I see full 135-car BNSF coal trains passing thru Jonesboro, Arkansas all the time, always heading SOUTH. I’m assuming they are coming from Powder River. However, the other day I witnessed a FULL COAL TRAIN moving NORTH. Where did this BNSF get his coal?
Not necessarily the right question. The right question is where did it originate and what was its final destination? Chances are along the way someone probably assumed it was headed to a port and misrouted it.
We have hauled “reverse” coal trains from Paducah to somewhere out west.The engineers on the Ottumwa sub say its a wake up to haul a westbound coal load. The reason being is the coal is mixed with powder river coal at power plants It helps the powder river coal burn hotter or some such thing.