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BN 6480
BN SD45 6480 was one of twenty SD45's numbered 6472-6491 ordered by NP before the BN merger and was originally intended to become NP 3638. When built in July 1970 the SD45 was instead painted BN green and numbered BN 6480.
After delivery the new SD45's were assigned to Havre, MT. I first saw the 6480 on 1-22-73 when train #81 arrived at Interbay with the 6603/6480/2217/610 (F45/SD45/GP30/F7A).
Four years later I got my first photo of the 6480. It was at Interbay on 4-11-77 on Crew 3 ready to head south with units 6474/6480/1857/1850. (2 SD45's and 2 GP9's):
The 6480 lasted until June of 1985 when it was retired. It was then sold to NYSW and was lrelettered and renumbered to NYSW 6362. This photo from rrpicturearchives shows it as the NYSW 6362 and still wearing BN green paint at Binghampton, NY on 6-7-86.
By 1987 the 6362 had been repainted yellow and black and renumbered to NYSW 3612. This photo shows the 3612 at Lackawaxen, PA on 11-28-87 leading other ex-BN power.
Here is a great shot of the 3612 on a passenger train at Hop Bottom, PA 9-6-97.
And one more nice photo of the 3612 in service. This one at Hawthorne, NJ 12-14-97.
The last in service photo of the 3612 I have seen was taken in 2001 but as a trailing unit. After that it was apparently stored. ex-BN SD45 6480 was scrapped in 2004, this may well be the last photo of the NYSW 3612, Utica, NY 3-31-04.