Sometimes in life, there are things you think might be relatively straightforward.

And then, somehow, you find yourself laying on your back in the mud between the giant wheels of a 45,000-pound train with an oxy-acetylene torch that you just bought off Craigslist in your left hand, a set of welding goggles in your right, looking around at the cobwebs entangling everything and unsure about what to do next. And as you watch your warm breathe escape into the cold November air, and snow gently starts to fall, you think: “What exactly have I gotten myself into, here?”

Welcome to the adventure of saving a 104-year-old train from being demolished, within five weeks, at the onset of Colorado winter. Here are the updates.