Southern Pacific 4-6-0 No. 18, which is being leased to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad from the Carson & Colorado Railway, blew its right cylinder and shattered the piston during a run from Durango, Colo., to Cascade Canyon, Colo., on April 9, 2019. The “Slim Princess,” as it’s affectionately called, is a Baldwin steam locomotive built in 1911 for the Nevada California Oregon Railway.
The train was carrying approximately 100 passengers during an excursion when the incident occurred between Hermosa, Colo., and Rockwood, Colo. The fireman on the train was taken to Rockwood to return with a diesel locomotive. The disabled steam engine was set out on a siding and the four passenger cars were taken back to Durango under diesel power. The direct cause of the cylinder failure wasn’t immediately known.
D&SNG Railroad is working to convert former Denver & Rio Grande Western 2-8-2 K-37 No. 493 to burn oil, and SP No. 18 is an oil burner. D&SNG leased No. 18 in order to give its crew experience with that kind of fuel. The lease is up in June 2019.
