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LGB Alco Diesel White Pass

The White Pass and Yukon Railroad is a legendary narrow gauge RR with a literally fantastic history finding its beginnings with the Klondike gold rush. The story of the building of the railroad is superbly described on this website https://wpyr.com/history/. It is worth to read at least a little bit into it.

After a long history of steam locos on the White Pass and Yukon RR times required to find an 'ersatz' to steam locos no longer built by manufacturers. Benoit Poulin put it best on his website  http://drgw.free.fr/WP&YR/Engines/Diesel/Diesel_en.htm, quoted here:

"In 1969, to face the fast growing traffic (especially ore shipping), the White Pass & Yukon seeked again to increase its diesel roster. This time, the railroad turned to Alco (American Locomotive Company), precisely to its Canadian subsidiary Montréal Locomotive Works (MLW). The locomotive manufacturer proposed its DL535E model, a 1200hp 6-axle diesel-electric engine, with narrow hoods and a single cab. These locomotives were related to the classical Alco RS (road switcher) and were equipped with a new and more powerful version of the same Alco prime mover used on the WP&YR GE class 90.

Courtesy of Benoit Poulin

    Seven of these engines (#101 to 107) were delivered by MLW to the White Pass & Yukon in 1969. Unfortunately two of them were almost immediately destroyed by the terrible fire of the Skagway roundhouse. That incident prompted the railroad to order three more locomotives. These three engines (#108 to 110) were delivered in 1971 again by Montréal Locomotive Works (despite the demise of its parent company Alco in 1969). The eight surviving engines were used by the WP&YR until the abrupt end of its operations in 1982. Later in 1988, the railroad re-opened in summer only as a tourist railroad, but the GE diesels were found to be sufficient to run the trains, so the first five Alco of the class were sold to a Colombian narrow gauge railroad, the Societad Colombiana de Transporte Ferroviario (STF).

Courtesy of Benoit Poulin

Yet in 1999, because of high tourist demand, the White Pass & Yukon wished to retrieve its five engines exiled in Colombia and bought them back from STF. Four of the ex-Colombian Alco have been put back into service on the WP&YR, the fifth one is still undergoing restoration."- Quote end.

In the mid 1980's LGB had landed a huge success with the Mogul. Now it was the late 1980's. With an American audience growing crazier and more enamored with LGB almost daily more loco stock was needed desperately. The White Pass and Yukon Alco Diesel was the perfect fit.  American to the core with a sister engine easy to copy (#2056 Alco Diesel) they got ' two birds with one stone'. The LGB # 2055 hit the catalog first in 1990 followed by these variations: (LGB # on left, year on right)

2055 1989
2155 s 1991
21552 1991
72855 1995
72550 1996
72855 1996
22552 1998
23552 1998
24552 1998
25552 2002
26552 2005

The White Pass and Yukon Alco Diesel was the first American Diesel engine for LGB and only the second American loco (after the Mogul) to be offered. First presented (as hand model?) in the New Item brochure of 1989 and then again in the 1990 catalog it entered the market via dealer stores more towards 1991.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ to be continued.

LGB Forney -- Conclusion

Note from Klaus: Have your grand-kids or any family member/ loved one announcing your Christmas Train and wishing you all a Merry Christmas! The ESU 4.0 and 5.0 sound decoders can be programmed and re-programmed (!) with ANY recording/sound file you like!!

Call Klaus for repairs, motor exchange  now!


Eventually Rolf Richter and others managed to get Disney's approval. It took 5 years. To be fair those were years of struggle or die for LGB. The Disney logo on any type of LGB train - so the Richter's hoped - would generate the much needed sales volume to prove to banks that they were viable for another line of credit or any expansion thereof. Money was tight to say the least. So eventually, they could manufacture the Disney Forney and went for a set. The LGB # 72350:

LGB # 72350 - Courtesy of trainz.com

Here  is a closer look at the loco

Courtesy of trainz.com

The loco in the picture is missing the gold crown on top of the smoke stack and the top of the sand dome which is shown on the starter set box. In 2004 LGB offered the set in Europe and in the USA. That makes it plausible that more than 400 sets were produced. YT tried to find price levels at time of market introduction but only managed to find a purchase price mentioned in a sales offer in 2008; that was US$ 1,000.00.
This set was advertised in its own catalog/brochure together with the Chloe train set, the Disney Mogul and - a first and last- the LGB/Disney game board train set # 92313.

In 2005 LGB continued their Forney offerings with the LGB # 24251, the Wild West Forney:

LGB # 24251 - Courtesy of Only Trains

Shown first in the LGB Fall Special 2005 it made it to the dealer stores in 2006. Price was approx US$ 590.00

Also shown in the Fall Special flyer was the Forney LGB #25251

LGB 25251 - Courtesy of Ebay

At the time of writing this blog episode this all black Forney was offered on Ebay out of Saratoga Springs/UTAH for  US$ 520.00. Used.

In 2006 LGB tried whatever they could before the hammer came down on them. The Forney wasn't left out. Four models were introduced; the LGB # 26251, LGB # 27251, LGB # 28251 and another set LGB # 70120. 19 (!) different brochures, catalogs, flyers and leaflets were published.

LGB 26251 - Courtesy of Worthpoint

This # 26251 Santa Fe # 23 was another conversion 2-4-4T Forney. No wonder, after they had the molds already. This was easy to re-produce and paint differently. Nonetheless a nice Forney!

As was the LGB# 27251 Colorado and Southern.

LGB 27251 - Courtesy of Worthpoint

And the Coca-Cola Forney # 28251. This was a true 0-4-4 in Coca-Cola coloring. When and if it was still delivered to dealers in 2006 is possible but not clear. LGBoA was to go into liquidation but it was also known that quite a bit of merchandise was set aside by those in-the-know. As of time of publication of this blog this 28251 is still or again available on the market for anywhere from $350 to $720.00

LGB 28251 - Courtesy of Worthpoint.com

The starter set 70120 or in USA 72120 (for 120V operation) experienced the same fate.

LGB 82120 - Courtesy of Only Trains

It pops up currently as well with prices ranging from US$ 590.00 to $ 750.00. Originally probably priced at US$ 829.00. The PRR loco is also a 0-4-4 in dark green and a dark silver smoke chamber. The cabin roof is red.

The Forney type was one of the first locos to be re-issued by the new owner of LGB, Simba-Dickie. A good and a wise choice. Even though it was a 2-4-4T the # 26253 would ring in a new era for the consummate LGB collector and the general LGB fan as well!