Durango & Silverton Railroad 1969 ALCO DL535 diesel in White Pass & Yukon paint, August 2021

I decided to put this compilation of video I got of the D&SNG Alco diesels since I had a decent amount of clips. Like most railfans of the D&SNG I prefer the steam engines, but I am also an ALCO diesel fan and these are rare and interesting units.

[@michaelmyers1999]

I like it. I think that if anything it's probably more historically accurate because these are the kind of diesels that were running around the time the narrow gauge operations went bust.

[@nathanw7114]

Nice catch, you can only imagine what would have happened if the NG lines did survive log enough to get dieselized (I like to see these as more of a 'what-if' rather than an interruption...)

[@DENVERRIOGRANDEMAN21]

Steam and diesel working together

[@EKSgarage]

Nice!!! It’s nice to see starting at 7:38 that another tourist railroad like ours even a premier one like the D&SNGRR can have a little bit of rock and roll as well. We get such flack about our track and this just helps prove my point that it’s fine and it happens every where even to the best of em

[@robscott8296]

I’m guessing why they bought it is to maybe run when the wildfire danger is high? I really don’t know why they bought this but I’m not complaining it’s nice to see an white pass and Yukon locomotive

[@wolfgangpfeilergartenbahnd6530]

Very nice video, but I like the steam locomotives more. I grew up with them. But I think the diesels are necessary to protect the steamers

[@robscott8296]

What do you mean by that

[@wolfgangpfeilergartenbahnd6530]

@@robscott8296 That the costs of maintaining and operating a steam locomotive are very high. And they are spared by operating with diesel locomotives.

[@robscott8296]

@@wolfgangpfeilergartenbahnd6530 ahh

[@robscott8296]

@@wolfgangpfeilergartenbahnd6530 I also watched a video about why they’re running diesel locomotives. It’s to prevent wildfires when it’s that season

[@wolfgangpfeilergartenbahnd6530]

@@robscott8296 That is of course also an argument, hence the conversion of the steam locomotives to oil firing. In Germany it is mostly the cost of maintaining steam locomotives.

[@robertsanders6463]

You know you don't have to make a diesel smoke like a steam engine. I love the video and I am not a tree huger but a smoking engine means its no healthy. Take care and be safe.

[@baldwinloco12]

It's a vintage ALCO, they are known to smoke, that's just the way they run.

[@chiefs1587]

Will they go back to only steam operations once all the engines are converted to oil?

[@skyhawk401]

Is 481 out of service right now?

[@baldwinloco12]

No just not running due to drought conditions and still burning coal

[@HoofmanJones030397]

The video is great! But seeing a diesel on a narrow gauge line that was primarily inhabited with steam locomotives just rubs me the wrong way. It really looks out of place there.

[@baldwinloco12]

They are necessary right now since they only have three oil burners and can't run the coal burners right now due to the drought.

[@HoofmanJones030397]

@@baldwinloco12 that makes perfect sense, but it still doesn't look right. I'm not bashing them, saying they should get rid of them, just that it's new and unusual to see diesels like that pull trains.

[@zebrashark23]

I'm sorry, but the magic is gone from the D&S

[@baldwinloco12]

Its better than no steam at all

[@jacobhinojosa6462]

I hate narrow gauge diesel locomotives

[@DENVERRIOGRANDEMAN21]

Why

[@jacobhinojosa6462]

@@DENVERRIOGRANDEMAN21 Truth is Narrow Gauge Diesel locomotives will trying destroy my childhood train ride, I been Riding on Durango and Silverton Train for 6 times

[@DENVERRIOGRANDEMAN21]

@@jacobhinojosa6462 yeah I see but they have too same as cumbres and totlecs railroad as well because of wild fire in Colorado or k-27 break down

[@baldwinloco12]

They are not fazing out steam so it's fine

[@robscott8296]

Trust me they will never get ride of the steam locomotives. It’s the steam locomotives that made this railroad very popular it’s would be a very risky move to get rid of the steam locomotives. I also read a comment about how the diesels are helping the steam locomotives and even help keep them around and it’s due to high maintenance. When they run the diesels when drought conditions are high they can still make money to get the materials to make the parts for the steam locomotives to keep them running. So you see it’s not going to destroy your childhood it’s going to keep it alive and running even better then before you’ll see.