Western Railroad Discussion > Trona Baldwin questions

What happened to their Baldwin diesels? I found a photo online of a Trona centercab DT6-6-2000. This wasn't built new for Trona, was it? How many new Baldwins did Trona order and buy? Thanks.

alco636 wrote:

> What happened to their Baldwin diesels? I found a photo
> online of a Trona centercab DT6-6-2000. This wasn't built new
> for Trona, was it? How many new Baldwins did Trona order and
> buy? Thanks.
>

Trona purchased two new Baldwin DT 6-6-2000 centercabs in 1949, numbered 50 and 51.

An AS616 (#52) was purchased new in 1954.

All the other Trona Baldwins were purchased used, starting with #53 (ex-SP 5249), followed by #54 (ex-Kaiser Steel/Eagle Mountain RR of some number - I wanna say #1012, but I really don't remember).

The two centercabs were sold to Peabody Coal and used at the operation near - appropriately enough - Baldwin, Ill., along with numerous other Baldwin roadswitchers Peabody picked up secondhand.

Both centercabs were eventually retired by Peabody and scrapped by Hyman-Michaels at their Alton, Ill., facility.

Hope this helps.

Some of the Trona Baldwins purchased new and used are now owned and operated on a daily basis by a shortline company SMS Rail that has operations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They use a variation of the latest Reading Railroad paint scheme. They currently have three more Baldwins in transit to their railroad. If I can find that data I'll post it. Follow this link for their roster and photos.

http://www.sms-pennjerseyrail.com/

Gonut

Several of the former Trona AS616's were stored in Muskogee, Oklahoma for several years. Parked on a siding hid in the trees, they were hard to find but I did manage to get pictures. Are these the ones that are under way back east to SMS Rail Services? I have seen some of their work and they do a splendid job restoring these relics.

Here's the rest, though not Trona.

SMS Rail bought three LTV Steel Baldwins, originally Erie Mining Company engines, last used at Hoyt Lakes MN. Still in Erie Mining yellow and brown and numbered 7241,7245 and 7246. They will move to Morrisville, PA on Norfolk Southern.

About two weeks ago.

Gonut

The units that were at Muskogee are indeed the ex-Trona Baldwins that SMS Rail now uses in New Jersey.

This info from the November 1987 issue of Railfan & Railroad, which contained an extensive feature article about the Trona and it's Baldwins.

#50 and #51 were the two DT6-6-2000 centercabs, purchased new and sold in 1973.

#52 was an AS-616, also purchased new.

#53 was another AS-616, purchased used from Southern Pacific in 1960 (SP #5249).

#54 was originally Kaiser Steel (Eagle Mountain Railroad) #1012-B. It went to ITT-Rayonier logging railroad in Washington as their 2nd #14 in 1973. Rayonier sold it to the Trona in 1986

Baldwin Diesels Vol. 2 (by Jim Boyd, Morning Sun Books) says that all three were sold to Johnston Terminal in December 1992 along with three carloads of spare parts. The 52 and 54 were used on the JT operations, while the 53 was used as a parts source. All three were re-sold to SMS in 1995.

The Trona used leased SP road power on all trains after 1973, with the Baldwins restricted to yard work around Trona.

Didn't the fellow in Muskogee who arranged the purchase get fired over this?

BTW, what do they do for parts?

Thanks for the replies. I didn't know those DT6-6-2000s were built new for Trona.