Northern Lines Railway launches renovated locomotives

Northern Lines Railway (NLR) has put into service two recently renovated GP15 locomotives to provide customers with more reliable service.

The locomotives have 12-cylinder engines that consume less fuel than the 16-cylinder engines in the GP9 units they replace, NLR said in blog posted yesterday.

NLR was formed in 2005 to operate BNSF Railway Co. trackage in central Minnesota.

The renovated locomotives provide higher reliability, greater crew comfort and better service for NLR customers, the blog stated. To increase efficiency during the winter months, a hot-start feature was added to minimize engine idling in frigid temperatures.

The newly leased units from GATX Corp. — Nos. 421 and 422 — also received a new paint scheme, which features the "BN-Tribute" green in a nod to NLR's heritage as a former Burlington Northern line.

The locomotives are now NLR's mainstay power, however NLR locomotive No. 1610 GP16 remains available for service as needed, the blog stated.