Yes, Cody, the wet hoppers shorted out the traction motors on the diesels, that's why the GW sugar tank locomotives were kept. The last two Beet Campaigns that I worked, we did not have a steamer in Loveland. We used idler cars made of old tank car frames to shove the cars through the wet hopper.so that the diesel's electrical components were kept dry.
For What it's worth, when I was working there in the 1980's the Johnstown plant had been converted to making Monosodium Glutemate aka MSG.
The Johnstown plant used an ex-D&RGW 44 tonner to switch cars with during the plant operations. There where times when we were delivering cars to Milliken that we had to wait for the Plant switcher to clear up the main so that we could run to Milliken to make the setout and pickup.
The GW used to run two turns during the non-Beet Campaign days. The north turn went from Loveland to Eaton. The south turn went from Loveland to Longmont. When I was working there, the VP in charge of the Railroad used to like to see things hauled by rail so the trains actually ran down the main line and the crews were not bussed or expected to drive from one interchange point to another to pick up and spot.
Yes we ran with cabooses, the 1010, 1009 (Ex EJ&E) and the 1007 (side door Mt. Vernon Caboose) The 1006 was sidelined but still at the shop at that time.
Rick