Gulf Mobile & Ohio (GMO) 914 - EMD SD40

The Illinois Central only owned 10 U33C's, units 5050-5059 built in 1968. The 5055 was wrecked and retired in 1969, so here were one-third of the existing fleet - the 5058! 5054 and 5050 - together at Mays Yard with former GM&O SD40 914. The three GE's were retired in 1984 and sold for scrap, but the 914 survived much longer as ICG ane then IC 6063.

from a 35mm negative, Venice service tracks

Illinois Central Gulf was great fun in the early 1980s. You really never knew what you might get on any given train - often Paducah re-builds, sometimes IC "green diamond" Geeps, or, as in this case, GM&O units still wearing original colors and numbers. Here an SD40 has the point on an eastbound crossing the (then) brand-new Kaskaskia River bridge at New Athens, IL.

Gulf, Mobile & Ohio SD40#914 was built September 1966 and later rebuilt (SD40-2R) and renumbered to Illinois Central #6063

Digital image from Kim E. Piersol original 35mm Kodachrome transparency.