I know it may be a lot, but I always wonder, because these are the trains I don’t have info about. This would be helpful because then I know when I’m in Berea Ohio or somewhere along this line, that I know these trains and where there Destinations are. Thanks.
P.S. these are some great videos. These arn’t mine, but they sure are great.
Confusing, ain’t it? BNSF uses a system: A-AAAAAA ### ##-##-1, or something like that. A = Alpha (a letter), # = a numeral. The first ‘A’ denotes the type train: M = Merchandise, Z = Premium service trailers, Q = Domestic truckload trailers, etc… The next 'A’s are station trinomes: CHI = Chicago, LAX = Los Angeles, DIL = Dilworth, etc., origin to destination. That is followed by numerals for the train number (yes, they are still used, in some cases), date of origin, and the number of the section for that date (first, second, etc.). Yar, a bit cumbersome, but it tells you a lot about the train, its direction, etc… I don’t have a complete list of the station trinomes. You have to be ready and quick to catch it on a scanner. Anyone have it, or a reference? TIA.
Each of the four major railroads has a different system of numbering its freights. The trains being asked about all sound like CSX references. JoeKoh might be able to help with a lot of these (Larry, I, too, wanted to connect him to the Bull Sheet site, but couldn’t.). The only CSX trains I know about for sure are Q090 and Q091–I can’t even tell you which one comes into our yard!
The Bull Sheet was a fantastic source of info for CSX trains. The details of the schedules was amazing. During the winter, I would often listen on the Fostoria live webcast and then compare trains actual performance vs the Bull Sheet listings.
Not a bad way of getting a railroad fix in the winter…sadly both the webfeed and Bullsheet are gone.
Google is a wonderful thing. Here’s what I found on railroadfan.com when searching for “CSX Q393.” Several of the trains you are asking about are listed here:
V740 is probably Powder River Coal (Google again). Don’t know where it’s headed.
Since Csx has consolodated trains together they do not get their new numbers until they get to willard.Q 381,Q 383, have been consolidated into a Q 369 and a Q 393 westbound. Your q 390 and q 351 have been consolodated into q 386 and 387,389 west of willard too.Sometimes however if there is an overflow of traffic a previous number will be assigned to the train west of willard.About 2 months ago there was a q 390 eastbound from chicago to willard.I will double check on V740.Q 151 is a stack train from Detroit.It comes down to fostoria(on the C&O) and turns left to go to willard.Another spot to ask would be trainorderpix.com.Hit the contact links.The editor of the sitr could help answer some questions east of willard.
The Q380 and Q390 are still out of Chicago (BRC), and run to Selkirk NY. Since the BRC now handles these trains, it’s less likely to see them running with the foreign power. When they do, the power off of Q380 now relays back west on Q393, and the power from Q390 now relays back west on Q377. Q381 and Q351 are now only Selkirk NY to Willard OH trains. They no longer run all the way into Chicago.
V740 is a Powder River Coal train out of Wyoming, that is handed off to CSX at Chicago. It runs to Dunkirk NY. The empties return west as either E951, E958 or E960. Usually the empties head west within two days of V740’s arrival. Also of note - I’ve heard the V740’s symbol change over to the V771 after getting a recrew.
Q377 is a Selkirk NY to Avon IN train, and it runs daily. At Greenwich, OH, it continues straight onto the Big Four (Indy Line), and heads through Marion/Ridgeway, and ultimately out into Indianapolis and Avon. I still don’t understand why Q390’s power will now relay on this train, but whatever trips CSX’s trigger.
Finally - just thought that I should point out that I am the one who compiled that list of train symbols that was found on Google earlier in the thread. So forgive me for any mistakes within that as well!
EDIT - Thanks for the compliments on my videos, BTW, wrawroacx!