The summer of 1999 would be the last summer more than a dozen tunnel motors could be found in Helper. They quickly began to leave at the start of the 21st Century...and quickly began to be patched, painted, or retired.
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Late afternoon sun peaks out behind clouds to the west, making for a very dramatic picture as storm clouds in the east prepare to drop a lot of rain! Meanwhile, a dozen tunnel motors idle in the yard at Helper.
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Once a Rio Grande tunnel motor, SP 5399 retained the number it had when it wore black and gold. It was repainted in 1995, but notice that a small "DRGW" was stenciled on the cab beneath the number.
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In the summer of 1999, 14 Grande tunnel motors were based out of Helper. Many were still being used as helpers on westbound coal loads. Here, three of them (5374, 5406, and 5342) sit near the silver engine house in the early evening.
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While this is not the best shot in the world, the point is will conveyed! Six tunnel motors, all wearing black and gold, work hard in the middle of a westbound coal load near the Willow Creek power plant.
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A string of SEVEN Grande tunnel motors (SP 5399 was a Grande tunnel motor) are cut into the middle of a westbound coal train coming from CV Spur. The units will assist the train west to the top of Soldier Summit.
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