Great Northern 400

Great Northern 400, nicknamed Hustle Muscle, is a restored SD45 diesel locomotive originally owned by the Great Northern (GN). It was built in 1966 as the first production SD45 by Electro-Motive Division.

History

GN 400 was the first of eight SD45s (numbered 400-407) delivered to the Great Northern in May and June 1966. GN 400 was the fourth SD45 built by EMD after the first three demonstrators. Great Northern christened it with its nickname, "Hustle Muscle." All eight SD45s wore Great Northern's simplified orange and green paint scheme, but only 400 wore a nickname. In total, Great Northern owned 27 SD45s built from 1966 through 1968.

In 1970, the GN became part of the Burlington Northern (BN). The locomotive was renumbered to 6430, but through 1972 it still wore its GN paint, with the GN logos removed. In 1973, the locomotive underwent a massive "class-one overhaul", and was painted into BN's cascade green scheme. At the request of railfans, BN kept its nickname painted on both sides of its long hood.

The BN retired 6430 in 1986, and donated the locomotive to the Great Northern Railway Historical Society. In 1989, the locomotive was repainted back into its original GN appearance and renumbered back to 400 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, but there was some controversy over its restored appearance, including the misplaced and off-centered "Hustle Muscle" nickname. The locomotive was then kept in Duluth, Minnesota, until the early 2000s when it was moved to the former Great Northern Jackson Street Roundhouse in Saint Paul, Minnesota, which houses the Minnesota Transportation Museum. In 2006, the 400 was repainted again, this time accurately with the "Hustle Muscle" nickname in its correct location. The second repaint was completed in Horicon, Wisconsin, using original EMD and GN diagrams of the locomotive. Since then it has been displayed in a stall of the Jackson Street Roundhouse, 400's original home.

Present-day operations

The locomotive was called into duty for special excursions, including operating with Milwaukee Road 261 and pulling both GN and National Railway Historical Society charters. Otherwise, 400 was often displayed inside MTM's roundhouse, occasionally pulling their Saturday caboose rides. And in 2014 and 2015, the locomotive was displayed for special events at St. Paul Union Depot.

In 2015 the Minnesota Transportation Museum and the Great Northern Railway Historical Society signed a two-year operating lease to have the 400 operate on MTM's Osceola and St. Croix Valley Railway in Osceola, WI, in place of MTM's Soo Line (Ex-Rock Island) GP7 which is undergoing maintenance. After being displayed in St. Paul through May, the locomotive was ferried to Osceola for its first year of regular excursions.

GN 400 pulled many trains during the 2015, including a special for the 2015 Great Northern Convention and for photo charters. It was often set aside just for special runs. At the end of the 2015 season BNSF railway transported GN 400 to their diesel shop in Northtown yard for a "class one inspection". After some testing on revenue local trains, GN 400 was given a "clean bill of health" and was returned to the Jackson Street Roundhouse.

In 2016 the 400 was a co-star in a railfan photographer special on May 2 with it's former Duluth 'bunkmate' Soo Line 2500. It operated every weekend of May and June 2016 and October 2016. It is planned to return to Osceola in 2017, and rumored to be displayed at St. Paul Union Depot as part of a USPS mail special in spring 2017.

References

External links

• Minnesota Transportation Museum Where GN 400 is displayed and operated.
• Great Northern Railway Historical Society GN 400's current owners.