Steam & Excursion > San Luis Valley Southern 2-8-0 #106 (1953) & 2 oddities

The agricultural area of the San Luis Valley in southern Colorado was home to this short line ... here's San Luis Valley Southern's 2-8-0 #106 @ Blanca, CO on Oct. 1, 1953.

Pics 2 is San Luis Valley Southern M300 that I shot in Blanca, CO on Oct. 5, 1979
Pic 3 looks like something from the 'Wild, Wild West' TV series from the mid-60's .... it's Southern San Luis Valley D500, a lovely home-built switcher!

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It looks as if this thing was built on the chassis of a former D&RGW idler car.  Note the 3 way coupler pocket for switching the coupler to narrow gauge positions on either side of the SG position.

elueck Wrote:
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> It looks as if this thing was built on the chassis
> of a former D&RGW idler car.  Note the 3 way
> coupler pocket for switching the coupler to narrow
> gauge positions on either side of the SG position.

Reportedly built on the chassis of a former DRGW steam engine tender.

Z

The tender would work also, but it seems quite short for a tender.

If memory serves me, it was built off the tender of the other 2-8-0 #105.

Out

Wow, those are some nice images. While I most always find "home-built" equipment (especially standard gauge...) at least interesting it typically isn't because I find it to be very attractive. The D500 sort of fits that bill but even it is strangely appealing. However, that M-300 has the stuff! The lighting and background don't hurt a bit either, a great shot. I'd love to find some others of it "whole" and in service . Many thanks to member valmont for sharing these.

callum_out Wrote:
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> If memory serves me, it was built off the tender
> of the other 2-8-0 #105.
>
> Out

The D500 was built on the frame of a dual-gauge idler flat (hence the 3-way coupler pockets on each end), which in turn was built from the tender frame of a standard gauge 2-8-0 (but not #105).

105's tender ended up behind the 106 (D&RG 583) when it was bought by the Colorado RR Museum. I don't know what appened to the 106's tender.

Great picture of #106.   Here is one I ran across recently by Tom Guildersleeve.  Was in a slide collection I was scanning.   It would be 1955 or prior, when they were still running steam.

-M

Mike Massee
Tehachapi, CA
Photography, Railroading and more..

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