Earlier today on the scanner the dispatcher mentioned BNSF 6978 coming through the Beardstown subdivision here in central Illinois. Didn’t have the opportunity to spot it. I can’t find a BNSF 6978 listed anywhere on the rosters I’ve found on the web. Googling doesn’t do much help either. Must be a very recent number added to their roster, possibly either one of the new ES44DC Gevos or a renumbered SD40-2 series loco? Either BNSF has new road numbers or I misheard the dispatcher and 6978 was really 8978, one of the SD70MACs.
Taking a look at Robert Del Grosso's 2006 Locomotive review, turns up nothing. That said at the beggining of the year there were a few hold outs of SD40-2's with their pre-merger numbers. 6978 would fill a hole in the current numbering system of re-numbered SD40-2's. The ES44DC's are reserved in numbers 7605-7799. To bad you did not catch it, I know my brother in law THarms77 caught a GP38-2 today in the new swoosh. Hopefully he'll post pics of it. Hint hint.:shade:
The unit does not exist. You must have heard something else. 6958 is the last unit listed in the 6900 series. The next unit would be the 7000.
