Looking snazzy in clean Aspen Gold and Black paint, a Rio Grande SD50 awaits an assignment working the Helper helper on April 30, 1989. The 5514 was built new by EMD for the D&RGW in Sept. 1984, part of an order for 17 units built as an add-on to a 20-unit Chessie System order. The EMDs were essentially Chessie units in D&RGW paint, and included many Chessie features, such as "mail slot" battery box covers, hood mounted bell, Chessie air horns, and no gyralite in the low nose, which was added for D&RGW upon delivery by Mid America Car in Kansas City. D&RGW 5504, 5510, 5511, 5513, 5514, 5516, 5517 would be repainted into Southern Pacific livery between 1994 to 1996, using the large version of the flying SP lettering. After the SP merger with the UP, all of the units were renumbered to UP 5095-5111 series, and renumbered once again to the UP 9845-9861 series in 2002 to clear the 5000 series for use by new UP SD70Ms. The entire fleet was retired on the UP in June 2007 upon expiration of lease and returned to owner. Information courtesy of Don Strack's UtahRails.net website.
