Deep dives
I was digging through a lot of early 2000s slides recently, BNSF wasn't the subject of the search but it was a pretty interesting time on the RR. The old 7300 rebuilds are among the pre-ETTS power that kept popping up. I began to wonder if I had any shots of one that has since achieved a certain level of notoriety. The E&LS has a pretty dedicated cadre of fans these days who record nearly every move the shortline makes. ELS 503 still wears BNSF colors and gets a lot of attention. I looked up its first number on BNSF, 7303, and watched for that number amongst the slides. I was happy to find a shot of 7303 on the point of a train headed down the St. Croix Sub in 2004.
It turns out I like this shot enough that I've already posted it to my Photostream here, 14 years ago to this day! I normally don't repost the same shot but this rabbit hole proved too irresistible so here is a new (better) scan of BNSF 7303 approaching East Winona, WI. Back when I first posted this it hadn't gone to the E&LS yet (via Independent Locomotive Service), the shot itself was 7 years old at that time. It's baffling how the years accelerate with age but I guess that's why I take pictures. In time it would be renumbered out of the way of newer power to 6964 on BNSF. By the end of 2011 it would leave the roster.
ILS renumbered this unit to 1338 and it ran for quite a while on E&LS with the leaser marks until E&LS purchased it:
www.flickr.com/photos/view2share/32681966120
Finally, after E&LS purchased it, it was renumbered into their SD40-2 number series as ELS 503:
www.flickr.com/photos/view2share/51637319780
With the steady contraction of the E&LS in 2025 it almost exclusively works the route between Channing, MI and Green Bay, WI.
April 28, 2004.
Deep dives
I was digging through a lot of early 2000s slides recently, BNSF wasn't the subject of the search but it was a pretty interesting time on the RR. The old 7300 rebuilds are among the pre-ETTS power that kept popping up. I began to wonder if I had any shots of one that has since achieved a certain level of notoriety. The E&LS has a pretty dedicated cadre of fans these days who record nearly every move the shortline makes. ELS 503 still wears BNSF colors and gets a lot of attention. I looked up its first number on BNSF, 7303, and watched for that number amongst the slides. I was happy to find a shot of 7303 on the point of a train headed down the St. Croix Sub in 2004.
It turns out I like this shot enough that I've already posted it to my Photostream here, 14 years ago to this day! I normally don't repost the same shot but this rabbit hole proved too irresistible so here is a new (better) scan of BNSF 7303 approaching East Winona, WI. Back when I first posted this it hadn't gone to the E&LS yet (via Independent Locomotive Service), the shot itself was 7 years old at that time. It's baffling how the years accelerate with age but I guess that's why I take pictures. In time it would be renumbered out of the way of newer power to 6964 on BNSF. By the end of 2011 it would leave the roster.
ILS renumbered this unit to 1338 and it ran for quite a while on E&LS with the leaser marks until E&LS purchased it:
www.flickr.com/photos/view2share/32681966120
Finally, after E&LS purchased it, it was renumbered into their SD40-2 number series as ELS 503:
www.flickr.com/photos/view2share/51637319780
With the steady contraction of the E&LS in 2025 it almost exclusively works the route between Channing, MI and Green Bay, WI.
April 28, 2004.