Half-century-old locomotives still pulling for BNSF
Half-century-old locomotives still pulling for BNSF
By Robert W Scott | July 24, 2023
| Last updated on November 20, 2023
Age is just a number
Half-century-old locomotives
While Class I railroads continue to receive new locomotive orders from EMD and GE, older EMD GP, or Geep, locomotives that have served for several decades are still being used for switching and local service.
Many of these locomotives on the BNSF Railway predate predecessor Burlington Northern, having been purchased by such fabled railroads as the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, the Santa Fe, or — less predictably — the Southern Railway.
Although mechanically upgraded over the years with the latest in electronics and components and in some cases, reworked cabs, the locomotive’s essential core structure dates to the original owners. It is almost like someone restoring a classic automobile with a modern motor, wiring, or air condition. Looking at the locomotives today in their sharp BNSF orange paint scheme, it is tough to imagine them running in their original, classic colors.
With many of the switchers and local power in the Pacific Northwest, railfans do not appreciate the heritage of the locomotive of how far it has traveled to reach its current assignment.
Along BNSF’s Seattle Subdivision, as in other locations, pairs of locomotives daily go about their duties moving cars around the yard and serving local industries. Here are a few of those locomotives. One interesting point — many times, the locomotives on Centralia, Wash., shortline Puget Sound & Pacific have new build dates than those of the power on BNSF locals.
BNSF 2754 – EMD GP39E Rebuild
Built for the Southern Railway in October of 1963 as GP30 NO. 2597, this unit was sold to the Burlington Northern Railway and upgraded at EMD to a GP39E (E=EMD rebuild) in the late 1980s. This included a new cab and nose design as well as upgraded generators and power assemblies. The 60-year-old No. 2754 is seen with BNSF 2532 at the switcher pocket at Vancouver, Wash., awaiting its crew to start work at the Port of Vancouver.
BNSF 2532 – EMD GP39-3 Rebuild
Paired with BNSF No. 2754 at Vancouver was another rebuild, BNSF No. 2532. The 59-year-old engine was built for the Santa Fe Railway as GP35 No. 1332 and delivered in April 1964. It went through Santa Fe’s upgrade program in 1978 at its Cleburne, Texas shops, emerging as a GP30u with changed wiring and circuitry. The engine remained in Santa Fe yellow and blue well into the 2010s before being repainted into its BNSF livery. Under BNSF ownership, this locomotive underwent an additional upgrade with a motor change and electrical upgrades, earning the model designation GP39-3.
BNSF 2236 – EMD GP38
Delivered as ATSF No. 3546 in August 1970, this locomotive underwent minor upgrades throughout its life on the Santa Fe, acquiring the designation GP38u at some point. Under BNSF it has been upgraded, and set up for remote control operations in Vancouver, Wash. Here it leads the “Subaru Switch” from the hill lead from the Port of Vancouver, where it will take a quick trip to the Port of Portland to deliver cars for an outbound train. With remote-control antennas arrayed on top of the cab, as well as the unsightly white cab air conditioners, it may not be as photogenic as others, it’s still a classy half-century-old locomotive.
BNSF 2628 – EMD GP39-3
Sometimes when the Class I railroads find themselves short of motive power, they ask some of the older switchers to pinch-hit on through trains. BNSF No. 2628 is seen handling a northbound vehicle train to Kent, Wash., at Chehalis, Wash. No. 2628 is a GP35 delivered in September 1965 as Santa Fe No. 1431. The locomotive underwent a similar-component upgrade as No. 2532 with the Santa Fe, before again being rebuilt by BNSF into a GP39-3.
BNSF 2914 – EMD GP39-3
Delivered in May 1964 to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy as GP35 No. 968, it today listed as a GP39-3 after going through upgrades similar to the other locomotives shown here. Assigned to local switcher service out of Centralia, Wash., No. 2914 is seen running south at Chehalis, Wash., on local switcher 201, where it made five-day-a week-trips to the local industrial park.
Classic rebuilt local power may be found closer than you think. Visit your local railyard and take a peek. You may be surprised what you may find still banging cars around, continuing what they have been doing for over a half century.
