Just for the fun of it, and to take a break from the negative cycle of Loop posts, other than the locomotives currently owned by CHS, #12, #9, #1203, #21, and I believe the #111; and the locomotives owned by GTL that the CHS seems to not want to lease, are there any narrow gauge locomotives not currently in use that could be leased or purchased for operation on the Loop?

I would guess the first requirement other than the obvious one of gauge, is tractive effort and horsepower. Can the locomotive pull the train up the hill?

I would guess the next requirement would be will it fit through the cut and can the smaller bridges handle the weight?

While I cannot think of any locomotives that any particular entity would part with, I wonder if some would lease a locomotive for a period of time.

Some possibilities, again just for the fun of it, would the White Pass lease #69? That brute made its living working up the 4% hill out of Skagway so there is no doubt it can pull. I believe if it was rated using the method that the Rio Grande classified locomotives with, I heard that it would have been a C-31. The question here is can it make it through the cuts and across the bridges and would the White Pass lease it for a year or two.

Thinking White Pass again, Dollywood has both a 190 class and a 70 class from the White Pass. The 70s were Baldwin products and the joy of the White Pass engineers. The 190s don't pull as much. Would Dollywood lease one?

What about the SV and the #20? Could it be overhauled in time and leased for a year or two? Perhaps this is a win-win for the SV folks as their locomotive gets its overhaul paid for by the CHS and they get a little revenue from the lease to pay for the upcoming work on, I believe, the #3.

Finally, and I don't know if these could make it around the curvature, but would the EBT folks lease a mike if it could be made ready for service in time? Same upside for the EBT folks, an overhaul paid for by the CHS, a little revenue from the lesae, and they have a second mike in service when the lease is up. I know, an EBT mike in Colorado is blasphemy of a sort, but still, beggars cannot always be choosers, and it would be cool.

Could the folks at Hesston be pursuaded to lease New Mexico Lumber#7 for a year or two? There is a shay that could handle the grades, curvature, etc. and it has just been overhauled!

Finally, speaking of Shays, what about the Midwest Central's Westside #9? Given that their #2 is undergoing a major rebuild, they might want the revenue generated by a lease.

All just specualation and I am sure the owners would want some serious strings attached in terms of care of their locomotive, but are there any other possibilities out there?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/2007 07:21PM by Kevin S..