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BN 2735

BN GP39-2 2735 was built by EMD in April 1981 as part of the series 2700-2739. These forty GP39-2's were intended to replace a number of older locomotives so they were not really welcomed by most railfans. After delivery the new EMD's were assigned to Vancouver, WA where they went into general freight service. On the afternoon of 5-29-81 I saw #138 arrive in Seattle with GP39-2's 2734/2733/2735. No doubt that the brand new GP39-2's were really here.

It appears that BN's GP39-2's were not really very high on the list of locomotives I wanted to photograph as I did not photograph the 2735 until 2-24-91, almost 10 years after it was built! It was leading BN train #15 with units 2735/7024/4109/7091/6950 (GP39-2/SD40-2/B30-7A/SD40-2/SD40-2)

Biggest change since delivery was the class lights being removed. After the 1996 BNSF merger the 2735 was relettered BNSF 2735 during July 2002 but stayed BN green into 2015. By 2016 it had been repainted into BNSF orange and black. The 2735 was noted working in the Pacific Northwest during 2019 and on 9-24-21 I got my first BNSF photo of it at Interbay, WA after arrival on local Crew 4.

The next day, 9-25-21 I was at Puyallup, WA between Seattle and Tacoma watching trains when Crew 4 passed by northbound headed for Seattle with units 2735/1453 (GP39-2/SD60M) up front. Always nice seeing a standard nosed unit leading a train on the main line!

So for now the 2735 is working in the Pacific Northwest and at 40 years old looks great in clean BNSF paint. The GP39-2's were not really welcomed in 1981 when they arrived but I must say it is great to see one of them once in awhile now..