Rio Grande No. 476

D&SNG No. 476 is a K-28 class 2-8-2 "Mikado" type narrow gauge steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1923 for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad (D&RG), also known as the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (D&RGW). It pulled trains across the D&RGW narrow gauge system until being moved to the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNG). 476 operated excursions on the D&SNG until being taken out of service in September 1999 and placed on display in the D&SNG roundhouse museum.
In 2016, it was announced that 476 would be restored back to operating condition and 478 would be placed in the D&SNG roundhouse museum to be on display in the spot where 476 was previously placed on display. 476 was eventually restored back to operation in February 2018 and now continues to run tourist excursion trains at the D&SNG as of today. On May 25, 2022, 476 was converted from burning coal to burning oil and is the D&SNG’s fifth converted oil burner after class K-37 locomotive 493, sister class K-28 locomotive 473, and class K-36 locomotives 480 and 482. On October 22, 2022, 476 operated a special photo charter all the way from Durango, CO to Silverton, CO. For this photo charter, it was equipped with one of the old 1970s-style diamond smokestacks it previously had while operating for the D&RGW, as well as D&RGW lettering applied to the tender. As of early June 2023, it has been relettered back to the D&SNG and the old 1970s-style diamond smokestack was replaced by the traditional regular smokestack.
In May 2024, it was chosen for a film shoot for an upcoming Kevin Costner movie, so as part of this, it was re-equipped with one of the old 1970s-style diamond smokestacks, a box-style headlight, and relettered to the Illinois Central Railroad.
==Trivia==
*No. 476 has worn several different whistles during its operating career on the Durango & Silverton, including a D&RGW 5-chime, a PRR 3-chime, a Lunkenheimer 3-chime, and an SP 6-chime, among others. Right now, it currently carries another D&RGW 5-chime previously used on class K-36 locomotive No. 486.
* The locomotive can be seen in Herron Rail Video's Narrow Gauge Glory Volume 1.
==See also==
*Gallery
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Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Eight-coupled locomotives
Category:2-8-2 locomotives
Category:2-8-2 steam locomotives
Category:Class K-28
Category:Built in 1923
Category:ALCO locomotives
Category:American locomotives
Category:Rio Grande locomotives
Category:Durango & Silverton locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Narrow-gauge steam locomotives
Category:Narrow gauge
Category:Narrow-gauge
Category:Excursion locomotives
Category:Preserved steam locomotives