Western Railroad Discussion > Fam-damily portrait!

Yesterday (1st) I was on my way down to Kansas City for the monthly Roundtable dinner. As usual I stopped in Topeka for the some routine railfan reconnaissance. Uncle Pete was more or less ‘out-to-lunch’ and there were the usual couple of idle BNSF coal train units sitting at 4th St north of the Amtrak station. When I took a spin over the Branner St overpass I saw enough down below to warrant photographic investigation. So I parked the rig and headed up up those pedestrian stairs at the SE corner of the bridge.

While performing the famous “Branner Walk” in the October sunshine it looked like a family day down there. There was a full mix of orange cousins and blue & yellow brothers parked around, with several old Red & Silver geezers sitting stored. Of special interest to GP-30 fans were these four 2400-something elder brothers sitting along the Topeka Sub main. There was no mistaking those ancient roof profiles. They looked like were in easy position for an eastbound pickup. Might they be destined for the same fate that has befallen so many other aging brothers?

1. A mixed-bag of lettering styles congregates down below. Present, but not seen is the solid black BNSF lettering on the 988 plus the large red Santa Fe on that Red & Silver funny uncle 661 hiding in back (see image #3).

2. Blue & Yellow BNSF 2420, 2415, 2421 & either 2405 or 06 sit at the far east end of a deadline. Note the ATS wayside inductor.

3. Aging Red & Silver BNSF 661 contemplates an uncertain future.
(3 photos taken from the Branner Street overpass in Topeka, KS on October 1, 2015

Thanks for looking!
Lance Garrels
santafe199

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#3 ..661 or 601?  Nice pix/thanks
Roger Beckett

up833 Wrote: > 661 or 601?

Confirmed to be the 661, Roger. I also took an overhead long vertical view (image #4) and 661 is clearly visible below the rear headlight...

Lance/199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/02/15 11:14 by santafe199.

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I've seen the 2400 series units around there a handful of times over the last 10 years. I probably have shots of some on my hard drive at home still. I'll have to look. If they haven't left for the scrapyard by now, then they may not for awhile still.

Found some shots on my DeviantArt profile of a large handful of them on the deadlines east of the same facility: 
http://factorone33.deviantart.com/art/The-Ultimate-Lash-up-421655670?q=gallery%3Afactorone33%2F700386&qo=20
http://factorone33.deviantart.com/art/Lined-For-Nowhere-421647286?q=gallery%3Afactorone33%2F700386&qo=21
http://factorone33.deviantart.com/art/The-Greatest-Generation-130428960

Hopefully they all continue to go to Relco for rebuild!