The Last Coal Burning Season, Durango and Silverton

[@bobkonradi1027]

Just as a little added blip.. The winter train to Cascade Canyon does have one open air car, in the middle of the train. No dedicated tickets to ride in that car, but "just in case" some passengers want to get out of the nice warm, heated enclosed cars, they do have the one open air car, for those people that just have to have the freshest of that fresh mountain air, or for taking pictures without having to deal with shooting pics or videos through closed-up windows. Typical winter temps vary from low-mid 30s in morning, to high 40s-low 50s later in the day under normal weather conditions. Each enclosed car has its own heating system installed, as does the concession car. Now you know.

[@patrickwaddell8618]

hey marc...pat here..great video..

[@_mdh_1998]

Thanks Pat! I always appreciate your support!

[@dainallison4275]

Wow, great video! Any idea what happened to the 481?

[@_mdh_1998]

Nothing happened to 481, it was the consist that had a failure, still don’t know what happened but that was the word. A shame I wish I could have stayed an extra day. But I’m happy with this experience!

[@dainallison4275]

Oh interesting, well I'm glad the engine is okay.@@_mdh_1998

[@conradfok873]

Does it have 486's whistle? Because if it does, it doesn't sound like this

[@RioGrande486]

Yes 481 is currently equipped with 486’s whistle.

[@AirchimeLTDproductions174]

I believe this 5 Chime is a completely different piece than the one uptop #486. #486 wears a Cast Brass D&RGW 5 Chime that sounds nothing like this one. If anything that whistle is likely on display with the #486 in the Roundhouse museum

[@RioGrande486]

@@AirchimeLTDproductions174 Perhaps, either that or the whistle was retuned or sounds off since it wasn’t used in so long. I kinda hope it’s not though because I loved 486’s whistle sound before being taken out of service in 2019. I was just going off of what the Locomotive Wiki’s page on 486 said about the whistle.

[@AirchimeLTDproductions174]

I agree with you there the #486 is my personal favorite D&RGW K-36, and its whistle is one the best 5-Chimes I've ever heard. Not to mention in the photo on Locomotive Wiki you can see that the 486s Brass D&RGW 5 was cleaned and polished. So I think this 5 chime is a different one, fingers crossed. But I do think this one is likely a different whistle, you can't change the whistles root tone unless machining on the individual chimes is taken up to some degree, and seeing as the #486 and #481 are both K-36s operating at 200psi I wouldn't think #486s Brass D&RGW 5 would sound any different up top #481.@@RioGrande486 The #481 also wore the D&RGW 5 Chime off #478 back in 2022 and it sounded exactly how it did back when it was worn by the #478

[@RioGrande486]

@@AirchimeLTDproductions174 Well I would also hope it’s not 486’s whistle, because let’s be brutally honest here, it has the best chord of pretty much any whistle. Btw, nice to know somebody else who’s favorite K-36 is 486!