U.S. Gypsum ALCo/MLW DL535 Narrow Gauge Locomotive

U.S. Gypsum in Plaster City, California has a unique 3' narrow gauge railroad used to transport gypsum from its quarry.

I caught the ALCo DL535 #111 blowing its horn and crossing the street on its way to pick up empties. It's a six axle unit with a Canadian Safety Cab, typical of Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) built units.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• ALCo
• MLW
• Montreal
• Locomotive
• Works
• DL535
• Plaster
• City
• U.S.
• Gypsum
• narrow
• gauge

[karldotcom]

That is awesome dude...I didnt think anyone was allowed to shoot pictures in there. El Centro is another scary place to hang out.

[cchan006]

I went to the main office and asked for permission. That's probably why I wasn't asked to leave by security.

[dutchtrainmanserie22]

Track Wide 1000 millimetre= 1 metre ???

[cchan006]

This railroad would be 914 mm wide, so it's even narrower than 1 metre.

[enr3870]

It came from the White Pass and Yukon Route.

[Narrowgaugefilms]

Standard gauge is 56.5 inches between the insides of the rail.

Narrow gauge is anything less, in this case 36inches. They are basically smaller railroads for areas where the traffic wouldn't pay for standard gauge.

Narrow gauge used to be very common but trucks proved to be more economical. This line is pretty much the last of its kind and is still here only because it fits its use so well.

[devianb]

@enr3870 I had a feeling it came from there.

[cvrnut09]

@synthfreakify If I may make a correction for you.  They had been sold to a company in Colombia. Not Brazil.

[cromboldWVU]

This is neat! I didnt know we had any modern narrow gauge loco's in America. I know those latin countries love the hell out of them though. 

[synthfreakify]

Nice video! I saw one of these on the WP&Y in 1999 at the shops in Skagway. There was only one. Employees told me they liked it and that the WP&Y would buy the other ones if it could. It bought back DL-535E's that had been sold to Brazil, restored them and put them to work hauling tourists. This engine even has Hi-Ad trucks!

[southparkline1]

@RustedBovine Well recent years there has been a lot of talk of restoring freight service over the WP&Y, and even use it as a way to connect Alaska with the rest of the North American System by connecting it to the Alaska railroad. (This is only a rumor, but the white pass said if it can make money it will do it)

[southparkline1]

@Spillimacheen I believe that was the 4-4-0 Eureka and Palisades #4. The locomotive was purchased and restored and runs yearly on the Durango and Silverton during railfest and sometimes the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic railroad. Just lookup railfest on the Durango and silverton and you should find videos of it. This is one of the older ng locomotives left and one of the last if not the only wood burning ng locomotive in operation.

[SouthernPacific8984]

@HUTCHtopher I agree

[HUTCHtopher]

These units look better in USG colors than in WP&Y green and yellow

[SouthernPacific8984]

USG bought 112 and 113 in 1991. The loading bay at the quarry is only high enough for the hoppers to in. So in order to load the first hopper, the locomotives nose has to go under the bay, but on November 1, 1992 the engineer on 113 could not stop quick enough and 113 crashed into the loading bay. USG officials determined 113 could not be rebuilt, so they bought 111 in 1993.

[UP5853]

That's a nice P5 horn.