You are here: Home > Burlington Northern Section > BN 6303

BN 6303


BN SD40 6303 was built by EMD in October of 1971. It was one of 25 BN SD40's built in 1971 numbered 6300-6324. These twenty five 3000 HP SD40's were assigned to Livingston, MT for maintenance.

I first saw the 6303 on 8-9-72 at the Auburn, WA ex-NP engine facility with BN U33C 5761 awaiting a departure east early the following morning.

I photographed the 6303 on hot BN train #1 at Stevenson, WA 1-26-85 with units 6303/4111 (SD40/B30-7A)

I photographed the 6303 one other time, also leading. This time it was a westbound BN grain train at Thompson Falls, MT with the 6303/7842/6811/6821 seen here passing BN's Paradise Turn waiting in the clear.

After the BNSF merger in 1996 the BN 6303 was renumbered to BNSF 6318.

Nice photo of the BNSF 6318 in Texas here on the BNSF Photo Archives:

http://www.trainpix.com/BNSF/EMDORIG/SD40/6318.HTM

The SD40 was later relettered to GN 6318 to make was for new locomotive orders and placed in storage. In 2010 it was rebuilt to Genset 3GS21C #1306 and some good photos of it can be found on rrpicturearchives with it working in California:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/Locopicture.aspx?id=149785

It is interesting to note that four former BN SD40's have been rebuilt to Gensets, those being the 6303, 6304, 6309 and 6320.