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BN 2720

BN 2720 was built in April of 1981, one of 40 EMD GP39-2's numbered 2700-2739 and all were assigned to Vancouver, WA and used throughout the Pacific Northwest.

First time I saw the 2720 was 4-21-81 on northbound train #148 at Kent, WA in the consist of 2523/2084/2720/1770/2514 (GP35/GP38-2/GP39-2/GP9/GP35)

That had to have been one of the 2720's first revenue trips. I photographed many BN GP39-2's in the first few years but did not photograph the 2720 until 2-17-90 and that was really some occasion! It had snowed overnight but was clear and cold when I arrived at Argo hoping to photograph some trains. I knew train #91 was coming south and was listening to the scanner in the car when I heard the dispatcher telling #91 there was something following them. It turned out to be a set of stolen locomotives, led by the BN 2720! A transient had climbed aboard at Interbay and knew enough to get the engines to move (but didn't know enough to release the brakes!) and the chase was on. Here is the stolen set of power moving through Argo.

The units were eventually stopped without incident near Tukwila when the overspeed on the trailing SD9 kicked in bringing all three units to a halt. Four years later on 7-16-94 I photographed the 2720 leading again at Marshall, WA near Spokane on a local bringing some BN grain hopper cars east.

Then the BNSF merger occurred in late December 1996 and on 7-08-02 BN 2720 was relettered BNSF 2720.

On a winter trip through Idaho I caught the BNSF 2720 headed west towards Spokane, WA on 12-18-05, these two photos taken at Sandpoint and Granite, ID.

It now had ditchlights and the headlight between the numberboards removed and relocated onto the nose as well as the class lights plated over.

Four years later on 8-16-09 the BNSF 2720 (still in BN green) is seen at Tacoma, WA arriving on a local. Note the primer on the rear hood of the GP39-2.

On 1-7-12 I heard that there was a BNSF train with 4 geeps at Bristol siding on the ex-NP Stampede Pass line and I just had to go over for a look. The train was empty centerbeams and the power was unmanned but BNSF 2720 had the lead position! It isn't doing anything but idling in this photo but 4 geeps is always a fine sight.

Note that the rear hood still has the primer on it. Another interesting thing about this lashup was the trailing unit, BNSF 2084. Check the lash up I first saw the BN 2720 in 1981. BN 2084 was part of it, the same GP38-2 was again with the 2720 more than 30 years later, but both now lettered BNSF. The 2084 was in the later BN whitefaced scheme but the 2720 still carries the same scheme it wore when delivered.