Western Railroad Discussion > Rainbow of units in the snow.

Well they did it to me again. I can't seem to finish my second cup of coffee lately. Again this morning I'm sitting at the kitchen table, look out and see something I have to go photograph. BNSF 5861 and fresh shiny NS 4318 a rebuilt GE AC44C6M went drifting by, light engines, backward, up Tiger Hill. Okay this is not normal, and there's something shiny, so I'm out the door and in pursuit. I catch them at East Tiger as they take the siding and sitting there on the main is the power off local 467, a tricolor set of older units BNSF 1981, 2839, 134. I got a quick shot of the orange black set and dropped back to get the local but they had disappeared down the deep cut East of the switch where the DS talked them by the signal and they followed the others West. Soon all the pieces of the puzzle came together, the local was running around their train at Tiger. The 2 units with the NS leader were pulled off a train delivered to Williams and went West, tying onto an eastbound train near Douglas that had laid down and would be coming back to meet local 467 there. I set up at the spur to the wind tower plant where 467 had dropped 5 loads and picked up 3 empties, their whole returning train. It took about half an hour for the eastbound to get his train together and moving up Tiger Hill passing West Tiger at 9 mph it finally crawled through the siding while 467 held the main. As it came into view around the curve the 2 motors I was expecting turned into 6, the NS 4318 and BNSF 5861 plus BNSF 7618, 8038, 6500, 3885. Well this show just kept getting better as NS 4318 East went pounding by the FRED on 467's short train, I was planning my next moves as it worked it's way down the curves on Tiger Hill. The reverse curve at MP 411 was on the short list and the light would favor the Catoosa tornado at Denbo St crossing. That would leave me 2 blocks from home and I could finish my morning coffee, just in time for lunch. I enjoyed the break. Hope you enjoy the results. I'm going to try and stay home tomorrow.

1. NS 4318 and BNSF 5861 at MP 412 BNSF Cherokee Sub near Catoosa, OK 02/20/2021.
2. BNSF local 467, a tricolor set of older units BNSF 1981, 2839, 134 on the siding at Tiger MP412 BNSF Cherokee Sub near Catoosa, OK 02/20/2021. Yes it is MP 412.
3. 8 units, 5 models and 5 paint schemes. NS 4318 and BNSF 5861 plus BNSF 7618, 8038, 6500, 3885 eastbound in the siding passing local 467, a tricolor set of older units BNSF 1981, 2839, 134 on the main at Tiger MP412 BNSF Cherokee Sub near Catoosa, OK 02/20/2021.

---

---

---

4. NS 4318 and BNSF 5861 plus BNSF 7618, 8038, 6500, 3885 eastbound in the siding passing the FRED on local 467 with a tricolor set of older units BNSF 1981, 2839, 134 on the main at Tiger MP412 BNSF Cherokee Sub near Catoosa, OK 02/20/2021.
5. NS 4318 and BNSF 5861 plus BNSF 7618, 8038, 6500, 3885 eastbound at MP 411 BNSF Cherokee Sub near Catoosa, OK 02/20/2021.
6. NS 4318 and BNSF 5861 plus BNSF 7618, 8038, 6500, 3885 eastbound in the reverse curve at MP 411 BNSF Cherokee Sub near Catoosa, OK 02/20/2021.

---

---

---

7. NS 4318 and BNSF 5861 plus BNSF 7618, 8038, 6500, 3885 passing the steel tornado eastbound at MP 409 BNSF Cherokee Sub at Catoosa, OK 02/20/2021.
8. NS 4318 and BNSF 5861 plus BNSF 7618, 8038, 6500, 3885 eastbound at MP 409 BNSF Cherokee Sub passing the old depot site, now signal department at Catoosa, OK 02/20/2021.

---

---

So nice to still see green BN units.

Adam

Nice catches!

I live in NS country and their only shiney once so I know what you mean. Now typically I don't chase dirty and grimey GE wide cabs however yesterday a very fresh NS 4409 lead a westbound near where I lived so I had to make the exception.