The Keokuk Junction Railway
While I went in search of the famous Keokuk Junction Railway A-B-A matched set of F-units in action, all I was able to find was a gaggle of vintage motive power sitting dead in La Harpe, Illinois. The short-line railroad has some nice switchers, at least four slant-nose geeps, and of course the wonderful F-units. Thee were more units in La Harpe then I show here.
In the first image, we see ex-ATSF number 2029, a GP20 built in 1961. These units, ones with turbo-chargers (General Motors EMD models GP20 and GP30), ushered in second-generation diesel power in the United States.
Within the second picture, we have number 2057, a GP20 that first ran for the CB&Q in 1961. The cab unit, number 1752, is an FP9 of unknown origin. And the third unit is another GP20 that began working for the ATSF, also in 1961.
And in the final image we see West Michigan 100. The very informative “Diesel Shop” site tells me this engine is an EMD NW2 built in 1949. While it is in paint for West Michigan, it began working for the Frisco and then went to the Burlington Northern. An attractive detail that some older switchers have is how the top of the windshield curves to follow the roof-line.
Three images by Richard Koenig; taken August 18th 2017.
