Big News from Colorado!

[Klinger]

Now that the word is out, I don't have to stay quiet anymore.

While I have known about some of this for about a month, its just now "official"

http://www.thehawkeye.com/story/locomotive-012711

The Midwest Central Railroad in Iowa is making a big trade with the Georgetown Loop Railroad. Ex-West Side Lumber Company 9 will be shipped to the Georgetown Loop Railroad, it is being leased for at least 7, maybe 10 years.

But this is not the most exciting part! Mid West's Engine 1 is being traded in exchange for locomotive 12, the little Hawaiian 2-6-2 that was recently brought back into service. Engine 1 is not currently in service, and needs extensive work. But its always been said that she would never run again because of the cost.

Well now she is. Even more exciting is what the locomotive is. She is a direct relative to CB&Q/C&S 537, a locomotive that is very much attached to the Loops history.


Here is 1

And 537

So in a small indirect way, 537 will return to her home rails.

 

[K4driver]

I'm gonna miss seeing 12 on the loop in vids...

 

[sawyer811]

would be nice if that 2-8-0 had its tender remodelled to look more C&S-ish but its not my choice. just hope she doesn't get a beartrap:hehe:.

But my question is, is number even light enough to run over the bridge? or was that little problem eliminated after the rebuilt it?

 

[Klinger]

Yea, but 12 was not practical. It was a good short term solution, but she is going to a good home, in fact, Midwest Central owned 12 at one point, so in a lot of ways, she is returning home.

The number 1 has no home really, so she will hopefully find one at the Loop.

And 9, she has 36,100 pounds of Tractive effort, same as the big D&RGW K-36's


Does this answer your question about weight

 

[sawyer811]

hmm...i think the original designer of the Devil's Gate bridge is having a heart attack in his grave right now:hehe: . But yes, that answers my question. I guess it can take it then!

 

[Klinger]

When the High Bridge was rebuilt in the 80's, it was rebuilt with much larger engine in mind. 12 and 14 are about 60-70 tons each. When the loop was built, the CHS wanted to use K-37 491, but 491 is too big to operate on the sharp curves. But since large engines were the thinking from day 1 (Lindsey Ashby already owned 40, 44, and Shay's 8, 12, and 14) everything was built to carry the weight of these much larger locomotives

Shay 9, 10, and 11 I think were the largest Shay's West Side owned (I thought it was 12, but I was wrong) and some of the largest Narrow Gauge Shay's ever built, weighing 80 tons loaded

 

[bendorsey]

Apologies in advance for slightly hijacking this thread but has anyone made that bridge for Trainz? If not I will if ya'll can come up with enuff info and photos.

Ben

 

[robbiehanson]

Ben...you made that bridge for me two or three years ago

Devils Gate Bridge...

 

[bendorsey]

Quick aren't I, lol - (another senior moment I guess).

Ben

 

[AyTrane]

Isn't CB&Q 537 from the Deadwood Central railroad?

 

[wilh]

Actually, I saw something about the number 12 and number 9 swapping in some magazine (Trains, I think). But there was no mention of number 1.

 

[Klinger]

Funny, I was reading this post the other day, debating if I should add the latest news or not

the trade for the C&Z #1 fell through. It was decided around July that the engine was just in too bad of shape to be worth our while. It needs major saddle repairs, a new boiler, new tender, running gear work, its just far too expensive for us to think about, which is a shame, because the agreement here at the loop between all of use was that should was going to become CB&Q 537.

Perhaps someday, in the future, she will be cosmetically restored, but unless someone with deep pockets get a hold of the engine, I doubt she will ever operate again.

I was even going to use my model of 537 as a guide for the conversion....

The upside to this is that when the lease for the 9 is up, the 12 will return to Silver Plume