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It has been awhile since I last posted on the Seattle Sub Blog and as I did photograph a few movements over the past few days now have something I can add.

I was in Kent Monday 8-30-10 and crossing James Street noticed a train moving slowly southward.  I pulled off and stood at the crossing and photographed this autorack train with BNSF 8244/8276 (SD75M/SD75I) at 1:25 PM.

It is nice to have these SD75′s back out and running again.  Some of the ex-BN SD60M’s are also reactivated now but I have not seen any much less photographed one since they reentered service.  Hoping to see one soon!

Today, August 31 I stopped by South Seattle on my way home from work.  No sun today unlike yesterday but there was the BNSF 794/1017/969 along Airport Way.  Warbonnet 794 looked pretty good so I took a few pics of it.

I noticed the headlights of a northbound coming my way so I set up for a photo of the 4556/3977 and the BNSF 969 at 3:41 PM.

I liked how colorful all the containers on the UP 4556 North were on the UP stacker, made a gray day brighter!

And lastly here is UP SD70M 4556 passing BNSF C44-9W 794 at South Seattle. 

The 4556 will be arriving at its destination of Seattle shortly while the BNSF 794 will be Chicago bound taking a Z-train east later tonight.

Getting off work a bit early today (Monday, 8-2-10) I did a little railfanning from the Albro Place overpass in the south part of Seattle, WA.  It was close to 3:10 PM when I arrived and at 3:20 saw a southbound headed my way.  It was a Sounder train but I noticed the unit leading it was one of the specially painted F59′s so after a second of deliberating action of the train or roster of the unit I went with the roster of the SDRX 902.

Coming north after it passed was a BNSF coal train led by 9268/9473 at 3:22 PM.

DPU’s on the rear were 5833/9787.

About 5 minutes after it cleared UP’s U-SEGL came out of their Argo yard and proceeded south at 3:30 PM behind 3 EMD’s.

I then moved south to South Seattle and photographed some BNSF power including a pair of SD75′s.  Pretty good selection of EMD’s this afternoon.  I then started for home in Renton and heading down the hill near Renton field noticed a new Boeing 737 in a paint scheme I had not seen before.  I stopped and photographed the clean looking aircraft with Dubai markings.

(I later looked up the name and learned it was one of the seven United Arab Emirates located south of the Persian Gulf) 

After getting a few photos of the plane I heard a horn over near the Boeing plant and as it was on the way home headed over to investigate.  It was the Renton Rocket and they were just getting back on their train after doing some work at Boeings.  I had timed this just right.  I waited a bit further south off of Sunset Blvd until the train came around the corner led by BNSF 2721/2767 (GP39-2/GP39E).

Behind the power were a couple of empty Boeing cars that carried a 737 fuselage into the Renton Plant sometime last week.  Eventually that 737 will be assembled and end up going to some airline like the Dubai 737 I had just photographed.  Now I am kind of glad I got off work a bit early today.  I would have missed all of this otherwise.

Working only half a day today I headed up to Argo to see what was running after getting off work.  It was a cloudy morning that was turning out to be a cloudy afternoon! 

There was a southbound BNSF stack train tied up just north of South Seattle with an ex-LMS C40-8W lettered for IC/CN in its consist I decided I should get a photograph of.

It was originally numbered 730 when on LMS.  I then went up to the Albro Place overpass at Argo and waited to see what BNSF, UP or Amtrak might be running on a Monday afternoon.  I waited around 30 minutes when a headlight appeared to the north.  First I thought maybe Amtrak as it was a short train but when it blew its horn for some MOW I knew it wasn’t Amtrak.  It was a BNSF local led by units 2717/2827, lead unit in H1 and the trailing in BN green.  Following were empty doublestacked containers for garbage and a lone BNSF coil car on the rear.  It was by at 1:24 PM.

After giving it some thought I decided to go after the local for more photos.  I knew it was headed to Tukwila and probably Renton after that.  I passed the slow moving train at Black River and waited just south of the plant.  Two crewman got off and the train pulled ahead.

Just about to the SW Grady Way and I-405 overpasses the train has stopped waiting to get lined back towards the Rabanco’s Black River Demolition and Recycle Transfer Station.  The BNSF 2827 was rebuilt from BN GP30 2222, originally CBQ 945.

I then moved up to the hillside off of Monster Road and photographed the train moving backwards to the north.  I thought the flowers added a nice touch.

After the train set out the stack cars at Rabanco they were ready to head east towards Renton with just the lone Coil Car.  The track on the right leads up to Rabanco and the tracks in the background the Seattle-Portland main lines.

Now on its way towards Renton the 2717 has just crossed Monster Road and is almost to the location of the former Milwaukee Roads yard at Black River.  Transfers from Seattle and road freights making set outs in the yard would come through here.  The old line south to Tacoma would have veered off to the right in this photo.

Note the milepost of 10Z.  BNSF’s mileposts from Seattle to Tacoma are followed by an “X” so I guess the “Z” makes sense for the branchline.  Something I had not noticed before.  At this point I decided I’d taken enough photos under these overcast skies so I headed for home.  Nice to see the 2717 though which is a former BN GP39-2.

Heading home from work this afternoon (Tuesday June 1, 2010) I swung by South Seattle to see what was there today.  As it was another overcast day I wasn’t planning on taking any photos but I noticed a few “photo subjects” that might make for an interesting Blog entry.  First was the BNSF 5118 with a good amount of fresh looking primer.  Even the fuel tank had bright silver paint.

The C44-9W must have had quite an fire that burned a good part of the carbody and fuel tank.  And parked nearby was this ratty looking CSX CW44AC. 

But it was the Lucky 7 so that made it a good catch in my mind.

Up till now the lowest numbered CSX unit I had photographed had been the 136 so this single digit was kind of fun to catch.  Turning around to go home I took this one last photo of the BNSF 5118 from the other side of Airport Way. 

I usually don’t go out of my way to photograph BNSF H2 C44-9W’s, especially on cloudy days but it looks like I made an exception for this one.

Friday afternoon April 16, 2010 I was at South Seattle photographing some BNSF power with a nice mix of power.  All GE’s but still colorful.  Lashup was BNSF 4773/BNSF 759/CSX 5360/NS 9400

After getting some photos I noticed a large Boeing plane had taxied down to the south end of the runway on the other side of Airport Way.  It was a Boeing Dreamliner 787 getting ready for take off from Boeing Field so I got these photos of it turning around to face north.

A few moments after the last photo it throttled up and was quickly moving down the runway.  I was amazed at how quiet the 787 was as it lifted off the ground nosing upwards into the sky.  A very impressive sight!

The sky was also now filling with high clouds and the sun was rather muted on the BNSF 759 and CSX 5360 when I rostered them.

Heading for home I heard that I-405 was a mess due to rush hour traffic so I decided to drive through Renton rather than around it.  This took me by Renton Field and as it had been awhile since I had stopped to check out some of the new Boeing 737′s being produced there decided to take a look.  There were some assembled but unpainted which don’t do a whole lot for me but two caught my eye right away.  One was Ryanair and the other 737 a paint scheme I had never seen before.  I took a photo of it from the viewing area and while an open door blocked some of the letters saw the name “aine International” on it. 

I was pretty sure it wasn’t “Maine International” and a walk to the other side confirmed my suspicions it was “Ukraine International”

Not everyday you can stop at Renton, WA and see a new plane being built for Ukraine!  I thought it was a sharp looking aircraft.  Before leaving for home I photographed the Ryanair 737.

The Irish airline Ryanair has been making news with wanting to have Boeing install “pay toilets” on their 737′s!  There is also talk this is just Ryanairs CEO getting some publicity for the airline. 

It is also interesting to note that the fuselages of both these 737′s traveled from Kansas to Renton via BNSF coming down the Seattle Sub to get to Renton where they were assembled so there is at least some railroad content here.

On my way home from work on a cloudy Tuesday afternoon 3-9-10 I spotted a southbound UP U-SEGL pulling out of Argo.  I continued on to South Seattle where I saw the sun was dipping below the clouds brightening things up.  I parked and noticed two sets of headlights coming my way.  Overtaking the UP garbage train was a Sounder headed for Tacoma.

Leading the 7 car Sounder train was SDRX F59PHI 901.

Less than a minute later at 4:28 PM the U-SEGL approached with units 8607/4714/7824 (SD70ACe/SD70M/ES44AC)

As the train passes we get a view of some of the BNSF power at South Seattle including BNSF 742 with a freshly painted plow and FXE ES44AC 4670.

The power with the FXE leading has moved away leaving BNSF SD70MAC 9660 on another consist out in the open.  This is the former BN 9660.

I like the Grinstein paint but the lack of a BN or even BNSF herald on the front just does not look right.  Better than H2 I suppose.  Moments later the sun was back behind the clouds and I continued for home.

Back on Wednesday 2-24-10 as I drove into Auburn, WA eastbound from Highway 18 I noticed some autoracks moving southbound on the BNSF.  After exiting and turning right I soon caught up to the head end which had a pair of Geeps, the 2706/2813.  The sun was out bright for the moment with dark clouds to the east making for a rather dramatic scene.

Here is the BNSF 2706 as I paced alongside.

The GP39-2 is ex-BN 2706.  Trailing was BNSF GP39M 2813, rebuilt from BN GP30 2210.  It was originally built as the Great Northern 3010.

I watched the train continue south towards Tacoma and I turned back for Auburn.  It was a nice little diversion to say the least.

The east coast has been hit with snow, a lot of snow!  Up to 40′ in some places.  But here in Western Washington it has been wet, but no snow at all this winter in the Seattle area.  Of course with all these gray wet days it has been a rare occasion when I have brought out the camera to photograph a train.  Finally I gave in on Thursday 2-11-10 and in between rain showers took some photos between Argo and South Seattle.  I figured if I was planning on waiting for a sunny day I might be waiting a long time!

I saw a southbound BNSF Autorack train at Argo setting out cars so I waited up on the Albro Place overpass for it to head south.  I noticed a headlight to the south and first photographed a northbound BNSF garbage train, possibly the U-ROOEVE with units 715/4400/4981.

Always pleased to see a Warbonnet leading any train.  About 10 minutes later the Autorack train was headed my way.  I noticed a lighter colored unit second out and thought it was a “peach” but it turned out to be a Union Pacific GE.

Power was the 5372/UP 9814/2103. 

UP 9814 is the ex-CNW 8710, a C44-9W.  BNSF GP38-2 2103 is a former BN unit.  Note it still has class lights!

Continuing south to South Seattle I found a “peach” after all.  BNSF 4572 was at the north end of a quartet of H2 C44-9W’s, power for the evenings Z-train.  You can see the difference in shades of orange between the 4572 and 5488.

A headlight appeared from the north and I photographed the BNSF’s Renton Turn with the 2084/2106, both former BN GP38-2′s.  Of course the four Boeing 737′s trailing the power made it the days prized catch.

Here is a closer view of the power passing BNSF 4572 at South Seattle.  Note the spray from I-5 up above.  Really was a wet day.

And a shot of some of the Boeing 737 fuselages headed for the Boeing plant in Renton.  Once assembled they will fly out of Renton for Boeing field in Seattle.

And then one last shot of the “peach” I originally stopped to photograph.  That orange sure has faded!

The weather may have been lousy but at least I managed to photograph a few trains of interest.

Photographed leaving the old Stacy St yard in Seattle (now SIG) is this local with BNSF 1573/2084 (SD40-2R/GP38-2) headed for Tacoma, WA.

BNSF 1573 was built as Santa Fe SD45-2 5663 in May of 1973 and later renumbered 7203 and then 5803.  After the BNSF merger it became the BNSF 6453.  It was rebuilt by RELCO and renumbered BNSF 1573 in 2008.

BNSF 2084 is an original BN GP38-2 built in May of 1972.

It is always nice to catch EMD power like this and I enjoyed listening to the units roll by with the SD’s whine and GP’s growl.

The early part of January brought a few interesting visitors to the Seattle area, not on the BNSF but on the UP!  And both were related to the Southern Pacific. 

First was SP AC4400CW 107 at Argo on 1-6-10

It has been quite sometime since I’ve seen an unpatched SP unit around here!

Then yesterday 1-14-10 I noticed UP SD70ACe 1996 at Argo in the morning.  The 1996 is one of the “Heritage” fleet locomotives and is painted up for Southern Pacific.

Even on a cloudy day the brightly painted EMD looked really sharp!  This was also the first time I had seen one of UP’s heritage fleet locomotives so I was quite pleased.  Both the SP 107 and UP 1996 came up to Seattle on the BNSF’s Seattle Sub and went back south to Portland on the same Sub.