SALT LAKE CITY – Southeast Farmers Coop has donated former Denver & Rio Grande Western SW1200 No. 133 to the Promontory Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, according to the Facebook post by Derrick Klarr, Promontory Chapter preservation officer. The South Dakota-based D&I railroad assisted in the donation.
Rio Grande No. 133 was built in January 1965, one of ten SW1200s received that year, numbered 130-139. It spent much of its career on the Rio Grande working locals out of Salt Lake City’s Roper Yard, and also switching at Rio Grande’s Ogden Yard. It was acquired by Union Pacific after it acquired Southern Pacific in 1996, and retired in 1998. It was eventually sold to the Farmers Elevator in Beresford, S.D.
Promontory Chapter will now explore options for a permanent home for the unit, possibly partnering with an industry to return it to operation and allow it to continue to switch cars in original Rio Grande paint. Currently the unit is stored in Iowa.
Maybe they could use it on Savage Tooele (Too-will-a) in Utah if the STB ever allows the line to to be refurbished and a part rebuilt!
Where in Iowa? And, wow, that “track” is overgrown.