I spent two weeks in late August and early September circumnavigating North America by Amtrak and Via Rail Canada. I had several stretches on BNSF track–Denver to Chicago, Vancouver to Seattle, and Seattle to Portland. I also saw BNSF locomotives in pool or run-throughs in Colorado on the old DRGW line and in Depew, NY on CSX track. I also went train watching in Naperville and Aurora, Illinois.
One thing I was surprised to find is just how many BNSF locomotives are NOT in Heritage I or II liveries (HIII is new–and I only saw one locomotive in that scheme). I saw a number of SD70MACs in the old BN executive livery. I saw GE locomotives in Santa Fe Warbonnet (either with Santa Fe or BNSF titles). I saw GPs in BN Cascade Green or Santa Fe Bluebonnet.
I would have thought by 2005 that patched BN or ATSF units would be rare but at least from the anecdotal evidence I saw, I can think of only one or two trains the entire time that had each locomotive in Heritage II.
Not around here in Hanford, Ca. It seems that most trains are being pulled by locos in H2. Lately there has been at least one train with the H3 scheme. However, we still see BN green and ATSF Bluebonnets. What is rare around here is ATSF Warbonnets.
Yellow warbonnets and Cascade Green are pretty routine around here (Chicago). Yesterday (9/21) I saw yellow and blue B23-7 4220 and Cascade Green GP28M 1529 at NS Landers Yard in transfer service. I still see a fair number of Grinstein Green SD70MAC’s in coal service.
The last couple of weekends I went to Cajon, I saw more NS units then BN / SF painted units. Orange definatly dominates on the west end of the transcon.
On my recent trip back to Montana, almost all of the locomotives that my wife and I witnessed, were in the H2 paint scheme. I have not heard of the heritage 3 scheme, does anyone have pictures of it?
Randy
BNSF has some of the best Paint in the world. It stands out much better than the UP or NS alone. The CSXT Paint is just is as good. Railfans are so stupid too what ever they call the BNSF logo. Stop crying and get over it. The New BNSF logo is here to stay. Thank God for the Pumpkin scheme. Good bye Santa Fe. Good bye BN. And hello BNSF Railway. Allan.
You’re a bit heavy on the invective and pejoratives but the overall attitude regarding what is new is like a breath of fresh air. We old-timers all miss the railroading from our formative years (I still miss Erie Lackawanna) but we all live in the present and need to realize that things are different but it is still railroading.
This is exactly why I like BNSF and don’t really get near UP…BNSF has many different paint schemes and whenever I go to the UP I only see yellow(ugly),and actually its more like brown now.
BNSF has some one-of-a-kind paint schemes too like BNSF 7695 with its yellow swoosh or BNSF 8070 with the BNSF herald on the BN cascade green engine.
That wedgie or “swoosh” graphic on BNSF’s H3 scheme still makes me think that Nike has invested in the railroad. [:D]
Just wondering, what was the reason for switching from orange and green to orange and black on BNSF’s locomotives? Is green paint more expensive? Does the green paint not weather well? Or is the black paint part of a corporate image change along with the lettering, striping, and wedgie graphic?
Most of the BNSF units I’ve seen running through Utah in the orange and green scheme are usually clean. The exceptions are the red and silver warbonnets where the red paint has a scabby appearence. I’ve noticed this mainly on the six-axle GE locomotives, but the few SD75M’s I’ve seen don’t appear to suffer from the same ailment. (did EMD use a better quality of paint than GE?)
The BNSF SD75M’s are newer than the DASH 8 and DASH 9 ATSF’s that have worn paint.
The ATSF 600’s,800’s,and 900’s are all Ex ATSF and the Paint is getting pretty worn except for many of the 600’s are still looking good.Most of the 800’s have painted into H2 because of the worn paint.
The 700’s and 4700’s that BNSF ordered in the warbonnet scheme are also newer so have better looking paint.
BNSF 8200-8250 are all ex-ATSF SD75M’s and are still doing well,8251-8301 were ordered by BNSF in the warbonnet scheme and most have been painted into H2 anyway.
