BNSF 643, BNSF 6934, WC 3026 (map unit) at St. Louis, MO

BNSF 643, BNSF 6934, WC 3026 at St. Louis, MO

In December 2006, at the east end of BNSF's Lindenwood Yard, I found a trio of locomotives that piqued my interest. The trio featured BNSF 643 (an ex-Santa Fe Warbonnet), BNSF 6934 (an SD40-2), and Wisconsin Central (WC) 3026, the heritage map anniversary locomotive.

BNSF 643 is the lead locomotive on an eastbound/northbound manifest train at Lindenwood Yard
BNSF 643 is the lead locomotive on an eastbound/northbound manifest train at Lindenwood Yard.

BNSF 643 (a C44-9W) was built in 1994 for the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) as ATSF 643. The locomotive was patched sometime after the Burlington Northern (BN) and Santa Fe merger. As of November 2019, BNSF 643 was still wearing its Warbonnet paint scheme, even though it was considerably more worn and faded.

BNSF 643, BNSF 6934, and WC 3026 are eastbound along the River des Peres, at Sublette Ave.

Built as ATSF 5191 in 1981 by Electromotive Division, BNSF 6943 was renumbered and repainted sometime after the BNSF-SF merger. The locomotive is an SD40-2, which is one of EMD's most popular freight locomotives of all time. Many are still used today on short line railroads and in secondary roles, such as yard switchers. Union Pacific's Jefferson City Subdivision is on the other side of the Ace Metal building.

WC 3026, the heritage map locomotive, rolls east on BNSF's Hannibal Subdivision
WC 3026, the heritage map locomotive, rolls east on BNSF's Hannibal Subdivision.

The WC heritage map locomotive commemorates the State of Wisconsin's sesquicentennial (1848-1998). WC 3026 is a GP40 built by EMD in 1966 for the Milwaukee Road (MILW), a name used for the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P). After the MILW, the locomotive became part of the Soo Line and then part of WC. Today's WC is owned by Canadian National (CN). Between 2012 and 2013, the locomotive was painted in CN's color scheme.

WC 3026 is eastbound on a BNSF manifest train at Chouteau Ave. in St. Louis, MO
WC 3026 is eastbound on a BNSF manifest train at Chouteau Ave. in St. Louis, MO.

The trio leads the manifest train east at Chouteau Avenue. The train is nearing Grand Interlocking.

Photographs taken on December 24, 2006, at St. Louis, Missouri.

Comments

  1. Great shots. That Wisconsin engine is nice. I saw a BNSF locomotive still in Warbonnet paint in the yard in Lincoln Nebraska as I was heading home this past Monday. Quite the surprise.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Shelly.

      The remaining Warbonnets are looking pretty rough in 2022. My dad saw one in St. Louis last week and it was in dire, dire need of a new paint job.

      Delete
    2. Yes, the one I saw was pretty dull and not that great.

      Delete

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