Hammering upgrade. RGS 455 (leading) and DRGW 315 (helping mid-train) hammer uphill westbound with a morning freight on the Rio Grande Southern. Historic photos of train operations on the long-defunct Rio Grande Southern often depict freights such as this one with a mix of out-of-date D&RGW power. Some locomotives were permanently acquired by the RGS and were typically painted in the sunrise herald (as with 455 here), while others were leased or on-loan and remained in D&RGW paint (like 315.) By the third or fourth decade of the 20th century, early power, such as the C-18 and K-27 seen here, had largely been replaced on the parent line with the larger and more powerful K-series engines such as the K-28, K-36 and K-37. The smaller power was ideal for the RGS and served the line pretty much until the end in the early 1950s. This re-creation photograph was made on the present-day Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad at around MP 296.1, just above the base of the Whiplash.
