Western Railroad Discussion > D&RGW 5390 in Better Days!

D&RGW 5390, built Aug. 1978, builder’s number 776098-05, one of 73 EMD SD40T-2’s built for the Rio Grande, operating with 3000 horsepower.

As reported by Dave B, she blew a main generator, caught fire and ended up having to be extinguished by the local fire department. Hopefully 5390 will be repaired and returned to service, but I am not going to hold my breath on that decision. If 5390 is retired, at least she spent her last years on home rails and not patched.

Here is 5390 in better days. One a clear December 2nd morning in 2000, 5390 led the MRODV-01 (Roper to Denver) down the mountain through Plainview, shown here coming through Rainbow Cut. Ironically the second of the three TM’s is 5371, now the last operating Rio Grande TM ,still in Helper Utah, and has worked with 5390 for many years out there.

The three D&RGW SD40-2’s on the MRODV that day were 5390, 5371 and 5385.

The MDVRO and MRODV’s days were coming to an end but it was a great time to be chasing Rio Grande tunnel motors on the Moffat. Ah, those were the days!

PZ

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Here is the same train a short time later sitting at Leyden, waiting for Amtrak 5 to pass so it can proceed into Denver’s North Yard.

PZ

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Nice job hiding the UP scuzz in the rainbow cut shot PZ. Didn't this train have an old SP SD9 in the conist? At least the DVRO/RODV was reincarnated with the NYRO/RONY and once again EMD power (70M's) is sort of common on the ol Grande west of Denver.

TME

On a related note, her sister 5391 is alive and well on the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway in northern Ohio.


In full D&RGW paint.

Yes, there was an old SD-9 in the consist, although it was shut down and dead, but I do not remember the details on that engine and where it was headed.

PZ

Tyler - I was out that morning, too. First time I met Paul Z, as a matter of fact. The unit in question is stenciled CKP 202, and should be ex-SP 4352. CKP obviously being the Colorado, Kansas and Pacific Railway, which was operating the Towner Line at the time. That said, I saw its twin, CKP 203, at Portland, CO, on the RRRR a few months later, so maybe that's where 202 wound up as well.

Nathan

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I think CKP was the short-lived Colorado Kansas and Pacific that ran on the former Mopac line from North Avondale to Towner.