Waiting for a call on a freight train east, three Rock Island locomotives rest at Rio Grande’s North Yard in Denver, Colorado, in August 1979. Motley lettering on some swapped doors decorating the long hood of aging GE U28B No. 253 reads “ROCROCKLA ANDD” in two different sizes and fonts, and nicely represents the hard times seen during Rock Island’s last days. North Yard was jointly operated by both Rock Island and Rio Grande in this era. In the background, Rio Grande SW1200 No. 137 switches a train in the yard.
