Trains in Late 2005

Photo by Cliff West

My dad, Cliff West, took these train pictures in late 2005. First are three photos of a Willamette & Pacific locomotive in Rainier, Oregon.

Photo by Cliff West

Willamette & Pacific #2307 “Independence” is a 2,300-horsepower GP39-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in August 1974 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #3606. It was retired in December 1992 and was sold to the Willamette & Pacific Railroad in June 1993.

Photo by Cliff West

This bridge over Fox Creek in Rainier, Oregon, is located at railroad milepost 46.0. This wooden bridge probably dates from the railroad's original construction in 1897-98. The first train came through Rainier from Astoria to Portland on the morning of May 16, 1898. The railroad was originally called the Astoria & Columbia River Railroad. On February 24, 1911 the Spokane, Portland & Seattle took over. The SP&S became part of the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970. The line to Astoria was purchased by the Portland & Western Railroad in 1996. 

Photo by Cliff West

This picture of BNSF equipment was taken at the Amtrak depot in Vancouver, Washington. In the foreground, BNSF #518 is a 4,000-horsepower Dash 8-40BW that was built by General Electric in October 1990 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #518.  Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, it became BNSF #518 in April 2001 and was repainted into BNSF’s “Heritage II” paint scheme in May 2001. In the background, BNSF #3126 is a 3,500-horsepower GP50 built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in August 1985 as Burlington Northern #3126. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, it became BNSF #3126 on June 3, 2002. 

Photo by Cliff West

Montana Rail Link #45028 is a Pullman-Standard PS2-CD 4427-cubic-inch 100-ton covered hopper that was originally built in March 1971 as part of lot 9532, a group of 200 such cars built for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, or Frisco, numbered from 79300 to 79499. The Frisco was merged into the Burlington Northern Railroad in April 1980, and these cars became Burlington Northern 439000-439199. A group of 50 of these cars went to the Montana Rail Link after its creation in October 1987, and were numbered 45001-45050. Initially painted dark blue, they were used to carry materials such as lime, talc, and decorative rock, which caused the dark blue paint to weather quickly. When my dad photographed this car in Linnton, Oregon, it had recently been renovated and repainted light gray, which was expected to hold up better than the dark blue. 

Railfanning at Interbay Yard in Seattle in 1994

While visiting Seattle in early June of 1994, my dad and I visited Burlington Northern's Interbay Yard. In those days, a man and his 12-year-old son could freely wander around Interbay as long as they stopped in the office to sign waivers, borrow hard hats, and promise not to go in the inspection pits. (Note: This is NOT the case today.) Originally a Great Northern facility, Interbay was Burlington Northern's main engine terminal on the west coast, and is still used today by the BNSF Railway.

Burlington Northern #2834 was the first locomotive I photographed here. It was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in October 1962 as Union Pacific GP30 #874. It was originally powered by a 2,250-horsepower turbocharged 16-cylinder 567 engine. It was retired by Union Pacific in 1989 and sold to a dealer, who traded it to Burlington Northern. It was rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen in Boise, Idaho, in April 1990 as a 2,300-horsepower GP39M.

In the yard across the turntable sat a Burlington Northern crane. I believe this is Burlington Northern D-258, a 250-ton crane that was built by Bucyrus-Erie in August 1944 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #204376 and was originally assigned to Galesburg, Illinois. After the CB&Q was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern S-258. It was converted from steam to diesel power sometime in the 1980s and was renumbered to D-258. It was typically accompanied by Burlington Northern boom car #966026.

Burlington Northern #6198 is a 1,750-horsepower SD9 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in September 1957 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #451. After the CB&Q was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #6198.

Burlington Northern #6142 is a 1,750-horsepower SD9 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1954 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #340. After the CB&Q was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #6142. Note that it has white diagonal stripes on the end of the long hood.

Montana Rail Link #360 is a 3,600-horsepower SD45 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1971 as Burlington Northern #6513. It was retired in June 1986, and was sold to the New York, Susquehanna & Western in January 1987, becoming NYSW #3624. It was later sold to Montana Rail Link where it operated for a time in Susquehanna colors as seen here.

CSX Transportation #5866 is a B36-7 that was originally built by General Electric in 1985 as Seaboard System #5866. When the Seaboard System merged with the Chessie System to form CSX in 1986, it kept its original number, becoming CSX #5866.

Grand Trunk Western #5917 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1970.

Here is another picture of Burlington Northern SD9 #6142. This picture shows that it has diagonal white stripes on the end of the short hood, as well as on the end of the long-hood as seen in the other picture. Burlington Northern typically only painted the white diagonal stripes on the front end of its locomotives, which in this case would have been the short hood, but on some locomotives that were operated in both directions in branch line service, the stripes were painted on both ends for improved visibility at grade crossings. This idea was apparently suggested by a Burlington Northern locomotive engineer in 1973.

Riding the Interbay turntable is Burlington Northern #7813, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1977 as Colorado & Southern #943. 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 #7813.

Photo by Cliff West

Meanwhile, parked with its nose in one of the roundhouse stalls is Burlington Northern #2286, a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in August 1974 as St. Louis-San Francisco (SLSF, also known as the Frisco) #431. The Frisco was merged into the Burlington Northern in 1980.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern SD40-2 #7813 is pushed off the turntable and into one of the stalls of the Interbay roundhouse for maintenance.

Serving as the Interbay shop switcher is Burlington Northern SW12 #193, which had the honor of pushing SD40-2 #7813 into its roundhouse stall.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern #193 is a 1,200-horsepower SW1200 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1956 as Northern Pacific #134. After Northern Pacific was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #193 and was classified as an SW12.

Rotary Snowplows for the mountain passes of the Washington Cascades are maintained at Interbay. Rotary Snowplow #972561 was originally built by American Locomotive Company's Brooks Works in November 1927 as Great Northern X-1510. It was converted from steam to electric power in 1961. After Great Northern was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #972561.

Photo by Cliff West

The rotary snowplow cannot operate by itself. The electric motors that power the blade need a power supply. The power supply comes from another locomotive that is coupled to it. Originally, any available locomotive was used, but eventually retired locomotives were converted into dedicated Rotary Snowplow Power Plants.

Photo by Cliff West

The diesel engine of the Rotary Snowplow Power Plant is used to supply power to the electric motors in the rotary snowplow. The Rotary Snowplow Power Plant no longer has traction motors, so additional locomotives are required to move the rotary snowplow along the track.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern #972577 is a Rotary Snowplow Power Plant that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1956 as 1,750-horsepower F9B Northern Pacific #7013C. It was renumbered to #6705B, then became Burlington Northern #9811, and finally Burlington Northern #777. It was retired in June 1982, and was subsequently rebuilt as a Rotary Snowplow Power Plant.

Photo by Cliff West

Here is another picture of Burlington Northern SD40-2 #7813 inside the Interbay roundhouse. Yes, we walked through the roundhouse, and nobody questioned it. Also in the roundhouse was another high-hood SD9 that had been repainted in the "white face" paint scheme, but its nose was so close to the back wall of the roundhouse that a picture wasn't possible.