D&RGW 168

D&RGW 168
168 at the head of a special train taking William Howard Taft to the opening of the Gunnison Tunnel, 1909
Power type	Steam
Reference [1][2][3]
Builder	Baldwin Locomotive Works
Serial number	6670
Build date	1883
Configuration	4-6-0
UIC classification	2′C n2
Gauge	3 ft  (914 mm)
Driver diameter	46 in (1,168 mm)
Length	53.3 ft (16.2 m)
Weight on drivers	50,643 lb (23.0 t)
Locomotive weight	70,550 lb (32.0 t)
Locomotive & tender combined weight	117,950 lb (54 t)
Fuel type	Coal
Boiler pressure	160 psi (1 MPa)
Cylinders	2
Cylinder size	14 × 20 in (356 × 508 mm)
Tractive effort	11,590 lbf (51.55 kN)
Career	D&RG » D&RGW
Class	D&RG: 47, DRGW: T-12
Number	D&RGW: 168
Retired	1938
Current owner	City of Colorado Springs
Disposition	Static Display
Rio Grande Engine No. 168
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location:	9 S. Sierra Madre, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Coordinates:	38°50′3.4″N 104°49′41″W / 38.834278°N 104.82806°W / 38.834278; -104.82806Coordinates: 38°50′3.4″N 104°49′41″W / 38.834278°N 104.82806°W / 38.834278; -104.82806
Area:	less than one acre
Built:	1883
Architect:	Baldwin Locomotive Works
Governing body:	Local
NRHP Reference#:	79000601[4]
Added to NRHP:	August 10, 1979

Denver and Rio Grande Western No. 168 is a 4-6-0, Ten Wheeler type, narrow gauge steam steam railway locomotive. It is one of twelve similar locomotives built for the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1883. It was built as a passenger locomotive, with 46 in (1,200 mm) drivers, the second largest drivers used on any three foot gauge D&RGW locomotive. (The K-37s which were originally standard gauge have 55 in (1,400 mm) drivers.^[1] The large drivers made it suitable for relatively fast passenger service.

As is the case with many small, early locomotives, we know little of their operating history. In the case of 168, what we know comes entirely from photographs taken of it. The first shows it in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison River in 1904. The second pair show it in Montrose, Colorado, west of Gunnison, at the head of a special train taking President William Howard Taft to the opening of the Gunnison Tunnel which, at the time, was the longest irrigation tunnel in the world. There are also photographs, taken by Otto Perry, showing it in Alamosa in 1923 and Salida in 1929. It was retired in 1938, later than most of its class.

The railroad gave it to the City of Colorado Springs on August 1, 1938. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Rio Grande Engine No. 168 in 1979.^[4] Although it sits in Antlers Park, unprotected from the elements, behind a low fence, it appears to be in immaculate cosmetic condition.

In the Black Canyon of the Gunnison, 1904

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Official Roster No. 11 of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad System. Denver: The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad System. April 1, 1923. 
2. ^ Presentation Ceremony Program. Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. August 1, 1938. http://www.drgw.net/gallery/DRGW168CeremonyProgram/drgw168_program_1_aug_1938_cover. 
3. ^ "Denver & Rio Grande Locomotive History: 168". Rio Grande Modeling and Historical Society. http://www.drgw.org/data/steam/history/drg168.htm. Retrieved 28 January 2010. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.