Westbound Empire Builder in Havre, Montana, in March 2000

On March 13, 2000, I was riding Amtrak's westbound Empire Builder home from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and I took advantage of the service stop in Havre, Montana, to photograph the train.

The lead locomotive was Amtrak #816, a 4,000-horsepower Dash 8-40BP that was built by General Electric in July 1993.

These Amtrak baggage handlers asked me to take their picture, so I obliged.

Eastbound Empire Builder at Midway Station

On July 25, 1999, I was riding Amtrak's eastbound Empire Builder to Milwaukee. That morning the train made its scheduled service stop at Midway Station, serving the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. Parked on one of the tracks was the private car Caritas. The Caritas was built in 1948 by Pullman as a 4-Bedroom, 14-Roomette Sleeping Car for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, or Frisco for short. The car was originally named Pierre Laclede after the founder of St. Louis. The car was originally assigned to the Texas Special, which ran between St. Louis, Missouri, and San Antonio, Texas. over the Frisco and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas. The Frisco discontinued its portion of the Texas Special (the northern portion) in 1959. In 1964, this car was sold to the Canadian National and named Churchill Falls. High Iron Travel bought the car in 1983 and rebuilt it to its current configuration, with 3 double bedrooms and a master room, dining area, galley, wine cellar, and lounge.

Part of this eastbound Empire Builder's Superliner consist included a Smoking Coach in the Seattle section. In 1996 and 1997, Amtrak converted 34 of its 48 Superliner I Coach Baggage cars into Smoking Coaches by converting the baggage room on the lower level to a smoking room. This was to give coach passengers a place on the train to smoke without disturbing non-smoking passengers. The Smoking Coaches were converted back to Coach Baggage cars in 2004.

Here are the Empire Builder's locomotives at Midway. Amtrak #817 & #800 are 4,000-horsepower Dash 8-40BPs that were built by General Electric in July & April 1993.

The Empire Builder featured a Heritage Fleet Baggage Car for passenger baggage (except the Portland section, which had Superliner Coach Baggage). On this run was Amtrak #1208, still wearing its Phase III stripes. It was originally built by Budd in 1953 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #3521. After the formation of Amtrak in 1971 it became Amtrak #1037, and in June 1978 it was converted for Head-End Power and renumbered to #1208.

The Empire Builder carries significantly more coach passengers between the Twin Cities and Chicago than it does on the rest of its route, so an additional coach is often added to the eastbound train at Midway, and removed here on the westbound run. On this run, Superliner I Coach Baggage #31007 was added to the end of the train, behind the sleeping car from Portland. It was built by Pullman-Standard in 1980.

Riding the Eastbound Empire Builder through Montana & North Dakota

July 24, 1999 was the second day of my trip aboard Amtrak's eastbound Empire Builder to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That morning, the train stopped alongside Great Northern NW3 #181 in Whitefish, Montana. Built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1942 as Great Northern #5406, this 1,000-horsepower diesel locomotive was the last of the only seven NW3s built, all for the Great Northern. It was renumbered to #181 in 1943. On August 30, 1965, the Great Northern sold #181 to Anaconda Aluminum in Columbia Falls, Montana, where it became their #900. When no longer needed, Anaconda Aluminum donated the locomotive to the Stumptown Historical Society in Whitefish, Montana. It was restored to Great Northern colors and placed on permanent static display next to the Whitefish depot on November 19, 1990.

East of Whitefish, Montana, the route of Amtrak's Empire Builder skirts the south edge of Glacier National Park as its parallels the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, as seen here near Nyack, Montana.

In addition to the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, Amtrak's Empire Builder also parallels U.S. Highway 2, which featured red-tinted pavement near Nyack, Montana.

The eastbound Empire Builder is climbing into the Rocky Mountains by this point. Shortly after passing Essex, Montana, the railroad passes through Snowshed #12, the first of a number of structures that protect the railroad from winter slides and avalanches. At the end of Snowshed #12 is this view of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. The bridge carrying U.S. Highway 2 Bridge over the river is visible in the background.

The eastbound Empire Builder eventually crosses the Middle Fork of the Flathead River near Nimrod, Montana on Java Trestle, at the point where Java Creek flows into Middle Fork of the Flathead River. This view from Java Trestle shows the clear blue water of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.

Leaving Glacier Park, the eastbound Empire Builder stops at East Glacier, Montana. Visible from the train during the station stop is the Glacier Park Lodge. The Glacier Park Lodge was built in 1913 by the Glacier Park Company, a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway, and its design was based on the Forestry Building from the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon.

As the eastbound Empire Builder continues out of the Rocky Mountains into eastern Montana. One of the major stops on this part of the trip is Havre, Montana, which is a service stop for the Empire Builder. If the Empire Builder is running on time, it will stop here for about 20 minutes, giving passengers an opportunity to step off the train and stretch their legs.

On static display next to the Amtrak depot in Havre is Great Northern steam locomotive #2584, an S-2 Class 4-8-4 that was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930.

This locomotive is an example of the type of locomotives that pulled passenger trains like the Empire Builder through Montana during the age of steam.

A sign next to the locomotive tells its history:

THIS NORTHERN TYPE LOCOMOTIVE, SURVIVOR OF THE LAST STEAM ENGINES ACQUIRED BY THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY FOR MAIN-LINE PASSENGER SERVICE, WAS PLACED ON PERMANENT EXHIBITION HERE ON MAY 15, 1964.

A POWERFUL AND SPEEDY LOCOMOTIVE, THIS ENGINE NOW LOOKS EVERY BIT THE ARISTOCRAT THAT IT WAS DURING THE YRS. OF ITS PRE-EMINENT ASSOCIATION WITH THE EMPIRE BUILDER AND THE ORIENTAL LIMITED. THE EMPIRE BUILDER WAS INAUGURATED ON JUNE, 1929, AND WAS PULLED BY A MOUNTAIN TYPE LOCOMOTIVE, BUT POPULARITY OF THE TRAIN LED TO ADDITION OF CARS TO THE CONSIST, AND THIS NECESSITATED MORE POWERFUL ENGINES.

IN 1930 GREAT NORTHERN ACQUIRED 14 CLASS S-2 STEAM LOCOMOTIVES FROM BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS FOR SERVICE ON THE EMPIRE BUILDER AND THE FAST MAIL TRAINS. THIS ENGINE - No 2584 - IS THE LAST OF THE 14 ENGINES. SAMUEL VAUCLAIN, PRESIDENT OF BALDWIN DESCRIBED THE CLASS S-2 ENGINES AS "THE FINEST, MOST POWERFUL STEAM PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVES EVER BUILT UP TO THIS TIME." THESE ENGINES WERE OPERATED IN FREIGHT SERVICE AFTER THE EMPIRE BUILDER WAS STREAMLINED AND DIESEL POWERED IN 1947, AND WERE RETIRED IN 1955.

LOCOMOTIVE AND TENDER ARE 103 FEET 3 INCHES LONG, WEIGHT 764,680 POUNDS, AND HEIGHT FROM RAIL TO TOP OF STACK IS 16 FEET. No 2584 WAS AN OIL BURNER AND DEVELOPED 58,305 POUNDS OF TRACTIVE EFFORT. EACH OF THE 8 DRIVE WHEELS IS 80 INCHES HIGH.

THE TRACK ON WHICH No 2584 STANDS IS LAID TO THE GREAT NORTHERN MAIN LINE SPECIFICATIONS. THE CREOSOTED TIES ARE SUPPORTED ON A SUB-BALLAST CONSISTING OF 6 INCHES OF ROCK CHIPS AND A BALLAST CONSISTING OF SIX INCHES OF CRUSHED PINK QUARTZITE ROCK, BOTH OF WHICH ARE QUARRIED BY THE GREAT NORTHERN IN MONTANA. WELDED RAILS FULLY TIE PLATED AND ANCHORED, WEIGHT 115 POUNDS TO THE YARD.

After departing the Havre depot, the eastbound Empire Builder passes Burlington Northern Santa Fe's Havre yard and engine shop, where Burlington Northern Rotary Snowplow Power Units #972571 & #972570 are pictured. Both were originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors as 1,750-horsepower F9A diesel locomotives for freight service. Burlington Northern #972571 was built in September 1954 as Northern Pacific #7003A. After the Northern Pacific was merged into the Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #812. Burlington Northern #972570 was built in March 1956 as Northern Pacific #7011D. On April 11, 1966 it was reassigned to passenger service and renumbered to Northern Pacific #6704C. After the Northern Pacific was merged into the Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #9818. Following the creation of Amtrak in May 1971, it was transferred to freight service and was renumbered to Burlington Northern #784 in July 1973. Both of these locomotives were retired in December 1981 and rebuilt by Burlington Northern as Rotary Snowplow Power Units, or RSPUs. Their traction motors were removed and they were rewired so their diesel engines and main generators could provide power for a rotary snowplow.

Much later in the day, the eastbound Empire Builder reaches another service stop in Minot, North Dakota, where I managed to get a picture of the train's cook in the doorway of the dining car while it was being restocked.

Here are the locomotives for the eastbound Empire Builder being refueled in Minot. Amtrak #817 & #800 are 4,000-horsepower Dash 8-40BPs that were built by General Electric in 1993.

Just to the west of the Amtrak station in Minot, and visible from its platform, is a crossing of the BNSF Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway. Seen here leading a westbound freight train, Canadian Pacific #8559 is a 4,400-horsepower AC4400CW that was built by General Electric in 1998.

Chasing BNSF 2099 on July 13, 1997

On July 13, 1997, my dad and I were railfanning with his friend Fred Anderson. We had been to Vancouver, Washington, earlier in the day before going to Portland, Oregon, but we ended up returning to Vancouver on our way home. Heading back to Vancouver's Amtrak station, we passed under the Sixth Street Viaduct just as the locomotives of a westbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train were passing over it. I alone noticed that one of the locomotives was an EMD unit that was painted in the new orange and green paint scheme. At the time, the only locomotives we knew about in that scheme were the new GE Dash 9-44CWs. My dad didn't believe me, but we stopped to look anyway, and I was proven right.

The freight train had come to a stop, and the lead locomotive was indeed an EMD unit in the BNSF orange and green paint scheme.

This was Burlington Northern Santa Fe #2099, which was the first older locomotive to be repainted into this paint scheme. 

BNSF #2099 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in November 1974 as Burlington Northern #2099.

The locomotive was painted by Mid-America Car, Inc. in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 25, 1996, and was still clean and shiny. BNSF might have been taking special care of it, as it was testing the Positive Train Separation satellite tracking system in the Pacific Northwest.

The second locomotive in the train's long consist was Burlington Northern Santa Fe #1021, a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in October 1996. It clearly wasn't receiving the attention that BNSF #2099 was.

I took the opportunity to take as many pictures as I could of this unique locomotive.

Like the new Dash 9-44CWs, BNSF #2099 featured silver paint on its trucks, fuel tank and air reservoirs. The silver would be replaced by green on future repainted locomotives.

BNSF #2099 and its train were stopped in a position from which it could either turn south toward Portland or north toward Seattle.

We weren't sure how long BNSF #2099 would be waiting here, or which direction it would go when it resumed its journey. We waited at the Amtrak depot to find out.

It turned out that BNSF #2099 wasn't the only locomotive in Vancouver with an unusual paint scheme that day. Parked in the engine terminal was Burlington Northern #7812, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1977 as Colorado & Southern #942. Colorado & Southern was a subsidiary of Burlington Northern, and its locomotives were painted in Burlington Northern colors, but they had their own numbering system. These locomotives began to be renumbered into the Burlington Northern's main numbering system in December 1978, and this locomotive became Burlington Northern #7812.

Oddly, Burlington Northern #7812 wore the "billboard" lettering usually found on BN GP50s. It turns out that this locomotive was involved in an accident along with a BN GP50. Both were repaired and repainted by a contract shop, which painted them both with the GP50-style lettering.

Another westbound BNSF freight train came along bound for Portland. It was led by BNSF #1050, a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in November 1996.

The trailing unit in this train's locomotive consist was Norfolk Southern #3183 a 3,000-horsepower SD40 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1971 as Southern Railway #3183. This locomotive technically wears the GSF reporting marks of the NS subsidiary Georgia & Southern Florida Railway.

A southbound Union Pacific freight train passed through, led by Union Pacific #9457, a 4,135-horsepower Dash 8-41CW that was built by General Electric in October 1991 as a Dash 8-40CW. It was redesignated as a Dash 8-41CW in September 1993.

The next train to arrive was Amtrak's northbound Coast Starlight.

The Coast Starlight was led by Amtrak #808, a 4,000-horsepower Dash 8-40BP (or B40-8P) that was built by General Electric in May 1993.

Following the Coast Starlight was a northbound Union Pacific freight train, led by Union Pacific #9736 is a 4,380-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in August 1994.

We saw BNSF #2099 get underway and head north, so we got into the car and hurried to the grade crossing at 39th Street.

This was a great opportunity for more pictures of this unique unit as is slowly passed by with its freight train.

Even some relatively close-up detail pictures were possible.

The low afternoon sun really lit up the orange paint and yellow striping.

While we waited for BNSF #2099's northbound train to clear the crossing, a southbound freight train came along, led by Burlington Northern #2889, a GP39M that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1964 as Southern Pacific GP35 #6551. It was retired by Southern Pacific on November 15, 1990, and sold to Morrison-Knudsen on April 1, 1991, where it was rebuilt as BN GP39M #2889 and completed on August 20, 1991.

After the freight trains cleared the 39th Street grade crossing, we raced to Kalama, Washington, for another chance to photograph BNSF #2099. While we waited on the Oak Street Overpass, a southbound BNSF freight train came through, led by a Burlington Northern SD40-2, whose number I can't make out due to the speed of the train and the low light.

BNSF #2099 arrived with its northbound freight train, speeding through Kalama.

The train was going so fast that in this picture, only the front of the locomotive is in focus.

Between the setting sun and the fact that we were almost home, we gave up the chase here.

Railfanning in Vancouver, Washington, on July 13, 1997

On July 13, 1997, my dad and I went railfanning with his friend Fred Anderson. Our first stop was the Amtrak depot in Vancouver, Washington. Located in the center of a wye junction, this has always been an excellent location for train watching. The first train we saw was a northbound Union Pacific freight train.

This train was led by Union Pacific #6240, 1 3,800-horsepower SD60M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in October 1990.

The trailing unit in this train's locomotive consist was Chicago & North Western #8640, a 4,380-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in January 1994. 

The Chicago & North Western had been merged into the Union Pacific in April 1995. C&NW locomotives were rarely seen in the Pacific Northwest before the merger, and were still considered fairly exotic at this point.

Next came a Burlington Northern Santa Fe light power move from Portland to Vancouver, led by Burlington Northern #3042, a 3,000-horsepower GP40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1979 as St. Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) #752. The Frisco had been merged into the Burlington Northern in 1980.

A westbound Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train arrived from the Columbia Gorge bound for Portland, led by Burlington Northern #6385, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1974.

The second unit in the BNSF freight train was Burlington Northern #5588, a 3,000-horsepower C30-7 that was built by General Electric in June 1979.

The last train we saw before heading across the Columbia River to Portland was Amtrak's southbound Coast Starlight, led by Amtrak #807, a 4,000-horsepower Dash 8-40BP (or B40-8P) that was built by General Electric in May 1993.

We continued railfanning in Portland, as will be seen in the next post.