DRGW 5371 Heads East (For Good?)

Garden Railroading
1

Hello-

Yesterday, on the morning of March 5th, the eastbound MRONY-04 picked up DRGW 5371 in Helper and it headed east for Denver.

The original ETA into Denver was sometime around 2:30pm today, but the train must have made really good time as it descended east on the Moffat Tunnel Sub in early morning light. The train held at Clay to meet the westbound Ski Train, and then it finished up its trip, arriving North Yard around 9:00am.

DRGW 5371 appeared to be DIC, but more concerning than that (as far as I’m concerned) is that the number boards were already missing. My guess would be that the (former) Grande guys that still work in Helper are probably assuming the unit won’t be coming back, and thus liberated the Tunnel Motor of its number boards!

It’ll be interesting to see where it goes from here! It hasn’t officially been retired yet. Heck, if the stars align, it could get some work done at Burnham and be sent right back west to Helper (granted that seems a bit unlikely)…

Below are three shots from its trek east this morning on UP’s Moffat Tunnel Subdivision, about 10 miles west of Denver, CO.

Considering how fast other railroads have disappeared, I’m not complaining too much. 20 years after the “official” end of the Rio Grande and 5371 is still kicking…might be about done kicking, but it still is! The Katy fell in 1988 - around the same time as the DRGW/SP merger - and how long has it been since there was a “pickles and mustard” unit on the rails!?

  1. The MRONY-04 coming around Big Ten Curve in between Rocky and Clay. DRGW 5371 was, obviously, the fifth of five units on the train.


2. A nice consist overall on the manifest. An AC4400CW, an SD70ACe, an SD60M, and SD4

2

Having been born and raised in Helper, I remember this engine well. I guess I won’t be seeing it again on my visits there. Here is one of the last pictures I took a year or two ago. Thanks for the report.

Paul

3

great pictures [:)]

4

Thanks for sharing this with us. The best part of railfanning to me is spotting the “fallen flags” that are still in operations. Every now and then I see an N&W boxcar, or maybe something still wearing PRR. Just last week I saw an RF&P boxcar in Danville, VA didn’t have my camera[:(!]

Thanks again!

5

I sincerely hope that this loco is retained and kept in some form of preservation. The info in the post by Kevin I had already read on his fantastic website. There is such a wealth of photos and info to be got there and I would recomend anyone who is a fan of the erstwhile D&RGW and present day operations to visit it and bookmark it.

In case anyone missed it: www.ColoradoRailfan.com

ADDENDUM: More wonderful pics of this loco are on Kevin’s web site today. I have decided to speak to someone at UP on Monday about there being a possibility of great future for this loco. I suggest those interested also 'phone or send an e-mail making UP aware of the interest in saving 5371 for posterity.

6

Ah don’t worry their like old pickups you cant kill em and can’ bare to get rid of em. It’ll end up on some shortline or rail measeum or (bs moment here) all the tunnel Motor fans will band together and buy the thing.