Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Wheeling & Lake Erie features on their roster three former Rio Grande SD45-2 tunnel motors, two of which are still painted Rio Grande and continue to get touch up paint almost 40 years after the demise of the Rio Grande's corporate identity. They're often paired together. The third Wheeling tunnel motor (5411) is painted UP Armour Yellow.
On Sunday, June 12th, 2026, "the Grandes" made a run to Lima, Ohio. While thousands were on hand for the UP Big Boy running between Conway and Conneaut, I was out chasing the Grandes.
At Upper Sandusky they didn't stop on the diamond to get talked by the signal. The engineer only briefly stopped the train to let the conductor climb back aboard.
Wheeling & Lake Erie features on their roster three former Rio Grande SD45-2 tunnel motors, two of which are still painted Rio Grande and continue to get touch up paint almost 40 years after the demise of the Rio Grande's corporate identity. They're often paired together. The third Wheeling tunnel motor (5411) is painted UP Armour Yellow.
On Sunday, June 12th, 2026, "the Grandes" made a run to Lima, Ohio. While thousands were on hand for the UP Big Boy running between Conway and Conneaut, I was out chasing the Grandes.
At Upper Sandusky they didn't stop on the diamond to get talked by the signal. The engineer only briefly stopped the train to let the conductor climb back aboard.
