The Kansas State Rail Service Improvement Fund was modified several years ago to facilitate upgrading railroad cars and locomotives in addition to rehabilitating railroad tracks and its components (bridges, yards, shops, buildings, and sidings) on short lines in Kansas. The railroad’s application was the first to be received by KDOT for rolling stock. The program is one component of the state’s Comprehensive Transportation Program which was originally signed into law on May 10, 1999. The total project was $1.5 million, funded with a 30% KDOT grant, a 40% KDOT low interest loan, and a 30% CVR match.
Cimarron Valley has forgone its previous blue paint scheme for the new power and is painting the units in a colors that reflects the Santa Fe heritage of the lines it operates. Two of the locomotives have been repainted and now wear Santa Fe’s solid blue scheme with a yellow stripe along the side that was applied to freight locomotives between 1960 and 1972. No. 4052 was repainted by railroad in Satanta while No. 4053 was repainted by Metro East.
When the newly acquired power is in service, the railroad is expected to purge most of its existing fleet of locomotives, with only the pair of GP26s and the B39-8 expected to remain.
The railroad operates in three directions from its base of operations in Satanta: east to Dodge City; southwest to Boise City, Okla.; and west to Springfield, Colo.
I, too, remember when she was new; at least she avoided the CSX “stealth” paint. Nevertheless, she’s never looked better.
Snappy paint job, hint of CSX plus Santa Fe.
Two of those did the job of 5 SD40s on a Monon grain train. Really made southbound grain trains a lot less work. Reliable powerful and no stupid computers to break down.
Nice to see the old ATSF scheme revived but the CMV scheme was one of my favorites.
Mr. Gattis, looking at Google maps I’d say it’s a safe bet these units will never see Pritchett…
Does the CVR now end at Springfield, Colo., not Pritchett?
Paul, the trucks are GSC/Adirondack, and GE
Does that GE locomotive have EMD trucks under it?
Boy how time flys. I remember when these units started showing up on the CSX back in the late 80s and early 90s. And man we thought they sure did look different than other GEs. That seems like yesterday and now I’d love to see something a little different.