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BN 2203

BN 2203 was built as the Great Northern 3003 in April of 1963.

The GN 3003 is one of seventeen GP30's built for the GN, all from the same order and worked primarily on the transcontinental main line between the Twin Cities and Seattle. The GN Lines West book shows photos of GP30's including the 3003 leading trains.

My notes say I never saw the GN 3003 before the BN March 1970 merger.

After the March 1970 BN merger the GN 3003 was assigned to Interbay and soon renumbered BN 2203.. My first photo of the 2203 was taken 6-17-74 at the former GN facility at Interbay north of Seattle, WA

Note the two different fonts on the numbers in the number boards. Speculation is the 22 was added by BN in place of the 30 while the 03 is the last two digits reused from 3003 making for the 2203.

A few months later on 8-3-74 while up at Interbay during the graveyard shift, train 148 arrived with 4259/2206/2203 (C425/GP30/GP30) and I got to hostle the power into the engine house for servicing. I operated the three units from GP30 2203. Fun experience for a railfan!

Three years later while at North Portal, WA 2-24-77 southbound train 139 with units 2203/610/2218/2511 (GP30/F7A/GP30/GP35) being passed by train 150 with 6448/2202/2079 (SD45/GP30/GP38-2)

On 1-20-81 I was back at Interbay and photographed the 2203 , this photo showing it with another GP30 and a GP9.

And a roster photo of the 2203 at Interbay the same day. Note the Burlington Northern lettering is peeling off.

BN 2203 West (northbound #399) at Tacoma, WA 5-1-82 with EMD's 2203/2520/2519 (GP30/GP35/GP35), all three former Great Northern.

While at Vancouver, WA 9-6-82 I photographed train #393 with units 2203/2211/1873 (GP30/GP30/GP9) leading.

I certainly had good luck catching the 2203 leading trains!

After being retired by BN in June of 1989 the 2203 was rebuilt by MK to GP39M 2825 10-19-89 and returned to service wearing BN's latest "white faced" paint scheme. Here is the BN 2825 at Paradise, MT 7-16-90 on the MRL.

After the BNSF merger the BN 2825 was relettered BNSF 2825 spending a good part of its time in Minnesota working the Northtown area on the BNSF still painted in BN green.

That changed in 2012 when the 2825 went to Kansas City and got the latest orange and black paint scheme. Here is a photo from rrpicturearchives showing the painting in progress.

And a final photo of the BNSF 2825 in BNSF black and orange also from rrpicturearchives:

The last photo I have seen of the BNSF 2825 is at Longmount, CO in 2020. No photos since so it could be time has run out for the former BN 2203.