According to Robert LaMassena, D&RGW was the 'Superpower Railroad of the Rockies'--let's see the 'Grande's steam engines! The Rebel of the Rockies wasn't a huge railroad, and they didn't always have a big bankroll, but they still rostered a very respectable stable of steamers. From the tiny narrow gauge tea kettles to the mighty 3600-class 2-8-8-2's, let's see them! D&RGW rostered the heaviest 4-8-2 'Mountain' type engines in the US, IIRC, and they had humongous boilers: Otto Perry recorded D&RGW 1501 in Salida, CO:
D&RGW L-105 (for 105,000# tractive effort) 3700-class Challengers were built by Baldwin, and were well-liked by crews over the lightfooted 3800-class L-97 UP Jabelmann-design Challengers forced on the RR by the War Production Board: Otto Perry bagged this outstanding shot of the class engine at Palmer Lake, CO:
More heavy Mountains! Classed as M-78, theyhad more tractive effort than their M-67 (above) cousins. I am unsure, but they could have been three-cylindered. Here's another shot of a heavy Mountain type, #1511, also by Otto Perry:
L-105 Those L-105's are things of beauty, although I've only seen them in still photos. Does anyone know where to find DVDs of them in action?
No, but I'd take any VHS of them, too. Otto Perry's Moffat Route by Machines of Iron has plenny steam, but I don't recall a 3700....
Sunday River Productions has Rio Grande Articulateds Parts I and II, but they're on VHS only and by the way their marketing sounds, they'll move to DVD a few days after hell freezes over (why rush things?). The price ($50) is what's holding me off. Ah, the struggling life of a writer... Still, if it's half as good as it sounds, Breathtaking panoramas of the Arkansas Valley, walled by the highest peaks in North America, follow as the 3600s work their way up a steady 1.50% to the 10,200 foot summit of Tennessee Pass. it will be my first purchase when it does move to DVD.
Ahh, the 3600's, the most powerful pullers on the Grande! Classed as L-131/132 series engines, they developed 131/132,000 pounds of tractive effort. Even with that kind of power, it still took 3 of them to help most eastbound trains to Tennessee Pass! Otto Perry bagged the 3601 near Rollinsville, CO:
My mom was born and raised in Minturn. She recalls the 3600's double heading up Tennesse Pass. She said she was afraid of them when they would go by but she always wanted to see them. Man that would have been a sight to behold. Here's 3615 in Minturn in 1954. I'm sure she saw this loco personally. I'm jealous. Eric PS - most of Otto Perry's photos can be search online at the Denver Public Library's website. http://photoswest.org/
Well, they do look pretty scary with all of those external appliances. I see the massive external Elesco feedwater heater, two cross compound air compressors and their filters, a feedwater pump and miles of plumbing. Brutish looking. :teeth:
I think it loos cool with all the external stuff... Here's an oddball! D&RGW ordered more Challenger type engines from Baldwin in the early 40's, and thanks to WWII raging on, the War Production Board (WPB) canceled the order. In short, The Grande needed motive power so bad, they WPB allowed 6 Alco challengers to be tacked onto Union Pacific's order. They are the same Jabelmann challenger design as UP's. Rio Grande hated the lightfooted (more than 10000 # tractive effort less than their Baldwin-built 3700's) engines, refused to buy them, and returned them from their wartime lease back to the WPB. They never found a quick buyer, and Clinchfield eventually bought them. They look like a UP 3900-class engine, because they basically are! Otto Perry photo:
D&RGW bought some 4-8-4's from Baldwin in 1929, to pull its classy varnish. The M-64 class, 1700-1713, was well-liked on the Moffat Route's lighter rails, and was easier on track than the M-68 1800's. The M-64's were outfitted with smoke lifters for service thru the Moffat's many tunnels, as seen by another great Otto Perry shot:
Anoher beautiful Baldwin! The D&RGW M-68's, the 1800-class, were classy engines in their day. They hauled the Rio Grande's most prestigous name trains, including the Exposition Flyer, the Royal Gorge, The Scenic Limited, and others. Later in their careers, they were restricted from Moffat service due to their tendency to be harder on the Moffat Route's lighter rail. Otto Perry froze #1800 in time on several occasions, and these are just a couple of my favorites of his work:
Believe it or not, D&RGW actually rostered a 10-driver engine! They actually bought 10 of them in 1916, appropriately enough. The F-81 class, 2-10-2's generated 81,000# of tractive effort, and some lasted till 1955 before being removed from service. IIRC, and I don't have a book handy, they had a similar sized boiler as the super-mountains of the 1500-class. Check out Otto Perry's shot of a F-81 1402, complete with early 'Scenic Line' logo on the tender: No finer view of steam in action in western scenery than this Otto Perry work at Castle Gate, UT:
I love the beastly 3600's, maybe because the smokebox doors were so busy with tubes, pumps, and feedwater heater, in comparison to the stark smokebox doors of other Grande steamers. Here's a fine Otto Perry example of the Grande's finest fighting the battle of gravity (with assistance from a 3400 and 3550-class engine) over Tennessee Pass:
Found these as I was looking for something else: Not exactly steam power, but from the time frame! Rio Grande steam, starting the uphill battle out of Minturn. Waiting its next call for duty.
Couple more...... Waiting next call. In front, barely seen,is DRGW 3612. Shoving on caboose over Tennessee Pass. All photos by Neal R. Miller. Close friend of mine!
