You are here: Home > Northern Pacific Section > BN 6418

BN 6418

Northern Pacific purchased 30 SD45's in three groups. NP 3618 was a part of the second group of 16 numbered 3604-3619 delivered in April and May of 1967. The first time I ever saw the 3618 was 2 years after it was built 5-17-69 while at Easton, WA. It was on eastbound #606 with units 2811/2509/3618/217. (U28C/U25C/SD45/GP9) and had come east on the Milwaukee Road as Stampede Pass was shut down because of washouts. It crossed over to the NP on an connecting track between the NP and Milwaukee. Here is a photo showing the NP 3618 during this move.

The next time I saw the 3618 was on 11-1-69, again at Easton leading westbound #603 towards Stampede Pass. The train had stopped near the Easton Wye to pick up an F9B left behind by an eastbound earlier in the day. The engineer invited my dad and I up into the cab of the 3618 for a ride out to the mainline after the F9B had been added to the consist. I was 14 years old and as this was my only ride on an NP SD45 before the merger it would explain my fondness for this locomotive. With the power back on the train dad and I got off and watched the 3618/2806/2800/7004C (SD45/U28C/U28C/F9B) depart west.

That was the last time I saw the NP 3618 pre-merger

After the BN merger it was renumbered to its new number, 6418 rather quickly as I saw it at the former GN Interbay facility 7-7-70 still in NP colors but now sublettered BN 6418. It was still in NP colors early in the morning of 3-14-73 when eastbound train #82 with units C&S 875/6627/6520/6418 derailed just west of Skykomish, WA. The 6627 and 6520 landed on their sides but the 6418 slid down the embankment into the Skykomish River cab first on its side and burned.

It was dragged out of the river and sent to Hillyard in Spokane where I photographed it on 6-28-73 awaiting rebuilding.

But it was eventually rebuilt losing the nose light and extra side cab windows now looking pretty much like a standard late model BN SD45.

At Interbay on 4-10-80 I photographed the 6418 in BN green looking pretty good and coupled up to BN 5723 which was built as NP U33C 3308.

However you can also see the "bow" in the frame no doubt gained from the derailment at Skykomish. I photographed the 6418 one last time on 7-16-84 at South Seattle, WA.

The BN 6418 was retired a bit more than 2 years later 12/86 and sent to Pielet 3/87 for scrapping.

Athearn is to come out with Northern Pacific painted SD45's in HO scale early in 2010 and I am thinking I will have to make sure one of the ones I buy is going to be numbered 3618.