Apparently the Durango and Silverton is trying to purchase a couple diesels to augment its fleet during high fire danger times. I have seen some very well thought out explanations as to why the WP&Y MLWs are not contenders (size, and the WP&Y not wanting to give them up). So, that leaves what? Its not like you can go to Larry's Truck and Electric and buy something straight from the yard. Any thoughts? Its going to be interesting to see what if anything ends up happening.

http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/read.php?1,353068

Columbia and Peru still have 3 foot gauge lines, but I don't know if they would be willing to part with any of their engines and whether their engines would even be suitable for the D&S. I can see spare parts as a real problem if they aren't of US manufacture. Don't know if it would be possible to narrow up meter gauge engines for use. That would open up a lot more possibilities.

Might buy some rebuildable U-10s in Guatemala, but nobody has asked me to try.

South Africa has 3 foot 6 inch gauge. Big EMD and GE units have been working down there for years.

Japan is all 3 foot 6 except the bullet trains.

Robert

Speaking of Larry's, how hard would it be to regauge something like a SW1500 or GP40 and would it suit the needs of the D&S?

I don't think width would be a problem; the outside framed 2-8-2s that are standard power are as wide, or nearly so, as standard gauge steam. Height is a different matter, particularly for a road switcher; while D&S doesn't have the tunnels that C&TS has, it does have some through truss bridges where that could be a factor.

The problem is the traction motors are too big to allow the gauge to be reduced to 36".

It's interesting to find some of the narrow gauge units EMD did build for export. Some were surprisingly good looking, or at least didn't look too bad. (Example--G-18 and variants, this one being built for Andes Copper Mining company of Chile):

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/ ... Llanta.jpg

http://www.wikiwand.com/en/EMD_G18

EMD even built a cab unit for the narrow gauge export market, the B-12, delivered to Brazil and to Pakistan (the latter as an A1A--A1A variant, and actually the more numerous):

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/railway- ... 32/page-14

https://defence.pk/pdf/proxy.php?image= ... adf2895307

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banglades ... Class_2000

http://www.trainweb.org/emdloco/b12.htm

http://vfco.brazilia.jor.br/ferrovias/e ... idas.shtml

Make no mistake, I want steam to stay in Colorado--but pairs of these in Grande gold might be interesting.

http://www.pell.portland.or.us/~efbrazil/efvm523.html

It would appear that the GE diesels in Guatemala would be a logical choice. No regauging would be necessary and the likelihood of restored rail service there is very unlikely since most of the bridges have been stolen for scrap. Unfortunately they're now owned by the Government which could make a purchase very difficult plus there's the little matter of shipping them to Colorado.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_tran ... _Guatemala

Might be worth arranging something with Canadian input, as these locomotives are legitimate proud products of Canada and I think deserve more serious attention than they have received so far.

Commonwealth Railways NSU class https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_Railways_NSU_class

Supposedly one of them has been as recently as 2009 proposed to be cut up for the cab for some interactive display?

NSU62 - (DEL12) Transferred to North Australia Railway November 1972: To Marree 1975 Used by Goss Brothers for the removal of the southern part of the Central Australia Railway: Transferred from Marree to the Steamtown Peterborough Railway Preservation Society January 1994: used for spare parts May 2009 Proposal for it to be "cut-up" to create an interactive "cab display."

Might be able to ship the empty hulk and repower with American engine and generator.

NSU59 is in similar condition as NSU62. https://www.derbysulzers.com/austrip.html

Robert

Regarding D&S fire concerns with steam. Has the D&S not considered changes to the steam locos like the fitment of GPCS and improved front end? Seems the works of David Wardale and Nigel Day for example might be able to improve the operations of D&S steam.

Robert