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BN 725

In September 1949 Northern Pacific ordered six A-B-B-A sets of F7's from EMD and these were delivered as NP 6007 to 6012 and were all assigned to the Yellowstone Division.

The 6011 set was involved in a collision with a W-2 Mikado steam locomotive at Wibaux, MT on 9-20-54. All four units of the 6011 set were later returned to service.

After 1957 NP started to split up the F-units sets and they began to mix with other NP F-units and Geeps more regularly. It was around 1961 that NP began applying larger numbers on the B-units.

In 1969 all four units of the 6011 set were assigned to the Rocky Mountain Division at Livingston, MT. It was also in 1969 when I saw the 6011C a few times before the BN merger. These examples:

06-09-69 5409A/5409B/7011B/6011C/6011D Auburn, WA
08-16-69 6007D/6020B/6011C/6020D Seattle, WA

Note it is all F-units mixed with the 6011C.

After the 1970 BN merger the 6011C was renumbered BN 725 and assigned to Auburn, WA for maintenance. The first time I saw the BN 725 was at Interbay on 6-27-70, still in NP paint. I actually did not see the 725 out on the road until 5-16-71 when it was on train #174 at Easton in this power consist:

BN 6470/1995/725/662/743/732/1853 (SD45/GP18/F7B/F7A/F7B/F7A/GP9) with the 6470 in CB&Q paint, the 662 in GN orange and the rest still in NP paint. In March 1975 I noted it was still in NP colors.

I have no paint date when it was repainted BN green but one of my older slides of it from September 1977 shows it in fresh green paint.

This image a year later on 12-26-78 shows the 725 in BN green paint.

And this photo at Interbay taken on 3-87-79 shows the other side of the 725.

Note the grills appear to be different on both sides. On 2-10-80 the 725 was involved in a derailment near Sumas, WA. The five units on the train were 726/828/725/724/1724 with the 725 though staying upright received some body damage. Here is the 725 and 726 at Auburn, WA 3-2-80.

Another photo of the 725 at Auburn, WA the same day, 3-2-80.

It was a surprise when the 725 was ordered repaired and got as far as new body panels and primer when work was stopped on it and the 725 was placed in storage at Auburn.

The 725 was later placed on the old roundhouse whisker tracks at Auburn with other F-units and was photographed one last time on 3-9-81 with this photo showing the other side of the F7B.

The BN 725 was retired on 11/81 and sold to Railcar 12/81 and finally Pielet 1/91. There has been no info or photos of the 725 since so chances are it has been scrapped.