Former Burlington Northern diesels leading an eastbound BNSF Railway container train. Riverside Illinois USA. October 2007.

I took this photo one sunny autum morning, in west suburban Riverside Illinois. I used to photograph those cascade green Burlington Northern locomotives during the 1980's, and it brought back happy memorys to see them again. The BNSF Railway was created through the merger of the Burlington Northern, and the Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroads in 1995. Although it has been 13 years since the merger, many locomotives and cars in their former color schemes and markings can be seen today on the 3 track BNSF Railway mainline through here. The predecessor railroad Burlington Northern, was created through March 2nd 1970 merger of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, The Great Northern, The Northern Pacific, and the Spokane, Portland & Seatle Railroads. The Burlington Northern however, insisted that the cabooses and locomotives be painted into Burlington Northern's color scheme by 1977. However, several freight cars didn't get this treatment, and it was possible to see cars rolling through Chicago in the color schemes and markings of the pre 1970 railroads that made the BN into the late 1980's and early 1990's. A blast from the past indeed.