Does anyone know what this is? ("BN" critter)

Hey all,

My buddy was going through all of his pics and came across this oddball....believes that he took it back in the late '90's. Can anyone tell me what the heck it is?

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c168/ ... 2943d0.jpg

Thanks,
JIm F.

Wow, that looks like a mini-caboose that you can find at the amusement parks.

I believe that's an old Plymouth (no relation to MOPAR and no, it does NOT have a HEMI in it... the name comes from its hometown, Plymouth, Ohio) switcher. Plymouth built small switchers for industrial switching and whatnot.

Here's a listing on Wikipedia...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth_Locomotive_Works

and...

Some pictures, at NE Rails...
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/diesel81.html

If it isn't a Plymouth (which is probably the case... not ugly enough ), then it's probably built from a similar manufacturer.


Mack, maybe? (Mack 12T?)
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/diesel114.html


I'll let the "experts" chime in here with their guesses.

But what did BN (BNSF) use them for? Were these assigned to particular tasks in yards or were they utilized by certain customers in industry?

Jim F.

The Burlington Northern probably never owned such a locomotive. The locomotive could have been painted this way for fun. A locomotive this size does not show up in the Burlington Northern roster.

Star Trek 40th AnniveSary

Smallest BN motor I've seen pics of was the 1/2, a trackmobile type switcher used in a diesel shop somewhere in the midwest.

If it's a critter then it's missing a radiatior grille. It almost looks like a plywood mock-up. Those cars around it don't look quite right, either- too short, and with rounded roofs like they used in Europe. My guess is that this is someone's backyard toy (assumig a large back yard).

http://www3.sympatico.ca/mjmc/ (critters)

I just looked again and saw that they're ancient passenger coaches. That may be a little electric loco as part of an amusement park ride (?)

It's the real deal - just look at the door to the cab on the left side of the cab - it's open, and the inside of the door looks like a fifty-year old piece of old railroad equipment. But I would second the idea that someone at a museum painted it in cascade green as a joke.

Where is this photo from? it looks like a museum somewhere. That looks like a very old Mack switcher, but the BN paint is most likely the staff having a little fun.

-otto-

The locomotive is a 1 ton Mack (as in the tractor-trailer company). Formerly Black River & Western Railroad (Ringoes, NJ) BRW1. I didn't know they had painted it but...

it is a engine for Little people
Mr stewart who loves Debbie Lee of new york