Nostalgia & History > Rio Grande tunnel motors visit SoCal in 1981

Back in the early 1980’s there was an influx of Rio Grande SD40T-2’s on Union Pacific export coal trains to the LA harbor area. Photographically this was a hit-and-miss time for me probably due to the combination of poor quality equipment and lack of photo skills, so many of my slides during this era are not top quality. One that didn’t come out too bad was this shot of a UP loaded coal train on Santa Fe rails with four Rio Grande tunnel-motors working through Hesperia, CA on November 29, 1981. Memory escapes me so I don’t know where on the Rio Grande these trains originated but I’m pretty sure they were bound for shipping overseas at Long Beach. Also around this time, I believe the Kaiser coal trains to Fontana from Utah were winding down.

Thanks for looking and appreciate any details of these operations.

OYW      
 

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Awesome!

~RGDave

Oyw vie!

Love anything Rio Grande from that time period.

Cheers, Jim

That's a great photo!! 

Nice shot.  I remember those D&RGW coal trains too; always liked to see "Rio" power on Cajon.  Camera gear:  Minolta X700 or something else?
GK



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/19 14:57 by TheNavigator.

Dynamite photo, those Grandes look good out in CA!

TheNavigator Wrote:
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> Camera gear:  Minolta X700 or something else?
> GK
Gary I think it was my earlier Minolta with a crappy zoom lens.

I recall there was a fuss in California with the Rio Grande cabooses on those trains having coal-burning stoves.  I don’t remember how that was resolved if it ever was.

JB - Omaha