Trains in Kalama, Longview & Kelso, Washington, on February 26, 2007

I saw these trains in Kalama, Longview and Kelso, Washington, on February 26, 2007. First, at the Kalama Export Company grain elevator was a set of three BNSF Railway locomotives built by General Electric. BNSF #4304 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in January 1999. 

BNSF #4757 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in May 1998. 

BNSF #4651 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in February 2000. 

Kalama Export Company #632 is a 1,200-horsepower SW1200 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in November 1954 as Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad #2027. In 1959 it was renumbered to #632. 

The locomotive was retired in June 1983 and sold to Independent Locomotive Service Company, before being resold to Peavey Grain in 1984. It became Kalama Export Company #632 around 1998. 

Further south in Kalama was another set of three BNSF locomotives, each wearing a different paint scheme.

BNSF #7759 is a 4,400-horsepower ES44DC.

It was built by General Electric in June 2005. 

It was delivered wearing BNSF's new orange and black "Heritage III" paint scheme.

BNSF #710 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in July 1998.

It was delivered wearing the red and silver “Warbonnet” paint scheme of predecessor Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. 

BNSF #7699 is a 4,400-horsepower ES44DC.

It was built by General Electric in February 2005. 

It was delivered in BNSF's orange and green "Heritage II" paint scheme.

A southbound Amtrak Cascades train passed through Kalama, led by Amtrak #459, one of 15 3,200-horsepower F59PHIs built for Pacific Surfliner service between San Luis Obispo and San Diego, California. It was built in July 1998 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors with final assembly by Super Steel Schenectady of Schenectady, Pennsylvania. Aside from the paint scheme, it is identical to the Cascades F59PHI locomotives, and was presumably filling in for a Cascades unit in need of maintenance in Los Angeles, where all Amtrak’s F59PHI locomotives were maintained. 

Bringing up the rear of the Cascades train is Amtrak Cascades #90230, a Non-Powered Cab Unit or NPCU, which was rebuilt in February 1999 from Amtrak #230, a 3,000-horsepower F40PH that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in July 1977, using components from traded-in Amtrak SDP40F locomotive #553. 

I took this picture from my car on State Route 432 along the Longview Switching Company yard in Longview of a 4,400-horsepower AC4400CW that appears to be Canadian Pacific #9600, which was built by General Electric in September 1997. 

From Gerhart Gardens Park in Longview, I photographed this northbound BNSF freight train across the Cowlitz River, with Ferromex SD40-2 #3215. This locomotive was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in November 1971 as Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico #8539, a 3,000-horsepower SD40. It was rebuilt in March 1992 at FNM’s San Luis Potosí shops as SD40-2 #13087. Following the privatization of the Mexican railroads, Ferromex began operating on February 19, 1998, and this locomotive became Ferromex #3215.

In this train, it was sandwiched between two BNSF Railway locomotives. BNSF #5003 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in August 2004. 

BNSF #2339 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1972 as St. Louis-San Francisco (also known as the Frisco) #668. The Frisco was merged into the Burlington Northern on November 21, 1980, and this locomotive became Burlington Northern #2339. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #2257 and was repainted in Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s “Heritage I” colors on May 8, 2000. 

Arriving at the Kelso depot with a northbound Amtrak Cascades train, Amtrak Cascades #466 is a 3,200-horsepower F59PHI that was built in November 1998 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors with final assembly by Super Steel Schenectady of Schenectady, Pennsylvania. 

Bringing up the rear of the Cascades train is Amtrak Cascades #90253, a Non-Powered Cab Unit or NPCU, which was rebuilt in January 1999 from Amtrak #253, a 3,000-horsepower F40PH that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in October 1977, using components from traded-in Amtrak SDP40F locomotive #574. 

Pulling a southbound empty BNSF coal train past the Kelso depot was a trio of 4,000-horsepower SD70MACs that were built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario. Leading is BNSF #9490, which was built in October 1994 as Burlington Northern #9490. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #9490 on January 23, 2002. 

The middle locomotive is Burlington Northern #9633, which was built in June 1995. The trailing locomotive is BNSF #9775, which was built in May 1996. 

Finally, as the coal train passed, a northbound BNSF freight train arrived, led by BNSF #4196, a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built in July 2002.

Trains in Vancouver, Washington, on August 1, 1999

In the afternoon of August 1, 1999, I arrived in Vancouver, Washington, having been riding a very late westbound Empire Builder that ended up being suspended in Spokane and then taking an Amtrak-chartered bus the rest of the way. My late arrival in Vancouver coincided with some interesting Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight traffic.

A westbound loaded coal train from the Columbia River Gorge made its way around the Vancouver wye to continue north towards Seattle. This coal was probably bound for the coal-fired power plant in Centralia, Washington.

As this train slowly made its way around the wye, we had enough time to get in the car and move to the railroad crossing on West 11th Street to get a better view of the train.

The lead locomotive was Burlington Northern Santa Fe #8826, a 4,000-horsepower SD70MAC that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in March 1999.

The second unit was Burlington Northern Santa Fe #9989, another 4,000-horsepower SD70MAC that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in December 1998.

This coal train featured a number of experimental "Trough Train" articulated aluminum coal hoppers. Designed by Burlington Northern and built by Johnstown America Corporation, a total of 23 of these 13-unit sets were constructed in November and December of 1994. Each set was 278 feet long and had a single axle at each end with a standard freight truck at each articulation joint, and no bulkheads between the intermediate units (hence the name "Trough Train"). With each set having a capacity of 28,740 cubic feet, a train of all 23 sets equaled the capacity of 146 standard coal hoppers with less length and weight. These cars were not successful enough for any more to be built, but they remained in service for a number of years.

While the long coal train passed by, I noticed Burlington Northern #2882 parked on the servicing tracks near the Vancouver depot. Originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1964 as 2,500-horsepower GP35 #984 for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. After the CB&Q was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #2530. In March 1990 it was rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen of Boise, Idaho, as 2,300-horsepower GP39M Burlington Northern #2882.

The coal train had a pair of rear-end helpers on the back end. Burlington Northern #9432 is a 4,000-horsepower SD70MAC that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in March 1994.

Note that the coal train was not made up entirely of "Trough Train" sets, but also included conventional 3-bay hopper cars as well.

On the rear end of the coal train was Burlington Northern Santa Fe #9892, a 4,000-horsepower SD70MAC that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group and assembled by Bombardier in Mexico in July 1998.

The coal train was closely followed by another freight train, led by Burlington Northern #5566, a 3,000-horsepower C30-7 that was built by General Electric in December 1977.

Norfolk Southern #6652 is a 3,800-horsepower SD60 that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in November 1988.

The most interesting locomotive in this consist is Burlington Northern #7149, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1979. It was the second of two SD40-2s that Burlington Northern converted to DF40-2s that could be fueled by refrigerated liquid methane, or liquified natural gas (LNG), supplied from a fuel tender as an experiment in the early 1990s. The use of LNG had the potential for lower fuel costs, greater engine longevity, and cleaner exhaust emissions, but required extensively modified power assemblies and a new design of piston to maintain the engine's 3,000-horsepower rating. Larger flared radiators from retired SD45s were also installed on both units. An LNG fueling station was constructed in Staples, Minnesota, and the two DF40-2s were used in unit coal train service between Staples and Glendive, Montana. The experiments ended in 1996 and the two locomotives returned to regular service and their old diet of diesel fuel, though they retained the special paint schemes they received for the experimental program.

ATGX #5511 and #5513 are 3,000-horsepower C30-7s that were built by General Electric in April 1977 as Burlington Northern #5511 & #5513. They were retired in January 1999, sold to ATEL Leasing Corporation for lease service, and leased back by Burlington Northern Santa Fe.