By mid-2002, there were still 47 former Rio Grande EMD SD40T-2 “Tunnel Motors” roaming the Union Pacific system, but only seven were not patched (renumbered) or painted yellow. At this time, four called Helper home and could be found running on the local that operated to East Carbon on the Sunnyside branch and return. On the morning of July 26, 2002, the “Gang of Four” as they became known, passes mile 606.7 east of Mounds, Utah, with local LJP45. Twelve-thousand horsepower worth of aging black Tunnel Motors smoke it up as Nos. 5390, 5401, 5377 and 5371 storm by.
