GALESBURG, Ill. — Railfans seeking former Santa Fe Railway “Warbonnet” locomotives — who do not mind that they are now “pink bonnets” because of faded paint — should take a drive along the Thirwell Road overpass at BNSF Railway’s hump yard in Galesburg.
At least six former Santa Fe C44-9W units have been modified for hump service at Galesburg, releasing BNSF SD40-2s for local service. On Saturday, May 11, warbonnet-painted Nos. 647, 669, and 692, were working at the north end of the yard, along with No. 663, wearing BNSF Phase II paint. All four were built by General Electric in Erie, Pa., in 1994.
The long-stored locomotives have either had snowplows removed or received a modified plow 9 inches above the rails. New positive train control roof arrays have added radio controls, along with new amber rotating lights. The units offer better fuel economy and improved creature comforts for crews using chest-worn belt pack remote-control units.
The 4,400-hp locomotives were part of the relaunch of the warbonnet scheme under Santa Fe president Mike Haverty in 1989. The new 600s, along with other GE and EMD models receiving the paint scheme, originally were assigned to the railroad’s hotshot piggyback and intermodal stack trains [see “Santa Fe Super Fleet locomotives,” Trains.com, Dec. 11, 2023].
Blue Bonnet #1636 and War Bonnet #773 have been switching at the Somerville, TX yard for several weeks. WB #681 was there for a while working with old #153. Old green #1914 was there working with #3177 for a stint as well, grabbing loaded cars out of Koppers periodically.
I miss the SD40-2s. Good to hear they’re in local service. Is that a promotion or a demotion?
Regarding my previous post, I just watched the southbound K-line local come through Fort Madison with the 649 and 685. Fort Madison is my favorite webcam because of the 60 some trains a day on the former Santa Fe along with the K-line, barge traffic on the Mississippi River and pleasure boats from the new marina by the double deck 1927 swing bridge. Just a few days ago I saw a southbound towboat hit the bridge putting a hole in one barge and breaking up the rest to float downriver uncontrolled. The barge with the hole ended up sinking and it took several hours for remaining barges to be rounded up.
The K-line local through Fort Madison, Iowa has been using two 600 series still in Santa Fe paint for several months now. You can see them on the Virtual Railfan and Steel Highway webcams. The local usually goes north in the late afternoon and returns south in the early evening.
Interesting, and strange (?), to see the (former) frontline AT&SF C-44-9Ws “demoted” to yard switching duties.
“How the mighty hath fallen ….!)
“… releasing BNSF SD40-2s for local service.” That should make mechanical desks around the continent take pause. They don’t make these anymore nor has anything come along that’s close.
That’s funny I didn’t think that Dash 9-44CW’s would be used in switching duties
Ideal? No. Better than a genset? Absolutely.
ATSF lives! Absolute proof that there is a God in Heaven.
Interesting that the newest pre-merger ATSF units and the newst pre-merger BN units remain in service, unpainted.