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BN 1784


BN GP9 1784 was built by EMD as the Great Northern 711 in April of 1956.

It was the last of an order numbered 704-711 built with dynamic brakes and delivered in the Great Northern Empire Builder colors of orange and green. That group of GP9's were assigned to Lines West. There is a photo of the GN 711 in the Great Northern Pictorial Vol 1 by Joseph Shine in pretty well worn orange and green. The GN 711 was noted as still being assigned to Lines West - Cascade Division in 1969.

Kevin Piper has a nice slide in his collection of the GN 711 at Klamath Falls, OR with a pair of SP&S C636's taken in August 1969:

Kevin Piper Collection

On February 15, 1970 while at Interbay yard I noted the 711/3021/474B/460D (GP9/GP35/F9B/F7A) in the engine facility.

After the March 1970 BN merger the GN 711 was renumbered BN 1784 and reassigned south to the SP&S facility at Vancouver, WA.

I first saw the BN 1784 on 1-30-71 on a southbound freight through Auburn, WA with units 9774/1784/752 (F7A/GP9/F7A) with NP caboose 10401 bringing up the rear of the trin. It should be noted the 9774 was in ex-NP passenger colors and the 752 in ex-NP freight colors and the 1784 still in GN orange and green.

The 1784 remained assigned to Vancouver, WA through the 1970's and later painted into BN green.

I photographed the 1784 at Auburn, WA on 3-8-79 in the ex-NP engine facility.

The BN 1784 lasted until the mid-80's and was retired by the BN in early 1986 and scrapped at Spokane's Parkwater shops 8/86.