The March 2, 1970, merger of the Chicago Burlington & Quincy, Great Northern, Northern Pacific and Spokane Portland & Seattle railroads formed a new railroad: Burlington Northern. While the merger was in the works for years, there were still some last minute changes once the new railroad became a reality. Several of these changes included having locomotive builders alter the paint schemes on some previously ordered diesels. BN SD45 6486, seen here on BN subsidiary Fort Worth & Denver in Amarillo, TX, was ordered by the Northern Pacific, and was to be NP 3644. But while these engines were still on the factory floor in La Grange, IL, new painting and lettering diagrams were received and EMD painted these in the new BN Cascade Green, black and white paint scheme for delivery in August 1970, just months after the merger was complete.