#2228
Rio Grande class K-37
🇺🇸 United States ·built by Baldwin Locomotive Works· from 1928· class of 10 American 3-foot gauge 2-8-2 locomotives rebuilt from standard gauge C41-class 2-8-0s
3 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. D and S 497 Leaving Durango June 1985xRP - Flickr - drewj1946: Drew Jacksich from San Jose, CA, The Republic of California· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2. D&RGW SL 491 2008: Jon's pics· CC BY 2.0
- 3. Durango and Silverton K-37 Class 493: Xboxtravis7992· CC BY-SA 4.0
what is it?
The Denver and Rio Grande Western K-37 is a class of ten 2-8-2 "Mikado" type narrow-gauge steam locomotives built for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. They were rebuilt steam locomotives assembled in the D&RGW Burnham Shops as a near copy of the Rio Grande class K-36. In-house production was chosen to preemptively address material shortages and personnel issues (any possible labor unrest could be more easily controlled by the D&RGW).
who runs it
base stats
Bars compare against all trains: 600 km/h (maglev), 1,700 seats; power, weight and number built on a log scale up to 20 MW, 1,000 t and 20,000 built.
fun facts
- First built 98 years ago, in 1928.
- Weighs about as much as 14 African elephants (~6 t each).
- 12.5 m long: about 3 cars parked nose to tail.
steam locomotive: Burns coal, wood or oil to boil water; the steam drives pistons that turn the wheels.
spec sheet
- built
- 1928–1930
- retired
- 1968
- status
- in service
- number built
- —
- kind
- Steam
- traction
- steam
- origin
- 🇺🇸 United States
- builders
- Baldwin Locomotive Works
- operators
- Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, Colorado Railroad Museum, Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
- top speed
- —
- power
- —
- gauge
- 914 mm 3 ft narrow gauge
- wheel arrangement
- 2-8-2
- length
- 12.5 m
- weight
- 84.9 t
From the Wikipedia infobox and Wikidata. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q5203031, Wikipedia: Rio Grande class K-37 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-25.