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BN 4363

BN 4363 was built as SP&S 333 in December of 1967. It was the fourth of six Alco C636's built 12/67-1/68 for the SP&S numbered 330-335. After the March 1970 BN merger the SP&S 333 was renumbered BN 4363 and kept the attractive yellow and green SP&S paint for a number of years before getting the BN green. The 4363 along with the other nine C636's were assigned to Vancouver, WA, a haven for BN Alco's. In February 1971 the BN 4363 made a number of trips over the former NP's Stampede Pass route as noted in one example of Easton's "Station Record of Train Movements" for 2-12-71.

First time I saw the 4363 was on 9-25-71. It was at Interbay, WA with 2 other SP&S painted Alco's and a former GN sky blue F45. My first photos of the 4363 came in 1977 well after it got BN green paint. Here BN train #148 heads northward past Seattle's Kingdome on 6-10-77 behind units 4363/610/805/2202.

The 3 EMD's do look quite small compared to the massive Alco leading them! On 5-31-78 I rostered the BN 4363 at Interbay and the BN paint is really starting to fade on the big unit.

But time was starting to run out for the former SP&S Alco's. On a trip to Portland in May of 1980 I viewed the deadlines of BN Alco's. Lots and lots of Alco's but I did not note the 4363 among them.

I did catch up to the 4363 a few months later at Tacoma, WA, along with BN 4367. Both had been retired in June 1980 and were at J. Simons and Sons awaiting scrapping. Here is the 4363 that one last time on 7-7-80.

Note the class lights missing and broken numberboard. A very sad ending to the tough looking locomotive I first photographed passing the Kingdome just 3 years before.