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BN 5130
BN C30-7 5130 was built by GE in March of 1981 for the growing coal train service. It was part of the 14th and final order of BN's C30-7's numbered 5127-5141. The 5130 was assigned to Alliance, NE with the other BN GE C30-7's. I found this photo of the 5130 in coal service at Pueblo, CO in 1981 leading a coal train.
The BN 5130 managed to elude me for years and I may have never seen it except for a trip over to Easton, WA on 6-15-97, a year+ after the BNSF merger. I was at Easton on my way to Ellensburg, WA to photograph the SP 4449 West steam special and heard the BNSF M-INBPAS coming off of Stampede Pass. So it seemed like a good idea to check out the eastbound freight first. Glad that I did as the train was running as the BN 5130 East. I was set up near the Easton Dam when the train passed by at 07:30 AM on that clear sunny morning.
The train had locomotives BN 5130/BN 3117/BNSF 1043/BNSF 1051 (C30-7/GP50/C44-9W/C44-9W) The two trailing BNSF C44-9W's were coming off at Ellensburg to be used as helper locomotives on the SP 4449 West.
Note the red number boards on the 5130. They show that the GE's horsepower was increased to 3300 HP from 3000 HP. This occurred in 1991-1992 and the units dubbed C33-7's.
Here is a roster shot of the 5130 on that same train at West Nelson Siding road east of Easton.
I never saw the BN 5130 again after that 1997 encounter. The info I have says the BN 5130 was retired by BNSF in 2002 and sold to ALL and shipped off to Brazil and became ALL BB33. There are many photos of the ex-BN 5130 on rrpicturearchives but these from 2008 show the changes to the GE, and some were substancial.
There are no photos of the ALL BB33 after 2009 so chances are it is no longer in service.