Mudhen in the rain. In a steady downpour, the Huckleberry Railroad's noontime excursion train rounds the turning loop at the east end of the line and heads back toward Crossroads Village. Leading this trip is the former D&RGW K-27 #464. This locomotive was the last of the fifteen K-27 "Mudhens" that were built by Baldwin for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad in 1903. She had a long career with the legendary line before being finally retired in 1962. After spending some time as a static display in Durango, she was sold in 1973 to Knott's Berry Farm, a large theme park in the L.A. area which has a fine narrow gauge operation. Unfortunately, she didn't work out well there, due to tight curves and low clearances for her counterweights. She was acquired by the Huckleberry Railroad in 1981 and after a significant restoration effort, became part of the steam stable there. With the line's other steamer US 152 currently out of service (as of 2011) for a 1472 day inspection, DRGW 464 is the primary steam power on the line.
