The Texas panhandle town of Plainview features a living railroad artifact in the form of an ex-Rock Island SW1 locomotive, still wearing its original coat of Rock Island maroon and yellow paint, an amazing 20 years after the CRI&P's demise!

The switcher is located just east of I-27 at the massive, 4.8 million bushel capacity Cargill elevator (lettered "Agri Producers Grain Corp") on the north side of town. The elevator is the largest one around; you can't miss it.

I don't have a good photo of it (yet), but apparently also on hand at this elevator is a Relco-owned Alco switcher, model unknown. This is allegedly the same locomotive which was formerly located in Tulia, Texas. You can see it lurking in the shed behind the SW1 in one of my shots.

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All images on Wes Carr's Southwest Shorts © 2000, 2001 by Wes Carr. All rights reserved.
Wes Carr claims no affiliation with any shortline or industrial railroad.