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BN 6613
BN 6613 was the last of a 14 unit order of Great Northern EMD F45's built in 1969 and delivered in Big Sky Blue. The fourteen were numbered 427-440 (after the SD45's) and were placed immediately into transcontinental service being assigned to Havre, MT.
As the 440 was built in August 1969 I never got to see it before the March 1970 BN merger as it was just in service for 7 months before the merger! But there is a photo on rrpicturearchives of the GN 440 at Minneapolis, MN
The GN 440 was soon renumbered to BN 6613 and continued to run on mainline freight assigned to Havre, MT under BN.
I first saw the BN 6613 on 9-20-70.at the ex-GN Interbay facility after coming off Stevens Pass westbound with 6613/CBQ 961/3015/671 (F45/GP30/GP40/F7B) My notes say the 6613 was still BSB.
Another photo found on rrpicturearchives shows the 6613 at Denver, CO in 1973, still Big Sky Blue:
The 6613 was probably repainted BN green soon after this as a photo.from 1974 shows it BN green.
My one and only photo of the 6613 was taken at Interbay 8-14-82. Note that the paint looks very fresh, no doubt the second repainting of the 6613 was fairly recent.
BN retired the 6613 in June of 1984 but instead of scrapping the 6613 was one of four ex-GN F45's leased to the Utah Railway in 1985 for coal hauling service.
rrpictureachhives has a few photos of the UTAH 6613 but just this one still in service:
After the lease ended in April of 1991 the four F45's were retired and cut up for scrap at Martin, UT with the 6613 being cut up in May of 1992.