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Who all here models the BN? And what era/area

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  • Member since
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  • From: Kokomo, Indiana
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Who all here models the BN? And what era/area
Posted by emdmike on Saturday, January 13, 2018 1:42 PM

Curious if we have some Burlington Northern modelers here.  Do you model the coal fields, mainline, pacific northwest or the backwater branch lines with early Geeps or Alcos?    The local shortline ran a pair of GP10's(Ex BN 1410 and 1416) during those years when one forms the bond to trains they will want to model.  It helped that the CMO of the shortline befriended me and my friend and we were allowed to help out as "gophers".  Myself in particular, have an excellent mechanical aptitide and he started teaching me how to run and work on the first gen GP7's and GP10s we had.  I have two brass GPs, an Oriental Limited GP7 chop nose(GP10) and a Sunset GP7 high hood, both painted up for the BN.   My little layout would fit one of the branch lines these engines lived on mose of thier lives.   So who else here models the BN?       Mike the Aspie

Silly NT's, I have Asperger's Syndrome

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Posted by Pruitt on Saturday, January 13, 2018 2:13 PM

I model the BN through the Southern Montana area in the 1940's era. It was better known back then as the Northern Pacific.

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Posted by NWP SWP on Saturday, January 13, 2018 2:35 PM

I model BN as if it never existed and it's predecessor roads and the MILW was absorbed into the NWP system... and the ATSF was absorbed by the SWP.... the UP might have a stake in the NWP-SWP System too... but that's to be determined...

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by josephbw on Saturday, January 13, 2018 4:49 PM

I model the BN between Chicago and Rock island in the mid 70's. I also model the RI between Peoria and Rock Island in the same time frame.

The picture to the left was from my original layout back in the 80's

Joe

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Posted by caldreamer on Saturday, January 13, 2018 4:52 PM

I model the BNSF from Southern Oregon down to Richmond, California, with a lot of BN engines that are NOT patched and have pure BN road numbers and paint schemes.  These include the green and black scheme with and without safety stripes and the various white face schemes.  I also kit bashed a BN SD60MAC in the light green and white paint scheme.

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Posted by gmpullman on Saturday, January 13, 2018 7:10 PM

emdmike
So who else here models the BN? 

I've always liket the colors of the "Executive" scheme so I run this on my garden railroad.

 IMG_1130 by Edmund, on Flickr

I suppose it could be the Pacific Northwest, as much as I can replicate that geography in Ohio.

 IMG_1144 by Edmund, on Flickr

Just Having Fun! Ed

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Posted by The Jet Clipper on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 10:40 PM

Funnily enough, I thought about modeling the BN while I was trying to get my ideas straight. Something about that Cascade Green was always alluring to me. And, I've always liked that whole 'combined fleet' thing that was going on with railroads like the BN, Penn Central, and Chessie System. Having a selection of locomotives with different road specific details in the same scheme seems to be much more fun than having all X-railroads' details in one fleet.

Although I have moved on from that phase, I think I might pick up a BN unit or two. Ya know, to spice up my planned line up of primarily Santa Fe, Espee, and C&P.

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Posted by dknelson on Thursday, January 18, 2018 10:29 AM

If you have access to MR VideoPlus, they have posted a layout tour of Ken Thompson's 1980 era BN Peoria Subdivision - the line from Galesburg to Peoria including the junction at Yates City.  The layout will be in Great Model Railroads 2019.

Dave Nelson

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Posted by Steven Otte on Thursday, January 18, 2018 10:56 AM

Multiple posts in this thread have been deleted.

I don't want to see anyone, in any thread, calling out or belittling other Forum members for how they choose to pursue this hobby. It may be long in the misty past, but we have all been new hobbyists at one time. We all had pie-in-the-sky plans for our dream layouts that changed a dozen times and maybe never came to pass at all. This hobby, and this Forum, needs to be welcoming to young people and new hobbyists of all ages. I won't have anyone on this Forum making anyone else feel like they're not a real modeler because they don't model the same way someone else does. Armchair modelers are still modelers.

If you think what someone else has posted doesn't belong on this Forum, report it to me with the Report Abuse button, and I'll make the call. Anyone who takes it upon themselves to publicly police other users on this Forum will instead find themselves on the wrong end of the moderating stick.

I hope we're all clear on this.

--
Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editor
sotte@kalmbach.com

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Posted by wjstix on Thursday, January 18, 2018 10:59 AM

A neat thing about BN is it was kinda like the blind men and the elephant - it was a different railroad depending on where you were. Commuter trains with E-units in Chicago, granger lines in Nebraska, the world's largest iron ore dock complex in Wisconsin, mountain lines in Montana and Washington.

Stix
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Posted by BATMAN on Thursday, January 18, 2018 11:22 AM

I get to frequently see BNSF on the local rails up here in The Great White North. Over the years I have had a growing interest in BN and NP and will surely allow them to run on my Canadian Pacific main line at some point.

Caught this while out for a walk.

  

 

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by wjstix on Thursday, January 18, 2018 2:48 PM

Speaking of CP, I drive to and from work in downtown St.Paul via US 61, which parallels the Mississippi. For about 15 miles between the river and the road are the BNSF and CP mainlines to Chicago. They're so close together, they're used as a joint double-track line by the two railroads. Back in the '80's the two lines were BN and Soo, and before that in the 60's it was the Burlington Route and Milwaukee Road.

Stix
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Posted by Track fiddler on Thursday, January 18, 2018 6:43 PM

Burlington Northern Green Machines, I'm all in. I will be modeling the Cascade mountain region when I get to scenery. I also like Great Northern.

It is my plan to model two transitional eras. Great Northern Steam and great northern diesels. 

Then change it up once in a while, remove the steam and run Great Northern and Burlington Northern diesels. I could take it even further,  remove the Great Northern diesels and run Burlington Northern and BNSF diesels. Then I can pull double stackers,.....Yaaaaaah

The other day in St Paul on Highway 61, I saw a Burlington Northern Green Machine consist with a Santa Fe and a BNSF pulling double stackers. I really wanted to stop and get a picture but I was on the highway, I probably would have got a ticket. I don't believe I've seen a BN Green Machine for 25 years, I think it made me swerve.

Big Smile Track Fiddler

 

 

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Posted by NWP SWP on Thursday, January 18, 2018 7:09 PM

Anybody wanna see some Mean Green Hustle Muscle Machines?

This website is a treasure trove of BN photos!

http://www.railphoto-art.org/collections/bjorklund/burlington-northern/

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by Track fiddler on Thursday, January 18, 2018 7:39 PM

Interesting picture number 34 Rock Island Washington over the Columbia River. I could be mistaken but I swear I seen that in another thread on this forum. Isn't that where they built a bridge around the other bridge to beef up the original bridge that was stressed?

Thanks     Track Fiddler

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Posted by NWP SWP on Thursday, January 18, 2018 7:51 PM

Yes the original bridge became obsolete due to increased tonnage so instead of replacing it they build a stronger superstructure over it...

Steve

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough!

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Posted by wjstix on Friday, January 19, 2018 10:10 AM

Fiddler - I saw a green BN wide-nose SD-60 this morning on the way to work. There are still a few BNSF units wearing BN green paint, it's not that uncommon to see one. I believe BNSF still has two of the BN-painted SD-60s that often work together.

Oddly enough, neighbor CP still has a couple of wide-nose SD-60s still in the all-red SOO scheme, which also often run together...and several SOO cabooses that are used on trains going south to the oil refinery.

Stix
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Posted by BATMAN on Friday, January 19, 2018 10:27 AM

wjstix

Speaking of CP, I drive to and from work in downtown St.Paul via US 61, which parallels the Mississippi. For about 15 miles between the river and the road are the BNSF and CP mainlines to Chicago. They're so close together, they're used as a joint double-track line by the two railroads. Back in the '80's the two lines were BN and Soo, and before that in the 60's it was the Burlington Route and Milwaukee Road.

 

We had friends that would come on the SOO all the way from Chicago to Vancouver. Soo is a Canadian Pacific subsidiary and I had the good fortune of seeing lots of SOO power out here on the West Coast of Canada along with SOO subsidiary power as well. That is all fine with me as it lets me run a vast array of road names on my Vancouver to Calgary line.Thumbs Up

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soo_Line_Railroad 

 

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by Track fiddler on Friday, January 19, 2018 10:48 AM

wjstix

Fiddler - I saw a green BN wide-nose SD-60 this morning on the way to work. There are still a few BNSF units wearing BN green paint, it's not that uncommon to see one. I believe BNSF still has two of the BN-painted SD-60s that often work together.

Oddly enough, neighbor CP still has a couple of wide-nose SD-60s still in the all-red SOO scheme, which also often run together...and several SOO cabooses that are used on trains going south to the oil refinery.

 

Nice     I did not know this. I live in an area where this could be very prevalent.

I have a friend Noel that worked for the SOO line. Now he works for CP Rail. I never put together he works for the same railroad company. From what you say he does.

I will keep my eyes a little more open now. I thought seeing that BN green machine was out of the ordinary.

I drive by the Saint Paul train yards a lot on my way to Saint Paul Park. That's where my work has been mostly. I am going to keep my eyes a little more wide open now. I love seeing this old stuff.

Best wishes     Track fidler

PS Stix I remember talking to you. You live in Shakopee Minnesota. Skol neighbor. Pray for another miracle against PhillyTongue Tied Go VikingsBig Smile

 

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Posted by mbinsewi on Friday, January 19, 2018 10:57 AM

You guys in the Minn, St,Paul area sure see a variety of CP, SOO, BN, BNSF, along with the local switching lines up there.

Down here in SE WI., I still see the all red SOO, don't remember the last time I seen the red and white SOO, and I think the last time I seen some BN green, (besides a ton of freight cars) was the last BN SD45's the WC  acquired.  A lot of them stayed patched for a long time.

I do see some older SOO equipment in CP/SOO's Muskego yard, in Milwaukee, including a couple of caboose.

Hopefully not too far off topic.

Mike.

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