D&RGW 463, Steam locomotive at Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, Antonito, US.
The D&RGW 463 is a 3-foot narrow-gauge K-27 class 2-8-2 "Mikado" steam locomotive built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in March 1903. Its main frames sit outside the driving wheels, with counterweights and rods mounted outside the frames. It is one of two surviving Rio Grande K-27s, the other being No. 464 at the Huckleberry Railroad in Genesee Township, Michigan.
Built in 1903 by Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, this K-27 series engine belonged to the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. It served on the narrow gauge network that connected mountain regions across the Southwest.
The K-27 class earned the nickname "Mudhens" among Rio Grande crews. No. 463 was sold in May 1955 to singing cowboy Gene Autry, who never ran it and gave it to the town of Antonito, where it stood as a display before returning to steam in 1994.
Visitors can ride the train from late May through October with departures available from both Antonito, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico stations. The journey requires no special equipment and is accessible to most visitors, though it is wise to prepare for changing mountain weather conditions.
No. 463 was sold in May 1955 to singing cowboy Gene Autry, who never used it and donated it to the town of Antonito, Colorado. It is one of only two surviving K-27 locomotives; the other, No. 464, runs at the Huckleberry Railroad in Genesee Township, Michigan.
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