Subscribe to download
BNSF ES44C4 No. 6873

BNSF 6873 was built by General Electric in 2012, and is one of at least 1,266 ES44C4 locomotives ordered by BNSF (the whole order was built between 2012 and 2017). 6873 was painted in the H3 livery from new.

The ES44C4 is part of GE’s Evolution Series, and is very similar to the ubiquitous ES44AC, apart from a few notable differences. The ES44C4 designation refers to the following aspects:

ES - Evolution Series
44 - 4,400 horsepower
C - three axles per bogie
4 - four traction motors

In other words, this design has an A1A-A1A wheel arrangement (meaning the inner axles on each bogie are not powered), whereas the ES44AC has all six of her axles powered. BNSF was the launch customer of the ES44C4, with the Florida East Coast Railway also ordering 24 of them in 2014.

BNSF 6873 entered service in the first half of 2012, and is still in service today. The locomotive is now nine years old.