Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF Scenic & Seattle Subs, Thursday Afternoon/Evening

We have finally broken out into full late Spring weather around here, with most days being sunny and warm. Today was no exception, and some time trackside at several different locations resulted in some interesting consists being seen.

1) 4:29 PM: Starting at Bridge 6.3 on the Scenic Sub in the Ballard neighborhood and next to the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks on the Lake Washington Ship Canal, first up was a southbound (timetable westbound) Cargill loaded grain unit with all CP power: ES44AC #8759 and AC4400CW's #9750 and #9816 (DPU). I assume that this was headed towards the Port of Seattle's large export elevator/terminal located between control points North Portal and Galer Street at the far west end of the Scenic Sub. If true, it's the first time I've seen a CP grain unit going to said terminal over the Bellingham and Scenic Subs*; these are usually forwarded as "Spokane International" trains on the UP via the border crossing at Eastport, ID, which enter BNSF's Seattle Sub at North Portland.

*Would this train have crossed the border at Blaine on the New Westminster/Bellingham Sub, or would it have crossed at Sumas on the Sumas Sub and entered the Bellingham Sub at Burlington?

2) 4:32 PM: While the grain unit continues to pass over the bridge, the tugboat Westrac has pulled forward underneath (note that the communications mast was lowered in order to do so, as it was high tide), and is now waiting on clearance to proceed into one of the two locks.

3) 4:45 PM: Next was a westbound manifest with C44-9W #5493, repainted-to-Heritage-III C44-9W #4434, ES44DC #7899, and C44-9W #4072 (sorry, no pictures of the power). In the consist were several ex-BN hoppers still in Cascade Green, including the #460818 seen here.

Continued...

---

---

---

Next Three:

4) 4:53 PM: As the two above trains were going over the bridge, I was wondering where the Sounders were. I checked the Sound Transit website for any service disruptions, but none were listed (and I didn't recall seeing anything here). I then assumed that despite the lack of info, that another landslide had occurred somewhere to the north, and that therefore neither the Sounders or the Empire Builder were going to show up. Wrong. The eastbound Builder* did show, with P40DC #818, but the two Sounders which usually run ahead of it did not. Anyone know what was up with Sounder service?

*The consist of the Builder was: Viewliner II baggage #61036, Superliner II transition-dormitory #39011, Superliner I sleeper #32000 Acadia, Superliner II sleeper #32074 Colorado, Superliner II diner #38057, Superliner I coach (chair) #34020, and Superliner II coach (chair) #34136.

5) 5:06 PM: Moving over to the engine servicing terminal at Balmer Yard (behind the roundhouse), here we see a line of stored power: 3 SD9's (#1732, #1729, and #1730), GP38X #2171 (ex-BN, exx-Conrail GP38 #7845, nee-PC), and SW1200 #3534 (ex-BNSF, exx-BN #193, nee-NP #134). The 3 SD9's and the SW1200 have been restenciled to GN reporting marks. The #1732 is ex-BNSF, exx-#6132, exxx-BN #6236, exxxx-C&S, nee-#841, the #1729 is ex-BNSF, exx-#6110, exxx-BN, nee-GN #583, and the #1730 is ex-BNSF, exx-#6125, exxx-BN, nee-GN #598. The #2171 was 1 of 26 GP38's (10 nee-PC GP38X's and 16 nee-AT&SF GP38u's) which were reported to have been traded to Larry's Truck & Electric in turn for 24 nee-AT&SF GP30u's for BNSF's GP39-3 rebuild program.

In the upper center right background behind the large tank marked "new lube oil" from left to right are SD40-2 #1781 (ex-#7036, nee-BN), SD38P #1563 (ex-#1802, exx-#6262, exxx-BN, nee-SLSF SD38-2 #298), and GP38-2 #2326 (ex-BN, nee-SLSF #471). Out of frame to the right (the shadows can be in seen in the right background) were Heritage-II-painted SD60M #1453 (ex-#8176, exx-#9276, nee-BN) and another EMD which I could not identify.

6) 5:07 PM: Over at the fuel rack was a large variety of EMD power. On the closest track from left to right were GP50 #3186 (ex-AT&SF #3833), GP39-3 #2642 (ex-GP35u #2592, exx-AT&SF #2892, exxx-GP35 #3392, nee-#1392), and by itself GP38-2 #2347 (ex-BN, nee-SLSF #677). On the next track from left to right were SD40-2's #1682 (ex-#6809, exx-BN, nee-#6349), #1796 (ex-#7826, exx-BN, exxx-C&S, nee-#956), and #1880 (ex-#6770, nee-AT&SF #5111). Of the three engines on the farthest track (other side of the rack), I could only identify the one farthest to the left, GP39E #2918 (ex-BN, exx-GP35 #2579, nee-SLSF #729).

Continued...

---

---

---

Next Three:

7) 5:07 PM: Just to the left of the fuel rack were GP38-2 #2089 (ex-BN) and SW1500 #3439 (ex-BN #59, nee-SLSF #354). The two ex-BN hoppers on the right I believe hold sand for loading into engines at the rack.

8) 5:08 PM: This Hi-Rail truck was obviously in some sort of collision.

9) 5:09 PM: A view of SD40-2 #1781, SD38P #1563, and GP38-2 #2326.

Continued...

---

---

---

Next Three:

10) 5:09 PM: A view of SD40-2 #1934 (ex-#7135, nee-BN). Out of frame on the right was GP39-3 #2645 (ex-GP35u #2581, exx-AT&SF #2958, exxx-GP35 #3458, nee-#1458).

11) 7:53 PM: Almost three hours later, in the rapidly-redeveloping South Lake Union area north of Downtown, here we see one of the South Lake Union Streetcars outside the carbarn, just east of the intersection of Harrison St. and Fairview Ave. Both the South Lake Union and First Hill streetcars have full wrap-around adds; this car has an add for the Jim Henson Collection at the Museum of Pop Culture (formerly the Experience Music Project) at Seattle Center.

12) 7:53 PM: Looking west down Harrison St., towards where the lead up the slope to the carbarn splits off of the northbound track of the line at the intersection of Harrison St. and Terry Ave.

Continued...

---

---

---

Next Three:

13) 7:59 PM: Speaking of the First Hill line, here's one at the corner of Broadway and Boren Ave.

14) 8:20 PM: Back to the BNSF now, this time at CP Coach Wye at MP 2.5 on the Seattle Sub, here's a northbound intermodal, with C44-9W #5259, ET44C4 #3811, and 2 DPU's, both C44-9W's: #4947 and #5195. This train came to a stop, and at first I thought it was for a light engine move which had just taken place, consisting of CREX ES44AC #1410 and 3 C44-9W's (Warbonnet-painted #781, #5454, and #4068; sorry, no pictures), but instead it turned out to be waiting for the southbound Z-CHCSSE, with ES44C4 #7955, ES44DC #7362, C44-9W #4831, ES44C4 #6826, and C44-9W #5277 (again, sorry, no pictures).

15) 8:36 PM: Moving over to what used to be the lead tracks up to Union Station, where UP commonly parks power in between assignments (when not over at their engine terminal), here we see 3 SD70M's, with #4322 in the lead.

Continued...

---

---

---

Next Three:

16) 8:45 PM: Next down at CP Bailey at MP 3.6 on the Seattle Sub, here we see in one of the holding tracks an oil unit with ES44C4 #7029 and C44-9W #5481 (I don't what the DPU['s] were).

17) 8:45 PM: On the next holding track over was an approximately-70-car-long autorack unit, with C44-9W #4870, UP SD70ACe #8539, and CREX ES44AC #1349.

18) 8:52 PM: Going south on Airport Way past CP Van Asselt at MP 5.4, on the farthest track to the west, which is used for UP trains going to and from Argo Yard, was a parked northbound intermodal. On front were C45ACCTE (ES44AC) #7692 and SD70M #4635, and the DPU was C45ACCTE (ES44AC) #7662 seen here.

Continued...

---

---

---

Last Two:

19) 8:53 PM: Going further south to CP's Rhodes and Boeing (MP's 6.3 and 6.6), the last afterglow of the sunset is reflected by the snowpack and glaciers of Mount Rainier, while in the bottom right corner is seen ES44C4 #6969 and NS increased-horsepower C40-9W (now C44-9W) #9326.

20) 8:53 PM: A view of #6969 and NS #9326.

---

---

Image #8 - Chevy - NOT Like a Rock!

Nice series.

Regards,
Russ Goodwin
Oakwood, GA

The CP came thru Blaine and was heading for California
Brian

Posted from iPhone

Interesting series, thanks for posting.

Good catch on the 1730, nee-GN 589. One of only two GN SD9's that had dynamic brakes. They
were assigned to Klamath Falls for their entire GN careers, and the Pasco area on the BN. I
believe it's sister has been donated to Skykomish for a display.

And thanks for the histories on the locomotives.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

As Mr. Rogers used to say--You had a wonderful day in the neighborhood!!!!

Thanks for the really NICE series!

Larry

Thanks for the past reporting marks on all the locomotives. I was up there in January and saw the same set of SD9s and probably some of the other stuff, and wondered where all they'd been in life...

Nice sunset shot of Rainier, too! It should be showing itself here in Portland now, too, with the clear weather.

Ted in OR

Thanks to everyone for the compliments!

ntharalson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I believe it's sister has been donated to Skykomish for a display.

Correct. The #599 to BN #6126 to BNSF #6126 (1st) to #1731 (1st) to GN #1731 was indeed donated to Skykomish. I've attached a photo taken in Skykomish on Saturday, July 12th, 2014, with the engine still in Cascade Green. It has since been returned to GN Pullman Green & Omaha Orange.

---

upbuddyboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The CP came thru Blaine and was heading for California.
> Brian

Thanks, Brian, for the info! Are these trains running on a semi-regular or regular basis, or are they only run occasionally based on demand? Anyone know the symbol(s)? Thanks in advance!

Rainier_Rails Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It has since been
> returned to GN Pullman Green & Omaha Orange.

And with the incorrect addition of a white side sill stripe. Yuck!

Rainier_Rails Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The #1732 is ex-BNSF, exx-#6132,
> exxx-BN #6236, exxxx-C&S, nee-#841,

GN 1732 had all of its traction motors removed last year. It now sits on four idler axles with nothing in the center position of each truck.

Rainier_Rails Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 8) 5:08 PM: This Hi-Rail truck was obviously in
> some sort of collision.

Yep....rear-ended by a coal train. The individual had track & time on Main 1 going east from Bridge 6.3. He set on to Main 2 and made it five miles before the train caught up to him. No injuries.