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BN 6320

BN SD40 6320 was part of an order of 25 EMD SD40's the BN ordered in early 1971. Numbered 6300-6324 the 6320 was built in November of 1971. All 25 SD40's were assigned to Livingston, MT after delivery.

Seemed a lot of Livingston assigned road power came through Easton, WA and the 6320 was among them as on 2-3-72 the 6320 was noted leading a westbound though Easton on the ex-NP headed towards Auburn. Also note sister SD40 6305 also passed through Easton leading an eastbound the same day.

My first roster of the BN 6320 was taken 7-25-78 at Interbay, WA.

Six years later while up on the ex-GN Stevens Pass I shot the 6320 leading westbound BN #91 with the 6320/6424/8015 (SD40/SD45/SD40-2) over Foss River bridge east of Skykomish, WA 2-18-84 on a typical gloomy Northwest day.

A few weeks later I shot the 6320 eastbound on Stevens Pass 3-3-84 leading BN's SPH with units 6320/5788/2277/6309 (SD40/U30B/GP38-2/SD40). This first photo is at Cashmere, WA.

And this photo later in the day further east at Trinidad, WA.

With the startup of the MRL in October 1987 MRL acquired 20 ex-BN SD40's with twelve of them from the 6300-6324 group from which the 6320 was included. The 6320 was renumbered to MRL 215 and painted MRL blue in December 1989.

I photographed the MRL 215 in Mullan Pass Helper service during a February 2005 trip to the MRL. The first image shows the 215 at Elliston, MT 2-19-05 while waiting on an eastbound to shove over the hill.

And a short while later at Elliston after the sun had broken through the clouds.

In late 2005 sixteen new MRL SD70ACe's started to arrive and this soon meant the end of some of the older power on the MRL. After being stored awhile the 215 was retired and by May 2011 it and other MRL locomotives (including six other unrebuilt SD40's) were shipped off to Portland, OR to be scrapped.