The Minnesota Transportation Museum, Inc. has a new locomotive! Introducing… BN SD9 6234. SD9 6234 was donated by the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) to the Minnesota Transportation Museum, Inc. (MTM) on September 12, 2003 (the date BNSF signed the donation agreement with MTM), and the BNSF delivered the 6234 to the Jackson Street Roundhouse in St. Paul on October 16, 2003. This SD (Special Duty) road switching locomotive is a significant addition to the Museum’s collection since it is ideally suited for light rail applications (passenger, freight, and switching service), and readily lends itself to secondary and branch line operations.
When offered to MTM, BNSF 6234 was known to have an undiagnosed ground fault, but to be in otherwise excellent condition. In late 2003 the ground fault proved to be a dead short in the main generator. Funds from the sale of Soo SD39 6240 paid for the generator's replacement. In 2004 airbrake, body, and mechanical work were done, and BN 6234 enjoyed successful test runs around MTM's Jackson Street Terminal. Pleased with its performance, the shop released the 6234 for service on the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway's passenger operations during the 2005 season. It has run well, taking turns with Soo GP7 559 as the road engine. Sometimes the two are MU'd and run together.
After the 2007 summer operating season, 6234 went to the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad Co.'s Horicon, WI paint shop to be painted in the "classic" BN Cascade Green paint scheme. Transportation was donated by the Canadian National, and paint & lettering diagrams were provided by BNSF. It retains its BN 6234 identity, because that is the portion of its history which is relevant to Minnesota. As one newsgroup contributor observed, preserving a BN locomotive in St Paul is a fitting tribute to the Burlington Northern, whose corporate offices were located in St Paul for its first two decades.
 MNTX SD9 6234 at Osceola |
BN SD9 6234, with FRA reporting mark MNTX 6234, is now in service on the Osceola & St. Croix Valley Railway's regular passenger operations between Osceola, WI and Marine, MN, and between Osceola, WI and Dresser, WI; and the Fall Leaf Viewing trips between Osceola and Marine on the St. Croix. Canadian National Railway grants the OSCV Railway trackage rights on CN's Wisconsin Division Dresser Subdivision between Withrow, MN and Dresser, WI - thank you Canadian National Railway. |
Thank you Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway. The MTM thank you letter to BNSF for the donation of SD9 locomotive BNSF 6234. The formal BNSF/MTM DONATION AGREEMENT document for BNSF 6234 was signed by Scott Reed Vice Chair MTM on September 10, 2003 and by M.D. Wiens Manager of Asset Disposition BNSF on September 12, 2003. Selected text from that document is shown below:
M. D. Wiens Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Manager Asset Disposition
Strategic Sourcing & Supply
Topeka, KS
August 11, 2003
File: 17-5020-03
Minnesota Transportation Museum, Inc.
The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) hereby agrees to donate to The Minnesota Transportation Museum (Donee) the following item (The Item) located at Minneapolis (Northtown Diesel Shop) Minnesota:
| 3) | Donee realizes that The Item is donated on a strictly "AS IS" basis with no warranties, either expressed or implied, and that Donee assumes all responsibilty for The Item. |
| 5) | Donee must advise BNSF when they have taken possession of The Item. |
READ, UNDERSTOOD AND ACCEPTED:
Signatures
/s/ M. D. Wiens The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company
/s/ Scott C. Reed Vice Chair Minnesota Transportation Museum
 Transfer of Ownership Photo |
On December 12, 2003, MTM and BNSF held a 6234 transfer of ownership photo session at the Jackson St. Roundhouse. Mark C. Bruce, BNSF Twin Cities Division General Manager and holding 6234's reverser key, presented the reverser key to MTM's General Superintendent Dick Kolter, shaking hands with Mr. Bruce, to symbolize BNSF's donation of SD9 6234 to MTM. MTM presented Mr. Bruce with a one page fact sheet detailing BNSF 6234's history and also a 5x7 photo of BNSF 6234 on the Jackson St. Roundhouse turntable with the BNSF patches still applied. BNSF 6234 was pulled out of the roundhouse and placed on the turntable for the photo session with the presentation taking place in front of the turntable with BNSF 6234 in the background. |
BN SD9 6234, built by the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) of General Motors as C&S 839 (CB&Q subsidiary Colorado & Southern), was among the last SD9s produced before EMD started SD18 production. A total of 471 SD9s were produced by EMD between 1/54 and 6/59. C&S 831-842 builder date 4/59 (the first group of New Burlington Route locomotives to be painted in the "Chinese" red scheme), DM&IR 159-174 builder date 4-5/59, and Reserve Mining 1225 (the last SD9 built) builder date 6/59 were the last SD9s produced. These 29 SD9s are Phase IV units and the only SD9s built in 1959. Phase IV SD9s are identified by a taller battery box and have the GP9 style high short hood and cab which produced a noticeable drop from the cab roof to the long hood.
 C&S 839 |
C&S 839 as delivered in the Burlington Route “Chinese" Red and gray paint scheme had a 16-567C prime mover rated at 1750 H.P., D12 main generator, D14 alternator, D37 traction motors, dynamic brakes, two 48” radiator fans with winterization hatch, dual headlight housings on the front of the locomotive with the top unit a Mars oscillating safety light, dual control stands (BN later removed the left-side control stand), and EMD’s 3-motor 6-wheel FLEXI-COIL trucks. C&S 839 is shown at Cheyenne, WY September 7, 1968. The 45° black and white Scotchlite striping along the frame was applied in 1965 for safety reasons. |
 C&S 842 |
The CB&Q and its subsidiaries C&S and FW&D, along with the GN, NP, and SP&S Railways, were merged to form the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) in 1970. In 1971, C&S 839 was repainted BN “Cascade Green” and black with white lettering and nose stripes but without the BURLINGTON NORTHERN lettering, and retained its C&S identity by sub-lettering C&S on the cab sides below the BN cab logo like C&S 842 at Teague, TX January 22, 1972. |
 C&S 839 |
Later small C&S initials appeared above the number boards on both ends of the unit with BURLINGTON NORTHERN lettering under the BN cab logo and the C&S initials moved to the battery box/tool box covers. C&S 839 is shown at Ft. Collins, CO December 25, 1977, and note that it still has its Mars light. |
 BN 6234 |
C&S 839 was renumbered C&S 6234 and finally renumbered into the BN system as BN 6234 in 1979-80 losing its C&S identity (C&S lost its corporate identity on December 31, 1981), and its Mars light was also removed sometime around this time. BN 6234 is shown at Ft. Collins, CO November 24, 1983. |
 BNSF 6234 |
With the merger of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) and the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) into the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) in 1996, BN 6234 was patched with the BNSF corporate initials as its reporting mark and was assigned BNSF number 6148 in the BNSF re-numbering plan but only received the BNSF reporting mark without receiving its assigned BNSF number before being donated to MTM. The BNSF renumbering plan has all SD9s in the 6100-6198 number series. Patched BNSF 6234 as delivered to MTM shown at the Jackson St. Roundhouse Oct. 17, 2003. |
CB&Q subsidiaries Colorado & Southern and Ft. Worth & Denver extended the reach of the Burlington Route from Colorado and Wyoming to the Gulf of Mexico. BN 6234 served the C&S, BN, and BNSF locomotive fleets for more than forty-four years with its maintenance assignments Denver, CO up to the BNSF merger and Galesburg, IL after the BNSF merger. It still retains its as-built high-hood SD9 appearance with only a few minor external changes: Mars light housing on the front of the locomotive removed leaving only the lower headlight, front and rear pilot foot boards removed, ditch-lights added to the front and rear walkway decks, and front and rear steps changed from four-steps to five-steps.
Of the original 12 C&S 1959-built SD9s 831-842, 10 were still shown as active on the BNSF roster as of April 30, 2003, and that included BNSF 6234.
| Model | SD9 (Phase IV) |
| Builder | EMD-LaGrange, Illinois |
| Builder Date | Apr 1959 |
| Builder No. | 25159 |
| Frame No. | 5589-9 |
| Date Acquired by MTM | October 16, 2003 |
| Prime Mover | 16-645EC* |
| Traction Motors | D78 |
| Main Generator | D12 |
| Fuel Oil Capacity | 2400 gals. |
| Lube Oil Capacity | 200 gals. |
| Cooling Water Capacity | 260 gals. |
| Gear Ratio | 61:16 |
| Top Speed | 70 mph |
| Horsepower | 1750 |
| Height | 15' 0" |
| Weight | 326,000 lbs. |
| Sand Capacity | 50 cu. ft. |
| Wheel Diameter | 40" |
| Truck Centers | 35' 0" |
| Truck Rigid Wheelbase | 13' 7" |
| Minimum Curve Radius | 250' 0" |
| Length Over Coupler Pulling Faces | 60' 9" |
| Designated Front | Short hood |
| Brake Equipment | 26L |
| Dynamic Brakes | Standard range continuous |
| Journals | Hyatt roller-bearing 6½"x12" |
| M.U. Control | Equipped |
| Ditch Lights | Equipped-front and rear |
| Cab Seating Capacity | Four seats |
| Last Daily Inspection by BNSF | 10-1-2002 Galesburg, IL |
| First Day of Operation by MTM | 05-20-2004 JSRH |
| SD9 Locomotive Diagram | Page 76 from BN diagram book |
View the four page General Motors 1750 H.P. 6-motor Road Switcher SD9 Specification Document:
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
Links to C&S SD9 839 photographs in the Otto Perry collection of the Denver Public Library
C&S SD9 839 leading Boy Scout Special N. of Palmer Lake, CO July 1960
C&S SD9 839 Denver, CO ca. 1960
C&S SD9 839 leading Boy Scout Special at Colorado Springs, CO July 1960
Sources:
