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BN 1630

BN GP7 1630 was built as NP 556 in March of 1952, part of a small four unit order of NP GP7's numbered 555-558. The 556 had a steam generator installed for use on the Lewiston, ID passenger train run soon after delivery until around 1954. The last known assigned maintenance base for the 556 before the BN merger was the Tacoma Division at Auburn, WA

First time I saw the 556 was at Auburn, WA 9-18-68 in a consist of 555/558/556/7004C/7013B (3 GP7s and 2 F9B's)

After the March 1970 BN merger the NP 556 was renumbered BN 1630 and among the first in BN green as the BN Roster, Renumbering and Repainting site says it was repainted BN green 3-31-70. I first saw the BN 1630 at Interbay north of Seattle, WA in local service. The 1630 was still assigned to Auburn, WA. I purchased a real nice slide of the BN 1630 on eBay that shows it at Auburn. No other info is marked on the slide.

There is a real nice photo of the BN 1630 leading a southbound transfer out of Auburn in 1976 on RailPictures.net from 1976. Note the thinner numbers on the carbody, early BN repaints had this style of numbers for awhile before the thicker number style replaced them:

I took this poor quality slide of the 1630 at Interbay on 1-18-77 but it is a photo of the 1630.

That would also be my last photo of the GP7 before it was destroyed in a head on wreck at South Seattle on the night of 10-8-77.

BN northbound train 138 with units 2510/WP 3007/WP 3060/WP 3062/WP 3010/2227 (GP35/GP35/U30B/U30B/GP35/GP30) had stopped at the south end of South Seattle to drop off some of its locomotives for a southbound train to pick up later. The brakeman failed to wait the required 5 minutes to line the crossover switches to take the locomotives to a side track at South Seattle. A southbound caboose hop train 143 with units 730/1630/707/720 (F7A/GP7/F7B/F7A) had just passed the last signals to the north so when they came around the curve saw too late the red signal at the crossover and the switches lined in front of them to the track 138 was standing on. 143 took the crossover at around 50 mph and slammed into 138. Upon hitting GP35 2510 head on F7A 730 rose up and the 1630 rode underneath it tearing up the long hood of the GP7 and it then caught on fire. In all the first two units of each train was destroyed, crewman were injured (luckily no fatalities) and there was a lot of damage. Here is a photo I took the morning after that shows BN 730 on its side and the 1630 on the other side of it 10-9-77.

BN 1630 as well as many of the other wrecked units were moved to Auburn, WA for disposition.

I later photographed the 1630 at Auburn with a large chunk of its short hood cut out 12-26-77. Not sure why but possibly for repairs to another GP7 or GP9. I have never heard for sure.

On 4-12-78 another photo of the 1630 at Auburn, this time a rear end roster photo.

It was officially retired 4-28-78 but I got one last photo of the 1630 at Auburn 8-8-78 showing the other side from the rear.

Information says it was cut up for scrap at Auburn.