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Streamliner on a Ballast Train

After the Rio Grande Zephyr made its final run between Grand Junction and Denver, Colorado on April 24, 1983, the equipment became surplus. Immediately.

 

D&RGW's trio of F9s were laid off, but not for long. Rio Grande assigned them to work ballast trains in both Utah and Colorado.

 

While the assignment was a bit of a let down for the glamour girls, the photo opportunities were priceless. Witness 5771 leading Midvale smelter slag train No. 648, ascending the Mapleton Bench between Springville and Sutro, Utah on July 20, 1983.

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Uploaded on April 16, 2025
Taken on July 20, 1983