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BN 5374

BN ordered 30 new GE 3000 HP U30C's numbered 5365-5394 for delivery in 1974 intended for use on the growing coal train traffic BN was experiencing during the 70's. After delivery, all 30 were assigned to Alliance, NE. BN's roster showed a total of 186 U30C's.

One of these was the BN 5374 built in November 1974.

It would be 12 years before I'd first see the 5374 and it wasn't on a coal train but a westbound grain train on Stevens Pass. On 2-8-86 I caught the westbound GD1 with 5502/7853/5374/5380 (C30-7/SD40-2/U30C/U30C) and here is the 5374 at Skykomish, WA where the trains 2 helper units were removed.

Note the stamp on the side sill showing Alliance for maintenance. With the delivery of more reliable new units the U30C's were slowly going into storage lines and being retired starting in 1990. The 5374 managed to hang on and when BN had a power shortage some of the remaining U30C's were returned to service and I photographed the 5374 once again on 4-2-94 leaving Interbay, WA on train #600 for Stevens Pass.

This was near the end as the 5374 was retired in August of 1994 leaving 12 of the original group of 30 delivered in 1974 still on the BN roster. The 5374 was scrapped in November 1994.