Wow, check our www.railpictures.net and look at photo number 126001 and you will see a Z train with a GP30/GP60B/SD9 lashup as power![:O]
I never thought I would see this kind of power combination on a Z train in 2005. Is BNSF that short of power these days?
That’s because the BNSF Railway can’t keep it’s own Power on it’s own Rails.
We always get a little short on power this time of year. Those old units are turds, granted, but they still move the freight and thats all the Co. cares about.
Whatever moves your freight, I just wish I had seen that!
Matthew
Almost all the freight through here has the “old” engines on the head end. 70’s, 9’s and newer are reserved for coal. I love to see freight because I know I will see older engines. They seem to get the job done and pull freights as long as coal trains!
Mook
Hot dog…somebody caught that lash-up. I was driving on Jericho Rd. when I saw that, and told my sister we had to go chase it (she understood).
Of course, since we were on a short errand, I didn’t have the camera. I always keep a Canonet QL 17 with a roll of Provia 100F in my car, but alas! my car was in Denver, and my sister has no such practices.
Oh well, maybe I’ll see some more dinosaurs today while I’m out with Carl. BTW, the SD9 was #6101, if anyone cares.
Chris - YES! I checked my sheets and we have had #6101 through here! It hung around here through the summer months!
Mook!
Have seen quite a few ex-ATSF GP60Ms leading Z, Q, and S trains on the northern transcon. Looking a lot like the 1980s, when BN and Santa Fe both dabbled with using four-axle power on high-priority intermodals.
Welcome to Christmas Rush and Peak Traffic Season . (and desparate dispatchers)
C’mon Mud. Dispatchers are cool, calm and in control and never make moves outta desperation. You would never see a DS make a desperate move especially when a crew is going DOL…
[#ditto]
Amen brudda, unfortunately I believe they are all either scrapped or in museums…oh, how sad!
right now is malox time if you are on the power desk. Grain shipping is up other freight is up also. Now throw in UPS cranking up shipments 40-50% a week and you can see why it looks like that BNSF is power short. Remember BNSF has the surge fleet and they are kept for this time.
I imagine that Mooks has already seen the surge fleet leave Lincoln by now.
Guess you don’t see all those operating department godzillas breathing down their necks and second-guessing every move either![:D]
Of course there is the BNSF policy of hauling failed units across the country for a week or more at a time before they set them out to be repaired. It is unbelievable how many units stay dead in a consist to go to Interbay before they turn the unit around to haul it back dead to KC. What a waste of horsepower and capital investment.
Mud, I was just being a wise-guy. In reality, I know that the chiefs call most of the shots. When I do get resentful is when I get ahold of a smarta<< DS. When they are cool, I will bust my butt to keep their RR clear. When they are jerks, it’s work per rule time. Airtests become lengthy when you inspect cars down to the grab irons…as per rule.
EMDX GP38’s working the Cherokee sub locals from Tulsa…they put one on the ground Monday that tore out the main track…boy did that cause excitement on the radio. Normally all I hear is track warrants for the maintainers and the locals, since the Cherokee is CTC. But the radio came alive when this happened, the dispatcher pretty much made contact with all of the trains West of Springfield heading to Tulsa, fortunatly for him, many were already stopped holding in a siding somewhere. I knew it was a busy line, but he must have talked to 20 trains.
BNSF must be very busy because the UP has been very slow around here.
As big muddy said - BNSF is running the wheels off their trains. Ah - makes me so happy!