Nostalgia & History > Further adventures in a cigar box

Appearances deceive: An Alco FA and two FB’s lead first 82, Rock Island’s morning freight out of Denver, up the short approach to the U.S. 287 overpass just west of Byers, Colorado. Despite those Schenectady-built carbodies, this is an all EMD-consist. Originally delivered in 1948 as the 154, the 137 was powered by Alco’s standard but less than reliable 1600-hp 4-cycle 244 prime mover. Within a decade the railroad repowered all its FA’s and B’s with EMD’s trusty 2-cycle 1500-hp V16-567. Like the B-units here, most kept their Alco trucks, but 137 received a pair of EMD’s standard Blombergs.

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Great look back. Don't recall seeing the EMD trucks under the FA rebuilds?
JB

Now that is a rare look back.   WOW.    EMD FAs.

For me this is "Photo-Caviar;" the RI FA re-engines with the Blomberg's also lost the distinctive grill around the headlight, which you could better see with a slightly different sun angle , but regardless GREAT PHOTO!!!
I'm guessing 1965 to 68?

Thanks for posting this. All I can say is "RARE!!!"
Bob

Sure would have been Awesome chasing that train across the KP!