Does anyone out there know how th new UPS speedster the UP and CSX are operating on Tues a.m. out of L.A. and Little Ferry, N.J. are doing? Are they making their running times and how are the loadings? Are there any web sites one may plug into to get detailed running-time info?
Bill McDonald
Bill
They had an article in trains a few months ago.Its basically who wants it.BNSF/NS or UP/CSX.It would help BNSF/NS if the train would be handed over at Kansas City and Taken by ns there. It would avoid the Chicago area.
stay safe
joe [:)]
The lead news story in the September issue of Trains details and explains the UPS train that UP and CSX began running early this month. It is operated via Chicago.
thanks mark. I haven’t got my copy yet.
stay safe
joe
The article in Sept. '03 Trains on UPS Bullet Train is great!
The internet searches I’ve done so far indicate that the UP AC6000’s are the standard power even on CSX. Can anyone confirm this? If this is not the case, what other power has been reported on these trains?
they proably just use up as run through power to save time but I will keep looking.
stay safe
joe
Like the TRAINS article on this subject essentially said, you can give superior service but not ask for a higher price for it…numbers seem to be everything these days…oh, for the good old days when you got what you paid for!
If I were a class 1 railroad, that is one contract I would NOT want. It’s too risky. BNSF was smart to walk away from that deal. I wander how long U.P. can keep up with that schedule before they call it quits. There is no way that train can make profit, they will be lucky to recover fuel costs.
TIM A
Yes it may be true that the profit margin may be alim, but if you can show on time performance it gets other business.
Tom
Retired Snake
God Bless the Great Northern
Santa Fe had the UPS contract. The train #s were 199 and 991. The 199 was the hottest of the hotshots and woe to the dispatcher for putting it in the siding. Watching it fly by at speed was something else.
Wonder If UP can keep the performance schedule?
This is one train I would love to see at track speed. Anybody know how and when and where it comes into Chicago metro? Jim
according to the article in trains it comes into Mccook Illinois at 1 am wed eastbound and 1230 am thur westbound.check pg 9 for sure.Bring your thermos full of coffee.
stay safe
joe
Hi There
The UPS bullet rain brings back memories of the Super C. It was short lived because it had to be expidited , consumed to much fuel , destroyed to much track and more often than not made tossed salads out the produce it hauled from LA to Chicago. What has changed to make the UP UPS train work so much better ??
It is a fact, we (BNSF) have the best transcon line, pure logistics! I hear tell that we lost 2-3 trains a day outta K.C to Uncle Pete. The UP is rumored to be running at 79 MPH to make up time. Hopefully they will blow it and we will get it back. We were late on 3-5 trains a month and UPS said no way to that. Thanks to remotes at Turner. The Santa Fe mentality sucks…they want to put all of their eggs in pigs and forget about what really makes big revenue…MEMKCK, KCKMEM, Coal, etc. The profits are so much greater on mixed freight and commodities than containers and pigs it isn’t even funny! Anything to get rid of locals and switch crews. Santa Fe all the way…to the next siding.
Ken
I’ve read that the GE AC6000CW’s (aka C60AC’s) are presently rated for a top speed of 74 mph, pending a possible software upgrade which would allow for them to travel at 79 mph.
Since I live in the Chicago area, I can’t imagine when I will ever have a chance to go see the train, since it goes through between 12:30-1:15 am, and I live about 40 minutes away from the Santa Fe and IHB main lines. If anyone does have a chance to catch this train, please share what power you’ve seen on it so far, and for those of you who see it on CSX, whether solid UP power is in fact running through all the way to Jersey.
Hello everybody, I live along the Golden State Route in SW KS. The UPS bullet is called the GOLDEN STREAK. So far, I have seen 2 sections a day running through here in each direction. The top speed for this train is at 75 mph. Yes, the software upgrades will bring this up to 79. Most of the power that I have seen on it are the AC6000’s. I don’t know whether or not they run on CSX though. UP has a lot at stake here. I have heard through other sources, that this train is not to be delayed for anything. If this train is delayed by the dispatcher. The Dis. is fired on the spot. If UP delayes it one time, it goes back to BNSF. Since this route is single track, TWC, ABS signaling with siding CTC controlled out of Omaha. They are putting all other trains in the hole way before the bullet is even near. Case in point yesterday, I was watching and a stack train took the siding, he sat there for 45 minutes. This stack was a 70 mph train and he could have easily made the next siding which was only 14 miles away. I guess this UPS thing for the UP is a good thing so far. I have seen these trains at speed and oh my god, when they go by doing 75, its one of the best rushes you could have. They are only running about 3,500 ft. long, and about 3000 tons. With the 4 AC6000’s on board, I don’t think they are going to have any trouble keeping it going. I will get the symbol of this train later today. My source told me yesterday but I have slept since then so you know how that goes[:D]. I can’t help but wonder, just like everyone else, how long will they do it? They are running from LA to the East coast in 4 days. That is simply mind boggling. Well if I hear anything else, I will let you know and feel free to drill me on this if anybody has any problems with what I said.
Laters, Dru
Dru, do you know if they have a alternate route planned if something goes wrong on the track?? Are they going to be using the same engines or will they be rotating power?
TIM A
Thanks for that highly informative reply, Favuprailroadfan (especially since I probably won’t be seeing the train anytime soon). For the AC6000’s you’ve been seeing on the train, have they been random numbers in the 7500-7579 class, only the latest series (7555-7559)? Do any CSX fans have any info as to the speed limit on CSX?
Another question - has anyone seen (or otherwise know) if UP switches out the power at McCook, IL either on the eastbound or westbound runs?
Last question for now - I read somewhere else that the UP power sits in Little Ferry, NJ or Kearney NJ from late Thursday night until early Tues. morning for the next Golden Streak departure - can anyone confirm this? A four and a half day period seems to be an incredibly long layover, especially since railroads are always striving for maximum utilization of power (especially 24,000 h.p. per set), and given that UPS is not even paying a premium for the service. If UPS was willing to pay a surcharge for this service, the layover (if in fact this is the case) would seem much more reasonable.
I just wittnesed one of the five bullet trains shut through erie,Pa about 12:30 PM. Up-CSX are useing Ge Ac 6000cw’s and Ac 4400cw"s, because 4 ac4400’s came by this thursday at 72mph all UP’s eastbound Q100. Estbounds have UP units and westbounds have csx power, guessing. 1 bullet train and 4 regular fast east-westbounds each week. And REMOTE locomotives are bull sh!!, they take away jobs and they make operating a pain and the BLE is ticked about it anyways.
I can’t imagine the max speed on CSX is anything other than 70 mph. That’s all the signal spacing will allow. Conrail downgraded to 60 mph in order to save some fuel and track maintenance costs, but CSX restored the 70 mph running after the merger. I do wonder what UP did to get allowable speeds over 70 mph, as that is max frt speed for class 5 track. I really doubt they’re maintaining class 6 track as that is huge $$. The altenative is to get a waiver from the FRA for the particular circumstances. Anybody know what they did? Or, are they just winging it (pun intended)