Re: diesel Heislers

If memory serves me correctly, the Valley RR, which operated a mile of track at Westline, PA, used a gasoline truck motor mounted on a old Heisler frame as motive power. The truck cab was also mounted on the frame to shelter the crew. I think Uncle Bob (or maybe the late Bill Young) photographed this contraption back in the 1940's, but I'll be darned where I saw it in print. It is possible the unit I'm thinking about was owned by Susquehanna Chemical Corporation at Hallton, PA.

At any rate, as another poster points out, it's likely local machinists stitched together more than one of these home-built locomotives using junk geared locomotives. As I think about it, Yukatat & Southern RR in Alaska also converted a Heisler to a diesel.

Heisler itself built a center cab diesel electric back in the 1930's in a last ditch attempt to stay in the locomotive market. It was eventually sold to a steel mill in Buffalo.