You are here: Home > Northern Pacific Section > BN 1754

BN 1754

A few weeks ago while crossing eastern Washington I stopped at Warden near Moses Lake as I had seen photos of an ex-NP GP9 there so I thought I would investigate. Not only did I find one but there were two former NP GP9's here on the Columbia Basin Railway! But this report will cover the original GP9 I wanted to find and photograph, the ex-Washington Central 302.

Northern Pacific had 30 GP9's (NP 285-316) delivered in February of 1957 of which the last was NP 316, the unit being researched here. The 316 was planned to be built without dynamic brakes but was delivered with them and was assigned to the Idaho Division. I never saw the 316 myself but did after the BN merger once it was numbered BN 1754 and painted green.

The 1754 was assigned to Pasco, WA up to 1976 from the info I have seen.

But I first saw it at Wenatchee, WA on 6-16-84 and it was stenciled Parkwater for maintenance.

So sometime between 1976 and 1984 it moved from Pasco to Parkwater in Spokane where it remained until retired 12/85.

In 1986 BN sold the former NP Pasco-Cle Elum mainline to shortline Washington Central and the BN 1754 was acquired and renumbered WCRC 302 and repainted red and black as well as having the short hood chop nosed. Passing through Yakima, WA on 4-18-87 I photographed the 302 at the engine facility.

The 302 worked out of Yakima as did WCRC GP9 301, another former NP unit. In May of 1992 the Spirit of Washington dinner train moved their operations from the Yakima area to Renton, WA and the 302 and 301 were moved west to power the train out of Renton on the BN's former NP Woodinville Sub.

Here the 302 is at Renton with a leased BN unit (301 was down for repairs) 9-16-92 ready to take the dinner train north to Woodinville.

On April 3, 1993 the southbound lunch train has GP9's 302/301 up front as it runs down the shoreline of Lake Washington at Kennydale (where I live) towards Renton.

In 1993 new power for the train was purchased and the two GP9's were sent back to Yakima until 1996 when the Pasco-Cle Elum line was purchased back from the WCRC by the BNSF. The 301 and 302 were BNSF property now and I saw both on Seattle area locals from time to time but never did get a good photo of them.

The 302 went to the TSWR (Toppenish, Simcoe and Western) in 2000 and worked the ex-NP White Swan branch for a number of years until they were outbid by the Columbia Basin Railway who took over freight operations on the branch in December of 2005. TSWR sold the 302 to CBRW and it has worked the various branches owned by CBRW including Prosser and Othello.

Which brings me to Thursday, July 9, 2009 as I arrived at Warden to find the 302 with SD9 166. A quick roster shot of the GP9 as there were crewmen on the 166 and it looked as if they are about to leave.

Soon I hear the two units rev up and start backing away from me. I follow a short ways in the car getting one last broadside of the 302 before turning back to the highway.

I was quite pleased to have photographed the 302 once again after all these years. It has been quite sometime since I last photographed it. I then turned my attention to the other former NP GP9 about ready to head north, CBRW 1626 but that will be an update for another day.