Just looking on the company web site and saw we now are leasing 23 CEFX AC4400 along with the 14 SD90Macs.
Maybe BNSF should look into buying more SD70Aces for all the coal traffic. Obviously we do not have enough power around. Like today I had a 135 car White Bluff Arkansas coal train that had 1 and 1d.p. 70Macs and it just takes forever to get the thing up to 55mph. There is no reason why these trains should not be 2 and 1d.p. That is not the only set that is like that either. U.P. is probably laughing at us running these trains like that. I had never seen any U.P. coal train with less the 2 and 1 d.p. BNSF needs to get a clue.
1 and 1? That’s got to be a pathetic hp/ton ratio. Not to mention 50% less head-end dynamic braking than 2 and 1.
The hp/ton ratio is about 0.4 hpt, and yes it does suck. As far as the dynamic braking on most of the hills we have except for 2 of the hills one unit will hold the train back, and I don’t use dynamic braking on the rear unit. If the train starts to pick up to much speed there is always the air.
COme on guys you know they dont care about the new power like that! Look at all those junk GP 38’s that are getting new paint and LED lights!! Seems to me we are too dang busy re habbing old units ( like a GP 29 junker with the transition handle and a new ETMS screen wow could only put that in and not fix the rest of it) and borrowing power from others to make it look like we are merging ( ha ha sorry couldnt resist that little dig) with them.
If you wait long enough we will do it you know. If it wasnt for us the UP would be the only ones doing DP’s so we will copy whatever they do eventually.