The return of Kennecott Copper RSD4 No. 201 to its former home at the Nevada Northern Railway has begun. On Nov. 4, the diesel was lifted onto heavy-duty transport equipment to begin the 900-mile, three-week journey from its longtime home at the Northwest Railway Museum in Snoqualmie, Wash. The locomotive is scheduled to depart Snoqualmie on Saturday Nov. 6. NessCampbell Crane & Rigging executed the lift, with Intermountain Rigging & HeavyHaul performing the move. The locomotive is one of two diesels the Nevada Northern is working to return to Ely [see “Nevada Northern to reacquire two early diesels,” Trains News Wire, Oct. 12, 2021]. The team and equipment also moved an Alco HH660 owned by the Northwest museum, Northern Pacific 125 / Walla Walla Valley Railway 770, from the Port of Longview to Snoqualmie on Nov. 2-3.
Too much trailer? Maybe, but it’s the trailer they had. But maybe not too much trailer.
Note how the locomotive is suspended from the beams and is between the bogies. This lowers the overhead clearance it will need. Note how the wheelsets on each bogey are separated. This spreads the weight and allows it to cross bridges a more concentrated load could not cross.
Can’t travel by rail?
Nevada Northern from Ely to UP connection not runnable?
I wish the SD-7, lettered for NNRy, had gone first.
Back in 2002, I was on a Ghost Town Rally, that hired a charter on the NNRy. Mark Bassett did a tour of the shops for us. I brught-up the SD-7. He said, “We’re going to get it back.” Nice to see someone in a position of responsibility who keeps their word in a positive way.,
I know a locomotive is on the heavy side but isn’t that trailer just a bit of over kill ?
Not really, when wou consider the weight distribution. While rail can handle stronher loads, these locomotives have friction bearings, banning them from interchange. Thus, the need for hauling by road.
Not quite banning them…the Class 1’s can move friction bearing equipment under restrictive movement orders, but it is ultimately up to the Class 1 carrier whether or not to allow such a move, and in the case of the NN engines it wouldn’t help much except to shorten the OTR portion since the NN between the interchange with UP and Ely is currently out of service and would require repairs before either engine could even be moved over that portion.
John even considering weight distribution. That trailer probably rated for at least 250 tons just by counting the tires ( 96 by the way) They have had pictures on here hauling 2-8-0 steamers ( less tender ) on just a heavy duty low boy. Being less it’s trucks I’d this loco doesn’t til the scales over 50 ton.
RSD4 has an weight of 278,860lbs.. That’s almost 140 tons. Minus trucks you’re still looking at a unit over 110 tons in weight..
Quite the sight to see and an amazing effort on NNRy’s part to get this funded.