D&RGW 5371

It's been about a month since I've seen un-repainted, un-renumbered Rio Grande SD40T-2 5371 in North Yard, SLC. The story on 5371 is that it will remain in her pristine Rio Grande state until a major failure, at which time it will be donated to the Utah Rairload Museum at Ogden. As I understand it, 5371 is the last un-renumbered Rio Grande unit.

I saw 5371 alive and well, the third unit is a 4 unit southbound lash-up in UP SLC North Yard @ 0800 hours on August 31st. I tried to take a picture from a distance, but 5371's dull black paint and angle didn't allow for a good picture. Sorry, but at least 5371 is OK for now.

I am pretty sure that 5371 will not be patched. After "running" from the patch police for over 11 years Union Pacific has figured that since it has survived this long it will not be patched and thus, no longer has to live in constant fear.
www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=184720

9/11/01
9/11/07

Yeah, and I believe in the tooth fairy too, Terry..........

http://www.drgw.net/news/news-archive-12-2006.html
Friday, December 8 2006 at 2328 h MST

"A usually reliable UP employee posted to the DRGW list about a week ago that a letter from Union Pacific president Jim Young had arrived at Roper regarding 5371. The letter was essentially a reprieve for 5371, stating the unit was to continue unpatched until such point that it suffered a major failure. At that point, it would be donated to the Utah State Railway Museum in Ogden. The letter arrived just in time, as 5371 was set to be patched later that same day.

So far, indications seem to be that it is indeed true. 5371 was indeed released from the shop without any patch, and with a new set of hand-painted number boards. (Apparently the real ones were stolen before it reached Roper for inspection.) Unfortunately, it hasn't returned to Helper, but rather is running the LEU50/LEU51, the Roper-Wendover turns.

Nothing has yet been confirmed about the eventual donation to the Utah State Railway Museum, but if the first part of this report was true, I have no reason to doubt the second half."

Usually reliable also means sometimes unreliable. Keep asking, Keep asking.

I took a photo of 5371 today - 9/20/2007 @ 1200 hrs. She's still pure Rio Grande. She's the second menued item on my website. Trackwork was going on so I didn't think I could get any closer so as to let you see her number. You should take my word that this is 5371, as she is patchless.

I lucked out this evening (9/21/07 about 6). I caught 5371 working the ballast train, dumping ballast on the Grants Tower realigned tracks.

www.utahtransit.us/grantsgravel1.htm