I notice now that one of the engines is in what's left of an ATSF warbonnet scheme, which would go along with the idea of these be old (pre-BNSF merger) engines going to perhaps a lease company somewhere - or trade-in (do they still do that?).
BTW unfortunately these engines are maybe a quarter-mile from Highway 10/61, where the speed limit is 60 MPH and the area between the road and railroad is a kind of nature preserve area with lots of trees lining it. At best I only get 1-2 second glances to see what's there....
kgbw49 BNSF is working on disposing of many of their SD70MACs used for many years in coal hauling service. They originally came in Grinstein Green, and many of them were repainted in the various BNSF orange paint schemes over the years. It could be a string of them collected there prior to final disposition back to lessors or, if owned instead of leased, outright sale to another entity. I have not seen them myself, but the "Grinstein Green" gives a clue as to what model of locomotive they might be.
BNSF is working on disposing of many of their SD70MACs used for many years in coal hauling service. They originally came in Grinstein Green, and many of them were repainted in the various BNSF orange paint schemes over the years. It could be a string of them collected there prior to final disposition back to lessors or, if owned instead of leased, outright sale to another entity.
I have not seen them myself, but the "Grinstein Green" gives a clue as to what model of locomotive they might be.
Semper Vaporo, the engine facility is indeed CP. The yard is former Milwaukee Road.
BNSF (former CB&Q) and CP (former MILW) parallel each other in close quarters from St. Paul down to Hastings, MN, at which point the BNSF heads to La Crosse, WI down the East Bank (WI side) of the Mississippi River, and MILW crosses the Mississippi River and heads to La Crosse down the West Bank (MN side) of the Mississippi River.
CP crosses back over the Mississippi River between La Crescent, MN, and La Crosse, WI, and then heads east to Milwaukee and eventually south to Chicago crossing over the BNSF at a very busy crossing in La Crosse, aptly named Grand Crossing.
BNSF continues down the West Bank of the Mississippi River to Illinois and the line branches near East Dubuque, IL, with one line going east to Chicago and the other line going to the massive former CB&Q classication yard at Galesburg, IL.
kgbw49BNSF is working on disposing of many of their SD70MACs used for many years in coal hauling service. They originally came in Grinstein Green, and many of them were repainted in the various BNSF orange paint schemes over the years. It could be a string of them collected there prior to final disposition back to lessors or, if owned instead of leased, outright sale to another entity. I have not seen them myself, but the "Grinstein Green" gives a clue as to what model of locomotive they might be.
The original AC locomotives are now about 25 years old. What will be the next big step in locomotives - it is now overdue.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Are they some of the last of the 567 engined tribe going to a new home? Included were the almost last of the 645 engined end cab switchers (?) .... anywhere near locomotive dealer and rehabber "Independent Locomotive"?
I'm looking at Google Earth to see just where you are talking about. Are you on US-61 or state 156? Which side of the lake (east or west). Either way you are also looking across the Misissippi river.
But, there is a CN engine servicing yard as part of what appears to be an automobile unloading facility, north of the lake on the east side of the river. There is a roundhouse and turntable and some other buildings and items associated with engine repair and servicing.
Are you sure they are BNSF engines? Could they be CN, (they are all red)?
EDIT: OOPS! That is a CP engine facility! Not CN... at least all the engines are labeled CP and the building has a big "CP" on the wall! Sorry 'bout that. Didn't intend to insult both companies!
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
For the past week or so in BNSF's yard a little south-east of downtown St.Paul, there's been a string of maybe a dozen locomotives sitting between the unloading area for automobile cars and Pig's Eye Lake. Except for one engine still in BN "Grinstein Green" and one gray (apparently leased) engine, all are in some variation of BNSF orange. Wondering if anyone has any idea why they're there? I've been driving past there to and from work every day for over a decade, and can't recall engines just parked in that area for so long. (Unfortunately the yard is on one side of the lake and the road is on the other, so I can't get a really close look.)
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