The westbound Grand Canyon has come and gone, and the Raton Pass helpers, Alco RSD7 609 with RSD5 2158, bask in the July heat at the Raton engine terminal. In the cool of the evening, they’ll take a freight over the pass to Trinidad and La Junta. Although more powerful, the 1955-built 2400-hp 609 represents a step down from the 1600-hp 2158. Fewer were sold and railroads were unhappy with the unreliable model 244 prime mover. Still, to the delight of railfans, in 1967 Santa Fe is still finding work for them on its Colorado and New Mexico lines.
