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BN 3018
BN 3018 was built by EMD as CB&Q GP40 188 in December of 1966. It was one of twenty 3000 HP GP40's numbered 170-189, built in 1966 for the Burlington Route. After the March 1970 BN merger the CB&Q 188 was renumbered to BN 3018 and remained in Chinese red for more than three years. I purchased a slide of the 3018 in Q colors off eBay showing it at Portland, OR in 1971
Brian Ambrose collection
According to the BN Roster, BN renumbering and repainting site the 3018 was painted BN green in August of 1973.
My own personal encounter with the BN 3018 came on Thanksgiving Day 11-28-74 at Interbay when train #97 arrived with units 3018/USA 2059/USA 2055/USA 2054/USA 2053.USA 2049/USA 2050 The six ex-US Army Alco MRS1's had been sold to the Alaska Railroad and were on their way there being worked west from Chicago. Back then another railfan friend and I were well known and being allowed to help the hostler move power around at the busy facility during the graveyard shift. After the inbound crew of 97 got off the 3018 I was told to bring the power into the fueling facility called the white house. I got up in the cab of the 3018 and found it was crowded with machinists and helpers. But I got in the engineers seat and moved the power down into the white house and spotted the 3018 with the six Alco's behind it where the roundhouse foreman motioned for me to stop and then everyone headed out of the cab to start working. Back in 1974 we could do things like that on the graveyard shift.
I bought another slide of the 3018 in BN green on eBay taken 6-5-78 . The slide mount did not give a location.
Brian Ambrose collection
Note that the Q nose headlight is plated over and has been moved up between the number boards.
A little over a year later on 8-23-79 the 3018 was destroyed in a head on collision at Maiden Rock, WI. Sister GP40's 3014 and 3021 were also heavily damaged in the same wreck. The three GP40's were trailing SDP40 6399 on westbound #23 when they collided head on with the standing eastbound #182 which was led by F45 6633. #23 was supposed to stop and crossover ahead of #182 but did not. Crew on #23 were injured but survived. There was no crew on board the 6633. Both the 6399 and 6633 were repaired but the three GP40 were scrapped.