US Gypsum narrow gauge

[EMDSD14R]

i have a vid on this line..its really cool..great vid & keep up the awsome work!!!!

[twofoot65]

I wish this video was higher resolution.

[k0bkl1]

How come they built it narrow gauge, on such a straight running track. What would be the advantage?

[scooby19784]

you got to love that MLW smoke

[pennsyr1]

scooby19784, in this case it's actually BBD smoke. But whether they came from MLW, BBD, A.E. Goodwin, Comeng, or any of the other successors, subsidiaries or licensees, they're all descendants of ALCo, which is all that matters in the end!

[ediirwin]

Is that locomotive an ex-White Pass unit?

[pennsyr1]

ediirwin, the answer to your question is "almost". BBD constructed a four-unit order of this locomotive design (often called DL535EW or RSD35W ) for the White Pass, but delivery was curtailed by the abrupt shutdown of the railway in October 1982.

USG came along shopping for new power in the early '90's, and eventually procured three of the four completed locos sitting in storage, including #112 featured here.

[NVanWendy]

@pennsyr1 Deal! (I asked the question but I was accidentally on my roomie's account!) Thanks for the answerl I'd forgotten my question of 10 months ago.

[pennsyr1]

NVanWendy, no problem. Glad to help!

[darthfurious80]

how do they interchange with the standard gauge roads then?

[Narrowgaugefilms]

Well,

This line hauls a bulk commodity of Gypsum in those hopper cars. Once it gets to the southern end at Plaster City it is unloaded for processing and only then reloaded onto standard gauge cars or into trucks for transportation beyond there.

The fact that the loads would have to be unloaded there anyway means the gauges on either side of the plant make no difference.

[Narrowgaugefilms]

The very last narrow gauge freight hauler in the US. I bet if they'd survived, a lot of them would look just like this today.

[grumpyoldsoandso]

Does your comment mean that the Palmetto Brick Company's line has closed?