The Rio Grande was an early adopter of diesel power, starting in 1941 with purchases of switchers and in 1942 with FT four-unit road diesels. From the mid-1940s the railroad acquired hundreds more diesels, displacing its steam fleet from nearly all service by the early 1950s and completely replacing them by 1956. While the Rio Grande experimented with a few models from smaller builders such as Baldwin, Alco, and Krauss-Maffei, ultimately it became an all-EMD shop.
Photos on this site cover the last years of operations dominated by second-generation diesels, with a smattering of holdovers from the initial generation.
The tables below list all D&RGW standard-gauge diesel units, by date of acquisition and model type.
| Geeps and Other 4-Axle Models | SD40T-2 Tunnel Motors | Other 6-Axle Models |
| Early Diesel Orders (First Generation, through 1957) | |||
| Number Range | Mfg / Type | Qty (Qty of units) | Date Purchased |
| 100 | EMC NW-2 | 1 | 1941 |
| 66 – 74 | Baldwin VO-660 | 9 | 1941 |
| 101 – 104 | Alco S-2 | 4 | 1941 |
| 38 – 43 | GE 44-Ton | 6 | 1941 – 1942 |
| 540 – 545 | EMD FT | 6 (24) | 1942 |
| 105 – 114 | Alco S-2 | 10 | 1943 |
| 552 – 554 | EMD F3 | 3 (12) | 1946 |
| 600 – 601 | Alco PA1/PB1 | 2 (6) | 1947 |
| 120 – 123 | FM H-10-44 | 4 | 1948 |
| 150-152 | FM H-15-44 | 3 | 1948 |
| 556 | EMD F7 * | 1 (4) | 1948 |
| 555, 557 – 564 | EMD F7 * | 9 (36) | 1949 |
| 5651 – 5694 | EMD F7 | 20 | 1950 |
| 5100 – 5103 | EMD GP7 | 4 | 1950 |
| 5200 – 5204 | Alco RS3 | 5 | 1951 |
| 5701 – 5764 | EMD F7 | 26 | 1952 |
| 5104 – 5113 | EMD GP7 | 10 | 1952 |
| 5300 – 5304 | EMD SD7 | 5 | 1953 |
| 5901 – 5924 | EMD GP9 | 12 | 1955 |
| 5762 – 5763 | EMD F9 | 2 | 1955 |
| 5771 – 5774 | EMD F9 | 4 | 1955 |
| 5931 – 5954 | EMD GP9 | 12 | 1956 |
| 5305 – 5314 | EMD SD9 | 10 | 1957 |
| * F7’s 555 – 557 classified by some as F5’s. They were an interim model with some features of late F3’s and some of early F7’s. There is no EMD official documentation designating them as F5’s, and the D&RGW showed them as F7’s. The 556 set had F3-style slot radiators. | |||
| A note about D&RGW F units: all were purchased in 4-unit sets of two cab units and two cabless boosters between. At first these were considered a single locomotive for numbering and accounting purposes (e.g. No. 548), but by the late 1940s each “unit” was given its own number by appending a digit to the end of the locomotive number (hence, 548 a-b-c-d became 5481, 5482, 5483, 5484). So, there are no F unit numbers ending in the digits 0 or 5 through 9. Keep that in mind when counting up the roster; as shown below there were NOT 100 units between 5661 and 5771; only 40. (The GP9’s were similarly numbered when delivered.) | |||
| Second Generation Diesels and Other Innovations (1961-1980) |
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| 4001 – 4003 | Krauss-Maffei ML-4000 | 3 | 1961 |
| 3001 – 3013 | EMD GP30 | 13 | Apr-May 1962 |
| 3014 – 3028 | EMD GP30 | 15 | Jan-Feb 1963 |
| 130 – 131 | EMD SW-1200 | 2 | 1964 |
| 3029 – 3047 | EMD GP35 | 13 | 1964 |
| 132 – 139 | EMD SW-1200 | 8 | 1965 |
| 3048 – 3050 | EMD GP35 | 3 | 1965 |
| 140-146 | EMD SW-1000 | 7 | 1966 |
| 3051 – 3068 | EMD GP40 | 18 | Jan, Sep 1966 |
| 3069 – 3080 | EMD GP40 | 12 | Jan – Feb 1967 |
| 5315 – 5324 | SD45 | 10 | 1967 |
| 147 – 149 | EMD SW-1000 | 3 | 1968 |
| 5325- 5340 | EMD SD45 | 16 | 1968 |
| 3081- 3085 | EMD GP40 | 5 | 1969 |
| 3086- 3093 | EMD GP40 | 8 | 1971 |
| 3094 – 3115 | EMD GP40-2 | 22 | 1972 |
| 3116 – 3128 | EMD GP40-2 | 13 | 1974 |
| 5341 – 5355 | EMD SD40T-2 | 15 | 1974 |
| 5356 – 5373 | EMD SD40T-2 | 18 | 1975 |
| 5374 – 5385 | EMD SD40T-2 | 12 | 1977 |
| 5386 – 5397 | EMD SD40T-2 | 12 | 1978 |
| 5398 – 5413 | EMD SD40T-2 | 16 | 1980 |
| Final Diesel Acquisitions |
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| 3131 – 3153 | EMD GP40 | 23 | 1983 |
| 3129 – 3130 | EMD GP40-2 | 2 | 1983 |
| 5501- 5517 | EMD SD50 | 1974 | |
| 3154- 3156 | EMD GP60 | 1974 | |
Action Road 