Colorado Tunnel Motors – June 2001

With the surviving fleet of Rio Grande SD40T-2 Tunnel Motors now numbering somewhere around 20, and having lost two in the last two weeks, it seems odd that 9 of the remaining units are in and about Colorado right now, and eight of those are regulars, running the Denver-Pueblo and Pueblo-Denver manifests each day in two consists of four each. The first consists of 5401, 5361, 5356, and 5347, and the second consists of 5407, 5413, 5385, and 5377. Additionally, 5376 and 3105 have also seen trips along the Joint Line lately. On Saturday, 2-June-2001, Rio Grande fans were given a special treat when DRGW 5342 was sent east with a four car work train, mainly consisting of a pile driver from western Colorado. Because there isn’t much to say about any of these, I’ll cut the conversation and get straight to a photo-and-caption-only trip report.

DRGW 5342 and a MoW Special – Jun 2, 2001

MDVPU on Jun 2, 2001

MDVPU-12 and MDVPU-14

The first three weeks of June 2001 were particularly good for Rio Grandes on MDVPU – larger concentrations than we’d seen in some time.

MDVPU-15 with DRGW 5515

Six Grandes for Fathers Day – MDVPU-17

In what would be the last, biggest consist of Rio Grande power anywhere, the MDVPU-17 on Fathers Day 2001 (Jun 17) had six Rio Grandes – 5 SD40T-2s and 1 SD50.

Other DRGW T-2s on MDVPUs


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