A somewhat unique tunnel motor at this point, DRGW 5345 had a rotating beacon above the cab, and a full light package on the nose. The horn, however, had been moved back to the long hood.
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Although many of its colleagues left Helper over the course of the next six years, 5390 was there up until it blew a main generator and had to be taken to Illinois to be fixed….and patched….late in 2005.
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DRGW 5385 idles quietly in the foreground, while its fellow tunnel motors wait near the engine house in the background for helper duty.
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Note that DRGW 5406 is missing its orange stripe along its running boards! Sometime around 1995, the unit was retrucked at Burnham, and everything below the walkway was repainted black. The orange stripe was never reapplied.
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DRGW 5385 sits alone in the yard in Helper on Memorial Day. At this point, 5385 was being used as a yard switcher in Helper.
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This was the one and only time I personally saw tunnel motors assisting an eastbound manifest up the western slope of Soldier Summit. Soon after the year 2000, DPU came to Utah and the tunnel motors were no longer needed. Here, they push on the back of the MRODV on main two at Gilluly.
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DRGW 5360 has some pretty bad scorching under the dynamic brake intakes…I think it adds to the unit personally! Right now, 5360 is helping push the eastbound MRODV up the west slope of Soldier Summit.
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SP 5350, once DRGW 5350 prior to being repainted in 1995, assists in the push through the loops at Gilluly.
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DRGW 5342 pushes on the back of the MRODV on main two while it passes under US 6. Note the engineer in the cab of 5342.
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It was not uncommon in the late 1990's to find manned helpers (based out of Helper) assisting eastbound manifest, such as the MRODV, over Soldier Summit. Here, DRGW 5360, SP 5350, and DRGW 5342 push on the back of the MRODV near Detour.
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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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