help with rolling stock

[ShaunCN]

Hi evryone. I have recently accuired some rolling stock (ho) from my neighbour for free! It is all CP rail though and I model CN. Do railroads exchange or share cars? And is there a special yard or track fro doing this? Do they use a specail locomotive to switch teh cars bettween the two railroads? Please help me

ShaunCN

[eastcoast]

You probably know that Canadien Pacific and Canadian National are CANADIAN.
I think they are rival companies,but don't quote me. I see some photos where
the consists are both CP and CN being pulled by either loco name. Again, I am
not from that area and go by photos. Try both anyway, makes interest on a
layout.

[Dough]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I see grain trains that have both CP and CN here in Georgia! Don't forget just because a car originates somewhere dosen't mean that it is limited to that road. The same goes for locos!

[Hawks05]

ya man. railroads just paint over the logos and names and leave them blank or paint in the new road name and number. also i've seen some UP locomotives pulling CSX boxcars and vice versa. right now i have pieces of rolling stock from: CN, BN, CB&Q, CSX, Milw, WC, N&S, and CNW. these are being pulled by a 2 CB&Q locos and BN locomotive. also probably a CNW locomotive if i win the auction.

[Anonymous]

I happened to got to Canada last summer and spoke with some people that seemed to know their stuff. CN is run by the Government and CP is private.

[Anonymous]

Shaun:

In US practice cars are sent from their 'home road' with cargos all over the US rail system. They may not see home for years on end. There is an arrangement of tariff payments for use of the cars in 'interchange service' The economic considerations of rail transport are such that it could hardly be otherwise. I imagine Canadian practice is similar. I have seen CN cars here in San Diego California.

If you are modeling the contemporary era you might email the roads in question directly. A well asked question to the appropriate public relations departments likely will get you more information than you might want ;). Check the net for web sites.

Randy

[Anonymous]

Cars are shared all over the place - it is "interchange" service. As I understand it, originally railroads would only pull their own rolling stock with there own engines. This (very) quickly came to an end when the logistics of loading and unloading cars became apparent. Imagine sending something across the country only to have it loaded and unloaded dozens of times along the way...

So yes, it is possible even for "rivals" like CN and CP to pull each others' rolling stock.

Dave Lundon - CN was privatized in 1995. It got its start as an amalgamation of a number of railroads that were on the verge of bankruptcy in the 1910s and 1920s, including Grand Trunk. It was set up as a competitor to CPR, Canada's fist transcontinental. CP, while technically a private business, received a huge amount of funding and loan guarantees form the federal government in the 1880s.

Andrew

[Anonymous]

Yes, railroads commonly share rolling stock. It is not uncommon to see a UP car on CSX, as CSX, on BNSF, a BNSF car on NS, and an NS car on UP. This sharing of cars is known as interchange. THere are many ways to interchange cars. In big cities, these cars destined for interchange are sometimes made up into whole trains destined for a single railroad and sent over. This is known as a transfer train. Most commonly though, interchanges are where two lines cross or connect. There is a special track where cars that are to be interchaged are set out and each of the railroads locomoves pick up and set out the proper cars. There are no special locomotives for this Job, though as a rule of thumb, if interchange is taking place in a city setting, an SW or similar swtiching loco handles the interchange traffic, while if the interchage is out in the country a ways, road power off the next through freight through the interchange handles it.