I know SMS (a Northeastern shortline) operates one Baldwin AS616. Is this the last of its kind still running?
Jim Boyd's Baldwin Diesels in Color Volume 3 lists a total of 9 surviving AS-616's. They are: Kaiser Bauxite #5106- Discovery Bay, Jamaica, Serviceable Kaiser Bauxite $5108- Discovery Bay, Jamaica, Unserviceable Oregon & Northwestern #1- San Diego RR Museum, Campo, CA Oregon & Northwestern #2- National Transportation Museum, St. Louis Oregon & Northwestern #3- Feather River Rail Soceity, Portola, CA Oregon & Northwestern #4- Feather River Rail Society, Portola, CA SMS/Trona 52- Pureland Ind. Park, N.J. (Stored) SMS/Trona 53- Pureland Ind. Park, N.J. (Awaiting shipment from Oklahoma) SMS/Trona 54, Pureland Ind. Park, N.J. Serviceable The O&NW #2 was owned by the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the NRHS for a decade or so...although it has been sold it continues to wait in Tigard, OR, for shipment south and east. The O&NW #1 does not run, but I have heard rumors that it may be made operational in the near future. Or at least they have plans to do so. FRRS used to run the ex-O&NW #4 and maybe the #3 as well, but they have apparently been inoperable for quite a few years now. The SMS unit would be the only operable model of this unit if the one in Jamaica no longer runs. There are two examples of the DRS-6-6-1500 (the predecessor of the AS-616 in Baldwin's catalogue) still in existence...California State Railroad Museum has the ex-SP #5208 on display in Sacramento, and the Arizona Railway Museum has the ex-McCloud River #29/Magma Arizona #10 at their museum in Chandler, AZ. At last reports it ran, although the museum was in the process of making it run much better. Jeff Moore Elko, NV http://www.trainweb.org/mccloudrails http://www.trainweb.org/highdesertrails
When I was at the Portola museum last fall, the Baldwins were cut way back in the equipment, not up by the engines in use. They looked a little rusty and the paintjob wasn't particularly inspiring, but they weren't falling apart.
I should have made it clear: My focus was on engines still in revenue service. How recent is Boyd's book?
