By Eric Berger
The Arkansas-Oklahoma Railroad is trading in its GE B40-8W locomotives to Larry’s Truck & Electric for a pair of even older ex-Santa Fe GP35s, which will soon be painted in a Rock Island-inspired paint scheme. The black, red and white was used by the Rock Island in the 1940s and 1950s.
Much of the A-OK diesel fleet is already painted in a bright red and yellow scheme mirroring one Rock Island began using in 1969, reflecting both the heritage of the former RI tracks on which A-OK operates and the affection of its owners. The older RI scheme was selected for its classy appearance, A-OK executive Eric Donoley told Railroad & Railfan.
“The only other engine I know of in this paint scheme is a heritage unit on Iowa Interstate (IAIS 513),” he said.
Also to be painted in the classic RI paint scheme are two recently acquired EMD SD45-2T’s, former Southern Pacific 9362 and ex-Kyle 3098 (nee SP 9245). In late May, the 3098 was tied down with a pair of GP30s in Shawnee, Okla. while the 9362 sat in McAlester with a GP30 and a pair of rarities, A-OK 4093 and 4098. These unique units began as Western Pacific U23Bs and were rebuilt by GE as Super 7-B23 for Pennsylvania’s Monogahela Railway. Though popular in Mexico, the Super 7 program failed to attract much interest in the U.S. and the 11 built for MGA constituted the only sizable fleet here. They feature Dash 8 cab and body styling and ride on EMD trucks.
As for the decision to swap 32-year-old Dash 8 units for 60-year-old Geeps, Donoley cited three reasons: the reliability of the GP35s; the lack of parts availability for the Dash 8s; and the high cost of a service call from a Wabtec technician.
Leaving the roster are AOK 567 and 581, the newest units the railroad owned. Built for Santa Fe in 1992 with Super Fleet Warbonnet paint, both sported BNSF colors by 2004. They arrived on the A-OK in 2011 along with sister 578, which was sold to a leasing company (HFMX) in 2022.
Santa Fe rebuilt its GP30 and GP35 fleets in the mid-1980s and many of these units have ended up on shortlines around the country. Some even remain in service on BNSF after being rebuilt again and designated as GP39-3.
Currently, GP35s A-OK 2511 and are stationed at Wister, Okla., sporting the A-OK logo but still wearing Santa Fe blue and yellow paint likely applied in 1984, trimmed with a patina of light rust that doesn’t affect their operation.
Donoley said the GP35s just make more sense for the railroad. “They are just really good units,” he said.
