Western Railroad Discussion > few more of the BNSF Funeral Train today

Seems as if quite a few of the fans all along the Colo Joint Line were out getting the fill of this move. My self included. Caught up  with cozephyr at the Sag just north of Palmer Lake at Spruce.  There were many others along the way.  Thought I'd share 3 from my perspective of this move.....

Shot 1  After getting word that it had departed Denver around 1220 or so, thought I'd try and intercept it up north. My first encounter with BNSF 9262S was at the N orth End of Larkspur Co.  The entire consist can be seen in this shot. The 70MAC's on thyis move were;  BNSF 9402-9764-9613-9882-8822-9593-8943-9856-9616-9884-8851-8889-9966-9930-9943. All headed to Cleburne Tx.  Sad sight indeed. And yes the BNSF 9402 as Chip mentioned was 1st out. This was the 2nd unit built back in Nov 1993 making this unit 33 Years old. Builders/Order number for this one is 926335-2

Shot 2.  Here the BNSF 9262 is passing the South End of Monument Co about to pass under Baptists Road here. Once again, the entire consist is seen.  

Shot 3..   My last shot was in Colorado Springs as the train passes the US Paralympic Museum in town.  They met BNSF 9226-9261 here in COS with the 9226 up M1 and the 9262 apparently down the siding to Bijou where it crossed behind the 9226N for it's run south this afternoon.

With this being the 2nd of the Funeral Trains within the last 2 weeks or so, apparently a total of 27 of these, it makes one wonder just how many are still active since the last check of active units, not that any of these were active. Any one perhaps know?

Thanks for looking.  Be well all. Ben



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/26 11:59 by ns2557.

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Ben,

The first post with the whole train is impressive, but the last shot with the partially dismantled track and switch is is so appropriate in the demise of the units and former busier track now superflous as the locos.
Gonut

And yet SD-40's are being rebuilt.....are these units so bad they are not "rebuildable?"

Were these stored at Donkey Creek Yard up near Gillette WY?

Nice pics, thank you. Maybe my ear isn't to the ground enough but seems I never hear about notable things until after they have happened

EMDs are easier to rebuild than GEs, more replacement parts available.

That, and SD40-2s were the most reliable diesel units ever built.
 

These are all EMD’s and probably just as easily rebuildable as an SD40-2. And where are SD40-2’s being rebuilt? BNSF has gone from over 1,000 of them to less than 200 now, in 15 years. Seems I see less and less of them.

These MACs are terrific engines in all regards. All they need is a little TLC and they would be very useful. Ya…so they are a little less fuel efficient…it is of no consequence however…because Trip Optimizer wastes WAAAAAY more fuel.

Glad that you got coverage of their demise…they deserve to be remembered.

Cool shots - thanks for sharing

What is their final destination?

rbenko Wrote:
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> Cool shots - thanks for sharing
>
> What is their final destination?  

To the ex ATSF Shops at Cleburne Tex. Eventually Midlothian Tx where a Gerdau Steel operates am Electric Arc Furnace where these will meet their end.  Ben

Photo No. 1 is a killer.
Congrats on the IOTD, Ben.
/Ted

When I was spotting coal trains for unloading at the now former Steam Plant in Centralia, when we were specifically assigned power from the Glendive Power pool(At the West CUF), the best pullers I ever encountered were the ex-Oakway now CN SD60's(EMD 9000's), or just a 3 pack of the BN 9500 series SD70MACS. I hope they rebuild them, and don't make them "MACes", instead of scrapping them. 

Drew Mitchem
Centralia, WA

okcrr Wrote:
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> Were these stored at Donkey Creek Yard up near
> Gillette WY?

Guernsey, WY.

Thanks for making the chase and getting these interesting photos.
Were any B-units ever painted in Grinstein Green?

Seventyfive Wrote:
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> Thanks for making the chase and getting these
> interesting photos.
> Were any B-units ever painted in Grinstein Green?

No 

Thanks.  You saved me a lot of searching.  I will have to "paint" a B-unit in G. Green in my imagination.

Where did that partially-dismantled track go?  The way the railroad industry seems to be going, I'm afraid we're going to see a lot more track like that in coming years.

NPRocky Wrote:
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> Where did that partially-dismantled track go? 
> The way the railroad industry seems to be going,
> I'm afraid we're going to see a lot more track
> like that in coming years.

That was the lead to Colorado Springs Utilities Drake Plant which was for many years right in downtown Colo Springs, well almost. You could see downtown Springs from there Been gone for 2-3 years now. Ben

Photo of BNSF southbound train passing the Colorado Springs Public Utilities Drake Generating Station (coal burner).  Photo back on 26 October 2016.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/26 09:58 by cozephyr.

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