New GE Tier IV Locomotives - BNSF 3917 and BNSF 3920

BNSF K-ALTALT1-23 Tests Tier IV ET44C4's

GE announced on the morning of June 23, 2015 that they would be needing the BNSF "GE Job" K-ALTALT1-23 to test brand-new ET44C4 Tier IV locomotives BNSF 3917 and BNSF 3920.  They were ready to roll after the passing of the southbound Amtrak Heartland Flyer. Today's test run would take them Northward to Metro.

After work I grabbed the camera and headed to Metro to get-the-shot.  I arrived just in time as the power was departing southbound for GE.  BNSF Tier IV No. 3916 was the first and only one to be previously released from the GE plant and it had wandered off-line for testing.  The units today would be the first pair of production BNSF Tier IV's to operate together outside of the GE plant.

The low speed testing allowed me to get shots at five locations between Metro, Texas and Justin, Texas.  The lighting was not bad at all!

At Justin the K-ALTALT1-23 held for a better signal indication.  The last shots of the day were of the train ahead, Tulsa, OK to Teague, TX train H-TULTEA1-22 pulling the grade on Main Track 3 at North Haslet--right by the edge of the current runway at Alliance Airport.

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Click on the images in this slide show to view larger files!

Chris

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