Re: The RW&A SD7s...

[MadMike1024]

http://www.golden-age-rails.com/packsrw/emdsd9rwa.html (for reference)

@Michael: In your text, you wonder why a shortish line would have locos this big. You must remember, that the SD7/9 without dynamic brakes (as you modeled) are actually lighter on their feet than a GP9! The CB&Q ordered a set of twelve stripped models for use on branchlines and light rail areas.

... LaGrange was busy assembling 12 SD7s(o/n 5140) for Chicago, Burlington &
Quincy. Numbered 400-411, the units weighed just under 300,000 pounds and were
purchased without dynamic brakes for yard and secondary service. Although
Burlington had a fleet of more than 50 GP7s in service before the SD7s arrival,
their weight of 250,000 pounds, or nearly 62,600 pounds per axle, made them
unsuitable for some branch lines, as compared to to the SD7s 50,000 pounds per
axle.

I know, way too much information...

[Chacal]

I think this engine is perfectly suitable for a time period starting a few years down the RW&A time line.
Scenario writers should mention the time period.

The SD9 was built 1954-1959, so RW&A could have brought one anytime after 1954, but most probably in the 60s as the RS1s were starting to wear out.

Here's one that has a color scheme similar to RW&A's:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: ... MD_SD9.jpg

I like Michael's explanation about the coal mine.
Obviously with booming business RW&A wouldn't buy more outdated RS1s.
Also it is likely that the RS1s would soon prove underpowered for heavy coal trains (not to mention the need for braking power on the 0.4% slope from the mine).

[philmoberg]

SD-9s would not be at all out of character for a Lake Superior area ore haulerespecially if there were grades of any significant steepness or length. IIRC, the DM&IR finally completed dieselization with a two or three SD-7s, followed by a number of SD-9s. Three of the latter even had train heat boilers for what passenger service remained in the late-'50s. except of yard power, that was the extent of what little variety their motive power fleet had. OTOH, the RS-1s could easily be bumped to to yard and local freight service, as they typically were on most of the larger railroads that had them. Penn Central still had a few of them around in just this sort of service into the mid-'70s, and at one New England short line was still using at least one of them as road power as recently as a couple of years ago.