Nostalgia & History > Not Maroon, But With a Rock Island Heart

CRI&P GP40 381 has been doing local switching for the last few days in Salem, Oregon. It's painted black and yellow with an orange Portland and Western heralds. P&W has two ex-CR&P GP40s, 3004 and 3006. Since CRI&P 381 was built in 1967 and the ROCK rebuilt to a GP40-2, it was a relatively good and young locomotive when the Rock Island quite. It has been passed along by a few other railroads including GOT and a couple leasing companies and now has landed at the P&W.

Yes, I took a couple of pictures (below).

This lead me to thinking: How many other Rock Island locos are still in revenue service? Even, how do you find them. One of the Internet rosters says when RI converted it to GP40-2 and renumbered it to 3000, then it became GOT 726, then EMDX 201, then LLPX 3204, and now WPRR 3304 (getting both the reporting marks and number wrong, as best I can tell.)

How many Rock Island Locos are in revenue service?

Marty Bernard



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/21 16:36 by MartyBernard.

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MartyBernard Wrote:
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> CRI&P SD40 381 has been doing local switching for
> the last few days in Salem, Oregon....

the ROCK rebuilt to a GP40-2, it was a
> relatively good and young locomotive when the Rock
> Island quite.

How does one go about rebuilding an SD40 into a GP40-2? Was it rebuilt because of derailment damage?

-Dalton

> How does one go about rebuilding an SD40 into a
> GP40-2? Was it rebuilt because of derailment
> damage?
>
> -Dalton

Dalton, thanks for catching the typo. Fixed. Marty

If you have the correct chronology on the P&W unit, here is that same unit shortly before the Rock’s bitter end. And you did just fine, Marty! Maroon Monday doesn’t have to be Maroon, just something about the good old “Mighty Fine Line”. (Who’s gonna complain: between you ‘n me ‘n the fencepost, I’m the one who started Maroon Monday anyhow… ;^)

1. CRI&P 3000 on a NB manifest at the N Oliver St crossing in Kechi, KS (suburb of Wichita). It would appear that somewhere along the line dynamic brakes have been added.

2. CRI&P caboose 17106 trails the 3000.
(2 photos taken January 24, 1980)

Lance

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As RI 381 she was maroon and must have been repainted when upgraded to a GP40-2. Meet you later at that fencepost.

Marty



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/21/14 20:32 by MartyBernard.

Marty,

In response to your query about former Rock Island units still in service, at least six of the RI's ten SD40-2s are still active on the Wisconsin & Southern (WSOR). Like the 3000, they have been through multiple owners (ICG, EMD leasing) and had dynamic brakes installed while in the EMD lease fleet.

Many, if not all, of RI's GP38-2s also remain in service: The 52 (4300-4351) picked up by MP after shutdown still work for UP, although quite a few now are owned by Helm Financial and leased back to UP. The four owned outright by the RI (4352-4355) wound up on Huron & Eastern and are now part of the G&W fleet and the last 12 (4368-4379) went to GTW and AFAIK all of them remain on the CN/GTW roster as 5850-5861.

With over 150 GP7-9-18s on the roster, at least a few must survive on shortlines, although the only one I can think of off the top of my head is the 1790 at Central California Traction. At least two of the GP7s survive in tourist or museum service, although neither in RI dress.

I'm sure there are also a fair number of former RI switchers toiling away at grain elevators and industrial plants. At one point Coors Brewing had at least two ex-RI switchers at Golden, CO.

Hope this somewhat addresses your question,

NZ

Marty, Here is an ex CRI&P GP18, the 1338. Not in the best of shape, but still intact. It is on the Meridian & Bigbee RR in Meridian Ms. Looking a bit rough tho Long Live the Rock. Ben (Shot taken in Feb 2014)

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