Looks to me to be on Soldier Summit maybe. The D&RGW used these locos on the west end of the system back in the day. We had a guy (ex DRGW fireman) that came into our yard office in GJ once in a while. I got to visit with him a few times, he was a great guy. He told of a story, that he was on the extra board and the fireman that was supposed to work a trip from Helper to GJ laid off when he saw he had to fire a steam locomotive. It turns out this was one of the last steam loco's trips to operate out west. He said these locos were easy to fire, and were not anywhere near what the D&RGW L-131's were, but they were modern steam and easy to fire. That guy definitely, was able to use his retirement to the fullest. I still admire his "chops", he was a slight man, with a huge job, and a very cherished personality in my career.
There's not many active avalanche zones on the Moffat now that Rollins Pass has been removed from service. Maybe Fraser Canyon or points west, but I cannot think of one on the east slope of the Moffat. Most of the slide zones are more rockslide hazards than snow slides. At any rate, undoubtedly, some 3600-class 2-8-8-2s would have been involved!
Denver & Salt Lake 2-6-6-0 207, Denver, CO, 1930s (Photographer unknown) Denver & Salt Lake 2-8-2 402, Denver, CO, June 21, 1948 (Ralph H. Payne)
They are bolted on. In fact, they are cast steel, painted. Probably unique in the railroad world as a user of such numbers. The D&SL/D&RGW cabooses also have the same treatment, if you look closely. It's why the numbers are so prominent, even when the rest of the engine is completely encapsulated in soot (a Moffat trademark).
Denver, Laramie & Northwestern 4-4-0 4, Denver, CO, late 1930s (Photographer unknown) Denver Tramway Co. 51, Denver, CO, 1940s (Photographer unknown)
I'm not sure, but without most of its valve gear and tender, sure looks like the scrapper's torch isn't far away.
It was not terribly long after that photo. It was taken on the property of Morse Bros. Machinery in Denver, a used equipment dealer/scrapper. It had actually been on the property for about 20 years when that picture was taken as Morse Bros. had purchased it when the DL&NW was abandoned in 1917.
Fort Worth & Denver 4-6-2 557, Dallas, TX, September 9, 1948 (Ralph H. Payne) Frankfort & Cincinnati Motorcar 2, Frankfort, KY, May 2, 1948 (Ralph H. Payne)
Great Northern 2-8-8-0 2002, Klamath Falls, OR, Late 1940s (Photographer unknown) GN Y-1 5012, Skykomish, WA, 1940s (Photographer unknown)
Now we're talking, getting to the good stuff!! Although the second pic is in Wenatchee, Wa (Apple Yard), on the other side of the electrified zone.
Photo of those GN electrics is not Skykomish. That is the bluff/mountain on the south side of Appleyard (South Wenatchee), Washington. This was the easternmost terminal of their electrification.