What is a Rio Grande F unit doing on an Alaska Railroad group? Well I'll tell you. In the words of Deane Motis; Working their way to Alaska, 5654 and two sisters at Fort Collins on the C&S on May 10, 1970.

5654 became the 1530 and lasted on the ARR roster until 1986, from what I've found it was scrapped around 1990.

1530 was completely rebuilt between 1974 and 1976 to GP38-2 specs with a 16cyl 645, wiring and a modern control stand. The 1530 suffered a catastrophic engine failure which was the reason for the rebuild, and from what I have been told it was the test bed for a rebuild program for the aging F units that never came about. Most of the Rio Grande and Great Northern F units were traded in for the new GP40-2 units we see today.

1530 was the only F7A to wear the DOT scheme and was the only F unit in the 1980s to still be dressed in it.

Deane Motis had a way to capture locomotives and rolling stock that showed all kinds of details that today I regard as a source of valuable photographic historical documentation. This may be the earliest known photos of the Rio Grande units of the Alaska Railroad.

- Mike Gerenday