Motive Power

ith the purchase of the former Gulf, Mobile & Ohio trackage in Mississippi from the Illinois Central Gulf, the Gulf & Mississippi also acquired from ICG 30 of its Paducah-rebuilt GP10 locomotives. Five more units were acquired from Precision National Corp. in Mt. Vernon, Ill. These latter motors received an attractive red and white paint scheme, with wing emblems, inspired by the GM&O paint applied to many of its second generation movers. The regional planned to repaint the entire fleet in this manner, but ongoing financial challenges meant that only the five units from Precision ever received the classy treatment. The struggling GMSR later supplemented its aging Paducah fleet with a small stable of six former Conrail (Penn Central) GP38 road switchers. Like most of the Geeps, these straight 38's remained in their Conrail blue while in Mississippi. Additionally, a batch of ex-Burlington Northern SD45 units was secured for use as larger road power, but the big C-C movers proved far too heavy for the aging rail of the cash-strapped GMSR system. They were soon spun off after only a year of service, most going to northern regional Wisconsin Central. When the MidSouth formed SouthRail and acquired GMSR, all of its Paducah GP10s were absorbed into the MidSouth roster. The GP38s went to Florida panhandle shortline Bay Line Railroad and most have since moved on to other southern shortlines.

The 30 Paducah rebuilt GP10s secured directly from Illinois Central Gulf as part of the original GMSR purchase were never repainted into the new regional's attractive red/white scheme. They remained in their ICG orange/white scheme with original ICG numbers, most with GMSR stenciled on the bodies and the round ICG logos painted over.