Rio Grande Southern no. 36 coming to life!

Karl Schaeffer, president of the Ridgway RR museum (but acting in his private interest), and I have commissioned Mammoth Locomotive Works, of Palisade, CO, to construct a full-sized, 3-foot, recreation of RGS locomotive no. 36.

RGS 36 was purchased from the D&RG around 1880, where I believe it was numbered 93. It was the only 4-4-0 locomotive owned by the RGS, and was primarily used to haul Otto Mears' personal car, as well as the payroll car.

RGS 36 was built to Baldwin's 8-18 (and a half) C configuration. That was just one step up from the Eureka, which was an 8-18C.

We hope to have RGS 36 operational in May of 2017. The modern age requires modifications for safe (and legal) operation, and we want our potential host railroads to welcome us, so some deviations from the original will be required. Primarily, we will burn diesel, to save room in the tender for a redundant pair of modern generator/air units, so necessary for modern brake line pressures and volumes. Period one-lung steam air pumps just aren't made anymore. (Dual compressors also enable us to run on air during short excursions on our future display track.)

The tender design is now ongoing. Our goal is to maintain the historic appearance, from the viewpoint of observers on the ground, if not the exact dimensions.

If you are interested in helping our RGS no. 36 get running, please become a member of the Ridgway Railroad Museum, even at the basic funding level. The Museum will need help in raising a pole barn (like in Gunnison), laying and ballasting track (we've got the rails, lots and lots of rails), and reorganizing the yard.

I'm promising free rides for our volunteers, when we get running, and maybe more!

Chris Weiser



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/2014 05:53PM by capchris.