Alaska Railroad #6

That is the only Davenport locomotive on the Alaska Railroad, the number 1 in front of the Anchorage Depot.  It is getting new foot boards, headlight, bell and being cleaned up for a paint job in the summer of 1948.  This is preparation for it's involvement in the Alaska Day celebration in front of the Anchorage Depot at the introduction of the new AuRoRa passenger train behind locomotive 1050. - Patrick Durand

It looks to me like #6 is being worked on outside of the roundhouse at some time before being renumbered to #1. #700 class is behind it. The perspective makes the size comparison deceptive. It looks to me like he is using a wooden handled wire brush to clean loose paint off of the smoke box door. The handle has a bit of a curve in it, just like the one on my welding cart. The light spot at 1:00 on the door may be where he has already worked on it.

There is something written on the side of the cab and numbers on the tank, but I'm don't know the significance. Next to the cab is a stand, possibly being used as a ladder?

To do some speculating, getting prepped for a paint job before it was renumbered? - Dick Morris