Category: Restoration

Home at last! After six months of very hard work that included #18 being used on 40 doubleheaders – yes 40! – #18 headed home to Independence on October 28th and was unloaded on the 30th. This having been the 6th time #18 and tender have been on the highway, it was just another loading and unloading, and there were but only a few cell phone pictures taken of the event.

Prior to its departure from Durango, #18 had its annual Federal Railway Administration annual inspection and hydro test as well as some other repair work performed. Back in Independence, #18 will have the remaining annual inspections completed and will be put back together for future operations.

Looking ahead to 2022, we hope to schedule at least one or two events with #18 prior to it’s next annual inspection, which will be its 5th since being returned to service and will require a staybolt cap inspection. We also expect to complete the last of our track installation as well as get started on our restoration of boxcar 1C; lots to look forward to next year.

With #18 home again, all of us with the Carson and Colorado would like to say thank you to the Durango and Silverton, and all of you who continue to support us!

February managed to see one, very small, work day occur. Only four attended and our primary focus was on installing a temporary, yet stable, roof on perlite car #73. Long without a proper roof, #73 had its plywood roof blown off last year in a wind storm. With no immediate plans to perform a proper restoration on #73 we decided to reinstall a plywood roof however this time with a little more structure to it so it will last, its certainly not pretty but will suffice. Also repaired was #73’s door so it will open.

Work was also begun on the pair of former Westside Lumber company trucks which will be repaired and ultimately placed under boxcar #15 to make it sit at a proper height and look more historically accurate. Work still remains to be performed before they are ready to go under #15.

In addition to the work on the boxcars, we removed the gauges off of #18 to test them for its annual. Also accomplished was some repairs to our push car and trips to both Owenyo and Kearsarge. All in all it was a beautiful day and a half in Independence! We look forward to the next work weekend, hopefully in April!