BLE No. 902 sits in the dead line in Centralia, Ill.
Joe Ferguson
CENTRALIA, Illinois – Canadian National has released the first former Bessemer & Lake Erie SD40-3 from the paint shop in CN’s corporate paint scheme. B&LE No. 902 was sent to Quality Rail Services in Venice for rebuilding and repainting after being displaced by former Illinois Central SD70s earlier this spring, a source close to the railroad tells Trains News Wire.
Due to lower traffic levels, the repainted locomotive has been placed in storage. It is anticipated that additional former B&LE SD40-3s will cycle through Quality Rail Services for rebuilding and repainting in 2015.
The 11 former B&LE SD40-3s, numbered BLE Nos. 900-910, were rebuilt in 1999 and 2000 from former Southern Pacific and St. Louis Southwestern SD45T-2s.
The BLE 902 was idling at Wisconsin Rapids WI on two occasions back on May 4 and May 7 and a friend of mine advised it had gone west on the GBW at least one trip. So, I'm not certain it was headed for storage. It sure looked pretty though.