

Shop forces began a boiler overhaul, installing new flues. [TT 2-1]

1973

487’s overhaul was completed and it was steamed up for the first time on Aug. 7. It made its first test run on Aug. 23, and entered into service on Sep. 23. Because 487’s tender leaked badly, it was replaced with 488’s tender. [TT 2-1, 2-5, 2-6]

1975

Plans call for installing new bushings and bearings on the fireman’s side only, because that is the only side that needed it. [TT 5-1]

Winter 1988-9

487’s boiler underwent a major overhaul. The boiler received new tubes, a complete refluing, and new front and rear flue sheets. In addition to the boiler work, new rod bushings were installed, work was done on the crosshead shoes, new oak doors and windows (made by FOCTS volunteer Frank Burton) were installed, and it was planned to install new lead and trailing truck wheel sets to make the locomotive look and run even better. Finally, the locomotive was completely repainted. [Dispatch 2-2]

Winter 1989-90

487 underwent considerable running gear work. The pistons and rods were removed and the rods sent to a Farmington, NM machine shop for grinding. Upon inspection in Farmington, it was discovered that one of the rods was cracked, so a new one was fabricated. While the rods were being done, the cylinders were bored round again. 487’s piston rings were also reworked. New rings were installed and the valve chamber liners (cages) bored out. Additional planned work called for replacing the wheel set on the trailing truck, installation of a new air pump, and the normal annual inspection. [Dispatch 3-1]

Winter 1990-1

The locomotive required only normal maintenance in preparation for the 1991 season. [Dispatch 4-1]

Winter 1991-2

The locomotive’s running gear was the major project of the winter. In October the drivers were removed for tire turning by the D&SNG. Two axles had to be replaced because the journals were too worn. Throughout the winter the spring rigging was rebuilt. Seven new crown brasses were installed, driving boxes rebuilt, and new shoes and wedges fitted. The pilot truck was also overhauled. While the machine shop work was being done, the cab plumbing, the jacket and the lagging were removed for inspection of the flexible staybolt caps. After inspection, the boiler was hydrostatically tested, and then the lagging, jacket, and plumbing were replaced. In addition, some adjustments were made in the smokebox baffles to improve the locomotive’s steaming ability. [Dispatch 5-1]

Winter 1992-3

Only routine annual work and minor repairs were needed prior to the season. For most of the 1993 season 487 was limited to helper service out of Chama because of a nagging running gear problem that had been troubling since the engine was overhauled in the winter of 1991-92. It was suspected that one of the driver sets was out of quarter with the others, causing the driving wheel bearings to run excessively hot. [Dispatch 6-1, 7-1]

Winter 1993-4

487 underwent its five-year boiler inspection, and was granted a one-year flue extension by the FRA. At the end of the 1993 season the drivers were removed and sent to the D&SNG to be checked on its quartering machine. It was discovered that one of the driver counterweights was pressed on out of quarter with the rest of the engine when a new axle was installed in Durango. This was repaired by the D&SNG. The locomotive remained out of service throughout 1994. [Dispatch 7-1, 8-2]

Winter 1994-5

The running gear repairs begun the previous winter were completed. Along with other engines, 487 had its crossheads rereamed so that the crosshead main rod pin will stay in tighter. By the spring of 1995 the engine was back in service. [Dispatch 8-2]

Winter 1995-6

487 received its second one-year flue extension by the FRA. At the end of the 1995 season, 487 suffered from steaming troubles. A post-season inspection showed several boiler tube leaks in the smoke box. Several superheater elements were leaking up front also. These leaks ruined the vacuum in the smokebox, which creates the draft for the fire, and were repaired. Valve gear work was also scheduled. [Dispatch 9-1]

Winter 1996-7

A boiler inspection revealed that when a new rear tube sheet was applied in 1988 (by a private contractor), a rivet was left out where the new sheet met the old original sheet. This had not been noted in the past. The rivet holes had been welded up and there was no sign of leakage. As of early 1997 the C&TS was waiting for a ruling from the FRA concerning this. Other work on 487 included some spring rigging work, pilot and trailing truck work, replacement of a tender wheel set, and some valve gear repairs. If time allowed, the cab sheet metal would also get some attention. Like 484, it was to receive new turret valves. [Dispatch 10-1]

Winter 1997-8

487 received its fourth one-year flue extension from the FRA. The locomotive was also scheduled to have new valve rings installed. The present ones were installed in 1990, and by the end of the 1997 season, the valve rings were leaking so badly that the locomotive was going through an inordinate amount of water while climbing Cumbres. This happened because the live steam from the boiler leaked around the valve rings and into the exhaust passages and up the stack. Steam (and water) was consumed from the boiler but did nothing to provide power to the locomotive, causing efficiency to suffer greatly. 487 was also scheduled to receive new side and main rod bushings. [Dispatch 11-1]

Winter 1998-9

487’s boiler was reflued, and work was performed to meet the requirements of the proposed 49 CFR Part 230 steam locomotive inspection rules. Specifically, this meant that the entire boiler had to be ultrasonically tested to measure sheet thicknesses, and a new FRA Form 4 generated. Form 4 is used to calculate the maximum allowable working pressure of the boiler. 487 was also scheduled to receive new valve rings, steam-dome cap studs, injector steam piping, and a new cab floor. Valve piston rods were being resurfaced where they had worn in the packings. There were also plans to do some limited running gear repairs on this engine. [Dispatch 12-1, 12-2]

1999

487 was steamed up (again) on July 14. It went down (after finishing 484’s pre-season snow plowing job) to fix a valve problem and re-tire the front driver set. The left valve spool rebuilt over the winter was assembled slightly out of position, causing a steam leak on one stroke. Flanges on the lead drivers and pilot truck were close to being condemned because of sharpness, and the drivers were re-tired early in the season in order to avoid taking it out of service during the high traffic months. The spring equalizer pins were also replaced, having been worn to look like crankshafts. [Dispatch 12-3]

Winter 1999-2000

There were no reports in the Dispatch about work performed on this engine during the winter. It was deemed in “pretty good condition,” and was in operation on opening day. [Dispatch 13-2]

Winter 2000-1

While on a work train from Antonito to Lava Tank on November 2, 487 developed a loose crank pin in the lead set of drivers. It returned to Antonito, and the shop crew dropped out the driver set and sent it to the Grand Canyon Railway for outfitting with new crank pins. To avoid interrupting the work on the parlor cars being doing in the Antonito shop, most of the crew from Chama, under the leadership of Donald “Ducky” Martinez, commuted to Antonito to perform an exterior inspection of 487’s boiler. This involved removing the jacket and lagging, and removing the staybolt caps around the firebox and installing new gaskets. (These inspections were required by Part 230 of the FRA regulations.) The Chama crew reinstalled the first set of drivers and the side rods. [Dispatch 14-2]

Winter 2001-2

About thirty tubes were to be replaced over the winter because of wear and tear. [Dispatch 15-1]

Winter 2002-3

487’s running gear was overhauled, except for the engine and trailing trucks. Among other things, the drivers were turned on the wheel lathe in the Chama enginehouse. Since 487 was the only engine that would operate in 2003, the shop’s primary responsibility over the winter was to get the engine and its tender in prime operating condition for the upcoming season. The engine also received valve upgrades. The locomotive performed admirably over the course of the season, racking up 5,627 miles and no trains were annulled due to mechanical problems with the engine. [Dispatch 16-1, 18-1; Conductor 1-1]

Winter 2003-4

487’s boiler was overhauled. This work included partial left and right side sheet replacement, partial crown sheet replacement, new arch tubes, reinforcement rings for the arch tube plug holes, new tubes and flues, new superheater units, new dome cap, and new flexible staybolt caps. The locomotive was ready for opening day and logged 5,611 miles over the 2004 season. [Bush; Conductor 1-1, 1-2, 1-3; Dispatch 18-1]

Winter 2004-5

Toward the end of the 2004 season the rod banging on 487 became very noticeable and it was obvious that new rod bushings were needed. Rod bushings on the C&TS typically can make three seasons under normal usage when there are at least five locomotives in the operating pool, but due to 487 operating alone for one season this wear was increased. The rods were removed from the locomotive and new bushings were made. The engine and trailing trucks were also overhauled. The engine truck received a new radius bar. The pedestals were machined true and new liners were fabricated. Proper diameter 28-inch wheels were applied to the axle to replace the 26-inch wheels. The trailing truck also got proper diameter 30-inch wheels and the spring rigging was gone through. [Dispatch 18-1]