Mid 90's Run Through Power on BN and ATSF

[nebrzephyr]

Trying to find what run-through or pool power diesels might have been typically seen on both the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe in the mid 90's. For the BN I'm NOT talking about merger partner (GN, NP, etc) power in original paint.

Thanks for your help. Bob

[WP 257]

I respectfully recommend you buy the following Four Ways West Publications book: Burlington Northern Santa Fe 1997 Motive Power Annual

I normally don't recommend books from Four Ways West, due to sometimes uneven printing quality of the color photos, but that particular book is one of the best they ever published. It is filled with numerous color images of the various run through power--and lease units--that were pretty common in that particular era. The 1990's were a very colorful decade, and having personally visited Cajon Pass, Tehachapi Loop, and plenty of locations in Arizona during 2000 and 2002, I can say that book is pretty representative of what was still able to be seen even at that time. It focuses slightly more on former ATSF territory.

There are other editions of that book that focus a bit more on former BN territory, but the 1997 book seems to have the best/most color photography, and the images are clear.

Due to one railroad occasionally owing another railroad horsepower hours, in the '90's and later one may find any major railroad's mainline freight power (not necessarily the secondary train power like GP30u's or GP35u's, but the latest/best mainline power) anywhere else in the country.

I saw NS motive power (even leading) BNSF trains on Cajon Pass during 2002, and living near Enola Yard, PA, and passing by it several times per day, I can currently see anything from any of the big railroads show up at any time. For example, in recent weeks there has actually been more BNSF and UP motive power showing up at Enola than is typical. Sometimes there have been as many as three BNSF engines here and a couple UP engines all at the same time. Also appearing, much less frequently, are KCS units. Of course, CN, CP, and CSX motive power is here pretty often--perhaps one or two units on any given day--sometimes they spend the whole weekend.

If I could have only one book to represent the 1990's Class 1 railroads in my collection, it would be the 1997 one above. My personal interests lie more in the 1970's, for which less is available...

Respectfully submitted--

[fr8kar]

Don't forget the Oakways and LMX units that were leased but were effectively BN equipment. BN also leased former CR GP38-2s in some haphazard EMD leasing schemes where the can opener was still visible.

[WP 257]

The Oakway and LMX units are represented in the book I mentioned above, along with the Conrail and former Conrail units.

Though Santa Fe had purged its active (owned) roster of (failed SPSF merger) Kodachrome paint scheme units by the early '90's, a relatively large number of C30-7's left the Santa Fe roster prior to repainting back to blue and yellow, and then subsequently were leased back to both BN and ATSF during the early 1990's. So one could quite easily see Kodachrome GE units still in mainline freight service on either BN or ATSF--at least for awhile.

[buffalobill]

Bob, you did not mention the area you are interested in, but if you are looking for the Chicago area, the BN Main to Aurora hosted both Canadian National, and Southern Pacific trains. The CN Haulage Trains from Superior, WI to Chicago started in 1992, and ran until 1998 or 1999, then moved to Wisconsin Central. The Southern Pacific trackage rights trains started from Chicago to Kansas City in 1991, and run currently. Also BN had a number of run through trains that had Conrail power, sometimes in solid sets that ran through from Elkhart to Galesburg and Northtown.

By the way the last of the predecessor roads power, GN, CBQ, SP&S and NP was repainted by 1977 or 1978, and the Frisco power was all repainted or gone by 1990. As Fast14 noted, the BN annuals by Four Ways west and later GNP do a good job of covering the BN and BNSF side. The Sante Fe, not as much. There were also VHS videos by Big E, MVP Productions, and Pentrex which also offer a lot of run through power on BN and BNSF.

Its a safe bet to say, depending on the particular place, and period you are interest in, you could justify running just about anything. Either as leased power, run throughs, or haulage or trackage rights trains.
Bill

[santafe49]

Bob, check your PM. I think i can help you with this.

[tdspeedracer]

These were some of the units BN had on lease in 95:
SD60 EMD 3 was leased to BN after 1991.
There was 30+ rebuilt GP38's that were either in EMD or ex-conrail paint.
SD40-2's from EMD lease also painted in the blue/white EMD lease scheme or ex-conrail.
GATX SD40-2's like the new intermountain release. Some of which were ex MILW with short fuel tanks.
The original 3 SD60's that were made for BN were also leased and would have been painted in the Burgundy/Silver/Gray paint scheme by then.
There were several MPI units that were rebuilt SD40's and SD45's.

Other stuff:
EMD 2000 SD40-3? is pictured on BN a couple times.
It seems to me at some point BN ended up running some SD40-2s that they had previously sold to IC in '92.
MRL, LRCX (late 90's), The 3 WSOR F45's were leased to BN before being sold to MRL, HLCX SD 40/45's.

I'm sure if one were to hunt hard enough, then they could probably find all of class ones in a BN consist at some point.

Trevor

[lvrr325]

I would expect to find NS, CSX and CR fairly common and UP, CN&W, SP somewhat less common but not unheard of. It will depend some on what area you're modeling as to what connections and traffic could turn up.

But here in the east on Conrail anything could show up and be used in all sorts of ways; when the Dewitt yard van site was still in the old Flexi-Flo terminal and switched off the main, one cold winter night the job assigned to it drew a UP SD40-2 for power. Apparently it was what was available and running; usually they got a B23-7 or two, or GP38s.

[nebrzephyr]

Hey Guys...thanks a bunch for all the info. That really helps. Now off to see what I have in undec units that I can paint up. I'm thinking one of the Athearn SD40-2 would look good painted up in the blue GATX.

Bob

[lvrr325]

There is an Athearn BB SE set for plain blue GATX units, one SD40-2, one GP38-2.

[leikec]

GTW units would show up at Lindenwood I in St. Louis, probably involved in delivering JITI to the Chrysler plant in Fenton, MO.

Jeff C

[Deleted]

Before CN's acquisition of Wisconsin Central, they had a run through agreement with BN from Superior, Wisconsin to Chicago through the Twin Cities. The power was either CN, Duluth Winnipeg and Pacific or GTW.

[TBird1958]

Here in Seattle you could see just about everything on the BN, CSX, CN, CP, D&RGW/SP, KCS, NS - It helped that where I worked was within easy sight of the mainline in between Seattle and Tacoma. Train watching paradise!