So, when Klondike Kate, the restored locomotive now in use in Como, was lettered this summer, I assumed she would carry classic C&S markings. I was surprised, then, to see photos of her tender marked "DSP&P" and carrying the number "4." I was not disappointed, mind you. An operating locomotive in Como is a sight I never thought to behold in 2018! Still, I was a little puzzled that the C&S name was passed up.
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| Photo 2018 Kurt Maechner |
Then I happened on a discussion that held the answer for the lettering choice. Apparently, "Colorado & Southern", as a corporate name is "still owned and registered" thereby taking it out of the running for an official name for the new railway. The Leadville tourist route, by comparison, got around this by adding the "Leadville" to their Leadville, Colorado & Southern railroad.
The name "Denver, South Park & Pacific," however, is not owned or registered and so was available. Jerry Huck explains, "When the South Park Rail Society was initially formed, we realized that we would need an operating name for the railroad. As Stewart said, Colorado and Southern was not available in any form however Denver South Park and Pacific was available as the Denver South Park and Pacific Railway company. Which is the registered official name of the new railroad in Como so there is some legitimacy for #4 to carry that lettering."
And, quite honestly, it makes a lot of sense for a locomotive inside South Park itself to carry a name that enshrined the "SP" in the center of its title.
As relates to her number, several others on the forum pointed out that the DSP&P had a few locomotives recorded as #4. One was the mason bogie named the "Breckenridge." Another named loco, the "Fairplay," was also numbered 4.
All in all, while I'd love to see "Colorado & Southern" gracing the side of a locomotive tender in Como, I'm still delighted to see the DSP&P rising from the ashes and steaming to work from her stone stable once again.
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