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BNSF ET44C4 No. 3967

(Requested by Pacific Railfan).

3967 was built by General Electric in 2015, and was one of at least 161 ET44C4 locomotives built for BNSF in that year. Unfortunately 3967’s service was cut very short, as she was involved in the Panhandle, Texas train collision of June 2016.

3967 was the third engine on an eastbound BNSF freight train, which overran caution signals and collided with a westbound BNSF train. Sadly three people lost their lives in the incident.

The locomotives involved in the wreck were as follows:

(eastbound train)
G.E. C44-9W No. 5162
G.E. ES44DC No. 7838
G.E. ET44C4 No. 3967

(eastbound DPUs)
G.E. ES44C4 No. 8234
G.E. ET44C4 No. 3970

(westbound train)
G.E. C44-9W No. 5416
G.E. ES44DC No. 7553
G.E. ES44DC No. 7907
G.E. ES44C4 No. 8191
G.E. C44-9W No. 5212

3967 was damaged beyond repair, officially retired on August 25th, 2016 and scrapped soon after. Other engines from this accident that were also scrapped were 5162, 5212, 5416, 7553. As for 7907, she was repaired and returned to service in November 2020. The two engines used as DPUs were undamaged.

Image Source:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4402164

More information on the Panhandle crash:
https://www.baumhedlundlaw.com/blog/2016/july/texas-panhandle-train-crash-could-have-been-prev/