Keep in mind it was a short period - BN started March 1970, Amtrak started May 1971, so only 14 months or so. It may be hard to tell from photographs what was being used, because I suspect the old CB&Q E-units and GN/NP F's were more interesting to photographers than the 'newfangled' SDPs. Kinda the same way a decade earlier the few existing steam engines had railfans lining up to take pictures of them while ignoring the 'they all look the same' first generation diesels (Alcos, FMs, Baldwins....)
jrbernier The SDP40's were delivered in a simplified EB scheme, but at least one was repainted in BSB by GN.
The SDP40's were delivered in a simplified EB scheme, but at least one was repainted in BSB by GN.
I was just on a "toot" researching these. I'm hoping to see Athearn release them someday.
Anyway, all six except GN 323 were repainted by GN into the BSB scheme. One third of the fleet are still running, with former GN 321 running as MRL 290 and former GN 323 (the former Bicentennial one) last seen as CITX 3093. At least, I hope they're still running.
My favorite is former GN 325, which I photographed in operation on the BNSF in 2005.
Of the three that made it to BNSF, none were painted for that road.
It's interestion that the earlier SDP40's outlasted the SDP45's on GN/BN/BNSF. The race sometimes goes to the slow.
Ed
The SDP40/SDP45's were used on passenger trains right upto April 1st, 1971, or close to it(Amtrak startup day). The SDP40's were delivered in a simplified EB scheme, but at least one was repainted in BSB by GN. The SDP45's were delivered in BSB and kept that scheme until they were repainted in BN Cascade Green(after the startup of Amtrak, IIRC). The SDP40 & SDP45's were not offered to Amtrak for sale, and some migrated to freight service as Amtrak Day got closer. Ex-NP/GN F units and ex-CB&Q E8/9's were sold to Amtrak.
BN also has s number passenger GP7/9's, but they went to freight service as did the SDP40 & SDP45 engines. The Steam Heat boilers were deactivated quite fast as they were a monthly inspection item, and the underbelly tank was converted so the entire capacity could be used for fuel.
The Athearn model is for the freight service SDP45's in the 659x series(the BSB GN passenger SDP45's were 'patched' to the 9850 series before being sent to freight service by the BN).
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
If you ordered the just-announced BN versions, you're going to receive a freight engine. If you've got a Big Sky Blue version coming, you can patch it for BN and use it in passenger service. I'm looking at a photo of the Empire Builder taken on August 24, 1970, with BN SDP45 9857 (in Big Sky Blue) pulling the train with the assistance of a couple of B units.
But my impression is that BN tended to use E's and F's on their passenger trains, and sent the SDP's out more as freight engines--even when they were numbered as passenger locos.
Or, put another way, the SDP's tended not to be seen on BN passenger trains very often. E's and F's were much more common.
Did BN use SDP45 on their passenger trains? I just ordered an HO scale athearn model, and I am interested in how the prototype used them. For the few years that BN ran passenger trains, what kind of engines did they use besides F units?