Montana Rail Link's SDP40 290 with it Montana Centennial paint job. Leads a seven unit string of MRL blue's. (Tom Ellis photo)

BN 1976 was specially painted for the U.S. Bicentennial in 1975. The unit was a former GN SDP40 bought in 1966 for passenger service. Of the six units, one made it to Montana Rail Link, BNSF kept ... (more)

The Great Northern comes to life on the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Ry. based in Osceola, WI, featuring a restored 1916 era Soo Line depot on the former Soo mainline between Minneapolis & Sault Ste... (more)

The Minnesota Transporation Museum's "Great Northern 325" and "Burlington Northern 6234" side by side on the Dresser Wye. The GN 325 was repainted earlier in 2023 at Relco i... (more)

The Minnesota Transporation Museum's "Great Northern 325" on a photo passenger special. GN 325 is a 1966 EMD, for the car aficionado, that's a '57 Desoto Adventurer. The GN 325 was r... (more)

The Minnesota Transporation Museum's "Great Northern 325" on a photo passenger special. The GN 325 was repainted earlier in 2023 at Relco in Albia, IA thanks to a generous anonymous d... (more)

The Minnesota Transporation Museum's "Great Northern 325" on a photo passenger special. The GN 325 was repainted earlier in 2023 at Relco in Albia, IA thanks to a generous anonymous d... (more)

The Minnesota Transporation Museum's "Great Northern 325" on a photo passenger special. The GN 325 was repainted earlier in 2023 at Relco in Albia, IA thanks to a generous anonymous d... (more)

The Minnesota Transporation Museum's "Great Northern 325" on a photo passenger special crossing the St. Croix River from Wisconsin into Minnesota. The GN 325 was repainted earlier in 202... (more)

The Minnesota Transporation Museum's "Great Northern 325" on a photo passenger special east of Osceola, WI. The GN 325 was repainted earlier in 2023 at Relco in Albia, IA thanks to a gen... (more)

A surprise bonus on this excursion, themed as a week of "F's & Flares", came in the form of SDP40 #325....which has now been repainted to match this train set.

Oops! The hostler crew had a little trouble at BN's former GN engine facilities at Harrison St. in Minneapolis when SDP40 appeared to split a switch during an engine move. Only the rear truck dera... (more)

The hostler crew had a little trouble at BN's former GN engine facilities at Harrison St. in Minneapolis when SDP40 appeared to split a switch during an engine move. Only the rear truck derailed.

MRL 290 leads seven companions. MRL 290 is special for multiple reasons. It was painted up in a special paint scheme, for Montana's centennial for statehood 1989. It is also the lone SDP40R on the... (more)

From passengers to beer
For many years, Burlington Northern operated a trio of EMD SDP40s on the branch to Golden serving the sprawling Coors Brewery—on trains called the “Beer Runâ... (more)