Railfanning in Vancouver, Washington, in August 1998

I took these pictures while railfanning at the Amtrak depot in Vancouver, Washington, in late April of 1998. First is a southbound freight train, led by Burlington Northern 3125, a 3,500-horsepower GP50 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in July 1985.

The second locomotive in this consist, Electro-Motive Leasing #789 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1972 as Penn Central #7989 and became Conrail #7989 in 1976. Originally financed under a lease arrangement, Conrail #7940-8039 were returned to EMD at the end of the lease period in 1987 and became part of the Electro-Motive Leasing fleet as EMDX #740-839, with their Conrail markings painted out and EMD logos applied. Many of these units were leased to Burlington Northern in 1992 and remained with Burlington Northern Santa Fe over the years, where they were referred to as GP38Es.

The trailing locomotive, Burlington Northern Santa Fe #2158 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1970 as Penn Central #7829 and became Conrail #7829 in 1976. Burlington Northern purchased it from Conrail in July 1985, and it became Burlington Northern #2158, and was reclassified as a GP38X. It kept its number through the Burlington Northern Santa Fe merger of September 22, 1995, being repainted to Burlington Northern Santa Fe's "Heritage I" paint scheme on March 25, 1998.

This train paused in front of the Vancouver depot, giving me an opportunity for more photographs of BNSF #2158. This was only the second former Burlington Northern locomotive I had seen that had been repainted in BNSF's orange and green colors. In addition to being repainted, it had also had its headlight relocated from above the cab to the nose, following Santa Fe practice.

Unlike BNSF's new orange and green Dash 9-44CWs and previously repainted GP38-2 #2099, which had silver fuel tanks and trucks, this unit fuel tank and trucks were painted green. This would be the standard for all future repaints as well.

In the Vancouver yard were a pair of Burlington Northern switchers with a crane. Starting on the right, Burlington Northern #428 is a 1,000-horsepower SW1000 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1971. Burlington Northern classified it as an SW10. 

I believe the crane is Burlington Northern D-200, a 200-Ton Crane that was built by Industrial Works in Bay City, Michigan in 1927 as Great Northern X1745. It was one of the last pieces of equipment built by Industrial before merging with Brown Hoisting Machinery Company of Cleveland, Ohio, to form Industrial Brownhoist Corporation on September 26, 1927. Originally steam-powered, it was later converted to diesel power. Initially assigned Burlington Northern #972013 on June 9, 1972, it was renumbered to Burlington Northern D-200 on July 10, 1972. It was initially retired in October 1987, but was reinstated in June 1988 and remained in service for at least another decade, as seen here. 

Finally, Burlington Northern Santa Fe #3603 is a 1,000-horsepower SW1000 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1972 as Burlington Northern #378. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive was renumbered to BNSF #3603 on May 17, 1998. Burlington Northern and Burlington Northern Santa Fe classified it as an SW10.

Railfanning in Vancouver, Washington, in Summer 1998

I took these pictures while railfanning with my dad in Vancouver, Washington, in the summer of 1998. First, arriving at the Vancouver depot with the southbound Coast Starlight, is Amtrak #120, a 4,250-horsepower P42DC that was built by General Electric in September 1997.

Leading a northbound freight train past the Vancouver Amtrak depot, Burlington Northern #2073 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1970. This locomotive was the second of six GP38s originally ordered by the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway and was intended to be SP&S #201. With the SP&S to become part of the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, these six locomotives ended up being the first locomotives delivered in Burlington Northern colors.

At the railroad crossing at 39th Street in Vancouver, we saw a pair of brand-new locomotives. Burlington Northern Santa Fe #4814 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in July 1998.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe #4815 Dash 9-44CW is another 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in July 1998. These two locomotives were part of a group that were delivered in orange and green paint but without their yellow reflective striping and lettering, because Burlington Northern Santa Fe was in a hurry to place them in service. The resulting temporary look was reminiscent of the Great Northern's "simplified" paint scheme from the mid-1960s.

Also at 39th Street was Burlington Northern #3603, a 1,000-horsepower SW1000 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1972 as Burlington Northern #378. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive was renumbered to BNSF #3603 on May 17, 1998. Burlington Northern and Burlington Northern Santa Fe classified it as an SW10.

Railfanning in Portland in Spring 1994

In the spring of 1994, my dad and I went railfanning in Portland, Oregon, with Fred Anderson. our first stop was Union Pacific's Albina Yard, where I photographed some Union Pacific bay-window cabooses.

The two red cabooses on the left are former Missouri Pacific cabooses. Missouri Pacific had 401 of these compact-body bay-window cabooses built between 1976 and 1982. All of them were transferred to the Union Pacific when it took over the Missouri Pacific in 1982. These cabooses were used all over the Union Pacific system without being repainted in Union Pacific colors.

The next caboose is a CA-13 class bay-window caboose. It was originally built for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. In 1963, the Union Pacific and the Rock Island planned to merge, but objections from other railroads led to the Interstate Commerce Commission holding a prolonged series of hearings, and by the time the merger was finally approved in 1974, the Rock Island's deteriorating financial situation and the conditions imposed by the ICC led Union Pacific to withdraw its merger application. In the meantime, however, Union Pacific had purchased locomotives, freight cars, and cabooses for lease to the Rock Island. After declaring bankruptcy in 1975, the Rock Island shut down in 1980, and all of this equipment was returned to Union Pacific, including 127 bay-window cabooses built between 1967 and 1971 (there were originally 130 cabooses, but three were wrecked). Union Pacific added these cabooses to its own fleet, and 36 of them were rebuilt and repainted into Union Pacific colors before an economic recession and changing laws began reducing the need for cabooses.

The caboose on the far right is a CA-11 class bay-window caboose. Union Pacific purchased 100 of these compact-body bay-window cabooses from the International Car Company of Kenton, Ohio, in 1979, after borrowing and studying one of Missouri Pacific's new compact-body bay-window cabooses. Though similar, Union Pacific's design features a longer carbody.

Leading a group of Southern Pacific diesels, Southern Pacific #7613 is a 3,000-horsepower GP40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1978. It had been repainted with the new "Speed Lettering" that was introduced in 1991.

Photo by Fred Anderson

Here is Fred Anderson's photograph of Southern Pacific GP40-2 #7613.

Here is another picture I took of Southern Pacific GP40-2 #7613.

A Union Pacific freight train arrived at Albina Yard, pulled by a pair of Union Pacific SD40-2s.

Leading the train is Union Pacific #3728, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1980.

Photo by Fred Anderson

Here is Fred Anderson's photograph of Union Pacific SD40-2 #3728.

The trailing locomotive was Union Pacific #3342, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1977.

We were on our way out of Albina when we saw another Union Pacific freight train waiting to enter the yard, so we stopped to photograph it, as Fred Anderson can be seen doing here.

Photo by Fred Anderson

Here is Fred Anderson's photograph.

Union Pacific #6257 is a 3,800-horsepower SD60M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in November 1990.

After one last photograph of Union Pacific SD60M #6257, we headed across the Willamette River to Burlington Northern's Hoyt Street Yard.

Burlington Northern #7049 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1978.

GATX Capital Corporation #7350 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1974 as Milwaukee Road #183. After the Milwaukee Road was merged into the Soo Line on January 1, 1986, it became Soo Line #6350. It later became part of the GATX Capital Corporation lease fleet as #6350, and was later renumbered to #9350, before becoming #7350 as seen here. I think it actually had GSCX reporting marks at this point, though it was still owned by GATX Capital Corporation.

This overview of the engine terminal of Burlington Northern's Hoyt Street Yard was taken from a staircase leading up to the Lovejoy Street Viaduct. Several Burlington Northern diesel locomotives rest on the garden tracks where the roundhouse once stood.

Burlington Northern #2072 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1970. It was originally ordered as Spokane, Portland & Seattle #200, but the Burlington Northern merger intervened, and it was delivered as the new railroad's first new locomotive.

Burlington Northern #2261 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1973 as St. Louis-San Francisco (SLSF, also known as the Frisco) #406. The Frisco was merged into the Burlington Northern in 1980.

Burlington Northern #2187 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1970 as Penn Central #7685 and became Conrail #7685 in 1976. Burlington Northern purchased it from Conrail in July 1985, and reclassified it as a GP38X.

Burlington Northern #2731 is a 2,300-horsepower GP39-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1981.

Burlington Northern #3550 was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in December 1966 as 3,000-horsepower GP40 Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #172. It became Burlington Northern #3002. It was rebuilt by EMD in November 1989 as the first of six GP40Es.

Photo by Fred Anderson

Finally, here is Fred Anderson's photograph of Burlington Northern's Hoyt Street Yard.

Eureka Southern GP38 #30

Photo by Cliff West

Eureka Southern #30 is a GP38 built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in 1969 as Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines #2007. It was built with dual control stands, and part of the front wall of the cab is extended forward a few inches to make a little more room to walk around the control stand.

Photo by Cliff West

This locomotive became Conrail #7667 before being sold to Eureka Southern in 1984 with three other identical GP38s. All four locomotives would be sold shortly after Eureka Southern’s bankruptcy in April 1992.

4449-844 Doubleheader: BNSF GP38 #2075 “Pacific Pride”

After the doubleheader departed, I walked back over to check out the diesel that had arrived in Centralia after I arrived. I was not expecting anything special, but I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong.The new arrival was BNSF #2075, still wearing its commemorative paint scheme as "Pacific Pride."

#2075 was built as an EMD GP38 in February 1970. It was ordered by the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railroad as one of a group of six and was intended to be their #203. The Burlington Northern merger intervened, absorbing the SP&S on March 2, 1970. This group of six locomotives was painted into Burlington Northern colors  as #2072-2077 at the factory instead of SP&S #200-205, making them the first BN locomotives. On the morning of March 2, they were on the lead of the first BN freight train, the departure of which was a large media event.

Around 1990, in honor of Burlington Northern's 20th Anniversary, #2075 was named "Pacific Pride" and painted in a commemorative paint scheme with the heralds of Burlington Northern's predecessors on the sides. It initially had the heralds split between the two sides, with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, Colorado & Southern, Fort Worth & Denver St. Louis - San Francisco on the Fireman's side and Northern Pacific, Spokane Portland & Seattle and Great Northern on the Engineer's side with an extra Burlington Northern herald thrown in to even things out. It also features placards mounted on the handrails with safety slogans and a Burlington Northern herald & the word "SAFE" on the fuel tank.

An example of the original scheme can be seen here.

Shortly after it was painted, additional heralds were added so that all of the heralds would appear on both sides of the locomotive.

Pictures of the revised scheme can be seen here and here.

An engine fire led to #2075 being taken out of service and being rebuilt internally to GP38-2 specifications, being completed in October 1992. While it was out of service, Burlington Northern repainted GP38-2 #2085 into a similar scheme, naming it "Pacific Pride II." After being rebuilt, #2075 retained its name and special paint scheme, which may be a little battered but survives, unlike #2085, which has been repainted to standard BNSF orange & green.

All of the heralds remain on the fireman's side of the locomotive, although some of them have started to peel away or have severely faded. Here they are in order from front to back.

The first herald was that of the Great Northern Railway. It is the most deteriorated of the heralds on the fireman's side, as it largely peeled away. The Great Northern was founded by James Jerome Hill, and stretched from its headquarters in St. Paul, Minnesota to Seattle, Washington. This route was completed in 1893, and was the northernmost American transcontinental railroad. The Great Northern became part of the Burlington Northern Railroad on March 2, 1970.

Next is the herald of the Northern Pacific Railway. The Northern Pacific Railway was chartered in 1864, and completed the route from St. Paul, Minnesota to Tacoma, Washington in 1888, making it the first transcontinental railroad across the northern United States. The Northern Pacific also operated the route between Portland and Seattle used by the doubleheader, as described above in the Kalama section. James. J. Hill acquired a controlling interest in the Northern Pacific in the 1890s, and beginning in 1896, tried several times to merge the railroad with his Great Northern Railway, though the federal government didn't allow the railroads to merge until March 2, 1970, when Burlington Northern Railroad was created.

Next is the herald of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, also known as the Burlington Route. With a history dating back to 1849, the Burlington Route stretched from its headquarters in Chicago, Illinois north to St. Paul, Minnesota, south to St. Louis, Missouri and west to Denver, Colorado, from where it also reached north into Montana and south into Texas. By 1900, nearly all of the Burlington's stock was split evenly between James J. Hill's Great Northern & Northern Pacific Railways, though it continued to operated as an independent railroad until becoming part of Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970.

Next is the herald of the Colorado & Southern Railway. The Colorado & Southern dates back to 1898. As its name implies, it operated mainly in Colorado and New Mexico, as well as in Wyoming. In 1908, the Colorado & Southern became a subsidiary of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, but retained much of its independence. Equipment carried the Colorado & Southern name, but was painted to match the equipment of the Burlington Route. This situation continued after the Burlington Route became part of Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, with C&S locomotives wearing Burlington Northern paint, but in their own number series and with C&S initials. The Colorado & Southern was formally merged into Burlington Northern on December 31, 1981, and its separate identity disappeared.

Next is the herald of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway, which was jointly owned by the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railways since its creation. The SP&S was built to connect the city of Portland, Oregon to the Northern Pacific Railway in Pasco, Washington, and to the Great Northern Railway in Spokane, Washington. This route down the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge was completed in 1908. (Despite its name, the SP&S never directly served Seattle) When the Great Northern and Northern Pacific merged to become Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, the identity of the SP&S disappeared, although the company continued to exist on paper until 1979.

Next is the herald of the Fort Worth & Denver, another subsidiary of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. Its history dates back to 1873, and as its name indicates, it operated primarily in Colorado, New Mexico and Texas. The Fort Worth & Denver was largely controlled by the Colorado & Southern, though it maintained its own identity, and operated under a similar arrangement as the C&S under the Burlington Route and Burlington Northern, with its own equipment in its own number series, but painted to match its parent's equipment. The FW&D outlasted the C&S by a year, being formally merged into Burlington Northern on December 31, 1982.

Last is the herald of the St. Louis - San Francisco, also known as the Frisco. The Frisco's history dates back to 1876. Based out of St. Louis, Missouri, the Frisco served the southern Midwest as far east as the Florida panhandle, but despite its name, it only reached as far west as Texas and Oklahoma. It merged into the Burlington Northern on November 21, 1980, and was the only major addition to the Burlington Northern system between 1970 and 1995.

Only some of the heralds on the engineer's side remain.

Fort Worth & Denver

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy

Very faded Spokane, Portland & Seattle

Frisco

Continue to 2-8-0 #25 at Fort Borst Park…