GM&O 902 was still glistening in nearly-new paint when it was involved in a head-on collision near Burksville, IL in March of 1966. The crew of 902 jumped to safety, however the engineer of the opposing train was killed. With a destroyed geep and the 902 in need of rebuilding, suddenly power-short GM&O struck a deal with EMD to acquire original SD40X demonstrator #434 – precursor to production SD40s. The iconic unit was painted GM&O red, numbered 950, and served through subsequent ownership changes. The 902 was retired in 2009 as IC 6051. The 950 was also retired in 2009 as IC 6071 and is currently preserved in Monticello, IL.
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