ALL:
What was the disposition of GE B30-7A (B) BN-BNSF locomotives 4000-4119? Two were wrecked (4030 & 4051). I suspect that all were sold after 1996. One now retired BN Northtown General Locomotive Foreman said that they were not reliable locomotives. I also know that invariably too many of that type were at one terminal and not enough cab units were available for trains. I did see them at Northtown Diesel Shop when I worked in the Material Department in the 1980’s.
Ed Burns
From a few years ago:
And this too:
The original 53 order was returned to the lessor, Connell Leasing, in January 1999. They were moved eastward for storage at Altoona. It was from this group that the P&W’s 5 units came from. The Minnesota Commercial also bought three locomotives as well as the Central Michigan, but they were from the 1983 order.
52 of the B units construced in 1983 were still BNSF property in their surge fleet when 2000 rolled around, but were retired shortly afterwards. They were stored at the Livingston Rebuild Center and then on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. I believe it was this group that Sierra’s units came from.
And it was much more than a dozen or so planned to be converted for standby power. The Trains article at the time said 48 were to be converted by PowerTrain to supplement the California power grid (Along with a dozen ex LIRR passenger cars to house electrical inverter equipment; One passenger car would be connected to four diesels and would be able to supply 8.4 megawatts of electricity to supply an average town of 20,000 residents).
Their first deal was agreed upon in May 2001 to start producing 100 megawatts in January 2002 for the Department of Water Resources, but California found additional sources outside California and the deal was scuttled upon the creation of the Consumer Power & Conservation Financial Authority.
They then were able to come to terms and had a contract to supply 100 megawatts and maintain the equipment for five years, with Sierra paying the up front expenses to start it up. The operation was to go online in June 2002.
Initial plans were for LNG, but the setup expense was too much ($1 million per unit) and prices were rising for the fuel. So biodiesel from soybeans was selected for a 20% soybean oil/80% regular diesel mixture, with a supply contract with World Energy worked out.
No modifications to the locomotives were then needed and the 33.2 tons of NOx generated was supposed to be less than 10% of what 48 unr
A few of them ended up being sent to Brazil.