# BNSF Locomotive Storage Facility



## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

Took these photos on Galveston Island. Apparently the BNSF stores locos not being used here, not sure if they work or not but many look pretty pathetic. Here's a satellite view first:








All the pics I took were from the far side of Harborside Dr, It was the end of a long day and I understand some railroad employees can get sticky about railfans traipsing around their track.


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)




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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

That's a lot of scrap steel sitting there.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

There's a similar storage lot, or graveyard, outside my hometown in Gillette, WY, and I've seen another one in Grand Junction, CO. I certainly don't understand what that's all about! Is this typical "throw away" American thinking?


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## Trackjockey05 (Jun 30, 2020)

Couldn’t help but notice that more than a few of those we’re missing their horns, funny how fast those disappear while their stored, also noticed some GP30’s still in blue/yellow warbonnet, the red and silver super fleet units were sharp when they were new, but they certainly didn’t age well, as far as running again, you’d be surprised what fresh fuel and batteries can do, UP had several stored on my area, didn’t turn a wheel for 5-6 years, mechanical dept spent a few days replacing filters, installing batteries and topping off fuel and water and all but a couple of them fired up and left under power, none of them had horns, bells, or builders plates after the first year


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## Jscullans (Jul 8, 2019)

I have been at the Union Pacific butler yard and there is about 50 locomotives in that yard that didn’t move all week. One of those locomotives is an old Chicago northwestern dash 9


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## Stumpy (Mar 19, 2013)

Fire21 said:


> Is this typical "throw away" American thinking?


Locomotives, warships... any "big iron" that get a little long in the tooth gets scrapped. Heck, Uncle Sam sold "Big E" for $1.


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## GTW son (12 mo ago)

See these yards on YouTube all the time, interesting stuff. There's supposed to be a CN funeral yard in Niagara.


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## BigGRacing (Sep 25, 2020)

I hope that we start producing more in North America and start taking care of North America again and ship more stuff by train around the applicable countries. I am getting tired of hearing about all the logistical issues driving prices shy high.....


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## Trackjockey05 (Jun 30, 2020)

Jscullans said:


> I have been at the Union Pacific butler yard and there is about 50 locomotives in that yard that didn’t move all week. One of those locomotives is an old Chicago northwestern dash 9


For awhile there were two, original paint unpatched CNW GE’s running around, they used to get consisted with the CNW heritage unit a lot when it first came out, then they disappeared and I figured they’d gotten the yellow dip job, then the last time UP had a family day at IRM in Union they were both there still in original paint, don’t know if they were just there for the family day or if they were donated to IRM as that was rumored, but Ive never found anything official in that regard


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## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

Is it me, or are most of those stored engines (aside from the gensets) GE's...?

Don't see many EMD's.

That oughta tell you sumthin' ...


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## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Tells me they bought more GEs than EMDs.


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## SF Gal (11 mo ago)

What a sight! It reminds me of the yards in the back of my Aunts house in Chicago when I was a preteen.
The SantaFe logo was everywhere. Very cool photographs, for sure. I get down to Texas a lot for vacation but usually farhter west in Port Aransas. I may have to plan some beach time on Galveston Island this Spring, just to checkout the yard!
Looks like Harbor Side drive near 40th street just south of Galveston Harbor.
Grand Galvez looks like a nice place to be pampered.
I was wondering if you can drive on the beach like you can in Port Aransas?
Hmmmmmmmm...very interesting, thanks for sharing, very cool photos!
A favorite pic.....


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## Murv2 (Nov 5, 2017)

The only cars we saw on the beach belonged to the city.


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## 1905dave (Sep 18, 2016)

Two big things driving the stored engines. One is that the price of natural gas plummeted and power plants switched to from coal to natural gas. The number of coal trains operating plummeted to half what it was. Considering that each coal train took 3-4 engines, that sidelined hundreds of engines. Then the pandemic dropped the retail sales and that reduced the number of trains required for other business. End result more engines sidelined. Throw in railroads kept running bigger trains that required fewer engines, less engines were needed more became surplus. It's not a "throw away" mentality, its that the business changed and the older, more expensive to operate, less fuel efficient, less reliable engines were sidelined first. Som of the engines are 30 plus years old some much newer. The gensets are newer engines but relatively unreliable. The B truck GE's aren't as good for heavier tonnage as a 6 axle, and are terrible as switch engines. EMD 4 axle engines are much better as switchers, so they survived in yards and on locals.


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