Information on Burlington Northern


I don't know much about BN's high line, but I grew up on the low line in the 80's. It went through my town. I spent a lot of time at the tracks when I was a kid. When it came to freight cars, it was endless strings of GN, NP, CB&Q, and Frisco cars all the way to the merger. This was the 80's and I don't remember seeing any power still painted for the GN or NP. It wasn't dull in that era though. Others have already brought up the tiger striped and white faced units but this is also what I would see in any given week screaming through my town; the Oakway Leasing SD-60s in the blue and white EMD demo colors. Those where some good looking units. And then there were the gray LMX GE units. I never liked those as a kid but I have some now because I model that era. Then there was the GE cabless B units, the GP- 40's and -50's with a fuel tender between them, and the giant airplane bodies they transported always right behind the locomotives with spacer cars. I would see this stuff all the time. It was good to be a BN rail fan in Montana. Then one day Montana Rail Link took over.........
 
TrinityJayOne, I was reading an old copy of Trains magazine and came across some info that you may be interested in. From the September, 1972 edition of Trains, in the Arrivals and Departures section on page 18, it said that "Almost 40%: About 850 of Burlington Northern's 2140 diesel units now wear Cascade Green."

If I remember correctly, it seems that Burlington Northern painted their locos in Cascade Green much quicker than BNSF is getting everything painted orange. It is getting harder to find a BNSF unit that isn't orange, but not impossible.

When my wife and I were driving along side the local BNSF main, I spotted a 60'? gondola still lettered for the Burlington in a train headed to Galesburg! This was about a year or so after the BNSF merger! The gon was badly in need of a paint job, but you could still see the Burlington herald. Probably new just before the 1970 merger; wonder if it was repainted BNSF or maybe scrapped? AND NO CAMERA TO PROVE IT!!!!:mad:
 
I don't have, or openly have access to a book/page scanner, but from my dads collection, "almost" all BN annuals by Del Grosso. I know I have '72 and '77-80 in reach, but will have to dig to see if I can round up '70 and the others. plus 'BN Caboose Book- Del Grosso, and CB&Q Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment- Michael J. Spoor.

(On a side note, a quick look also uncovered '72 and '77 SP Motive Power Reviews)

Anything I could help with, just ask :)
 
wow, this thread is perfect for me. Im planning on doing the the BN Peoria sub and old yard from the 80s. Im having a hard time finding the coal power like Dash 7s, U-boats, and Oakways. Im also trying to find some SD40-2's.
 
BN_Whiteface said:
wow, this thread is perfect for me. Im planning on doing the the BN Peoria sub and old yard from the 80s. Im having a hard time finding the coal power like Dash 7s, U-boats, and Oakways. Im also trying to find some SD40-2's.
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I live in Bartonville, a small suburb (so to speak) of Peoria, end of the sub :)
 
DanRaitz said:
That is a Johnstown Coalporter, the HO scale model was produced by E&C Shops and later LBF.
You should be able to find some on E-Bay or at swap meets. I don't know if anyone else has picked up the molds for these cars.
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Ok. Well while I can think of it here are something other things Id like to know if they were made:

LLPX SD38-2
BN B30-7A
BN 8100 SD40-2's
BN GP28M
EMD Lease SD40-2
 
BN_Whiteface said:
Ok. Well while I can think of it here are something other things Id like to know if they were made:

LLPX SD38-2
BN B30-7A
BN 8100 SD40-2's
BN GP28M
EMD Lease SD40-2
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SD38-2:
produced by KATO, But you will have to paint it for this scheme.

B30-7A:
No models of this loco produced, but can be kitbashed from an Atlas B23-7 and Smokey Valley cab kit.

SD40-2's:
produced by multiple manufactures, but again you will have do your own painting.

GP28M:
No models of this loco available. But can be kitbashed with parts from a GP7/9 and GP35.
But, be warned this is not a simple kitbash like the B30-7A


Dan
 
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Riverrat said:
I don't have, or openly have access to a book/page scanner, but from my dads collection, "almost" all BN annuals by Del Grosso. I know I have '72 and '77-80 in reach, but will have to dig to see if I can round up '70 and the others. plus 'BN Caboose Book- Del Grosso, and CB&Q Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment- Michael J. Spoor.

(On a side note, a quick look also uncovered '72 and '77 SP Motive Power Reviews)

Anything I could help with, just ask :)
Click to expand...
Ahh lucky you! I've searched in a number of places now but I still can't find any BN stuff locally (plenty of Bienesef though). It's really a lot of general information I'm after rather than answers to specific questions so at this point I may just have to buckle and buy some of the annuals online!
 
diburning said:
What does he need from the Smokey Valley cab kit for the B30-7A? Aren't the B30-7A cabless booster units?
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Eric,

It is Smokey Valley part #73 a GE "B" unit conversion utility cab, cuurently in stock at Walthers. You could use it to convert any -7 GE to a cabless unit.


Dan

ps: only the BN B30-7As were cabless units. The only other RR to own B30-7A's was the Southern and they had cabs.
 
I ask because the ex-BN cabless B30-7As are currently owned by the Providence and Worcester Railroad and I want to model them ;)
 
diburning said:
I ask because the ex-BN cabless B30-7As are currently owned by the Providence and Worcester Railroad and I want to model them ;)
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So thats where they went.

Well maybe ill luck out and someone for Atlas or Athearn will see this thread and come out with a BN B30-7A and some other cool stuff:D

Id give creating my own a try, but Im pretty inexperienced and the way I get around to things it would take me 10 years lol.
 
I know I'm grave digging this thread but I also haven't been on in a stretch..As far as the b30-7a's go..overland made them at one point but I have never seen one in person..I actually made one of each model by kitbashing several athearn shells together. Now I know the athearn shells aren't the best candidates for this for several reasons but all my locos are athearn and I couldn't find the b23-7 RPP shells when I decided to build them. That and if you're not a rivet counter the athearns are pretty good stand ins..I can post better pics from my home computer but I found one from an old WPM meet
http://www.railroadprototypemodelers.com/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=detail&catid=2:rpmwc2010&id=119:dsc00924&tmpl=component&Itemid=65#

I won't lie..it was a lot of work..but well worth the effort in my mind. Honestly, if I had more time I would make more and sell them on ebay along with the sd40-2b's which I have also done using athearn shells with cannon high hood conversions
 
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DanRaitz said:
Eric,

It is Smokey Valley part #73 a GE "B" unit conversion utility cab, cuurently in stock at Walthers. You could use it to convert any -7 GE to a cabless unit.


Dan

ps: only the BN B30-7As were cabless units. The only other RR to own B30-7A's was the Southern and they had cabs.
Click to expand...

southern and MP both had designated 7a's though Bn was the only one who owned the cabless version. the straight -7 was also owned by Frisco, SP, SSW, SCL, and C&O
 
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