Re: Kentucky Chicken and D&RGW 493
| August 10, 2018 12:41PM |
Not involving McDonalds (!) but there are 3 steam locomotives running in Switzerland which have all been converted from coal to "light oil," which is basically heating oil.
The 3 locos are an ex German railways standard gauge 2-10-0 'Kreigslok,' which has also been re-built and modified using modern engineering methods. The other 2 are both metre-gauge tank locomotives, 1906-built 0-4-2 Visp-Zermatt Bahn HG2/3 (mixed rack and adhesion) no. 7 "Breithorn," and 1903 built 2-6-0 Rhatische Bahn G3/4 (adhesion only) no. 11 "Heidi." The 2 metre-gauge locos were converted without any changes to their historical outward appearance, but needed hidden oil storage tanks installed along with new, flat-floored fireboxes to accommodate the oil burners. I have travelled behind both, and the sweet smell of the light oil is very obvious.The 2 metre-gauge locos were both converted from coal burning to eliminate fire-risk from sparks, allowing them to be used on public special trips during the warm, dry Swiss Alps summer weather, the same issue now affecting the D&SNGRR.
The conversions of all 3 locos were carried out by the firm Dampf Lokomotive und Maschinenfabrik (DLM), who are specialists in developing and building modern, economical steam locomotives and machinery (they also designed and constructed a set of brand new, light oil fired steam engines for the Lake Geneva Paddle Steamship "Montreux," which had been converted to diesel power in the 1960's). Whether the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad are even aware of DLM's existence I don't know, but if they could be informed then approaching DLM for guidance on converting any of the ex D&RGW coal-burning mikados to oil-firing, may be useful, as DLM would surely be able to help.
DLM's website can be found here:
Dampf Lokomotive und Maschinenfabrik AG
RhB 11 "Heidi":
VZ 7 "Breithorn":
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2018 12:43PM by AlpineCMR.
The 3 locos are an ex German railways standard gauge 2-10-0 'Kreigslok,' which has also been re-built and modified using modern engineering methods. The other 2 are both metre-gauge tank locomotives, 1906-built 0-4-2 Visp-Zermatt Bahn HG2/3 (mixed rack and adhesion) no. 7 "Breithorn," and 1903 built 2-6-0 Rhatische Bahn G3/4 (adhesion only) no. 11 "Heidi." The 2 metre-gauge locos were converted without any changes to their historical outward appearance, but needed hidden oil storage tanks installed along with new, flat-floored fireboxes to accommodate the oil burners. I have travelled behind both, and the sweet smell of the light oil is very obvious.The 2 metre-gauge locos were both converted from coal burning to eliminate fire-risk from sparks, allowing them to be used on public special trips during the warm, dry Swiss Alps summer weather, the same issue now affecting the D&SNGRR.
The conversions of all 3 locos were carried out by the firm Dampf Lokomotive und Maschinenfabrik (DLM), who are specialists in developing and building modern, economical steam locomotives and machinery (they also designed and constructed a set of brand new, light oil fired steam engines for the Lake Geneva Paddle Steamship "Montreux," which had been converted to diesel power in the 1960's). Whether the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad are even aware of DLM's existence I don't know, but if they could be informed then approaching DLM for guidance on converting any of the ex D&RGW coal-burning mikados to oil-firing, may be useful, as DLM would surely be able to help.
DLM's website can be found here:
Dampf Lokomotive und Maschinenfabrik AG
RhB 11 "Heidi":
VZ 7 "Breithorn":
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/10/2018 12:43PM by AlpineCMR.
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488 stops for water at Los Pinos tank on closing day Oct. 1979. Photo courtesy Don Richter
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