Are there any locos that still have the old Denver and Rio Grande paint scheme beside the heritage?

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Are there any locos that still have the old Denver and Rio Grande paint scheme beside the heritage?

I am a big fan of the D&RG and was wondering how many if any were left.[8D]

Thanks in advance.

2

I assume you mean former D&RGW in active service? I don’t know about shortlines, but the last unpatched unit on UP was an SD40-2T, which was retired a couple months ago and IIRC donated to a museum. There are still a few patched (with UP lettering and numbering, and with a UP logo on the nose) locomotives running around too.

3

Here is a web site that tracks former D&RGW units (among other things).

http://www.drgw.net/locotrace/newtrace.php?s=smart

There is only one non-patched D&RGW unit left. #5371. In the chart at the link above it would show as a black unit. Last I knew it was being used in Helper service out of Helper UT. BUT on the chart, right now, it shows that it is in Cheyenne WY. To me this could mean three things. 1. it is on its way for service and that means it could be patched! 2. Maybe they have added it to the heritage fleet. 3. It is on its way to scrap.

There are several patched black units still hanging around. Last I knew 1 lives in Colorado Springs. 3 still work out of the North Yard here in Denver. There is 1 in La Salle, CO.

Below is the unit in Colorado Springs, that I just happen to catch an image of right before it got patched.

4

The 5371 has been retired- it’s in Cheyenne being held for preservation. The three DRGW GP60s are all still in Rio Grande paint- albiet patched. The 1901 (ex-DRGW 3154) is currently being used as one of the yard switchers here at Lloyd Yard in Spring, TX. There are still a good number of GP40-2s in patched DRGW paint still around as well- all of the ex-DRGW SD50s are gone and off the roster- I’m not sure if any of these are still in DRGW paint in lease service though. I think there are a couple SD40T-2s still running about in the NREX and HLCX lease fleets in DRGW patch paint- and perhaps one or two on the UP. There more than a couple ex-DRGW units still in full DRGW paint on the Wheeling and Lake Erie- the president of the WLE is a former DRGW man.

5

I took a tour of the Roseville yard last Saturday (11-8) and saw a unit with the D&RG paint scheme in a line of diesels. I couldn’t get the unit number, however.

6

That would probably have be 1355 or 1347.

7

5391 was at the ethanol plant across the tracks a week ago. As far as I can tell, (it was after sundown) the only modification to the D&RGW paint was a stenciled “WE” above the road number on the side of the cab. Interesting seeing a tunnel motor working a local here in the flatlands.