Here is an interesting coincidence. This YouTube correspondent is riding trains across Siberia and at 15 minutes into the video he comes across the two EMD Russian demonstrator locomotives. With a couple thousand miles of trans-Siberian railroad and hundreds of locomotives out there he manages to locate the two most unusual units on the railroad by chance encounter in one of the most remote areas on earth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gls8LMJOjRI

PC

Fascinating. I had no idea MotivePower or whoever runs what was EMD had demonstrators far afield. It's likely (barring interference from the present "unpleasantness" in Ukraine and the leader behind it all) that they could pull the same motive power coup they managed in Britain years ago with the UK Class 67 that started with Foster Yeoman..............

They're still broad gauge there, right? I keep losing track of who converted to 1435mm and who didn't.........

Soviets narrowed their gauge from 1524 mm to 1520 mm; since it was Soviet era, Ukraine also complied. That's still nowhere near 1435 mm gauge.

Phil Mulligan

Yes 1520mm gauge. The locomotive depot he passes in dim light after the encounter with the EMD Demonstrators is probably in Neryungri, location of one of the large coal mines in the area, and home to a large population of EMD engines in mining trucks. Notice the attention being paid to reducing their carbon footprint. This area is all about coal.

Amazing to see the area without snow. It is horrendously cold there much of the year. Many buildings are double wall.

PC

I'm looking at those bridges. Long and without that much water under them when the video was shot. Spring Breakup must be a sight to behold.

Phil Mulligan