I have two Questions for a Railroader........Please help.

[Anonymous]

On the UP Blair sub. why does the UP still run Intermodel & Stack trains EAST over the Blair line?
Also,Just this past week the UP has had to pu***wo trains over the Blair hill because they stalled. I thought that with all of the new power with AC & DC power now being mixed now that the trains would not stall at all.Because the UP has done very well with not having not to many trains stall on this hill, until now. Two trains in one week, somethings going on.
Thanks.

[Anonymous]

On your last subject ill agree on that.
Thanks.

[jeffhergert]

If traffic is westbound traffic is light, and you have a small manifest or auto rack train they sometimes take us the short way as we call it. Not to be confused at Fremont with dispatcher's instructions for flagging past the absolutes from the former CNW. The connection has two tracks called the "short way" and the "long way".
Except for the really hot trains, going this way doesn't guarantee a faster trip. One time we were taken the short way. First had to wait for the eastbound bird to go around. Second we went into Kennard for some westbounds. By the time we got to Missouri Valley, two coal trains that were called out of Fremont behind us had gone the long way through the OMC (Omaha Metro Complex) and gotten ahead of us.
This also reminded me of the time going west we went into Kennard and met an eastbound Z train. All empty intermodal flats and well cars.
Jeff

[Anonymous]

You mean like the one yesterday(10/14/04).