Steam returns to the Georgetown Loop

[Stephen Hussar]

New GLR cmo Phil Reader and his crew have gotten No 12 back under steam... hats off to them, and what a GREAT looking locomotive. 
http://www.glrrupdates.com/updates/2010/february2010/feb.html

[Duncan Mackiewicz]

Those are really nice pics of a very handsome engine.  Nice work.
Duncan

[Ira Schreiber]

A nice job, for sure, but "The Pineapple Princess" is still very under powered for the Georgetown Loop Railroad.

[Stewart "Start" Rhine]

Ira,  Your post answers the question of where the engine originally came from... Hawaii.  It's a nice looking locomotive.  Since I have not been to the Georgetown Loop, what is the ruling grade and how many cars do they usually run? 

[Paul Horky]

Off the top of my pointy little head the 4.5 miles of track was designed to permit a ruling grade of about 2 to 2.5% but it is a continous clime even the Deviles Gate brige is on a grade. As per number of cars per train I'm thinking about 7 or 8 of the converted D&RGW freight cars or 5or6  of the Ex White Pass coachs. When the loop had both the Ex C&S 9 and The The 12 both would double head to pull the train.

[Ira Schreiber]

Diesel rated at 5 cars
Steam rated at 4 cars
per GLRR.

Grade is up to 4% IIRC.

[Matthew Martin]

What about there Shay locomotives though, the last time I saw something about them, they only had the Shays in operation.

[Ed Lecuyer]

The shays were owned by a different operator.

The Colorado HS owns the loop - then contracts its operation out to a qualified operator. VERY long story short, the CHS didn't renew the operator with the shays' contract, and (eventually) got the current operator.

The shays (and other equipment used by the former operator) are in storage.

For more details, check the archives of the Narrow Gauge Discussion Forum: http://ngdiscussion.net

[Mod note: I know I oversimplified the Georgetown Loop situation. However, I would rather not have a detailed discussion of the CHS, and the past and present operators of the Loop take place here. Those who have followed this topic from afar (and near) *know* that it can be a highly volatile discussion point.]

[Paul Horky]

Most but not all the equitment used by the former operator of the Loop is now at CRRM in Golden.

[Ira Schreiber]

Almost all of the former Georgetown Loop rolling stock, mostly coaches, gondolas and five or six engines, steam AND diesel, are used or stored,
at CRM.  Some are used for the special runs of the CRM( 5 or 6 times a year).
The regular Saturday runs are covered by Goose #7.

Ira,
The Colorado Connection

[Matthew Gustafson]

The shays and the their two 2-8-0's #40 & #44 are now at the Colorado Railway Museum and from what I heard shay #12 and 2-8-0 #40 are still operational at the museum. Also Im sad that they could not keep C&S 2-6-0 #9 operational because she was my favorite.