Durango & Silverton Narrow Guage Diesel Locomotives - MP2000NG

[kgbw49]

The D&S is looking to purchase two 2000 HP natural gas-fueled locomotives for delivery in 2019.

Will these be short hood-long hood units like a GP7 or GP9?

Will they utilize a fuel tender for the 90-mile round trip or will internal fuel tanks be of sufficient size to make it without a tender.

Thanks!

 

[Overmod]

kgbw49

The D&S is looking to purchase two 2000 HP natural gas-fueled locomotives for delivery in 2019.

Believe you will find that the "NG" in MP2000NG stands for 'narrow gauge' and not 'natural gas'.  (Not that MP&ES doesn't have natural-gas locomotive offerings; but they would be in the 'Greenfield' series, not MP.)

I suspect the powerplant will be C175.

Here are the various mechanical options for the MP series, from the Web site.

[kgbw49]

Thank you! That makes sense.

Given the fire hazards in the drier months it is probably a good idea to have alternatives to coal during those times.

[kgbw49]

Another question - will these be a GP7 frame and hood setup with just narrower wheel sets similar to the ES43BBi (and others) developed for meter-gauge railways?

Would there be any clearance issues - either vertical or horizontal - with a standard-gauge frame converted to use on a narrow gauge line?

I know the D&RGW used some boilers from standard gauge steam locomotives for the cores of many of their narrow gauge Mikados.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

[M636C]

kgbw49

Another question - will these be a GP7 frame and hood setup with just narrower wheel sets similar to the ES43BBi (and others) developed for meter-gauge railways?

Would there be any clearance issues - either vertical or horizontal - with a standard-gauge frame converted to use on a narrow gauge line?

I know the D&RGW used some boilers from standard gauge steam locomotives for the cores of many of their narrow gauge Mikados.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!

 

MP&ES have built new-design narrow gauge locomotives for export for some years and these are likely to be completely new. Assuming they are single engine, I'd expect a CAT 3500 would be a better fit for that power range than the bigger C175.

Peter

[kgbw49]

Thank you! I’ll try to find some images of them.

I do hope they look good at the head end of a string of yellow rolling stock.

We shall see how that plays out.

Thanks again, M636C!

[azrail]

Paint'em in the "bumblebee" colors.

[samfp1943]

kgbw49

Thank you! I’ll try to find some images of them.

I do hope they look good at the head end of a string of yellow rolling stock.

We shall see how that plays out.

Thanks again, M636C!

      From the MP&ES website there are some photos of some of their 'projects' @  http://railequipmentsolutions.com/projects/ 

 The photos shown, show a broad range of what the 'new' D&S Narrow Gauge diesels might arrive as.  Whatever form the 'new' power will take; they will be around for quite awhile.       Potentially, giving their steam power much longer lives than rail fans would have expected they'd have lasted, without some relief. 

[SD70Dude]

D&S announces purchase of four used MLW diesels from White Pass & Yukon:

http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/file.php?1,file=63584,filename=DSNGRR.WPY_Diesel_Engine_Acquisition.Press_Release.pdf

[MidlandMike]

The link gave me a Permission denied

Which diesels are they selling, GE or MLW ?

[kgbw49]

They are DL535E units. Nos. 101 and 107.

They are on a barge to the Lower 48.

I was able to get the link to light up.

http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/file.php?1,file=63584,filename=DSNGRR.WPY_Diesel_Engine_Acquisition.Press_Release.pdf

I guess if you are a large scale modeler you will soon be able to get an LGB D&S diesel unit for your railroad.

Here is 101:

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/693241/

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/291710/

Here is 107:

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/335003/

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/291455/

 

[Lithonia Operator]

https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2020/04/14-durango--silverton-buys-white-pass--yukon-diesels

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Amazing.  Alco's are about to turn up in a location you'd least expect.

[Overmod]

The issue isn't whether the link is 'hot' or not; it's that the NGDF doesn't permit linking, whether hotlinked or not, directly from other forums.

Consider pasting this link if it won't run directly:

http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/search.php?1,search=durango+and+silverton+535,author=,page=1,match_type=ALL,match_dates=365,match_forum=ALL,match_threads=0

This is a search rather than a link, and 'all' the relevant NGDF material ought to show up in click-selectable form on the page, newest first.  (There may be better searches to be crafted, but this one appears to have worked as an entry point that gets around the site prohibitions.)

[kgbw49]

The odd thing is it just connects to a press release, and for the life of me I could not locate that press release on the Durango & Silverton or the White Pass & Yukon web sites.

[Overmod]

kgbw49

... for the life of me I could not locate that press release on the Durango & Silverton or the White Pass & Yukon web sites.

Helps perhaps that it's been confirmed by the D&S CMO:

To echo Matt's comments we are excited about these units and have been working on this for some time, and I might add the White Pass team has been a pleasure to work with. That said it is a little bittersweet to be announcing this while our community, our employees, and all of us are going through such a different and uncertain time. Like any business though we are looking forward, and these units will position us to able to continue growing our business.

As the press release mentioned our 7 steam locomotives are still our core and we intend them to be for the foreseeable future. These four DL535s as well as the two MPES re-powered units will allow us to add new and unique services outside of our core Silverton trains, not to mention we will be able to haul the loaded tonnage of all 6 of our ballast cars again!
As the DSNG approaches its 40th anniversary we are excited to be entering our next chapter and look forward to what the future holds!

To answer a couple questions:

The other two DL535 road numbers will be mutually determined by DSNG and WPY this fall and transferred to Durango in 2021.

Yes we did consider shovel nose units but traction motor type and point loadings among other things made the DL535s more attractive for us.

The MPES units are, as I type, receiving final paint and we hope to release a photo of them soon.Other than the delay we are pleased with their construction and look forward to receiving them.

As Matt said the paint schemes on both classes will be new and different, but good looking! Don't expect a Rio Grande scheme.

Stay safe and we hope you will all follow along, and come ride, as we begin the next chapter at the DSNG!

Randy Babcock
DSNG CMO

[SD70Dude]

https://railpictures.net/photo/748166/

While this is a great shot from an excellent angle, in a way I'm saddened by this photo.  It feels like something from the early dieselization era, as yet another railroad started down the path toward the complete end of steam. 

Alternatively, it is a Thomas story sprung to life, as the oily-mannered Diesel has just arrived at the roundhouse for the first time. 

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

It's not that bad, it is an Alco diesel, which gives me a reason to want to go there.

[Flintlock76]

SD70Dude

Alternatively, it is a Thomas story sprung to life, as the oily-mannered Diesel has just arrived at the roundhouse for the first time. 

"Hell-ooo, my name is Dee-zel!" he said with an oily voice.  

I confess, I've got a copy of "Diesel's Devious Deed."  

And azrail mentioned a "bumblebee" scheme for the D&S diesels?  Sure, it works for the Susquehanna, sort of.

http://www.american-rails.com/nysw.html  

[Overmod]

Flintlock76

"Hell-ooo, my name is Dee-zel!" he said with an oily voice.  

It's a classic Alco, for heaven's sake: like someone dressed for Ascot in there with a bunch of cowgirl hoydens.  Someone who is regrettably addicted to nicotine...

Did that cigarette character from Doonesbury ever get a voice?  That would be the thing to use in a DL535 story...

... or perhaps Tallulah Bankhead's.

[SD70Dude]

How about Patty or Selma Bouvier?

[Overmod]

SD70Dude

How about Patty or Selma Bouvier?

Heck, why not Jacqueline Bouvier?

Hey, Bob!  You any kin to Yeardley? 

[SD70Dude]

Overmod

SD70Dude

How about Patty or Selma Bouvier?

Heck, why not Jacqueline Bouvier?

Marge, Patty and Selma's mother?  Or Mrs. Kennedy?  ALCOs do have some class!

Overmod

Hey, Bob!  You any kin to Yeardley? 

Very, very, very, very distant relation I think (the Smiths are a big family).

[Overmod]

SD70Dude

Marge, Patty and Selma's mother?  Or Mrs. Kennedy?  ALCOs do have some class!

The latter, of course!