Burlington Northern Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Burlington Northern Railroad was a United States
-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996.
Its historical lineage begins in the earliest days of railroading with the chartering in 1848 of the Chicago and Aurora Railroad
, a direct ancestor line of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
, which lends Burlington to the names of various merger-produced successors.
Burlington Northern merged with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
in 1996 to form the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (later renamed BNSF Railway
), which was owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation. That corporation was purchased by Berkshire Hathaway
in 2009 which is controlled by investor Warren Buffett
.
, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
, and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
, and other, small, wholly jointly-owned subsidiaries. Consent for this merger came only on the fourth attempt dating back to the days of James J. Hill
, but for many years they shared a headquarters building in Saint Paul, Minnesota
, until the merger was finally approved. On November 21, 1980, the former St. Louis – San Francisco Railway was acquired. In 1981, corporate headquarters of parent Burlington Northern Inc. were moved to Seattle, Washington
, and in 1988, after its non-rail operations were spun off as Burlington Resources
, to Houston, Texas
.
On September 21, 1995, Burlington Northern merged with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
to form the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
. The new railroad began fully merged operations on December 31, 1996; in 2005 its name was shortened to BNSF Railway.
The Burlington Northern traversed the most northerly routes of any railroad in the western United States. These routes started at Chicago, Illinois and ran west-northwest to La Crosse, Wisconsin
. From here the routes continued northwest through Minneapolis
and St. Paul, Minnesota
to Grand Forks, North Dakota
. From Grand Forks the routes ran west through North Dakota
, Montana
, and Idaho
to Spokane, Washington
. The former GN routed through North Dakota/Northern Montana, crossing the continental divide at Marias Pass
, while the former NP line routed through the southern part of Montana (which was spun off to Montana Rail Link in 1987), crossing the continental divide at Mullan
and Bozeman Pass
es. At Spokane the routes split into three. The former Great Northern route proceeded west to Wenatchee, Washington
, crossed under the Cascade Range
at New Cascade Tunnel
on Stevens Pass
, and descended into the Puget Sound
region through Everett, Washington
. The former Northern Pacific proceeded southwest towards the Tri-Cities, turned northwesterly to Yakima, Washington
, and crossed under the Cascade Range at Stampede Tunnel, descending into the Green River Valley at Auburn, Washington
, where it connected with existing NP lines running from British Columbia
to Portland, Oregon
. The Spokane, Portland and Seattle also proceeded southwest to the Tri-Cities
, then followed the north bank of the Columbia River
to Vancouver, Washington
.
With the acquisition of the St. Louis – San Francisco Railway, the route was extended into the South Central
and Southeastern United States
.
The locomotive livery of the Burlington Northern traces its early history to the final years of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. In 1968, EMD GP40
#629 was painted in a green, black, and white scheme introducing a new lettering style and logo. The green color was known as "Cascade Green" based on the reflections of pine trees along various routes the trains traveled.
In February 1970, the Spokane, Portland & Seattle ordered 6 new EMD GP38
s that would become the creation of Burlington Northern's paint scheme. Originally numbered 200–205 on the order, the numbers were changed to 2072–2077. These would be the first units to introduce the horn, beacon, and antennae locations as well as adopting the "BURLINGTON NORTHERN" lettering style seen on the CB&Q's SD45s and U23Cs as well as GN's "Big Sky Blue" lettering.
In October 1990, BN departed from its Cascade Green, black and white scheme on its business car and locomotive fleet. Adopting Grinstein Green (an altered version of Brunswick Green/British Racing Green and named after the president of Burlington Northern, Gerald Grinstein), Cream, and Alizarin Red. This scheme was applied to EMD F9A-2
#BN-1, EMD F9B-2 #BN-2, and EMD E9A-2
#BN-3, of the locomotive fleet and the business car fleet. In November 1993, brand new EMD SD70MAC #9401 received the Executive colors, making a departure from the standard Cascade Green, White & Black scheme. This trend continued only on the EMD SD70MAC's until BNSF #9837.
Throughout its history, the Burlington Northern had various oddities and interesting test demonstrators/paint schemes:
and are on display in Union, Illinois
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based railroad company formed from a merger of four major U.S. railroads. Burlington Northern operated between 1970 and 1996.
Its historical lineage begins in the earliest days of railroading with the chartering in 1848 of the Chicago and Aurora Railroad
Chicago and Aurora Railroad
The Chicago and Aurora Railroad was an early predecessor of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad that built a line from West Chicago to Mendota via Aurora, Illinois.-History:...
, a direct ancestor line of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
, which lends Burlington to the names of various merger-produced successors.
Burlington Northern merged with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
in 1996 to form the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (later renamed BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
), which was owned by the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation. That corporation was purchased by Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies. The company averaged an annual growth in book value of 20.3% to its shareholders for the last 44 years,...
in 2009 which is controlled by investor Warren Buffett
Warren Buffett
Warren Edward Buffett is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is widely regarded as one of the most successful investors in the world. Often introduced as "legendary investor, Warren Buffett", he is the primary shareholder, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is...
.
History
Burlington Northern Railroad was the product of a March 2, 1970, merger comprising the Great Northern Railway, the Northern Pacific RailwayNorthern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad
The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington or as the Q, the Burlington Route served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri,...
, and the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway
The Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway was a United States-based railroad incorporated in 1905. It was a joint venture by the Great Northern Railway and the Northern Pacific Railway to build a railroad along the north bank of the Columbia River....
, and other, small, wholly jointly-owned subsidiaries. Consent for this merger came only on the fourth attempt dating back to the days of James J. Hill
James J. Hill
James Jerome Hill , was a Canadian-American railroad executive. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest...
, but for many years they shared a headquarters building in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, until the merger was finally approved. On November 21, 1980, the former St. Louis – San Francisco Railway was acquired. In 1981, corporate headquarters of parent Burlington Northern Inc. were moved to Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, and in 1988, after its non-rail operations were spun off as Burlington Resources
Burlington Resources
Burlington Resources, was an American oil and gas company. Their headquarters were in Houston, Texas. The company was acquired by ConocoPhillips in 2006....
, to Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.
On September 21, 1995, Burlington Northern merged with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway
The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway , often abbreviated as Santa Fe, was one of the larger railroads in the United States. The company was first chartered in February 1859...
to form the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
. The new railroad began fully merged operations on December 31, 1996; in 2005 its name was shortened to BNSF Railway.
Route
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
. From here the routes continued northwest through Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
and St. Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
to Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
. From Grand Forks the routes ran west through North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, and Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
to Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
. The former GN routed through North Dakota/Northern Montana, crossing the continental divide at Marias Pass
Marias Pass
Marias Pass is a high mountain pass near Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana in the United States.The pass traverses the continental divide in the Lewis Range, along the boundary between the Lewis and Clark National Forest and the Flathead National Forest...
, while the former NP line routed through the southern part of Montana (which was spun off to Montana Rail Link in 1987), crossing the continental divide at Mullan
Mullan Pass
The Mullan Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of Montana in the United States. It sits on the continental divide on the border between Powell County, Montana and Lewis and Clark County, Montana, west of Helena, Montana in Helena National Forest at a height of .The Northern Pacific...
and Bozeman Pass
Bozeman Pass
Bozeman Pass is a mountain pass situated approximately 13 miles east of the town of Bozeman, Montana and approximately 15 miles west of the town of Livingston, Montana, and between the Bridger and Gallatin mountain ranges....
es. At Spokane the routes split into three. The former Great Northern route proceeded west to Wenatchee, Washington
Wenatchee, Washington
Wenatchee is located in North Central Washington and is the largest city and county seat of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925...
, crossed under the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
at New Cascade Tunnel
Cascade Tunnel
The Cascade Tunnel refers to two tunnels at Stevens Pass through the Cascade Mountains, approximately to the east of Everett, Washington. The first Cascade Tunnel was a 2.63-mile long single track railroad, built by the Great Northern Railway in 1900 to avoid problems caused by heavy winter...
on Stevens Pass
Stevens Pass
Stevens Pass is a mountain pass through the Cascade Mountains located at the border of King County and Chelan County in Washington, United States....
, and descended into the Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
region through Everett, Washington
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
. The former Northern Pacific proceeded southwest towards the Tri-Cities, turned northwesterly to Yakima, Washington
Yakima, Washington
Yakima is an American city southeast of Mount Rainier National Park and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the eighth largest city by population in the state itself. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 91,196 and a metropolitan population of...
, and crossed under the Cascade Range at Stampede Tunnel, descending into the Green River Valley at Auburn, Washington
Auburn, Washington
-Parks:Auburn has an extensive system of parks, open space and urban trails comprising 29 developed parks, 5 undeveloped sites under planning, 2 skate parks, 2 water roatary parks, and over of trails , and almost of open space for passive and active recreation.-Environmental Park:The Auburn...
, where it connected with existing NP lines running from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. The Spokane, Portland and Seattle also proceeded southwest to the Tri-Cities
Tri-Cities, Washington
The Tri-Cities is a mid-sized metropolitan area in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, consisting of three neighboring cities: Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland. The cities are located at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia rivers in the semi-arid region of...
, then followed the north bank of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
to Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
.
With the acquisition of the St. Louis – San Francisco Railway, the route was extended into the South Central
South Central United States
The South Central United States or South Central states is a region of the United States located in the south central part of the country. It evolved out of the archaic southwest, which originally was literally the western U.S. South...
and Southeastern United States
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
.
Equipment Colors and Painting
EMD GP40
The EMD GP40 is a 4-axle diesel-electric road switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between November 1965 and December 1971...
#629 was painted in a green, black, and white scheme introducing a new lettering style and logo. The green color was known as "Cascade Green" based on the reflections of pine trees along various routes the trains traveled.
In February 1970, the Spokane, Portland & Seattle ordered 6 new EMD GP38
EMD GP38
An EMD GP38 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and December 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645 16-cylinder engine which generated ....
s that would become the creation of Burlington Northern's paint scheme. Originally numbered 200–205 on the order, the numbers were changed to 2072–2077. These would be the first units to introduce the horn, beacon, and antennae locations as well as adopting the "BURLINGTON NORTHERN" lettering style seen on the CB&Q's SD45s and U23Cs as well as GN's "Big Sky Blue" lettering.
In October 1990, BN departed from its Cascade Green, black and white scheme on its business car and locomotive fleet. Adopting Grinstein Green (an altered version of Brunswick Green/British Racing Green and named after the president of Burlington Northern, Gerald Grinstein), Cream, and Alizarin Red. This scheme was applied to EMD F9A-2
EMD F9
The EMD F9 was a Diesel-electric locomotive produced between February 1953 and May 1960 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors and General Motors Diesel . It succeeded the F7 model in GM-EMD's F-unit sequence. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La Grange, Illinois plant. The F9 was also...
#BN-1, EMD F9B-2 #BN-2, and EMD E9A-2
EMD E9
The EMD E9 was a , A1A-A1A passenger train-hauling diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois between April 1954 and January 1964. 100 cab-equipped lead A units were produced, along with 44 cabless booster B units. All were for service within the...
#BN-3, of the locomotive fleet and the business car fleet. In November 1993, brand new EMD SD70MAC #9401 received the Executive colors, making a departure from the standard Cascade Green, White & Black scheme. This trend continued only on the EMD SD70MAC's until BNSF #9837.
Throughout its history, the Burlington Northern had various oddities and interesting test demonstrators/paint schemes:
| Burlington Northern Paint Schemes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Locomotive Model | Road Numbers | Notes |
| EMD GP40 EMD GP40 The EMD GP40 is a 4-axle diesel-electric road switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between November 1965 and December 1971... |
629 | First locomotive experimented in pre-Burlington Northern Livery in 1968 |
| EMD SD45 EMD SD45 The EMD SD45 is a six-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December, 1965, and December, 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645E3 twenty-cylinder engine which generated 3,600 HP. This locomotive shared the same common frame with the EMD SD38, EMD SD39, EMD... & GE U23C GE U23C The 2300 horsepower GE U23C diesel locomotive model was first offered by GE in 1968, and featured a V-type 12 cylinder version of the standard GE FDL diesel motor. Designed as a competitor to EMD's SD38 and SD39 series, it was intended for heavy transfer, drag and hump service where speed was not... |
516 – 530, 460 – 468 | Pre-Burlington Northern livery designed by the CB&Q in 1969 |
| EMD GP38 EMD GP38 An EMD GP38 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and December 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645 16-cylinder engine which generated .... |
200 – 205 (2072–2077) | First new locomotives for the Burlington Northern; ordered by the Spokane, Portland & Seattle in 1970 |
| EMD SD40-2 EMD SD40-2 The EMD SD40-2 is a C-C locomotive produced by EMD from 1972 to 1989.The SD40-2 was first introduced in January 1972 as the mid-range offering in EMD's six-axle "Dash-2" series, competing against the GE U30C and the MLW M630... |
8174 | Carried a ‘’Together at Last’’ BN-SLSF Merger slogan along the walkway |
| EMD SD40-2 EMD SD40-2 The EMD SD40-2 is a C-C locomotive produced by EMD from 1972 to 1989.The SD40-2 was first introduced in January 1972 as the mid-range offering in EMD's six-axle "Dash-2" series, competing against the GE U30C and the MLW M630... |
8002 | First locomotive painted in an experimental ‘’Tiger Stripe’’ paint scheme |
| EMD GP50 EMD GP50 * Sarberenyi, Robert. ... , EMD SD60 EMD SD60 The EMD SD60 is a 3,800 horsepower 6-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. Intended for heavy-duty drag freight or medium-speed freight service, it was introduced in 1984, and production of SD60 variants ran until 1995.- History and development... |
3110 – 3162, 8300 – 8302 | The only SD60’s leased from EMD for three years |
| EMD SD40-2 EMD SD40-2 The EMD SD40-2 is a C-C locomotive produced by EMD from 1972 to 1989.The SD40-2 was first introduced in January 1972 as the mid-range offering in EMD's six-axle "Dash-2" series, competing against the GE U30C and the MLW M630... |
(unknown) | The first locomotive to receive the ‘’Whiteface’’ paint scheme |
| EMD GP50 EMD GP50 * Sarberenyi, Robert. ... |
3110 & 3112 | The only units receiving an alternative version of "Tiger Stripes", using white instead of black |
| EMD F9A-2, EMD F9B-2, EMD E9A-2 | BN-1, BN-2 & BN-3 | The first new locomotives painted in an ‘’Executive’’ scheme |
| EMD GP38-2 EMD GP38-2 An EMD GP38-2 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive of the road switcher type built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. Part of the EMD Dash 2 line, the GP38-2 was an upgraded version of the earlier GP38... |
2100 | The only unit receiving white striping along the front cab section |
| EMD GP38 EMD GP38 An EMD GP38 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and December 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645 16-cylinder engine which generated .... |
2075 & 2085 | #2075 was the first unit painted in a ‘’Pacific Pride’’ Scheme; later temporarly replaced by #2085 after 2075 was reported with fire damage |
| EMD GP9 EMD GP9 An EMD GP9 is a four-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division in the United States, and General Motors Diesel in Canada between January, 1954, and August, 1963. US production ended in December, 1959, while an additional thirteen units were built in Canada, including... |
1813 & 1863 | Received "The National Academy of Railroad Sciences" lettering along the carbodies |
| EMD SD60M | 1991 | Painted to honor the employees serving in Desert Storm |
| EMD SD40-2 EMD SD40-2 The EMD SD40-2 is a C-C locomotive produced by EMD from 1972 to 1989.The SD40-2 was first introduced in January 1972 as the mid-range offering in EMD's six-axle "Dash-2" series, competing against the GE U30C and the MLW M630... |
7149 & 7890 | Modified to run on compressed liquefied natural gas (refrigerated liquid methane) |
| MK GP28M | 1522 | The only unit with Operation Lifesaver Operation Lifesaver Operation Lifesaver is an organization originally started in Idaho in 1972 as a six-week, one-time public awareness campaign sponsored by the office of Governor Cecil Andrus, the Idaho Peace Officers and Union Pacific Railroad after years of increasing grade crossing accidents.As a result of... logos |
| EMD SD70MAC | 9647 | Introduced a proposed Burlington Northern Santa Fe paint scheme |
| EMD SD70MAC | 9709–9712 | 9709 – 9710 were the last two new locomotives for the BN in January 1996. 9711 – 9712 are the first new locomotives for BNSF |
| EMD GP50 EMD GP50 * Sarberenyi, Robert. ... , EMD SD40-2 EMD SD40-2 The EMD SD40-2 is a C-C locomotive produced by EMD from 1972 to 1989.The SD40-2 was first introduced in January 1972 as the mid-range offering in EMD's six-axle "Dash-2" series, competing against the GE U30C and the MLW M630... |
3120 & 7812 | The last locomotives painted in Burlington Northern green on August 8, 1996 |
| MK GP39E | 2911 & 2931 | Painted in an experimental Cascade Green BNSF scheme |
Preserved equipment
Burlington Northern 1 and 2, formerly Northern Pacific Railway 6700A and 7002C, EMD F9s, were built in 1954 and later rebuilt by BN for special train service. They are currently owned by the Illinois Railway MuseumIllinois Railway Museum
The Illinois Railway Museum is the largest railroad museum in the United States and is located in Union, Illinois, northwest of Chicago...
and are on display in Union, Illinois
Union, Illinois
Union is a village in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 580 at the 2010 census, up from 576 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Union is located at ....
.
See also
- BNSF RailwayBNSF RailwayThe BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
- Paul Bunyan Trail Rail Trail
- Great Northern Railway: Mansfield Branch (1909-1985)Great Northern Railway: Mansfield Branch (1909-1985)The Line, located in Eastern Washington State, Douglas County, was constructed by the Great Northern Railway in 1909, and was completed in just 9 months. Starting from the Columbia River and ending in Mansfield, the of track cut through the southern portion of the Moses Coulee, snaked up Douglas...