Big Train Tour: Denver & Rio Grande Western Tunnel Motor No. 5401

[@chrisg7160]

She is a beauty! I remember seeing the Rio Grande frequently running on the Jefferson City Sub in Missouri during the 1980’s and early 90’s when I was a kid.

[@andrewcrumb8027]

It's nice to have a Denver & Rio Grande Western SD40T-2 Tunnel Motor on display at the Colorado Railroad Museum.

[@drewbarker8504]

This was such a cool and informative piece! I recall seeing Southern Pacific Tunnel Motors with their side intakes moving around and through Salinas, CA, yet never realized that they were special at the time.

[@kerrialexa]

This was wonderful!! The 4 year old grandson hung in there for the whole video, and asked some pretty good questions afterwards (thank God for Google)!! Thanks for the great videos!!!

[@paullindberg9230]

Working for Conrail back in the late seventies the EMD & SD series was in abundance. a large number of power was the EMD sd 40-2 and the GM Series powr A pleasure to just listento as a breakman!!

[@yardlimit8695]

EXCELLENT PRESENTATION............THANKS. VERY MUCH

[@PatrickMondor]

Excellent vid! Great presentation and speaker. Big fan of the Rio Grande and still learned a great deal because of this video.

[@billh4910]

Nice, she has the original number boards with the Rio Grande speed lettering font and the gyralight. But no class lights, I think they were removed when the gyralight was in 1989ish. But happy 41st birthday DRGW5401!!!!! 3/1980

[@ontheflylens]

The T-2 was the boss on the Joint Line during my kid days late 70's early 80's. So glad a few were saved!

[@trainknut]

I wish a few more had been saved, particularly a couple SP ones, there's the one SD45T-2 at the CSRM but so far no snoot or 88" nose SD40T-2s have been preserved, and no SP T-2 has been back-dated like this one and 5371. Thankfully they seem to be popular on class 2s due to their reliability, so we have a while to find and preserve a few more, but their numbers grow ever smaller by the year. The vast bulk of the old SP fleet was caught up in the 2010-2014 scrap wave, and ever since they keep showing up on dead lines waiting to be salvaged for parts and scrapped.

[@southwestlimitedproduction9738]

@@trainknut Canadian National bought SP sd45t-2 and few 40t-2's

[@Bobo0890]

Savage company uses at least one former snoot tunnel motor to switch the soda ash mines in western Wyoming

[@warriorweekdays3833]

Very well done! Keep them coming. 🚂

[@waynehawkins2157]

Great show!!

[@ThroneOfBhaal]

Ah it's like an 'Inside the Chieftains Hatch' but for trains! :D Love it! :D Clamber around under and in it too! ;)

[@arlingtontrains7]

Very lovely, I love it!, fully operational?

[@arlingtontrains7]

Absolutely beautiful! Is it operational?

[@gonebamboo4116]

Nice Thank you

[@troysurrett7317]

It's called a "train tour" but we only get a tour of the vehicle's history. I want a tour of the actual vehicle. Please show us the insides! The controls, the engine, the alternator. I want to see how all of that is laid out. I want to see the big bank of resistors for the dynamic brakes! Please!

[@crrm]

Feedback noted!

[@trainknut]

It's fitting that 5401 and 3011 are now coupled back to back, and I think that's the configuration they should stay in permanently. EMD's first second generation diesel, paired with a unique version of their most successful locomotive to date, both in matching Rio Grande colours... Representing two different overlapping pockets of the same era.

[@kelvintorrence5994]

that's the wheeling and lake Erie if you wanted to know

[@Sacto1654]

*THE* big reason why D&RGW bought the "tunner motor" SD40 and SD45 models was the need to run those locomotives through the very long Moffatt Tunnel without overheating. I don't think the Tennessee Pass route was so pressing in need of such a locomotive, though.

[@MattKonsol]

Nice I know that wheeling and Lake Erie has those two rio grande sd40t-2s

[@kelvintorrence5994]

the w, le over near akron ohio near i 76 has 2 rio gradne engines not sure if they are tunnel motors, butt are still letter rio granda

[@nathancorcoran5347]

Great D&RGW Diesel engine.

[@drgw489productions]

It would be cool to see a video on the 4-8-4 by goose 7 and 191

[@southwestlimitedproduction9738]

Are you guys going to do a cosmetic overhaul on this tunnel motor?

[@MrRGS41]

Yes someday. long term we will back date 5401 to an as built state. It will cost several thousand dollars to paint it, so for now we will clean up the original paint.

[@DK-nv9zu]

Is the V16 diesel motor still installed? I imagine it’ll never start up again

[@DansRailroad2011]

I am sure it's still in there but no doubt UP removed some parts.

[@gregt.3987]

When will those ditch lights be removed?

[@jimbarton9742]

It's definitely on the list of things to be done along with some other projects.

[@MrRGS41]

When time allows. We have other equipment that needs our attention currently. But I assure you we will remove them.

[@chloenobody9309]

@@MrRGS41 i would gladly take that set off your hands

[@ljones121]

I honestly kinda,like the combination of the ditch lights and the gyralights, fives a good visual of the evolution of railroad warning lights

[@trackmen5288]

Were I work they still run SD40T-2 they have 2 of them.

[@kevinbaker4241]

Would that, by any chance, be the Wheeling & Lake Erie? They have two Rio Grande tunnel motors on their roster (5391 & 5413).

[@trackmen5288]

@@kevinbaker4241 no at the mine were I work in Saskatchewan

[@jbdixs]

Get the Ditch Lights off of it and put the Class Lights back in the hood this we bring it back to D&RGW and erase any sick marks that UP ever had they hands on it.

[@FFred-us9tw]

Already been done.

[@scav3155]

What are ditch lights?

[@ljones121]

@@scav3155 the lower lights you see on the front porch of the locomotive, they flash on and off usually when the horn is being blown at crossings