Click on each picture for a closer look!
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Over the past year, TRHA has been looking for an appropriate steam locomotive for the new 7 1/4 inch gauge miniature railway at Roundhouse Park. As our railway engines will run frequently in the warmer months of the year, rugged reliability and ease of maintenance were primary requirements. A locomotive with the power and size to pull heavy trains of passengers was a must. After investigating a number of sources in North America of such engines, we selected the one shown in the above photographs built by RMI Railworks in California.

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This locomotive design is called a "Sweet Creek" by RMI and is typical of engines that operated on 2 foot gauge railways throughout the world. It is very similar to one built by the Baldwin locomotive Company in the 1920's for service in the Dominican Republic as shown in the black and white picture above. Being of the 2-6-0 wheel-arrangement, it is a Mogul class locomotive and by choosing a 24 inch narrow gauge prototype for 7 1/4 inch gauge track, the miniature engine is built to 3.75" to the foot scale and is almost 1/3 full size. This scale provides a large and robust locomotive suitable for daily operation.
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RMI Railworks is the manufacturer of this locomotive and offers it in both bolt together kit and ready to run versions. TRHA chose the kit version for reasons of economy and to provide our drivers and maintenance crews with the knowledge and experience to run and maintain the machinery.
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In subsequent news items we will cover the delivery and assembly of this locomotive.
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Story by Russ Milland; Pictures used with permission of RMI Railworks; Photo of "Fiume" is from "The Locomotives that Baldwin Built" by Fred Westing.