Western Railroad Discussion > MJRX SD35r

Caught this in the KCS yards today in E. St. Louis, Il.
Who is MJRX?

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A EX SP SD35 at one time Richard

Thanks Richard I have NO idea why I originally had SD45r. Time for a nap!
Brian

According to the Official Railway Equipment Register, MJRX marks belong to Railway Service Contractors Inc. I don't know who they are. Perhaps someone else knows.

I have a question of "great social and political import". Since the initials of the Owner/Lessor are neatly stenciled on the cab, why is it necessary to crudely scrawl them on the hood? I have seen this before on other lease units.

Africansteam

Railway Contractors, Inc. is a locomotive dealer/scrapper based in Kansas City.

Mike Derrick
http://www.shortlinesusa.com

Perhaps the additional lettering keeps the long hood assembly "connected" to the cab and frame if they become separated during an engine or main generator swap.

The unit was rebuilt and deturboed by SP long before the unit was sold.

Anyway you look at it, it's pretty ugly!

Looks like an apprentice tagger lettered her 'aft!

Good find! Yup, she is ex-SP 2968, the only SP SD35R to be painted into the failed SPSF Kodachrome paint scheme. The SP 2968 was delivered from EMD as a straight SD35 in 03/65 as SP 4842. Renumbered to SP 6926 on ??/65, stayed this way for 13 years. In 03/78 she was rebuilt to a SD35R through the Sacramento GRIP I program as the SP 4707. This lasted for perhaps months or just weeks and sometime in 1978 she was again renumbered by the SP into the SP29XX class as the SP 2968. In 1986, the 2968 just happened to be in Sacramento, CA for some form of overhaul work and with the first big merger on the Horizon, she received a fresh coat of red, yellow, black and silver SPSF Kodachrome paint. Believe it or not but unlike the bulkk of the rest of the SP Kodachromes, this scheme only lasted on the 2968 for two years. Yup, right back to scarlet and gray for this unique SP SD35R in 1988. She was formally retired after the merger on the UP roster on 03.16.97.


As far as her history to become the MRJX2968, Don Strack notes:

"4. SP 2968 was sold to Progress Rail on 31 March 1998; to CLN Industries, Charney, Quebec; to Southern Marine - Taylor Rail Group, Quebec City, Quebec."

http://utahrails.net/all-time/up-x-sp-1.php


...meaning she was first the TSRR 2968, than more recently the MJRX 2968.


Photo of her as the TSRR 2968.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=28327


Back to the "better days" for the 2968. First off is her condition right before rebuild om 1977:
http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sd35_photos/6926_sp-sd35-bob_dengler.jpg

Here the SP2968 is shown in 1986 fresh Kodachrome just after release from Sacramento Shops
http://espee.railfan.net/picindex/kodachromes/2968_spsf-sd35r-dennis_mutulo.jpg
and working down in Houston , TX later that year:
http://www.robertgreuter.com/screamingeagle/gallery/sp/j_glenewinkel_sp/SP2968-K/SP2968-K.jpg

Here she is shown in 1991 just three years after a VERY CRAPPY repaint from SPSF Kodachrome paint. How can SP gray fade to that in a short 3 years? Ten bucks says some cash-strapped SP paint shop didn't use primer or clear coating on the scarlet and gray repaint!!!

http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/sd35r_photos/2968_sp-sd35r-jay_glenewinkel.jpg


Note that today (your photo) that the cool and unique bell mounted above the engineer side cab roof of the SP 2968 is gone but the mounting tabs are still welded on! So is it just me or do signs of the 19 year old SPSF red and yellow paint still show through that bad primer and rust? I think that is SPSF yellowbonnet paint showing up on the steps and around the nose! Thanks again for the photo...


-Ryan aka "espeeboy"
on the ex-WP Oakland Sub MP11.2