Sierra Northern Railway Launches Locomotive 250 for US 250th Anniversary

Sierra Northern Railway has applied a commemorative livery to its locomotive No. 250 to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. The unit is a Railpower RP20BD genset that was rebuilt in 2014 at the company’s own maintenance facility in Northern California.

The locomotive was originally manufactured by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors as a GP7 model in the early 1950s. Its first owner was the Santa Fe Railroad, and it later entered service with the Burlington Northern Railroad. Prior to its acquisition by Sierra Northern Railway, the unit was operated by the Yolo Shortline Railroad.

The current operator, Sierra Northern Railway, was formed in 2003 through the merger of the Yolo Shortline Railroad and the Sierra Railroad Co. The company operates on 105 miles of track, with 75 miles in Northern California and 30 miles in Southern California. The short line maintains freight interchanges with both BNSF Railway and Union Pacific.