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BN 2223
BN 2223 is the ex-CB&Q 946 and was part of the first order of thirty GP30's built by EMD for the Burlington Route numbered 940-969 in 1962. The 946 was built in April of 1962.
After the March 1970 BN merger the CB&Q 946 was renumbered to BN 2223 and assigned out west to Interbay for maintenance. Here is a photo from rrpicturearchives showing the 2223 at Seattle in February 1972 still in CB&Q paint:
My first recorded sighting of the 2223 was on 3-25-72 on train 146 led by units 4191/2223/4244 (RS11/GP30/C425) at Auburn, WA.
By 1974 the 2223 was painted BN green. On one of my late night trips up to Interbay on 11-28-74 I had the opportunity to Hostle the 2223 at the engine facility. It led a set of three ex-CB&Q GP30's 2223/2218/2221 that I got to move from the fueling facility over to a side track to await it's next outbound trip.
Now for the photos. On 9-13-77 I photographed the 2223 at Interbay. Note that it still has the full CB&Q lighting package.
On 4-11-78 it led southbound train 139 out of Seattle where I photographed it passing the Kingdome with units 2223/702/2084/819/2542/6814/C&S 885 (GP30/F3A/GP38-2/F9B/GP35/SD40-2/SD40) Seven units and none of them the same model!
A roster shot of BN 2223 at Interbay on 9-16-80. The upper headlight between the number boards has been plated over by this time.
I caught it leading again at Tacoma, WA 12-15-80 on northbound train 148 with units 2223/2232/805/6535 (GP30/GP30/F9B/SD45)
In the late 80's a number of BN GP30's and GP35s were rebuilt to GP39's including BN 2223 which went to EMD emerging as BN GP39E 2751 in May of 1989.
I photographed the 2751 at Argo, WA on a southbound train 9-30-90.
After the 1996 BNSF merger the BN 2751 was renumbered to BNSF 2741. I caught the BNSF 2741 at Interbay on 6-4-09, still in BN green paint.
Since this photo the 2741 has been repainted orange and black by BNSF. Here is a link to a photo of it on rrpicturearchives from 2016.
So it is good to see the former BN 2223 is still alive and well working for the BNSF.