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BN 4180

I have never done a case history of NP's Alcos so I have decided I would do some research on the first NP RS11 900 from the time it was purchased up to when it was retired by the BN.

NP purchased two RS11's early in 1958 and numbered them 900 and 901. The idea was to compare their performance to GP9's. Apparently they performed well as 10 more RS11's were purchased later that year and all 12 were assigned to the St Paul Division. Being assigned to the eastern part of the system the 900 never did come to the western end as far as I can tell. Six more RS11's numbered 912-917 arrived on the NP in June of 1960 and being equipped with dynamic brakes were assigned to the Rocky Mountain Division, usually working between Livingston and the Twin Cities. By the mid-1960's these six were reassigned to the St Paul Division joining the other twelve.

After the BN merger all of the former NP RS11's moved west to join the former SP&S Alcos assigned to Vancouver, WA. I had never seen an NP RS11 until this time. The 900 had already been renumbered BN 4180 when I first saw it at Auburn, WA 1-30-71 leading ex-GN orange/green BN F7B 661 northbound towards Seattle.

My first photo of the 4180 came on 2-9-76 at Seattle's Interbay and it was still in NP colors almost 6 years after the merger.

While I have never seen a list of NP units repainted into the simplified scheme at least we know the 900 could be added to that list.

I tried to look for a date the 4180 was painted BN green but was unable to find that info. The next time I saw the 4180 was on 5-12-79 at Vancouver, WA and it was green then.

Sometime after that the 4180 was moved to Portland, OR and stored there where I photographed it for the last time on 5-3-80.

Three months later in August of 1980 the BN 4180 was officially retired. It went to Chrome Crankshaft in Illinois that same month and the trail goes cold at that point but I think it is safe to say the 4180 has probably been scrapped by now.