Apparently the first conversion was successful:

https://railfan.com/cumbres-toltec-to-c ... 8-2-to-oil

At least from my perspective, as someone who follows that railroad and visits pretty frequently, there's not much news there. The railroad converted the 489 for last season and has been using it as a sort of "pathfinder" vehicle to tweak the design and make it efficient. I think it has been common knowledge that the railroad would need to convert an additional K-36, in order to develop a full, operational capability to operate on oil. After all, they run two trains a day, one from either end of the line.

Once nice thing about the C&TS is that it's not a private corporation. The railroad is run by a Bi-State Commission, the proceedings of which are public and transparent. Meeting minutes and sometimes videos of commission meetings are often posted on the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum (NGDF), and there have been references to converting a second locomotive for a while. All of that said, the railroad has continued to make clear that they will do whatever they can to preserve coal-burning steam on that line, and recently, shop personnel from the C&TS posted photos and descriptions of some modifications they've been making in the smokeboxes on the coal-burners, to minimize the fire risks from cinders. As I understand it, the 484 has been running this year without the familiar spark arrestor cover on the stack, and they've had zero lineside fires attributed to coal-firing. Not only are they still burning coal, but the locomotives look more authentic without the "crumb catchers". Thank the young guns in the Chama Shop for that!

And at the latest commission meeting, it was also stated that the Forest Service was apparently comfortable with the railroad's operations so far this year and that their fire prevention/suppression plans were among the best they'd seen.

Hopefully, folks will get out to NM/CO and patronize the C&TS. The hard-working folks in the shops continue to churn out miracles. The best way to support this National Treasure is by putting butts in the seats.

/Kevin Madore

Where can those photos be seen?

See if this link works: https://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/read.php?1,442096,442195#msg-442195

/KDM

Well to be truthful, the “crumb catchers” on the C&TS are authentic (or at least of an authentic design). But yeah, the bald stacks are more authentic.

The ones on the D&S? Yeesh they can be a bit large.

I believe the D&S screens had to be that design through an agreement with the Forest Service about 20 years ago or so.