The UP media release:
https://www.up.com/media/releases/180125-brazos-yard.htm
Union Pacific Railroad began construction this month on its Brazos Yard in Robertson County, Texas. The $550 million rail yard represents the largest capital investment in a single facility in the company's 155-year history. Brazos Yard will have the capacity to switch up to 1,300 rail cars per day, making it one of the highest capacity yards on Union Pacific's 23-state network. As the first yard of its kind to be built in more than a generation, it will showcase best practices in operating efficiency, technology and innovation.
Wonder if it will be a hump or flat-switched yard? Press release doesn't say. However, the stated capacity of 1,300 cars per day would be more in line with a flat yard, I think.
- PDN.
Replies
Paul D. North Jr. (1-27):
About the press release not saying if will be a hump or flat switching yard, the situation is a reading between the lines one. The press release specific says it is a “classification” yard, which always has a hump to classify cars. Mystery solved! (At least I think so ...)
ChuckCobleigh:
You started a great thread, Chuck!
Great in that it very much opened my eyes! An opening of the eyes reference the “Sunset Route Two-Tracking Updates Thread,” with things seemly all falling into place therein now.
Presently in that thread, a number of issues have presented themselves pretty much at one time, and it is difficult to post anything in ’overload’ mode. Within a week, though, I should be able to have everything sorted out and post something relative to the upcoming Brazos Yard in that thread.
Thanks,
K.P.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
If this Trains News Wire document from 2015 is still accurate, it will be a single-hump classification yard and the largest single-hump yard on the UP system...
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2015/01/0112-hearne-texas-up
I was like what about North Platte. Then I read 2 humps there 1 for each direction and 14K cars a day combined. No wonder that sucker is so large.
Per UP’s web site Bailey humps about 3,000 cars per day - 1,500 per hump - one for eastbound trains and one for westbound trains.
https://www.up.com/aboutup/facilities/bailey_yard/index.htm
One thing about Brazos Yard that I am guessing may change from the 2015 Newswire item is receiving tracks for 8,500 foot trains. One would think that those receiving tracks would now have to be built to 12,500 feet given some of the monster train lengths that UP is running now.
Never mind all that. Does it get its own vistors’ center and observation tower?
Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak
D.Carleton Never mind all that. Does it get its own vistors’ center and observation tower?
And 24-hour webcam with decent night vision?
Maybe UP will finally run 12,000 foot mixed freights from Texas to West Colton once Brazos Yard is completed. It seems way overdue, especially they do it all the time from North Platte to most points west on their system.
if you don't have single track railroad 12K foot train may make sense. If you have a single track railroad, sidings are the limiting factor in the size of trains you operate over it - in at least one direction.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACD if you don't have single track railroad 12K foot train may make sense. If you have a single track railroad, sidings are the limiting factor in the size of trains you operate over it - in at least one direction.
Absolutely. UP's lines through central Texas are basically a web of former MKT/MP/SP/SSW single track lines that are generally used in a directional running fashion. However, just because of the way traffic patterns work there is usually some traffic that fights the current of traffic in a few places on most of them, which of course limits train lengths.
Now this is purely speculation from someone who doesn't work for the railroad, but I believe that generally the longest trains, on average, that UP runs through central Texas are in the 8000-9000 ft range. However, it's not out the possibility to see 10,000+ ft trains if the traffic warrants it. The long ones are certainly not the norm of course.
Brazos Yard's primary function is to help ease congestion in UP's big Texas yards (Englewood & Settegast in Houston, SoSan in San Antonio, and Davidson in Fort Worth). Now, don't quote me on this, but I'd imagine that the plan for the yard would likely be set up to fit into the current operating scheme with a little room for expansion. So I'd wager a guess that it would be set up to build trains around 10,000 ft, maybe a little longer.
ChrisHouston, TX
UPRR11 (3-27):
The UP Texas rail situation is difficult to comprehend. There are lines going every which way. Much of the rest of the system is easy to comprehend, simple A to B lines. Thus, it is not surprising that reported operating meltdown situations have arisen. Employees undoubtedly get into a complacent pattern, and when something goes wrong they don’t know what to do. Neither do those often in charge know what to do because they don’t have a system mentality and vision. It doesn’t help either when higher ups make long distance decisions and local officials have their hands tied, and try to do the impossible.
It is quite different from a meltdown after a merger, which meltdowns should not happen either, but the chain of command should be a healthy one and not one where every decision maker is out for themselves and what will make them look good. I’ve always felt that the very top of the pyramidal hierarchy is often where the problem is at, but that is only an opinion.
Operating railroad networks the size of today's Class 1 properties is akin to the Conductor of a full sized orchestra. If the all the instruments are playing at the proper time and the the proper way - the music sounds wonderful. If the Conductor calls for the wrong instruments at the wrong time and/or in the wrong way - the result sounds horrible. While all the musicians are playing 'their part' of the music it can still sound horrible. If certain musicians play badly it will sound even worse. Until you end up with the right Conductor and the right muscians being properly led you have no idea of how good or how bad the music really is.
It would appear that a number of the Class 1's have tone deaf 'Conductors' running their operations and the resulting 'music' is cringe worthy!
BaltACD While all the musicians are playing 'their part' of the music it can still sound horrible.
Cringeworthy is right.
A local festival includes a parade in which a number of pipe bands play. After the parade, they generally get together for a "massed band" performance. They all know the same music, and bagpipes tune the same, so it shouldn't be too bad, right?
Usually it's not bad (as long as you like bagpipes). I recall one time, though, when they ended up off - and you've never heard such a gosh-awful caterwauling in your life...
And that would be the case with the railroads these days, so it seems...
Larry 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...
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.