Re: Oil? Coal?

Rick Steele Wrote:
=======================================================
> Actually Russ,
>
> You are spreading Railfan Rumors again.
>
> The 3985 was converted to oil because we couldn't
> get good enough coal from the mines here in
> Wyoming to run it without causing numerous fires
> along the right-of-way.
>
> The company then restricted the 3985 to run on
> Sherman Hill ONLY. We took the oil tank and
> burning apparatus our of the 3977 in Cody Park in
> North Platte and converted the 3985 to oil. The
> 3900's were built as system-wide locomotives and
> we were going to run it system-wide. That's why
> the conversion was made to oil.
>
> It had nothing to do with filling the tender with
> the clamshell that was hooked to the Ohio Cranes
> stationed at the fueling stops.
>
> Rick

Rick,
I remember riding behind 3985 twice Cheyenne-Laramie in 1987 and 1988.
Both times we set numerous fires. I remember riding the cab in 1988, and there were holes burned in my shirt when we got to Laramie. It was fireworks show in the cab when we went through Hermosa Tunnel in 1988.
Good times!!!
Greg Scholl