Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF GP60 conversion # 170 ( former GP60B # 347 )

List,
as some of you may be aware while other may not in mid april 2010 BNSF sent stored GP60B # 347 to Metro East Industries in East St Louis,IL as the prototype to have a cab added and the unit converted to a standard GP60. If the engine proves sucessful I have heard rumors that all 22 of BNSF's GP60B's will be done this way. The cab for this unit came from retired Union Pacific SD40-2 # 3751. After completion the unit has been renumbered as BNSF # 170 which makes them fall in the BNSF roster behind the GP60M's on BNSF's roster.
This unit was completed in early july by MEI and was used as a shop switcher for testing before shipping out.These images were taken at TRRA Madison yard in Venice,IL on monday july 26th 2010 on BNSF train YSTL1171 ( Madison Turn ). For some reason the unit was not painted by Metro East and as I type is 2nd unit of a five unit consist on BNSF train MSTLTUL enroute to Tulsa OK. The unit will be sent to Mid America Car in Kansas City for final paint. Thanks for taking the time to look.
Mark Mautner
Maryland Heights,MO

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That would make a interesting modeling project.

SP7615

Looks terrible.

JMW

Looks pretty cool to me!! Prototype Kitbash.

Thomas Austin
Centralia, IL
Joppa Sub Layout Site

Here's a shot of the UP 3751 from April 2007. If you look closely, the rust on top of the cab roof matches that of the BNSF 170's new cab.

James

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Mr MRL--there's another project for you! :)

DrLoco Wrote:
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> Mr MRL--there's another project for you! :)


Meh, no where near as interesting as it could have been... How about a GE "tear-drop" wide cab on the front, SD70ACe cab, or modified Topeka style cab?

Mr. MRL - pass...

Check out the horn! I love it.

I see they have added rear ditch lights too.

Well I hope the RTOI is been correctly been calculated as I would like to hope that one GP60 ABBA set would be saved for future generations.

It looks like the locomotive model on the frame still reads GP60B for the time being until MAC in KC gets it.

This should bring the end to the last of the true purpose built B unit. I can't imagine anyone will try that out again especially given the unit reduction success seen in the last 20 years.

Thanks for the update. It would be interesting to hear what the cost of the conversion was.

The frame still says GP 60B!

Thanks for the post, Mark. There are a lot of -2 units to be cut up so BNSF should have plenty of parts at a reasonable price. Something from an SD9 in a chop nose version might have looked interesting, though.

Many thanks from me too. Interesting to me is the particular version of EMD nose light that MEI fabricated.

Thanks for this post and images. VERY interesting.

That's a very interesting conversion. Kinda surprising that they don't number it above the existing standard cab 60's. Nice to see some class 1's spending some money on upgrading older standard cab power.

Am I the only one who sees the irony of the cab of UP #3751 going on a former Santa Fe unit? Seems like it was meant to be!

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Milwaukee Wrote:

> It looks like the locomotive model on the frame
> still reads GP60B for the time being until MAC in
> KC gets it.

...and the cab still says SD40-2.

funnelfan wrote:

> Am I the only one who sees the irony of the cab of UP #3751 going on a former Santa Fe
> unit?

Whoever scrawled "for BN" on the nose evidently didn't pick up on it...

Will MAC be adding an air conditioner, too?

funnelfan Wrote:
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> Am I the only one who sees the irony of the cab of
> UP #3751 going on a former Santa Fe unit? Seems
> like it was meant to be!


Ya beat me too it Ted!

Interesting discussion of the day candidate

Surprised at the lack of a cab air-conditioner.