PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sioux City, Iowa, May 16, 2026 – The American Heartland Railroad Society is pleased to announce the donation of the historic Union Pacific SD40-2 #3593, also known as Desert Victory, from the Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad.

This donation highlights over a years’ worth of work between both the AHRS and the RCP&E. We can now proudly say that “Desert Victory” will live on in preservation. We would like to thank everyone at the RCP&E for their hard work and effort in making this possible.

Built as UP 8084 in August of 1979, the locomotive would be painted into a special commemorative scheme in February of 1991 to honor the 66 Union Pacific employees who bravely served in Operation Desert Storm. After its time with Union Pacific, the locomotive became Iowa, Chicago and Eastern #6426 before being sold to the Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern and becoming their #3422.

With 2026 marking the 35th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm, the plan will be for Desert Victory to be proudly displayed in the “Desert Victory” scheme, as a way of honoring all US Military members who served in Operation Desert Storm. Our goal is to have the locomotive repainted in time for Veterans Day, November 11, 2026.