UCRY units on the move from south AR to St. Louis

[Midsouth fan]

Today the Louisiana & North West RR (LNW) moved the 3 Utah Central Railway engines that first arrived on the property shortly after Patriot Rail bought the LNW in 2008. UCRY 100 (GP10), 101 (ex-ATSF Cleburn-rebuilt GP9) & 102 (ex-US Army nee-C&O GP9) were delivered to the UP in McNeil, AR for delivery to Foster-Townsend Rail Logistics in St. Louis for repair work (some minor, some major). Eventually, these engines are supposedly going to switch the Budweiser brewery. The routing will take the engines either to Shreveport, LA or Texarkana, then head to Little Rock and St. Louis.

Next week, the last locomotive on the LNW property to wear the original red & yellow paint scheme, GP11 #55, will go the same way to the same place for the same duty. The UCRY engines can't pull a slick you-know-what out of a lard bucket. But the 55 is a super pulling machine.

 

[Midsouth fan]

We delivered the 55 to McNeil today. We coupled it to the 3 UCRY engines still sitting on the wye. After we departed, the UP locomotive inspector arrived from Little Rock to inspect the 4 engines. If they pass the inspection, we will shove them out on the siding for the UP to take to St. Louis.