There are a lot of Winchester & Western marked cars in frac sand service. Many have had the reporting marks changed from WW to a four letter one ending in X, such as WWUX. (Those by the way, are assigned to Unimin Corporation a major frac sand supplier and customer of the WW.)
Looking at pictures of W&W engines, I noticed that some are actually owned by lease companies and sublettered for them. I wonder if these engines might also be leased for frac train service by the W&W for Unimin (or other associated frac sand companies) for use off line. They might get a better rate on their unit train if they supply engines. At least they would be assured that there would be power for the train.
For a while in the early 1980s, the W&W operated a section of the RI main line in Illinois. They provided interim service to a facility that was owned by one of W&W’s major customers until other railroads, eventually CSX, took over operation of the line.
These engines where at the head of a tank unit train heading to the Bakken oil field. Trains that we see as almost every other train on the lines now. A tie in with oil sands does make some sense.
Considering the date this thread started, I suspect those blue locomotives were GE Tier 4 test engines on that unit oil train. There at least 4 of them roaming the BNSF in the Twin Cities area then.
I saw a matched set like this westbound on a manifest between Detroit Lakes and Dillworth on Sunday afternoon. I got a pic with my phone but can’t figure out how to post it. The units were newer GEVO’s with brand new paint (The trucks weren’t even dirty). Royal blue bodies with black frames and trucks, white stripe along the frame. The lead was No 2027 with no other identifying marks. The numbers were on the cab sides with maybe small initials below them. The units were working by themselves, not dead in transit.
I’ve seen similar GATX lease units, but can’t confirm that’s what they are.
No, the would not be lettered for W&W. They would be lettered for GE, as GECX under the cab unit numbers, but definitely not lettering for W&W. So, we are either talking about different units, or someone goofed in saying one or the other… But the GE Tier4 test units are definitely not lettered for Winchester&Western, or W&W as the case maybe…