Western Railroad Discussion > Flagstaff GEs

Being that I spend just about all my working hours in the Los Angeles area, it is so nice to get out of town and be surprised by seeing these two in Flagstaff, AZ. I'm so sick of seeing BNSF GEVO Wedges pulling double stacks. This was a great sight for sore eyes.

Zak Gardner / Glendora, CA.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/14 09:36 by zgardner18.

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That's the local power stationed up there.

Back in the old days, those would probably have been considered helpers, probably working the grade between Seligman and Flag, or between Holbrook and Flag. Looks like the BNSF keeps them in service so much, there is little opportunity to keep them looking good.

Their looking awfully ragged.

zgardner18 Wrote:
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> I'm so sick of seeing BNSF GEVO
> Wedges pulling double stacks.

I laughed while reading this because I say the same thing a lot. A pair of crappy B-boats would make me happy too. I loved BN Cascade Green and loved Santa Fe blue and yellow, and red and silver, but that pumpkin scheme is bad news! It looks okay when new and clean but sure doesn't age well.

Andy

AndyBrown Wrote:
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> zgardner18 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'm so sick of seeing BNSF GEVO
> > Wedges pulling double stacks.
>
> I laughed while reading this because I say the
> same thing a lot. A pair of crappy B-boats would
> make me happy too. I loved BN Cascade Green and
> loved Santa Fe blue and yellow, and red and
> silver, but that pumpkin scheme is bad news! It
> looks okay when new and clean but sure doesn't age
> well.
>
> Andy


That is why I model the BNSF in the summer of 2005 in Montana. Mainly because of the MRL but mostly because when I lived up there I saw everything on those tracks. I loved seeing the old BN units mixed with Santa Fe. I didn't mind too much seeing them with a pumpkin or two.

I'm just saying that it makes it hard to get motivated to stop by the BNSF tracks anymore. I mostly railfan UP around here because at least they have a good mixture of EMD with GE units plus they run more mix freight. But I do have to admit that even though I do complain, I am still grateful for the quantity of trains in So Cal.

Zak Gardner / Glendora, CA.

There was an ATSF unit in this series that got a fresh ATSF warbonnet paintscheme even after the merger, does anyone recall what number it was and if it still exists as such?

Thanks,

Dan in Wichita, on the ATSF Arkansas City Subdivision

butchc Wrote:
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> Back in the old days, those would probably have
> been considered helpers, probably working the
> grade between Seligman and Flag, or between
> Holbrook and Flag. Looks like the BNSF keeps them
> in service so much, there is little opportunity to
> keep them looking good.


BNSF/ATSF/A&P never used helpers out of Holbrook, even in 1882. Haven't been manned helpers Winslow to Angell since about 1950.

Manned helpers have been gone from Seligman to Flag (Bellemont) since at least 1961, if not before.

zgardner18 Wrote:
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> Being that I spend just about all my working hours
> in the Los Angeles area, it is so nice to get out
> of town and be surprised by seeing these two in
> Flagstaff, AZ. I'm so sick of seeing BNSF GEVO
> Wedges pulling double stacks. This was a great
> sight for sore eyes.

I get it, but sad be the day when something as ratty as these two misfits are considered "sight for sore eyes."

I also remember in the mid-1980s hearing "so sick of seeing SD40-2s." That era lasted about 10-plus-spare-change years. Wonder how long the BNSF GEVO era will last?

Not that I'm disagreeing with your assessment, it's just that the statements seem comical to this old guy. Sigh.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/14 12:01 by BCHellman.

This pair just got back into Flagstaff today after spotting LPG tanks and picking up cinder hoppers at Darling (Winona for you folks on I40).

I agree, as ratty as they look, they are not GEVOs.

Ted Ferkenhoff
Flagstaff AZ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/26/14 13:57 by tferk.

If the cement plant ever goes into Seligman that power might run out of there as a local.
Be interesting to see what paint job they put on those, the local power doesn't seem to
be getting the full Powerbar treatment.

Out

BCHellman Wrote:
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> zgardner18 Wrote:

Wonder how long the
> BNSF GEVO era will last?
>


Longer than I will unfortunately.

One unit was the 573 shown at Watson yard Wilmington, CA, Nov 2000. In addition the 680 was also painted like this the same year.
JB

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