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BN 2221

BN 2221 is the ex-CB&Q 944 and was part of the first order of 30 GP30's built for the Burlington Route numbered 940-969 in 1962. The 944 was built in April of that year.

After the BN merger of 1970 it was renumbered 2221 and moved west to Western Washington where I first saw it on 1-16-72 on a westbound near Skykomish, WA on the former GN. Power on that train was 6425/6492/2221/687 (SD45/SD45/GP30/F7B) and the 2221 was still in Burlington red. It called Seattle's Interbay home and I saw and photographed it many times after it was eventually repainted green. Here it is at Interbay looking rather ragged on 5-17-80.

The 2221 was one of many ex-CB&Q GP30's selected to take part in a rebuilding program and was released in October of 1989 as BN GP39M 2830 wearing the new whiteface paint scheme. This photo of the 2830 was taken in Seattle on 6-1-93.

A few years later the 2830 would find itself on the BNSF roster and is now lettered for BNSF but still in BN green. Last report has it still operating in BN green into 2009.

*Update* BNSF 2830 has been reported laid up at Northtown, MN after suffering a blown Turbo at Chicago, IL 1-15-09. Odds are it will never run again.