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BN 6606

BN 6606 was part of a 14 unit order (427-440) of EMD F45's delivered to the Great Northern in 1969 as the GN 433 in Big Sky Blue colors. It was placed immediately into transcontinental service being assigned to Havre, MT with the other F45's.

While riding a GN excursion train to Leavenworth, WA on 2-1-70 I noted three GN F45's at Interbay as we passed by, the 431/429/433.

A little more than a month later came the BN merger and the 433 was renumbered 6606. Oddly enough I first saw the BN 6606 while riding a BN passenger excursion to Leavenworth on 9-25-71! It was on a westbound freight at Interbay led by 5713/6606/6515/6631 (U33C/F45/SD45/F45).

The 6606 remained in GN's BSB paint for many years as my first photo of it shows, taken at Interbay on 8-27-74.

It was painted BN green soon after. I photographed it at Interbay on 8-31-82 in clean looking BN paint.

The following year I caught the 6606 at Seattle's Stacy Street yard on 9-6-83.

It is interesting to note that the south end of the Alaskan Way viaduct pictured here was removed just last month (October 2011).

In June of 1984 the BN retired all of the ex-GN F45's and they went back to the lessor NRE. Some were sold as a parts source and others sold for scrap while four (6606-6608,6613) were leased to the Utah Railway in April of 1985 to work mine runs. None were repainted but were given new Utah markings. The lease ended in April of 1991 and the four were removed from service and soon scrapped, the 6606 cut up at Price, UT in May 1992.