Denver & Rio Grande Western No. 493 is a K-37 narrow-gauge 2-8-2 whose major components trace back to an earlier standard-gauge locomotive.
The Rio Grande rebuilt the locomotive into K-37 narrow-gauge form in 1928 as part of a program that reused existing boilers and other components.
The resulting locomotive was among the largest steam engines operated on the D&RGW three-foot-gauge system.
No. 493 worked heavy freight service during the final decades of Rio Grande narrow-gauge operations.
It last ran in regular D&RGW service in July 1968 and then spent decades out of operation.
The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad eventually selected 493 for a major restoration and conversion project.
The rebuild included extensive running-gear, boiler, cab, staybolt, tender, and appliance work rather than a simple cosmetic repair.
Durango & Silverton records the project as taking roughly 22 months and about 7,500 labor hours.
No. 493 moved under its own power again in early 2020 after conversion from coal to oil firing.
For TransitSatellite, the locomotive should be represented in three clearly separated forms: pre-1928 standard-gauge component ancestry, D&RGW coal-fired K-37 service, and modern oil-fired preserved operation.