I have stumbled upon an interesting and relitively unknown railroad operation in Texas. It remains one of the only electrified freight lines in North America and is owned by Texas Utilities (Now Energy Future Holdings) and carries lignite coal from mines near the Beckville area to the Martin Lake Generating station near Tatum, Texas. They also have a possible connection with BNSF’s Longview Sub, making it the only electrified US freight railroad to be connected to the National Rail Network. They also own E25B electric locomotives, and are the only owners of it’s class. All I know is they have a B-B wheel arrangement and have around 2,500 horsepower. It’s possible they have been replaced by E60-2s from Mexico. Does anyone have more information on the rail line and more specifically, information on the history, stats, and disposition of the E25Bs?
Thank you.
Try a Google search for " “Texas Utilities” railroad, and you should find a few things - maybe more under its later name that you reference.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GE_E60#Ferrocarriles_Nacionales_de_México :
TFM traded 22 of the E60C-2s to GE for GE AC4400CW diesel locomotives.[40][41] Three were sold to Texas Utilities
I don’t recall ever seeing anything about this line in Trains. Big secret?
They are all diesel now, and BNSF brings in unit coal and rock trains regularly. Also handle ash cars for them too.
The Wikipedia article references an April 2010 Trains article - see my post above - and I recall one from back about then (I’ve always been interested in modern electrified freight operations). See:
https://trn.trains.com/issues/2010/april-2010
From that page: "They Run Coal Trains Where?
We visit 14 coal hauls that don’t fit the mold
By Various authors"
Click on the “Buy This Issue” link, and it says it’s still available for $5.99. [You’re welcome, Kalmbach!]
Liner - stories on BM&LP are/were usually news photos in front … Was around when two of the surplussed Amthrax E-60’s were de-trucked and hauled up there from Bernalillo, NM north of Albuquerque by highway… odd site
When they shut down the coal fired dragons at Page, AZ, there was brief news on that (assume the Alco C-425s that MK had up there are long gone)
TU’s electric operation never got much press because, except for the motive power, it wasn’t very different from any number of power plant operations.