Great Northern 558
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 GN 558 awaiting restoration at the Minnesota Transportation Museum, 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Great Northern 558 (Burlington Northern 6008) is a preserved EMD SD7 diesel locomotive originally owned by the Great Northern. It was donated to the Minnesota Transportation Museum in 2017 and awaits restoration to its Great Northern appearance.
History[edit]
In 1952 the Great Northern purchased 23 SD7 locomotives, numbered 550 through 572. [1] The SD7 was largely similar to the GP7s - the only major difference being two more axles. The SD7s were considered 'road switchers.' Great Northern SD7s were configured to run long hood forward, largely for crew safety. This meant the engine was ahead of the cab when the locomotive was going forward, unlike most locomotives that have the cab ahead of the engine when going forward.
GN 558 was ninth in the series. It first was based in the Twin Cities but was later relocated to Duluth/Superior in ore service.
GN 558 wore both orange Great Northern schemes before the Burlington Northern merger of 1970. The locomotive was renumbered BN 6008 and eventually repainted in BN cascade green. GN 558 did not wear Great Northern's Big Sky Blue scheme, only eight SD7s ever wore the scheme. 558 was one of seven that was repainted from the original scheme to simplified orange. All the SD7s were delivered in the 'Empire Builder' scheme.
In 1983 the Burlington Northern retired the GN SD7s, and 6008 was sold to switch grain elevators in Litchfield, Minnesota, ironically along a former GN mainline. The engine was owned by Cargill. Cargill later sold the grain elevators and stored the locomotive in Pipestone, Minnesota. It was orignally planned to scrap the locomotive but was instead donated by Cargill to the Minnesota Transportation Museum in November 2017. [2]
In April 2018, the locomotive was moved by BNSF from Pipestone to its home at MTM's Jackson Street Roundhouse in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Historical Significance[edit]
GN 558 is the only Great Northern SD7 preserved by a museum. It is one of five preserved SD7s. 188 total SD7s were produced from 1951 to 1953.
Present-day operations[edit]
The locomotive last operated around 2015. It is housed at the Jackson Street Roundhouse awaiting restoration back to its as-built Great Northern appearance. Because the locomotive was retired in the early 1980s, the BN had not done any modernization to the locomotive, and 558 had only a few minor exterior safety changes. Because of this, the 558 is almost completely original.
GN 558 is one of three preserved high-nosed diesel locomotives at MTM, the others being Burlington Northern 6234 and Soo Line 559. It is one of five Great Northern locomotives in the museum's collection which includes Great Northern 325, Great Northern 454, Lake Superior Terminal & Transfer 101 and GNRHS-leased Great Northern 400.
After being donated the museum renumbered the 6008 as "MNTX 6234" for transport over BNSF. The number is used by the museum's preserved BN SD9, which was a number recognized by the FRA. The locomotive will be numbered 558.
References[edit]
- "Diesel Locomotives". Minnesota Transportation Museum.
External links[edit]
- Minnesota Transportation Museum Where GN 558 is on display and operated.
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