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BNSF leasing its way through a motive power shortage
They are already on the road!! I saw a citirail engine leading a east bound crude oil train 16 Dec in Fargo ND!
Why are lite-eng moves of a thousand or so miles being made at a time of power (locomotives) shortage?
Mr. Buffet, admire’ do I, your/you’re not micro-managing, could a higher quantity of curiosity be warranted?
I’m loving it! I wonder if they will lease some of the 60M’s that were lease returned.
If you read the article Francis, you would see that the power shortage is in the northern half of the system. So you do light power moves to get the locos to where they are needed ASAP. Light power means no delays switching or classifying enroute.
Francis, I am no leasing expert. But I bet the leasing costs don’t start until you actually use/deliver the loco to where it is needed. So why pay for a unit thousands of miles from where you need it? If you fly from Chicago to Seattle, you don’t rent your car at O’Hare.
EMD use to send new units dead-in-tow out of La Grange, IL to where the RR would accept delivery just to save on IL sales taxes. I am sure leases have tax considerations as well.
A picture would be nice…
Here!
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3714399
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=3707889
Enjoy!
Most of our north-south movements in Shelby, MT (on the BNSF Northern Hi-Line) are made with CPR locomotives. They run to/from Canada on our Sweetgrass and Great Falls subdivisions, and are export coal trains from Montana mines. Such moves avoid the tree-huggers in WA and OR, and their unionized collaberators (sp?). Vancouver, BC ain’t much better. Some might go way up to Prince Rupert, BC on the CN.
What is this? BNSF sold a whole bunch of their units to CN and now they have a locomotive shortage? Maybe BNSF needs to start putting locomotives on their trains. 4 Dash 9-44 on a 70 car intermodal train in the Pacific Northwest does not strike me as that efficient. The whole story sounds ridiculous.
Hey William D Hays, why would organized labor chase business away? I haul lots of export coal through Washington on it’s way to British Columbia.
I agree with Newt.
Seems BNSF is pretty successful even without some of the operating experts who are commenting here. I kinda suspect they know how to run a railroad.
Saw a Citirail locomotive as dpu on coal train in Marysville, Wa. on 12-23-13.
Saw a Citirail locomotive as dpu on coal train in Marysville, Wa. on 12-23-13.
I’ve seen several of the Citirail engines on different trains go by here in Hanford, CA. I sit at my table eating breakfast looking straight out the windows to the mainline behind my house; between Bakersfield and Fresno!
Cityrail locomotives are really nice looking, like the grey, blue & yellow color scheme.
CREX 1314 was westbound at Aberdeen, SD on Dec24 or 25, headed for an elevator at McLaughlin, SD.
BNSF 8506 and 8207 were here on Dec 25!