1223 has 68 inch drivers and 23,900 TE, 98 has 69 inch drivers and 22,000 TE.


The W&W uses steel coaches on a curvacious roller coaster profile ROW that until recently, had fair to unpleasent track conditions. That said, I have personally witnessed that engine drag a fall foliage consist of 4 packed coaches, 2 cabs, a flat car and a dead diesel, total consist weight of about 450 tons, up the line all the way into Hockessin (track speed from Yorklyn to Hockessin was 10MPH then) . Sure it wasn't fun, it was far less than ideal for the loco and there were some hairy moments, but it did it with the 'expertise' of the engineer - Mr Andy Andrews - and the poor sucker who was firing that day.

Normal circumstances would see 98 limited to hauling 4 cars and a cab to Mt Cuba (max 1% grade through Wooddale - on a reverse curve). and 3 coaches and a cab to Hockessin (1.6% Grade up the Hockessin Hill). The DL&W Coaches weigh about 70 tons each as built? Add about 3 tons per car when loaded with people....you get the drift.

Strasburg has good track, and wooden coaches which I would safely say, don't weight 70 tons each. I can't see 98 having problems with the 5 car trains that the 1223 use to pull (and that used to be with 2 steel mp54's as open cars). I am sure 98 would have some trouble in the same spots that the 1223 did, but I really don't see too much of a difference performance wise.

To answer a post from above: about the only time I can think of that Strasburg did get rid of anything was when they sold their ex-DL&W commuter coaches shortly before buying the 475. I think some of these cars can be seen in this video clip.

Chris.

I have a Strasburg that I got on a trip there in the early 1980s. So there must be more than one film about the line.

Have they don any DVDs yet?

Ted Miles

If you're talking about the railroad itself doing a tape, I'm not sure. A lot of railfan video producers over the years have done tapes (Hopewell, JMJ, Berkshire, Mark 1, etc), and other people have used segments from the photo freights in tapes.