https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-599

A Gofundme has been setup by the Great Northern & Cascade Railway to raise the $40,000 needed to relocate the locomotive. If the money isn't raised, she goes to scrap.

Drew, I've re-posted the funraiser in a few different places in an effort to help save the GN SD9.

Might want to put this up on Trains Magazine forums as well.

Robert

I've re-posted this on the Trains forums to help draw more attention to the effort to save this SD9.

Robert

I looked at the site, and there's no concrete plans on where to move the SD-9 for good. The word "temporary" keeps coming up.
$40K is only a start. Looks like a classic case of looking forward and seeing another campaign to move it again in a few months/years, also right ahead of the torch, and then another to paint the loco which hadn't gotten painted since it was where it is right now...

Has there been any consideration made of moving the unit to the Northwest Railway Museum
in Snoqualmie? The unit would be well sized for their regular tourist train operation, and it would be an attractive and colorful addition to the roster. Its special configuration with dynamic brakes would help in interpreting mountain railroading in the Pacific Northwest too.

There might be an opportunity for some cross-promotion of the museums. For example, an interpretive panel at the Northwest Railway Museum talking about the role that GN 599 had in Skykomish mentioning the depot museum there. Likewise, the Skyomish museum could have a similar panel about the opportunity to experience early 20th century rail travel at the museum in Snoqualmie.

https://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2019/11/22-group-attempting-to-save-great-northern-sd9-from-scrapper

The Northwest Railway Museum requested the SD9 from BNSF several years ago but Skykomish got it. It was the first unit up Boeing Hill when the 747 plant was opened at Mukilteo in the 60s.

Many would be less wary about donating if the unit had a definite destination owned by a museum.

So it apparently survived, if this is the same unit:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Northwe ... 9829525615
"Northwest Railfans
Blaize Merryman
5/21/2025
Today was a good day to see the Washington Eastern Railroad (WER).
WER 538 switched out the Western Rail Facility to grab a Ex BNSF SD9 for the
Inland Northwest Rail Museum. After switching out the facility, it went to Seaport to pick up 2 empty bulkheads. Afterwards, it collected the SD9 and the rest of its train and departed Airway Heights WA."

I have seen two different numbers associated with it, 1731 and 599, but it seems that it was the unit at Skyhomish, based on the look of the GN scheme in this photo, which identifies it as 599: https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoP ... ?id=253248

It is on the way to the
Inland Northwest Rail Museum.
They already have the twin sister #598.
Long term plans are made one operational plus one empty hull for display.

GN reporting marks have maybe two storys:
First it is still the official Great Northern mark owned by BNSF Railway,
second it is internally used for off line, off duty equipment "General Numbering".