The rotary and B-unit arrived in Roseville, Calif., in early 2014 after upgrades at Iowa’s Relco locomotive shops. But due to lack of snow and teething issues related to the rebuild, the unit was not called out for a “test” in the snow until Monday, March 14. That’s when it ran up Donner Pass to spend the night at Norden, Calif., for testing on main track 2 the next day between east and west Norden. March 15 started off clear and cold with more than seven feet of snow on the ground. The railroad used bulldozers and a large ballast regulator to move than five feet of snow into the path of the 207. The morning started off slow while the onboard crew members familiarized themselves with the new systems. Once everything was sorted out, crew members put the rotary through its paces and gave a show to the 15 or so people that had gathered to watch.
The rebuild includes new crew comforts, computerized controls, and steam generators in place of boilers. The original four D67 traction motors in the 207 that powered the fan on the rotary were replaced with two modern AC-power traction motors.
