Mongolia: TE2 will run again!
Since our first visit to Mongolia a few years ago, we have submitted some project ideas which we would like to tackle in cooperation with the state railway to the railway administration.
One of the ideas was to make the historic diesel locomotive TE2-418, which had previously been preserved, but had their engine removed and scrapped at the Ulan Bator repairshop, operational again and use it on our Tanago charters.
We have now come one step closer to realizing this idea: the top management of the railway has given the green light for the installation of a "Tamara" engine in the TE2 (originally, both classes of locomotives also had almost identical engines).
For this purpose, the TE2 has already been shunted to the working tracks of the shop and as soon as there is a gap in the work plan of the repair shop, the TE2 will receive a new engine! Our tour guide on site, Temuulen, sent us the pictures from the TE2 at the shop.
It's unlikely to work for our June tour, but in September, we're confident that TE2-418 will be back on track! Unfortunately, the enthusiasm of the railway did not go so far that they promised us a mainline service right away. The railways are worried that the locomotive could fail while operating a charter train, stop the traffic, and cause some delays and hassle. An "obstruction in the operation" would be rather obstructive - and also poison for further requests we want to bother the railways with...
For our autumn tour, we will therefore have the TE2 shunting some goods and passenger trains in the area of the central station (as a starter). The current itinerary of that tour (still without TE2) can be found here!
