It’s #ThrowbackThursday! In honor of the anniversary of its arrival at the Museum, we’re highlighting Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNG) diesel locomotive No. 7—better known as “Big Al”—which officially joined the Colorado Railroad Museum’s operating fleet in April 2022. Built by General Electric in 1975 for Algoma Steel (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada), this 87-ton center-cab diesel locomotive was sold to the D&SNG in 2002. There, it earned the nickname “Big Al” and was used in both yard switching and short excursion service between Durango and Rockwood, and Rockwood and Silverton.
After the D&SNG acquired larger and more powerful diesel locomotives from the White Pass & Yukon in 2020, No. 7 was retired from active service and sold to the Colorado Railroad Museum. It arrived in Golden on April 20, 2022, and is now one of two narrow gauge diesels at the Museum regularly used to pull trains around the grounds. With its added pulling power, it has become a feature during the Museum’s Day Out With Thomas™ event for three weekends in September.
Currently, the Museum is in the process of replacing all eight of Big Al’s wheels. In 2024, two of No. 7’s axles traveled to Durango, where Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad crews pressed off the old wheels, installed new ones, and completed the work with finish turning. Earlier this week the locomotive was lifted via crane so the remaining wheelset could be removed. Its axles will soon be en route to Durango, via truck, to repeat the same process.
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