D&RGW K-28 100th Birthday Celebration

D&RGW K-28 #478 at Silverton, CO August 1978 Tom Gallagher Photo.

At the turn of the 20th century, the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad had a vast 3 foot narrow gauge empire in Colorado, New  Mexico and Utah.   Many of the locomotives were getting worn out and were not able to pull the increasingly heavy trains.  They consisted mostly of 4-6-0 Ten Wheelers and 2-8-0 Consolidations.  In 1903, the railroad purchased Class K-27 2-8-2 Mikados from the Baldwin Locomotive Works.  They were larger and heavier than the former engines, and were of an outside frame, where the drivers were inside the frame.  The drive rods and counterweights were attached to the axles outside the frame, which allowed the engine boiler to be considerably larger.  This made these engines heavier and more powerful.  The K-27’s were nicknamed “Midhens,” as they seemed to waddle as they went along the track.  The design was successful, and the railroad decided to purchase additional models of this wheel arrangement.  The railroad entered an agreement with the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) to produce an upgraded model in 1922.  Ten locomotives numbered 470– 479 arrived from Schenectady, NY in 1923, classified K-28, and began testing for passenger and freight service.  Unfortunately, the light weight rail and deferred maintenance required significant track improvements and the first K-28 train arrived in Durango in the summer of 1924.  The crews liked the new engines, they were reliable, easy to maintain, could travel at higher speeds (when track conditions allowed) and rode better.  They were given the name “sport model.”
They soldiered on through the years, and eventually became the primary motive power on “The Silverton.”  Today, three of these engines survive on the Durango and Silverton RR, and have recently been converted to be fired with oil rather than coal.  Two are in operating condition and the third is on display at the Durango Museum.  The other seven K-28’s were sent to Alaska and The Yukon Territories during World War II to help in the war efforts.  Sadly, all were scrapped.
In  2023, the K-28’s celebrated their 100th Birthday.  The Durango and Silverton celebrated this occasion which a number of special excursions.  Check out the videos below. You may also read a much greater detailed history in the book entitled, Rio Grande’s Narrow Gauge K-28 Locomotives written by Jerry B. Day.
Tom Gallagher

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