Don's Rail Photos

South Orient RR

This railroad traces itself back to the Kansas City Mexico & Orient which was chartered to build from Kansas City to Tobolobampo, Mexico, to provide a short route to the Pacific Ocean. Construction began in 1904 on the north end of the line and the line from San Angelo to Girvin was completed in 1912 when the road went bankrupt the first time. The receivers built from Girvin to Alpine in 1913. The KCM&O came out of bankruptcy in 1914 and went back into receivership in 1917. On-line oil was discovered in 1923 and the road showed its first profits. In 1928 it was purchased by the Santa Fe which completed the line to the border at Presidio in 1930.

On January 2, 1992, the line from San Angelo to Presidio was sold to the newly formed South Orient RR. Five GP9 locomotives were leased from National Railway Equiment Co. In 1994 the Santa Fe sold the Dublin Subdivision between Fort Worth and San Angelo to CenTex RailLink, a subsidiary of the SO. They acquired a number of ex C&NW GP7s which were crudely lettered CTEX and were used until SO received its GP7s. The CTEX identity disappeared with the return to their GP7s. In 1999 the SO sold the Dublin SubDivision to Fort Worth & Western along with most of the locomotives. Three locomotives were retained for service between San Angelo and Presidio which in 2002 was on a sporadic basis.

201, GP9, was built by Electro-Motive in April 1955, #20518, FN 5398-4, as D&RGW 5904, Class DE B-B 61. It was retired on October 10, 1991, and sold to NRE. It was leased to SO as 201 in February 1992 and returned in June 1994. It was sold to Mid-America Car in 1994 and sold to Midwest Rail Contractors as 201 in 1996.

203, GP9, was built by Electro-Motive in July 1956, #22073, FN 5469-6, as D&RGW 5942, Class DE B-B 61. It was retired on October 3, 1991, and sold to NRE in October 1991. It was leased to SO as 203 in February 1992 and sold to Sweetwater Central RR 203 but was never relettered.  It was scrapped on June 5, 2012.

205, GP9, was built by Electro-Motive in June 1955, #20526, FN 5398-12, as D&RGW 5924, Class DE B-B 61. It was retired on October 3, 1991, and sold to NRE in October 1991. It was leased to SO as 205 in February 1992 and returned in June 1994. It was sold to MAC and later sold to MRC as 205 in 1996. 

103, GP7, was built by Electro-Motive in August 1950, #9228, as New York Central 5601, Class DRS-4a. It was reclassified Class ERS-15 in 1966 and became Penn Central 5601, Class ERS-15, in 1968. In April 1976 it became Consolidated Railroad Corp 5601, Class GP-7. It later was sold to Precision National in October 1979 and then sold to Chicago & North Western in March 1980. It entered service as C&NW 4439 on June 10, 1980. It was retired in May 1994 and sold to OmniTrax in October 1994. They rebuilt it as SO 103. It was sold to FWWR in 1999 and retained its identity but was relettered in 2003.

105, GP7, was built by Electro-Motive in August 1951, #13307, as SL-SF 574. It was sold to Precision National and operated as PNC 574 until sold to C&NW in March 1980. It entered service as C&NW 4455 on May 8, 1980. It was retired in May 1994 and sold to Omnitrax in October 1994. They rebuilt it as SO 105. It was sold to FWWR in 1999 and retained its identity.  It was scrapped in March 2003.

106, GP7, was built by Electro-Motive in April 1951, #12937, as SLSF 545. It was sold to Precision National and operated as PNC 545 until sold to C&NW in March 1980. It entered service as C&NW 4464 on April 16, 1980. It was retired in May 1994 and sold to Omnitrax in October 1994. They rebuilt it as SO 106. It was sold to FWWR in 1999 and retained its identity.

109, GP7, was built by Electro-Motive in May 1953, #18457, as NYC 5753, Class DRSP-4n. It was rebuilt as Class DRS-4n and later reclassified as Class ERS-15 in 1966. It became PC 5753, Class ERS-15, in 1968 and then Conrail5753, Class GP-7, in April 1976. It was sold to Precsion National Corp in October 1979 and then to C&NW as 4431 on April 10, 1980. It was retired in May 1994 and sold to OmniTrax in October 1994.  It was sold as SO 109 in 1995.

2nd 103, GP9, was built by Electro-Motive in February 1955, #20343, as Northern Pacific 211.  It became Burlington Northern 1711, Class GP-9, in 1970 and leased to SO in 1995.  An electrical fire damage it in 1997 and sold for parts to SO.  It was donated to the Railway Museum of San Angelo in 2003 and repainted as SO 103 in October 2007.