Denver & Rio Grande Western No. 483 is a K-36 narrow-gauge 2-8-2 built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1925.
Like the rest of the K-36 class, it was designed for heavy road service across the Rio Grande’s mountain narrow-gauge lines.
No. 483 worked within the same operating system that connected Alamosa, Chama, Durango, Farmington, and other narrow-gauge destinations.
When the Rio Grande abandoned most of the San Juan Extension in 1970, equipment and 64 miles of route between Antonito and Chama were preserved by Colorado and New Mexico.
No. 483 became part of the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad collection rather than passing to the Durango–Silverton operation.
The locomotive’s survival allows direct comparison between original Rio Grande equipment and the historic track, yards, and shops that supported it.
Unlike several K-36 sisters at Cumbres & Toltec, No. 483 is not currently an operating locomotive.
Cumbres & Toltec lists 483 on display at the Chama station.
Static status should not be confused with poor historical value: an unrestored or non-operating locomotive can preserve physical evidence that repeated operational rebuilding may alter.
For TransitSatellite, No. 483 should be labeled “preserved/display” rather than shown hauling a present-day train. Operating images of other K-36s cannot be substituted simply because the locomotives look similar.