In 1951 the United States Army purchased twenty GP-7s new from EMD for use in their far flung railroad operations. The locomotives as built rode on AAR switching trucks and lacked dynamic brakes. In 1960 the Army deemed a dozen of the locomotives surplus and conveyed them to the Alaska Railroad, then owned and managed by the Federal government. Alaska made several changes to the GP7s, including replacing the original switcher trucks with AAR Type B road switcher trucks salvaged from some Alco RS-1 locomotives they scrapped, then in 1965 the railroad's shops in Fairbanks chopped the noses on the locomotives to improve visibility.

The GP-7s became a mainstay of Alaska's local trains, but by the middle 1970s had started showing their age. Alaska decided to rebuild and modernize the locomotives, which the company figured would add another twelve years to their service lives. In 1975 Alaska sent GP-7 #1821 to Morrison-Knudsen in Boise, Idaho, for a rebuild that included an overhauled prime mover, a new AAR-style control stand, new modular electrical systems, and increasing the horsepower rating from 1,500 to 1,600. The #1821 performed well upon its arrival back in Alaska, but the railroad shortly developed an additional list of desired modernizations, including warmer cabs and 26L brake systems. The Illinois Central Gulf's shops in Paducah, Kentucky, underbid Morrison-Knudsen for the work, and between 1976 and 1977 they rebuilt the remaining nine GP-7s, giving them new road numbers in the process. The #1821 never got the additional upgrades effected to its sister units during the remainder of its Alaska career.

Alaska retired the GP-7s in the middle 1980s, and by 1988 the #1804 and #1810 were sitting partially disassembled in a scrap yard in Klamath Falls, Oregon. The McCloud River Railroad purchased the pair specifically to test the McCloud shop's ability to rebuild locomotives, which was still a big business in the late 1980s and could be a major source of revenue for the company. McCloud never did end up doing anything with the #1810, and it spent several years being shoved from one part of the yard to another. Nevada Industrial Switch finally brought a small mechanical crew into McCloud in the summer of 1993, and they actually got it fired up towards the end of the summer shortly before they shipped it out. The #1810 had not been started in the better part of a decade prior to that day, and it covered almost everything in the yard with accumulated carbon blown out the stacks.

U.S. Army #1822, seen here in Willows, Florida, on 12 March 1994, depicts the as built configuration of both the McCloud #1804 and #1810, with the high hoods and AAR switcher trucks. Keith E. Ardinger photo.

Alaska Railroad #1821 in Anchorage on 22 June 1972, a few years before it would be remanufactured. Jim Herold photo.

The #1821 arriving at Morrison-Knudsen's facility in Boise, Idaho, on 30 July 1975.

Another shot of the #1821 arriving at Morrison-Knudsen in Boise.

Officials inspecting the #1810 in Anchorage on 20 October 1975 just prior to it being shipped back to Alaska.

One last shot of the #1821 about to leave Boise.

The #1810 in Anchorage on 6 August 1978. Unknown photographer.

The #1810 again in Anchorage on 2 July 1979. Keith E. Ardinger photo.

The #1810 is is seen here on 1 April 1988 in the scrap yard in Klamath Falls, Oregon, shortly before being sold to the McCloud River. Photo is by and courtesy of Jerry Lamper.

Another photo of the #1810 in Klamath Falls, this one by Lee F. Hower and shot in June 1988.

The #1810 sitting in the McCloud yards in September 1991. Photo is by and courtesy of Jerry Lamper.

One final shot of the #1810 in McCloud, this one by Keith Ardinger and shot on 7 March 1994.

#1810 in Portland, Oregon, in 1999, wearing the scheme applied for the Under Siege 2 filming. Keith E. Ardinger photo.

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