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Tuesday morning in Seattle 7-22-08 was overcast and a bit cool for July.  Driving across the BNSF at Horton St I noticed two sets of headlights coming south so I quickly pulled off and got out the camera.  One set of lights was Amtrak #11 the Coast Starlight and it was coming to a stop.

After getting a photo at 9:48 am the other set of headlights, a light power move with BNSF 3444/2102 slowly rolled by  as a crewman from the Amtrak train heads back to check on a problem.  It looked like an issue with the connections between the Amtrak power and Sounder F59.  The Rabanco switcher 2076 can be seen on the far right.

The BNSF 2102 must be a new locomotive in the area.  I had not seen it here before.  The BN paint still looked pretty good.

Soon the Amtrak got it’s problem fixed and was on its way.

Amtrak 113 and SDRX 910.

The Parlor car 39974 looked pretty nice so I snapped off a shot as it rolled by.

And a back shot as Amtrak heads south with the light power looking on.

After Amtrak had cleared the light power got the signal to cross over and started south,  Here is a photo of BNSF GP38-2 2102 which is ex-BN 2102.

I noticed the ratchet brake handle had been replaced with push button controls.  Something I had not seen before.

After the power was gone I left and continued north towards Everett.

Thursday 7-10-08 I stopped by “Bys” in Seattle for lunch and headed over to Horton St to eat hoping to see a few trains.  I wasn’t really planning to photograph anything as it was overcast down here. (but clear to the north)

As I arrived I noticed the Rabanco switcher BNSF 2870 was parked between Horton and Spokane Street waiting for something it appeared.  Soon the crossing gates came down and the southbound empty Amtrak Empire Builder headed towards the coach wye for turning pulled up north of Horton and stopped dimming its lights.  Next I noticed light reflecting off the side of the Superliners and realized Amtrak was about to be passed by something.  When I saw the train I also saw Boeing 737 fuselages.  Then out came a sunbreak.  I quickly got out the camera and photographed the BNSF 2097 with three 737′s trailing.  This was quite the surprise!

As the last car went by the sun went behind the clouds again.  Then a northbound stack train with 4 BNSF C44-9W’s and a lone FURX SD40-2 7250 went by.  Once it was north of Horton the Amtraks headlights came on and it started forward, just as another sunbreak appeared.  One more photo of the Amtrak 81 passing before putting the camera away and finishing up lunch. 

As I left the BNSF 2870 pulled out onto Main 1 and started south.  Four movements in less than half an hour was not too bad!

This morning I photographed a westbound stack train at Horton St with BNSF 4535/5477/3138/1023.  (2 C44-9W/GP50/C44-9W)  

It has been quite sometime since I last saw an ex-BN GP50.  Looked pretty nice too.

Later in the day driving by South Seattle I stopped to photograph some power sitting by Airport Way when a northbound came around the curve slowly and then started to pick up speed.  It was led by BNSF GP38-2′s 2293/2097.

I then took some photos of the power along Airport Way and I noticed something different about trailing unit BNSF 6751 which is an ex-ATSF SD40-2.

Notice that the BNSF along the hood is such a light shade of green, especially when compared to the 3138.  I always like to see something that is a bit out of the ordinary. 

On Monday 7-7-08 around noon I caught a couple of Southbound movements from the Albro Place overpass south of Argo in Seattle.  The lighting was terrible but the trains worth photographing.  A southbound set of light power on the UP coming down main 2 had units 7802/5979/5261 as a BNSF stack trains lead unit hiding in the overpass shadow was heading down one of the tracks alongside Airport Way to tie up. 

The BNSF stack train had units 4045/CN 5688/161/8732/FURX 7250  (C44-9W/SD75I/GP60M/GP60/SD40-2)

The two GP60 types were nice to see as was the FURX SD40-2.  I have not seen one of those for quite awhile.  Later in the day I swung by Rabanco and noticed the BNSF GP28M 1521 which had been switching here for quite sometime was replaced  by BNSF GP39M 2870 still in BN colors.

A bit of research shows the 2870 was built in 1965 as SP GP35 7756 and was renumbered 6653 before going to MK for rebuilding as the BN 2870.  Really does not look much like an SP unit now.  Further down the tracks tied up I could see an ex-BN unit with the geometry test set it appeared.  The telephoto from the grade crossing brought both it and the 2870 in nicely with downtown Seattle in the background.

Heading through South Seattle I caught this set of power backing onto its train after making a setout.  Leading were BNSF 2902/2910/8052/7001. 

A nice set of EMD power but the ex-BN GP39E’s are what caught my eye.  I thought they may have originally been ex-BN units before rebuilding by EMD but I was surprised to find out both were former Great Northern GP35′s!  The 2902 was built as the GN 3038 and the 2910 was the GN 3033.  Both were built from the same order in 1965.  I could almost picture them in Great Northerns orange and green!  From here I headed on home.  Not a bad selection of trains in the Seattle area today.