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Denver, Mesa & Gunnison No. 165

World War II ramped up traffic for just about every major American railroad, and the DM&G was no exception. And like many railroads, it was soon found that their engine fleet was struggling to keep up. Double-headers were the norm, and the new K-classes in particular were stretched thin as every train seemed to require their power output. Something had to change. In 1943, the DM&G petitioned the U.S. government for surplus power, especially articulated engines.

They got a varied mix--old USRA Mallets, mostly--but one stood out: a single example of the Union Pacific's famous new Big Boy. Though it only served on the DM&G for about a year, it made such an impression on the engineering department that six copies were ordered after the war ended. Some tweaks were made--notably, a "double-channel" smokestack to divert smoke away from overhead power lines--but all in all, the DM&G's Big Boys were as similar as possible to their UP inspiration.

No. 165 was the last of the batch, and by proxy the DM&G's last steam locomotive. After a decade at the point of the railroad's heaviest trains, it was relegated to helper service in 1957, emergency reserve in 1961, and the scrap line in 1964.