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BN 6598


BN SDP45 6598 was originally built as the Great Northern 332 in August 1967. The 332 was one of eight EMD SDP45's purchased by the GN numbered 326-333. All of the SDP45's were delivered in Big Sky Blue and became regular power on the Empire Builder passenger train and saw service on secondary passenger trains as well. There are three really nice photos of the GN 332 on rrpicturearchives:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/LocoPicture.aspx?id=161177

After the March 1970 BN merger the GN 332 was renumbered BN 9862.and continued pulling BN passenger trains as well as freight trains when needed until Amtrak. BN did not want the ex-GN SDP's in Amtrak service so pulled them from the passenger trains before Amtrak started up.

During April 1974 the BN 9863 was renumbered to BN 6598 to fit into the freight pool numbering system. All of the SDP45's were assigned to Havre, MT at that time.

My first photo of the BN 6598 was at Interbay 5-30-78.

I photographed the 6598 one more time at Auburn, WA 6-29-80. It would make a trip over Stampede Pass later that day on an eastbound XO8 with units 6827/6506/6538/6598/1844. (SD40-2/SD45/SD45/SDP45/GP9):

In 1986 BN 6598 was retired by BN and sold to General Metals for scrap.