Trains.com

why are SantaFe locomotives in New Jersey?

4509 views
17 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    July 2009
  • From: lavale, md
  • 4,678 posts
why are SantaFe locomotives in New Jersey?
Posted by gregc on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 5:53 AM

I'm a modeler and don't usually follow the trains forums, so this may be old news.

I was in Manville, NJ and saw an outbound train of tanks cars being pulled by SantaFe and Central Pacific Locomotives.  About a month ago I saw a BNSF locomotive outside Newark airport

why are these western railroad locomotived on the east coast?

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: US
  • 13,488 posts
Posted by Mookie on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 6:24 AM

I would be more interested in the Central Pacific! 

We have CSX, NS, CP and CN all come thru Nebraska on a regular basis, so it doesn't seem unusual to me that you would have some BNSF back there.  Unless there is a further explanation that I don't know, I would suggest it is just "I used yours, so you get to use mine".  Payback of power owed?

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

  • Member since
    December 2007
  • From: Southeast Michigan
  • 2,983 posts
Posted by Norm48327 on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 6:39 AM

Run-through power and/or payback of horsepower hours. Simple as that.

Norm


  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Central Iowa
  • 6,901 posts
Posted by jeffhergert on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 6:39 AM

Entire trains run through from one railroad to another.  Those tank cars may have been an ethanol or oil train that originated on the BNSF.  Instead of taking off their engines at the interchange point, they stay with the train and run through. 

Jeff   

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: South Central,Ks
  • 7,170 posts
Posted by samfp1943 on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 6:40 AM

Mookie

I would be more interested in the Central Pacific! 

We have CSX, NS, CP and CN all come thru Nebraska on a regular basis, so it doesn't seem unusual to me that you would have some BNSF back there.  Unless there is a further explanation that I don't know, I would suggest it is just "I used yours, so you get to use mine".  Payback of power owed?

 

Me too! Mookie!  Central Pacific.... 

   I know some strange stuff happens in NJ from time to time! Alien 

    My queston to gregc is did that freight train look anything like the picture in this link? @  http://www.cprr.org/

          If it did,  you might want to call in a "professional", put down the coffee mug,  and back slowly away from that keyboard!Huh?  

Smile, Wink & GrinSmile, Wink & Grin

 

 

 


 

  • Member since
    July 2009
  • From: lavale, md
  • 4,678 posts
Posted by gregc on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 6:54 AM

i was a bit distracted at the time.   Definetly saw that the lead engine was SantaFe and pretty sure the 2nd engine was Central something in relateively small undistinguished lettering.  (sorry for suggesting a time warp).

so what what might the 2nd engine have been?

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

  • Member since
    February 2003
  • From: Guelph, Ontario
  • 4,819 posts
Posted by Ulrich on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 7:07 AM

What colour was it?

 

  • Member since
    April 2011
  • 649 posts
Posted by LensCapOn on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 7:56 AM

Trains Magazine, in their recent oil train issue, described routes for tank trains that lead from the new oil fields straight to eastern refineries. From your description it sounds like you the saw one of these. I have seen the heavy traffic ($$$) on BNSF coming down the mississippi in WI. There is a lot of oil moving on rail there.

  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Rhode Island
  • 2,289 posts
Posted by carnej1 on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 11:12 AM

gregc

i was a bit distracted at the time.   Definetly saw that the lead engine was SantaFe and pretty sure the 2nd engine was Central something in relateively small undistinguished lettering.  (sorry for suggesting a time warp).

so what what might the 2nd engine have been?

 

Could you have misread Canadian Pacific as "Central Pacific"? Some of their older units are lettered "CP" without the name spelled out..

"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 11:19 AM

carnej1
Could you have misread Canadian Pacific as "Central Pacific"?

I wondered whether it might have been one of the Citirail units.

gregc, what were the colors on that second unit?

  • Member since
    January 2002
  • From: Canterlot
  • 9,575 posts
Posted by zugmann on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 11:34 AM

Possibly could have been the cnj heritage engine. 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Northern New York
  • 25,022 posts
Posted by tree68 on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 12:12 PM

Saw a consist come through Utica, NY last weekend with NS, ICE, and CP on the point.  You just never know.

The color of the loco will be the kicker here.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you
My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date
Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: At the Crossroads of the West
  • 11,013 posts
Posted by Deggesty on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 12:29 PM

samfp1943
 
Mookie

I would be more interested in the Central Pacific! 

We have CSX, NS, CP and CN all come thru Nebraska on a regular basis, so it doesn't seem unusual to me that you would have some BNSF back there.  Unless there is a further explanation that I don't know, I would suggest it is just "I used yours, so you get to use mine".  Payback of power owed?

 

 

 

Me too! Mookie!  Central Pacific.... 

   I know some strange stuff happens in NJ from time to time! Alien 

    My queston to gregc is did that freight train look anything like the picture in this link? @  http://www.cprr.org/

          If it did,  you might want to call in a "professional", put down the coffee mug,  and back slowly away from that keyboard!Huh?  

Smile, Wink & GrinSmile, Wink & Grin

 

 

Sam, I was prepared for somethin interesting, but not what you referred us to!

 

Johnny

  • Member since
    July 2009
  • From: lavale, md
  • 4,678 posts
Posted by gregc on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 12:43 PM

Overmod
gregc, what were the colors on that second unit?

hard for me to recall.  washed out red.  maybe stripped red/white/red

greg - Philadelphia & Reading / Reading

  • Member since
    April 2002
  • From: Northern Florida
  • 1,429 posts
Posted by SALfan on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 8:13 PM

Last week saw a locomotive in (faded) ATSF paint come thru Tallahassee last week.  Don't know how many of them are left, but those puppies get around.

  • Member since
    June 2001
  • From: US
  • 13,488 posts
Posted by Mookie on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 10:19 PM

If our yard is any indication, there are a lot of the yellow and blue SF engines still out there.  And most of them have odd patches on their sides.  We have a red and silver/gray one that has an orange panel on it.  That is a favorite of mine!

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • 21,669 posts
Posted by Overmod on Tuesday, November 25, 2014 10:28 PM

gregc
Overmod
gregc, what were the colors on that second unit?

hard for me to recall.  washed out red.  maybe striped red/white/red

I'm with carnej1 on this likely being Canadian Pacific.

Citirail is blue and silver, and CNJ Heritage is very distinctive blue and orange:

  • Member since
    June 2003
  • From: South Central,Ks
  • 7,170 posts
Posted by samfp1943 on Wednesday, November 26, 2014 10:26 AM

SALfan

Last week saw a locomotive in (faded) ATSF paint come thru Tallahassee last week.  Don't know how many of them are left, but those puppies get around.

 

I never thought this Thread would last as long as it has; Amazing how the "War Bonnet" paint scheme has collected a fan base.

It was conceived in the GM Art&Color Department by a gentleman named Leland Knickerbocker and was patent protected in 1937. It was to be the scheme to identify AT&SF's Passenger diesel fleet. It was used on Covered wagons and was also applied to a number of Santa Fe's Motor Car Fleet(Doodlebugs), and it's RDC cars (2).  In about 1971, the Santa Fe(' The Chief' designator for it's passenger program disappeared in favor of AMTRAK.

 In 1967, the Santa Fe purchased SDP45 (cowls)(#100-108) for their passenger service,( to avoid freight diesels on their passenger trains). When AMTRAK took over passenger trains, they went into service on the premium freight service "Super C".

In June and July of 1989 Santa Fe had resurected the WarBonnet paint scheme for it "Super Fleet" it was generally credited to the then president of the Santa Fe Mike R. Haverty for bringing back the paint scheme.

My point is that thse former Sant Fe Warbonnets are still doing yoeman service with the BNSF and in pools operated on other railroads.  The other side of this situation seems to reside with an agreement BNSF made upon purchase of the Santa Fe and specifically these Warbonnet painted units..[paraphrased]."...It was agreed by BNSF, that the BNSF would run those units in their pain schemes as long as that was practical to do so..."  I know we see thse units several times a day in this area of South Central Kansas, and twenty plus years later they still wear the Warbonnet paint scheme, with BNSF writ on their sides and some eve have their Santa Fe assigned numbers and othrs have been patched with new numbers; and all are getting pretty worn, and scruffy these days... Yeah  Whistling

 

 

 

 


 

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy