Northern Pacific Railway

The Northern Pacific Railway (reporting mark NP) was a transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the western United States from Minnesota to the Pacific Coast. It was approved by Congress in 1864 and given nearly 40 million acres (160,000 km²) of land grants, which it used to raise money in Europe for construction. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in western Montana on Sept. 8, 1883. The railroad had about 6800 miles of track and served a large area, including extensive trackage in the states of Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. In addition the company had an international branch to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The main activities were shipping wheat and other farm products, cattle, timber and minerals; bringing in consumer goods, transporting passengers; and selling land. The company was headquartered first in Brainerd, Minnesota, then in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It had a tumultuous financial history, and in 1970 it merged with other lines to form the Burlington Northern Railroad.

Northern Pacific 3617

Northern Pacific 3617 is a restored SD45 diesel locomotive originally owned by the Northern Pacific. It was built in 1967 as a replacement to older locomotives that were "trade-ins" for new units in the 1960s. NP 3617 now is a display piece and is in restoration for operation at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum.

History

In the mid-1960s Norther Pacific started to replace its first-generation diesel locomotives. Northern Pacific's first second-generation diesel locomotive purchases came from General Electric. But Northern Pacific wanted higher horsepower, and thus turning to General Motors. The result was the SD45. The SD45's were all painted in NP's black and gold freight scheme.

NP 3617 was a part of 30 SD45's purchased by Northern Pacific from 1966-1968. NP 3617 was built in April 1967. At 3,600 horsepower, the SD45's were the largest on Northern Pacific's diesel locomotive fleet. NP 3617 operated on the Northern Pacific only 3 years until the 1970 merger into Burlington Northern. The 3617 received a new number, 6417 and was eventually repainted in BN's cascade green scheme. The 6417 then operated on the Burlington Northern until its retirement in March 1987.