By Railfan & Railroad Staff

The Promontory Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society has acquired a former Denver & Rio Grande Western SW1200 that it hopes to return to service in its classic black and gold paint. 

Over the weekend, the chapter’s preservation officer, Derrick Klarr, announced online that the Southeast Farmers Coop had donated SW1200 133 to the Utah-based NRHS group. The locomotive was built in 1965 and spent years working in Utah, before heading east to South Dakota where it worked at various grain elevators. It is now stored in Iowa where it will stay until the chapter finds a way to bring it west. The locomotive still wears its original D&RGW paint. 

“Now that we have ownership, we will explore options for a permanent home for it, or possibly look to partner with an industry (preferably in former Rio Grande territory) to return it to operation and allow it to continue to switch railcars around…. while still wearing its original Rio Grande paint!” Klarr wrote.