This would be a perfect photo charter opportunity - no brush cutting trips! Wild catch, John!
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Funny joke and nice shot John. And weren't those "ole-timey" stacks just awful? But that is what the general public wanted then. Thank goodness that when the line was sold, the new owner Mr. Bradshaw had them removed. This K class engine appearance is unusual with the offset front mounted air compressor and thus needs to be handled just right other wise it looks unattractive like it does here. This class has to have it's original straight stack and black smoke box in order to deserve the engine crew applied nick name "Sport Model."
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The interesting thing about the fakes stacks is ugly as they were they are now part of Rio Grande history. The 473 was the last to get one around 1961, so for the last decade of Rio Grande ng. operation all three surviving 470's had them, including occasional trips in freight service. The 470's were mean looking machines, an interesting contrast to the more classical looking 480's.
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