I have Just got back from a trip to Maupin Oregon. On the trip I saw lots of uphill freight trains, and some downhill trains too. On one downhill, I saw an ES44DC, than an SD 60 painted in EMD leasing paint, than a CN unit. That raised some questions. I saw an Oakway SD 60 right? Why are they called oakway SD60s. It said in “that 70s issue” of Trains, that it had something to do with the BN Frisco merger, is that correct? Also, who owns them, BNSF, or EMD? Thanks.
The Oakways are owned by a finacial co. called, what else, Oakway. They more or less rent them to BNSF on a horsepower by the hour basis. When they’re not being run, BNSF owes nothing. It was a tax dodge move, along with the LMX B39’s, and some believe a failed bargaining chip with the mechanics union. That’s around the same time BN tried that Winona Bridge Co. thing to get the union to except 2-man crews. Far as I know, it had nothing to do with the Frisco merger, this started several years later.
You have the right idea, but its a little more complicated than that. EMD built the locomotives and then sold them to Oakway Inc. ( a subsidiary of Connell Leasing), and then EMD leased them back from Oakway, then EMD gave them to BN to use, and billed BN for their use based on the Kilowatt-hours generated by the locomotive. That arrangement ended a few years ago, and they are on a normal lease now.
Is that why they are in EMD paint?
These units have been on BNSF since at before June 1986. I got my first photo of one in Edgemont, SD by chance, driving through to Denver. I saw it, hit the brakes, thinking it was an EMD Demo and then read the Oakway lettering on the side of the cab. I believe that was the #9074. About a year later, I was riding the Amtrak Empire Builder from Seattle to Milwaukee and got my 2nd Oakway shot out open window on the side door of my coach near Havre, MT (sshhh - you shouldn’t open the door windows.) When I got home and processed the film - bingo - same unit - 9074. 1 in 100 odds I guess.
BNSF in 1986?
Yup!! It’s along the same lines as Nascar Nextel Cup’s All Star Race being run since 1985(BN and ATSF no longer recognized as entities since BNSF as Winston Cup Series never existed since Nextel took over in 2004).
Have a good one.
Bill B
That’s a great analogy!
I’d love to see the late, great Dale Earnhardt’s collection of 7 Nextel Cups! That always drove me nuts when I would hear that …
“In the 1987 Nextel Cup all-star event, when Dale was bumped into the grass…” …
Come on guys! It was Winston Cup!
I remember seeing those great BNSF units through Flagstaff back in the mid 80s, myself.
Yea, I know it was a generic explanation, but noone else was answering at the time.[D)][(-D]
And as far the nascar anology goes, just because Nascar calls everything Nextel doesn’t mean the fans do. Races run as Winston will be Winston, as with the Grand Nationals before Winston will always be Grand Nationals. Just because BNSF buries the past, doesn’t mean we do[banghead].The BN years will be BN, the Q years will be the Q. But then it’s all nitpickin’ about nothin’, we all knew what the guy meant when he said BNSF.[;)][:)]
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, why hasn’t BNSF repainted them if their regular lease?
http://www.qstation.org/Oakway/
Good link with a little history, plus some interesting photos of the Oakway SD60s.
I swear I saw one of those in CN’s Fond du Lac yard about 10 months ago. I’ll have to go to my photos to see what I got that day.
I guess I was thinking in terms of the current day operator of the line where I saw this unit. Hey - whatever - pick apart my reply. I was just trying to add what I thought was an interesting coincidence about this topic.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I wasn’t trying to pick it apart. I knew what you meant, and so did everyone else. Enough nitpicking, try to understand what their really saying. I knew whay you meant. Me, I say BN, but that’s me, I grew up on BN, it’s all BN until the merger. But then some arn’t. But anyone with half a brain knew what you meant. Screw the detailed bickering and answer the poster’s question. I try to give the best answeres I can. There are SO many people who rip apart general answers with blouted details it’s rediculous. enough already. That’s where the fighting starts. [V]
If i say something wrong, and someone corrects me, great!. Correct me. But to bicker over minor details is just BS. Than the topic gets lost over stupid little wars.
Anyone know why they haven’t gotten repainted, and what happened to the LMX units? I he