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Monday afternoon 11-17-08 I was eating lunch in Seattle and saw a southbound Herzog train with a BNSF unit at each end. It was sunny but the sun angle poor so I did not get a photo of it. But as I was finished eating I headed down to Argo to see if I could catch it again in better light. I was lucky. It was indeed slowing to a stop waiting on another train.

A northbound UP train was entering their yard from Main 2. I noticed there was a single unit on the head end. As the rear of the doublestack train came into view I noticed another UP unit in DPU mode. Interesting. I was up on the Albro Place S overpass and photographed the UP 8309 as it slowly rolled away from my camera.

Note the frame stripe is a combination of yellow and red. Guess some of the yellow came off showing the red stripe underneath.

After it was in the clear the Herzog train continued south. BNSF 2914 was in the lead.

I checked on the heritage of the BNSF 2914 and see it is ex-BN 2532, a former GP35 built as CB&Q 986.

Bringing up the rear was BNSF 2884, also a rebuilt BN GP35. This one came from the BN 2523 built as the Great Northern 3040. Note the power unit on the Herzog train. Kind of a GP38 from the looks of the fans on the roof.

Kind of a nice distraction from the normal stuff seen along the Seattle Sub.

On the cloudy, gray (and sometimes wet)  afternoon of 11-12-08 I was driving up to the Seattle Post Office and noticed a northbound Amtrak movement near Spokane Street with a non Amtrak unit leading on what looked like the Empire Builder.  I was guessing it had just been turned on the coach wye.  Could not tell what was leading though because traffic was bad and I could not catch up to it.

Still I was curious enough to check on it after leaving the Post Office.  I headed to Safeco Field and the overpass at Edgar Martinez Dr S where I noticed the train stopped up by the depot and slowly backing towards the washrack.  That non-Amtrak unit was a BNSF H1 B40-8.  As I waited for the train to pass under the bridge I could hear the horns of a northbound train and could see a BNSF doublestack train coming.

After the Amtrak train cleared the overpass I photographed BNSF 8635/ATK 159/204 on the Empire Builder as it backed through the washrack.

A closer view of the power.

I guess a bonus for the BNSF was their B40-8 getting a free wash.

Here the BNSF 8635 is getting a bath.  Wonder when the last time this unit was washed?

The Builder then started ahead and I photographed the much cleaner BNSF B40-8.

I have seen a number of different BNSF locomotives “borrowed” for Amtrak service but this is the first time I have seen a B40-8 leading Amtrak.  

I thought it looked kind of neat leading!  After clearing the switch the train began backing up again towards the yard and I continued on my way.  It looked like #8 was going to be leaving Seattle tonight with the BNSF 8635 leading.