The Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (Santa Fe), a BNSF predecessor, got in on the patriotic wave of 1976, painting five locomotives numbered 5700-5704 in a unique bicentennial scheme. One was recently found, and restored, by

5704 (renumbered to BNSF 6484)—was retired in 2008 and bound for scrap in 2020 after four decades and millions of service miles.

That’s when Eric Goodman, Manager, Economic Development for BNSF, first heard of 5704’s destiny.

“The locomotive was in Memphis, with plans to scrap it,” Goodman recalled. “A number of us who are involved with the Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society (SFRH&MS) learned of it and agreed it needed to be saved.

They searched for a railroad museum to donate it to and chose the Southern California Railway Museum (SCRM) in Perris, Calif.

The team approached Mid-America Car Inc. – Locomotive to donate the expertise of its craftsmen to transform 5704 back in time in every detail.

“The Mid-America team worked diligently to ensure the bicentennial version of 5704 was perfectly replicated,” said Stephen Priest, railroad author and historian, who the museum made on-site project engineer and manager in Kansas City, where 5704 was eventually moved to be cosmetically restored.

 

https://www.railwayage.com/mechanical/locomotives/atsf-bicentennial-locomotive-requiem/