Re: DSNG 476 and 478 status

Normally I do not interject anything into these discussions but I would like to put some facts into this and stop the speculation and rumor.

First off their is nothing terminally wrong with the 478, remember it just pulled almost 50 revenue Cascade trips between January - April this year, almost 2500 miles. What it does need is some fairly routine boiler work and running gear work, including some firebox work, and a 1472 but that's effectively it. The 476 does have some long standing - going way back to DRGW - cylinder issues and as part of the restoration will receive an entire new smoke box and all new cylinder frame bolts in addition to all the standard running gear work and a 1472 sdi. Ultimately the decision to prioritize the 476, which will actually cost more than the 478 to return to service, is part of a larger 10 year maintenance plan the D&S is working on. We want to get the longer more in depth restoration done first.

The D&S is committed to running steam for the foreseeable future and, to ensure that goal, in the past year has taken a hard look at all of its motive power, diesel and steam, and really tried to determine how to best address the mechanical issues, and routine maintenance of the fleet while still running its year around schedule of over 500 steam trips annually. The answer comes down to having enough depth in locomotives to be able to keep engines out of service longer, in other words, a bigger maintenance window. Since the early 90's, and likely earlier, each of the 4 K36's has run every year! None have had a 12 month down time and all have had two 1472 sdi and each well on their way to a third. In order to help alleviate that, for the first time, the D&S will be cycling 7 steam locomotives in and out of service to help reduce the per engine service days and increase the maintenance window up to 18 months per engine. This additional time will allow us to expand our heavy maintenance program and continue more of the ongoing process of designing and replacing major components on the locomotives such as: main and side rods, valve motion, driver boxes, pistons and guides, smoke boxes , fireboxes and on and on.

So in a nutshell, the D&S and the Harper Family wants to run steam for a long time and are willing to invest the time and money into both the equipment, and the maintenance staff of roughly 24 mechanics, welders, machinists, and watchman to ensure that that can successfully happen. In fact, the reinvestment in motive power is just one area, along with track, facilities, and rolling stock that will be being upgraded in various ways in the years to come.

Randy Babcock
Mechanical Foreman D&SNGRR


One set of brand new rods now in service on 482