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BN 732
BN F7A 732 was built by EMD as NP 6014A in May of 1951, one of six sets of A-B-B-A's F7's numbered 6013-6018. After being set up all six sets were assigned to the Tacoma Division. By 1969 all of the F7's were reassigned elsewhere, the 6014 set to the Yellowstone Division.
After the 1970 BN merger the NP 6014A was renumbered to BN 732 and reassigned back west to the Seattle Region at Auburn. My notes show I first saw the BN 732 on eastbound #174 leaving Auburn with units 6470/1995/725/662/743/732/1853 (SD45/GP18/F7B/F7A/F7B/F7A/GP9) on 5-16-71. I noted the 732 still in NP paint.
When I first photographed the 732 at South Seattle, WA 4-6-76 leading Crew 3 northbound it was still in NP paint.
On 5-11-76 I caught the 732 leading crew 3 again but it was leading an A-B-A set of F7's and all were still in NP paint!
On 4-7-78 I photographed the 732 at Interbay and by then it was finally in BN green paint. Rather dirty green paint however.
My next photo of the 732 came on 10-12-78 leading train 146 into Argo, units are 732/706/2092/2088 (F7A/F3A/GP38-2/GP38-2)
I next caught it leading the westbound North Bend Turn into Renton, WA 3-2-79.
It was nicely posed side by side with FP7 726 at Interbay 1-22-80 and shows the differences in nose striping between some of the BN F-units. The 726 is former NP 6601.
A morning at Auburn, WA found the 732 in the former NP engine facility 1-11-81.
A few months later on 3-26-81 it was leading Crew 3 on a long switching move north of Interbay. Units are 732/847/720/2217 (F7A/F9B/F7A/GP30).
A few month later I caught the 732 again backing into the engine facility at Interbay with a couple of other ex-NP units.
Leading the North Bend Turn again on 6-29-81 BN 732/847/1854 are at Black River where they will run around the train and head south to Auburn and tie up.
Another look at the 732 led North Bend Turn at Black River 6-29-81.
The last time I photographed the 732 was on 7-3-81 at Carkeek Park along Puget Sound leading the southbound Auburn-Everett Turn with units 732/847.
And one last photo of the 732 at Carkeek Park, former GN territory.
The 732 was retired shortly after in November 1981 and sold for scrap. But it certainly did seem to get a lot of publicity leading trains for the BN!