The How and Why of the BN merger of 1970

This is a description of the whole DVD program available at www.cspmovies.comas item number D-121
See the historic 1970 formation of Burlington Northern. See great vintage trains of Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Chicago Burlington & Quincy and the Spokane Portland & Seattle from the 50s into the 70s. We bring the history of the “James Hill Lines” and how he reshaped the northwest. See the steam to early diesel transition of these lines.
Follow the career of Chicago Burlington & Quincy’s, Ralph Budd. His early years as a design engineer made him one of the industry’s greatest innovators. He was the youngest railroad president when earlier he took charge of the GN as he was also a sharp businessman.
Follow the early passenger Ralph Budd-inspired Zephyrs, the California Zephyr plus passenger and freight trains of the CB&Q, GN and NP. Visit Chicago, Iowa, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and more locations with passenger and freight. We offer a special section of the “Inside Gateway” line jointly operated by the BN & WP.
To quote Model Railroad News, “The story is epic... plan to watch it several times...”.
To quote Railfan & Railroad, “This program, as all others Smiley has done, Contains a wealth of content requiring more than one sitting to digest fully. The maps are excellent, the corporate story-telling first rate.
FILMING CREDITS.... George Barnes, Joe Blackwell, Mark Cooper, Darrel Dewald,
Bob Finan, Bo Golson, Patrick Howat, Theodore Jocelyn
P. Wm. Landgraf, Eugene Lile, Gary McClain, Grant Oakes,
John Petros, Tim Saltzman, Joe Swenson.

[@barkboingfloom]

I miss that old green BN livery. I am always stoked when I see an old BN car that hasn't been repainted.

[@mattanderson6336]

Grinsteen Green & Cream was the worst paint imaginable. The SD 70’s deserved better. 😂😂😂

[@JoshuaEhlen]

@@mattanderson6336 On the contrary in my opinion! The executive paint scheme is sharp!

[@jam00723]

⁠@@JoshuaEhlenour break room at Northtown still has the BN executive paint scheme.

[@Cobra-ky9bt]

I caught one on an industry track last Thursday. Wish I'd have been able to get a picture of it.

[@cacline72]

I had this DVD years ago as a kid, it's one of the reasons why I love the Burlington Northern!

[@charlessmileyvideo]

We agree, this movie made us love the BN much more after we learned the real story. They were an Epic Railroad in so many ways. Thanks for your support!

[@marvwatkins7029]

He says that "most railroads were in good shape by war's end". That may have been true financially. But they were certainly worn out physically by war traffic added to much deferred maintenance due to the Great Depression.

[@charlessmileyvideo]

true enough.

[@animenut69]

Railroad shop forces / track gang are unfortunately such overlooked heroes. Kept stuff running with a bit of luck and duct tape

[@onrr1726]

The roads that excepted the financial help during the war years came out in fair shape at best. While roads that invested prior and opted out of excepting aid like the MKT for new locomotives, rolling stock and track and signal upgrades came back to bite them in the ass after the war when they asked for the help that had been offered during the war and the government said nope the war is over we don't need you.

[@theracetrackroute]

An often overlooked suburb of Chicago, I was so happy to see old footage of my hometown rails in Clarendon Hills, IL at the 29:15 mark.

[@stevesampson6431]

29.20 shows Western Springs. Remember waiting at a LaGrange crossing in the school bus during winter months and seeing the morning North Coast Limited eastbound into Chicago,- most notably after the zephyr had gone thru a storm the previous night and the lower third of each two-tone green passenger car and wheels (trucks) were loaded with light gray ice. Thought it must have been a tough run thru some really cold weather. Long train, this zephyr coming all the way from Seattle. Also, during the early 1960s went on a number of fantrips with 5632 and 4960 (missed but saw the 6315 and 5632 double-header at both LaGrange Road and the little bridge at Highlands station)…Sunday Only excursions mostly to Galesburg all the way in the baggage car for me were a big deal, though cleaning exposed face and ears not protected by goggles was quite a chord the night before starting back to school the next morning.

[@petersipp5247]

I lived in Hinsdale from 1965 to 1971. I used to go to the rr tracks and enjoyed the trains. as a high schooler.

[@insidecutter]

Charles Smiley is the Goat of rail videos. My opinion.

[@charlessmileyvideo]

Wow, thanks you for your vote it makes us here at CSP feel really to receive compliments like yours. It inspires us to keep "Bringing the Trains"! Have a super day!

[@DaMan-jt6dh]

​@@charlessmileyvideoI don't like watching videos of trains going by I want to hear the history and the logistics of what is going on and nobody has done this better than you. Have always have had your DVDs as a kid starting with UP vintage West and have a pretty good collection. Pentrix was good but Charles Smiley is the undisputed GOAT of Railroad Videos and Railroad History.

[@paulwarner5395]

Thanx for the history lesson. I wish that BNSF after the merger had gone with the BN green and black color scheme or one of the Santa Fe schemes rather than the terrible pumpkin color scheme.

[@beeble2003]

They were pushing it as a merger of equals, so they couldn't really just paint everything in the colours of one of the constituents.

[@joshualawn8721]

I agree, but the pumpkin scheme is based on the GN scheme. The swoosh scheme is my least favorite. Plus they have NP paint jobs.

[@SailorMoonRailfan]

Yes indeed

[@randallellison6421]

On the flip side, you have ATSF fans saying they should have stayed with the warbonnet scheme! While I don't like what BNSF has eventually become, especially in the last 5 years, it probably was for the best to have their own identity.

[@kentfrederick8929]

Actually, the GN's colors were Omaha Orange and Pullman Green. I'm old enough to remember those colors on the Empire Builder, before the GN switched to Big Sky Blue and white.

[@Dutch_Uncle]

Thanks! I worked two summers in the CB&Q Havelock shops as a Carman's Helper, a"Car Toad" in Q talk., and rode the Zepher from Hastings, NE to New York in 1966, and Hastings to Oakland, CA in 1969. Pullman all the way, and the bar car was great!

[@gregbowen617]

This was a cracking video of a great, majorly influential railroads history! I love this kind of history and as an Australian, it’s a great way to learn about the background of American railroads! Thank you for posting this!

[@charlessmileyvideo]

Thanks for watching, we have 50 movies on American Railroading at www.cspmovies.com

[@uk-martin4905]

A fascinating account A thoroughly enjoyable history lesson in a subject about which I previously knew very little.

[@rockguitarist931]

When I was younger, CSX was rife with foreign power and leasing units. It seems like a Burlington Northern unit rolled through about once a week, and it was usually an SD40-2. I really miss those days.

[@w.rustylane5650]

I used to live in Jonesboro, GA, so I model the Central of Georgia railway. But I have an old set of nice HO scale Gilbert coaches from the 1950's in the Northern Pacific livery with an F-3 engine and I love to run those since I've always liked the paint scheme of the NP. Main Street of Northwest. Cheers from eastern TN

[@valsyoutube3331]

The 5632 was not scrapped. It is on display at the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colorado.

[@charlessmileyvideo]

Wow, that is super news thanks for correcting us! That Museum is a great visit!

[@davidmackey344]

Wrong. You're thinking of 5629. 5632 is long gone.

[@AnimalsVehiclesAndMore]

@@davidmackey344 Yeah. CB&Q 5629 is at the museum. 5632 was illegally sold and scrapped right under the nose of her owner, Richard Jensen. He sued the people who scrapped that locomotive, and won the case. However, this caused Jensen to believe that the same outcome would always happen if one of his locomotives was lost. So, when Jensen was in serious financial trouble in the 1980's, he sacrificed his prized pacific (Grand Trunk Western 5629) in an attempt to get out of said troubles, but it didn't go as planned. That was because Jensen intentionally abandoned and used GTW 5629, leading to her demise. As a result, the railfan community disowned Jensen, and he died a hated man in 1991 at the age of 60 from poor health. It's also a very odd and fascinating coincidence that Grand Trunk Western and Burlington Route had two locomotives with the same number (5629 and 5632), and they had similar outcomes.

[@stevesampson6431]

The 5629 O5 is at the Colo. RR Museum in Golden. Truly wish what you are thinking about 5632 were true. I’ll go for complete restoration of 5629 and it’s temporary renumbering though. Even paint it brass engine gold for a special event.

[@bernardc2553]

WOW what little video there was On the Western Pacific I whole-heartedly enjoyed it Wish there was more on Carlin & Elko runs shops turntables ❤

[@J3scribe]

I've always found if peculiar that the SP&S was an Alco holdout despite the fact that its owners were solidly in the EMD camp.

[@charlessmileyvideo]

It is interesting that you pointed that out, we were wondering the same thing too! What an motley mix of Alco power they had, but they were a cool railroad!

[@RMSTitanicWSL]

My guess is that Alco gave them better pricing on locomotives, and their owners didn't do anything to help them get more favorable pricing or financing from EMD. PRSL and PRR/PC were like this. The overall higher altitudes and climate might have made for better performance from the Alcos, too.

[@onrr1726]

Alco was well known for producing marine diesal engines as was Fairbanks Moorse for ships, submarines and tug boats. Perhaps many of the guys who returned home from WWII were Navy and merchant marine Veterans and were more familiar and better trained with working on them compared to EMD, GE and Baldwin??

[@thedesertdwellerfromutah4354]

My Grandpa worked for the NP ... He said the Alco RS11 units would out pull their EMD GP9 counterparts like nobody's business. When the BN was formed the SP&S units were thrown in the mix... Their Alco units C424/C425 and the huge C636 were stellar units as far as brute strength. The big C636 units would out pull the EMD SD45 everytime... The problem was the EMD SD45 was 20 times more reliable... That was Alco's downfall... Reliability...the big C636 units were also very heavy and wore down or tore up light rail quickly

[@rayinpau.s.a.6351]

I always feel satisfied when I watch and learn more about our Railroad History . I am glad Railroads are still around !

[@railroadhistoryarchives]

Amazing historical footage and detailed facts makes this a must-see for any train enthusiast.

[@thirdgengta]

Life without KZbin ads. Imagine the possibilities.

[@charlessmileyvideo]

There actually would be no "KZbin" without ads it is a reality! And then there would be no possibility for anyone to see any of this!

[@onrr1726]

​@@charlessmileyvideo yes but the ads can be placed at the start or end of the videos. You just need to go into the settings to do it.

[@trainknut]

Me watching this on Brave: "you guys have ads?"

[@heathcliff8624]

Firefox ad-blocker

[@MilePost106]

Great video! Had the DVD.

[@charlessmileyvideo]

Thanks, they were a super railroad with an epic story!

[@oregonwesternrailroadprodu5239]

35:30 whatever the name of this music track is i adore it especially in the ending of milw scrapbook

[@JR-playlists]

28:36 67' Mustang in Kewanee, Il. 28:47 Elevated track through downtown Aurora, Il. 28:58 CB&Q shops (TwoBros Roundhouse) & commuter yard & High St. bridge in Aurora, Il.

[@snagletoothscott3729]

Going east out the of Aurora station passing over Downer St. with LaSalle going south on left. You can just see the station and eastbound signal tower at that start of the frame. Then passing the old car shops that were just north of the roundhouse near where the post office is now, then swing around the corner passed Hill Yard, the original Aurora & Chicago/CB&Q yard before Eola got built. 28:07 Looks like west side of Monmouth. 29:34 Leaving Kewannee. 29:41 West side of Mendota coming out of the S curve.

[@ardenkwong9153]

Skipped BN's 1980 merger with the Frisco. NP was the third transcontinental RR completed, after the first transcontinental RR meeting of the CP and UP at Promontory Summit, UT and the second transcontinental RR meeting of the SP and AT&SF at Deming, NM.

[@nonewherelistens1906]

Well done video. Learned a lot.

[@charlessmileyvideo]

Check out our other movies, most of them have history just like this one! www.cspmovies.com

[@paulhuelsman7221]

I liked there green color. Today there grain hopper cars look like there rusted with there dull paint. Another thing you don’t see in these videos is all the graffiti

[@charlessmileyvideo]

Yes paul no graffiti what a treat! And you are right the Green on the BN Hoppers has certainly faded over the years. Surprisingly there are a lot out there in service some in clean paint!

[@wyattwatterud3099]

yall mad at graffiti? I bet you guys probably sit down to pee

[@MrDgwphotos]

And with the the exception of the Homestake pass line (which has not been pulled up), the majority of the NP through Montana IS still in service, until the beginning of this year as Montana Rail Link.

[@peters1127]

Excellent Video!

[@cobraspottedwolf8791]

My great grandpa worked for great northern and then BN

[@MrDgwphotos]

39:22 NP 340 is still in use as SRY 119 after being retired from Montana Rail Link.

[@EntertainmentWorldz]

super great video bro ❤❤😍😍

[@charlessmileyvideo]

Right on, more to come! Thanks for watching!

[@tczephyr3665]

Great video

[@charlessmileyvideo]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@utubewatcher806]

Great looking video, but the trailer doesn't mention the BN+Frisco acquisition.

[@charlessmileyvideo]

We wanted to limit the merger to the 1970 original part in this youtube upload. In the full DVD production, the Frisco and other topics are covered.

[@onrr1726]

Frisco came much later around 80 or 81

[@LanceN]

20:23 that is the old Depot in Minneapolis not the Union Depot in downtown St. Paul

[@charlessmileyvideo]

Cool! The BN legacy was strong in MN!

[@jxh02]

The GN Depot in Minneapolis lasted until 1978. I remember picking up passengers there in my first year as a driver for Yellow Cab. The address was "Foot of Hennepin Avenue".

[@wildbill9919]

I have this....on VHS.

[@FritoBuggers]

You must be very old.🙃

[@wildbill9919]

I'm 51. @@FritoBuggers

[@jeffbuelt6953]

There problem was when they merged with the SF in the 90s they became a Nasty Corporation I worked for them then!

[@charlessmileyvideo]

Yes, they were much better as an independent road before "BeanSnif" took over!(LOL)

[@jeffbuelt6953]

Absolutely the BNSF became Comparable to how the Nazis.

[@tracynation2820]

Super. 💙 T.E.N.

[@JasonNolasco-pt2nh]

The Four companies also attempted to merge in the 1920s. But the deal was give up all interest in the Burlington. Unfortunately neither the Great Northern or Northern Pacific was willing to give it up. And in one proposal Great Northern would paired with the Milwaukee road. While Northern Pacific would be paired with the Burlington. But honestly I feel like they should had the Milwaukee road join in the hill lines. Because before the Milwaukee road built its pacific extension. James Hill offered to purchase Milwaukee road to serve as connection to Chicago for the Great Northern. But he was turned down. If James hills offer had been accepted and knowing he would still later purchase the Burlington route. Both the Great Northern and the Northern Pacific could have had two connections to Chicago instead of one.

[@snagletoothscott3729]

MLWK-NP would have been the the better match then MLWK-GN. as it is now BN preferred GN's route west of Minneapolis anyway. NP and MLWK were fairly close in many areas, and outright paralleled in quite few across Montana, idaho and Washington. MLWK could have done a lot of consolidation giving it much stronger financial base in the west long term. This would given both roads one good route across the divide (As NP/MLWK parallel, the NP line could have been abandoned, or absorbed as a double track. They were that close in spots), instead do one with two, and the other with one.

[@animenut69]

Such a shame bnsf will never do heritage units. Bnsf predecessor railroads would make for some gorgeous paint jobs.

[@onrr1726]

Me and a group of friends had a lunch in with the a higher up at BNSF in Tulsa, Oklahoma in mid 2016 and the question of heritage locomotives was brought up. The short answer to it was simple it's to costly to to remove locomotives from service, buy the proper paint and then dispose of the left overs, go about picking a paint scheme that everyone will agree on and then keep the locomotives clean and last but not leased spend even more money to beef up security in and around yards or locations where these locomotives may stop for the night as trespassers will want to get their photos and taggers have a nasty habit of not giveing a shit about what they want to deface.

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

3:07 of the sound of the CGW Alco

[@CGW116A]

Please note the date and location in your videos.

[@RobertP-zk8vh]

the Illinois railway museum has a orange Burlington engine

[@0fficialdregs]

with this, there should of been a heavy lawsuit or anti-trust case against them for sure.

[@TigerDominic-uh1dv]

They have to get more cross country trains with feeder trains, just like busses. 😊

[@stanleydomalewski8497]

Great Video, Thanks for Sharing !

[@MrJeep75]

Use to run buy my house in North Plains Oregon

[@kentfrederick8929]

Even though the BN wasn't created until 1970, the GN and the NP, jointly, had voting control of the CB&Q. That control came about, because the UP started buying CB&Q shares, in order to gain control of the Burlington and obtain a link between Omaha and Chicago, as well as a more direct route between Chicago and Denver.. I wonder what U.S. railroading would look like today, if the Union Pacific had gained contol of the Burlington? At the very least, the GN and the NP would probably have had to send the Empire Builder and the North Coast Limited, respectively, to Chicago via the CN&W or the Milwaukee Road.

[@bkayganich]

Truth be told Northern Pacific should've been left out of the Northern Lines merger. NP had bond issues which would haunt BN. GN+Milwaukee+SP&S+CB&Q should have been the merger. Then they could've scrapped Milwaukee's Pacific Extension from Judith Gap, MT to Renton, WA.

[@Tom-xe9iq]

The NP had plenty going for it: being a Land grant road it had tons of natural resources to bring to the table! Milwaukee Road's Pacific Extension was a joke, as you point out. In your example, you'd pull up most of it! What kind of partner is that? BN was truly GN/CBW- centric.

[@marvwatkins7029]

In a way, he never answered his own title. But it's alright.

[@charlessmileyvideo]

The rest of the video does bring some conclusions.

[@WindyCityRails23]

I’m pretty sure that Ralph Budd and Ed Budd were actually cousins.

[@MrJeep75]

Hill also built united railway

[@marvwatkins7029]

Like his other video in the California Zephyr story, he got the direction reversed. East to West is logically the best.

[@Cnw8701]

Money?

[@Duececoupe]

Orange and black beats green and black any and every day of the week! 😉 Funny how it is, these days, I even miss the BN and Conrail, go figure....😆😂

[@charlessmileyvideo]

Maybe we all didn't appreciate BN and Conrail when they were around. Part of our theory is the Big Green and Giant Blue painting of the two fleets kind of lulled railfans into liking them because both roads gobbles up fan favorites! These solid colors didn't always show up so well in slides and their trains looked too much the same time and time again. Even though now we all realize their paint schemes were actually really cool compared to now!

[@onrr1726]

Could have been worse Conrail had considered keeping Black and white. For a short time they thought about solid Brown and gold for a color scheme similar to the Monon Railroad as well.

[@williamwehmeier443]

Whyhishetalkngtoofast?😡

[@killerbees177]

Thank God for Amtrak

[@Cnw8701]

I seriously can't stand the narrator's voice. I'm sorry. 😂

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

🙄🙄 and watch it with the captions

[@robadams5799]

Was it really necesssary to go back to Teddy Roosevelt's administration to tell the story of the 1970 merger?

[@charlessmileyvideo]

That canal crippled those railroads - plus it introduced Ralph Budd. Did you miss that? Or did you miss how Roosevelt tampered with anti-trust weapons against James Hill?

[@FritoBuggers]

Actually I'm glad you did. It gave me a much more complete understanding of the story. I've read about James Hill but that was many years ago

[@scottwendt9575]

Well yes, because that was when Hill filed for the merger! The federal government blocked the merger in 1902 until finally allowing it to proceed in 1970. They basically had to after allowing the politically connected Pennsy and New York Central to merge 2 years earlier.

[@pointingdog7235]

@robadams5799 I have to say that you are a demoncrat.

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

Reason why Bobby watch it again and listen