What is a "Z Train"?
I read somewhere that any train carrying UPS or FedEx trailers are Z Trains, and that Z Trains have the highest priority on the railroad.
I looked it up on Wikipedia, but the explanation wasn't really all that clear.
Are all Intermodal Trains classified as Z Trains?
According to Wikipedia, when a Z Train travels, the lower categories of priority freight, i.e., (M) Manifest, (I) Intermodal, and (R) Rock wait on sidings for the Z Train to pass.
I know what Mixed-Manifest and an Intermodal Trains look like, but I've never heard of the "Rock Train" category.
I'm guessing a Rock Train is not just a train that hauls rocks, but must mean something else.
So, what is a "Rock Train" that must wait on a siding while a Z Train goes by?
There is no standard, as such, for train symbols. Some do use Z to indicate a hot train. On CSX, on the other hand, a Z indicates a foreign line train operating on CSX trackage - such as shortline trackage rights.
I don't think NS uses any letters in their train symbols.
I think there was an article not long ago about train symbols.
I'll leave it to someone conversant on the "western lines" to discuss symbols there.
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...
writesongWhat is a "Z Train"? I read somewhere that any train carrying UPS or FedEx trailers are Z Trains, and that Z Trains have the highest priority on the railroad. I looked it up on Wikipedia, but the explanation wasn't really all that clear. Are all Intermodal Trains classified as Z Trains?
Each carriers has it's own 'Train Naming Conventions' that tell employees of the carrier what they need to know about how to handle the train - its schedule - its pickup and setoffs - its origin - its destination - when it originated - the priority management wants it to have. There was an article in Trains about 18 months ago that gave a cursory explanation to each carriers train naming conventions.
The cominations of all the carriers 'scheduled' trains comprise it's Operating Plan. The plan does get changed on a weekly or more frequent basis dependent upon operational realities that are either planned or unplanned. (Planned = curfew on XYZ Sub having track out of service for 12 hours a day for a defined period of time. Unplanned = mudslide damaged 25 miles ZYX sub and unknown when normal service will be restored)
These train naming conventions are among the 'cardinal rules' of each carriers 'car and train' computer data bases that the companies use to keep track of their business on a miniute to minute basis. Access to this data base gives the Customer Service Reps the answers necessary when customers question the progress or delay of their shipments.
I believe both BNSF & UP use a Z in designating their intermodal trains. Not all intermodal trains are 'hot' - some are, some are not. CSX & NS do not use Z in designating their intermodal trains.
On CSX a Z train is a foreign line 'trackage rights' move. All moves on CSX Main Tracks must be made with a train identification that is recognized by the CADS (Computer Aided Dispatching System). CADS tracks the Z trains in miles operated and the loading of the train is also an element that CADS requires. The computer system then uses these facts and figures in determining compliance and/or payments for the Foreign Line Trains.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
tree68I don't think NS uses any letters in their train symbols.
NS has three character train symbols. They can use a letter in the third place. e.g. 23Q. Pre-Conrail they only used numbers.
The first letter sort of designates the type of train. 1 and 3 are merchandise, 2 is intermodal and multilevel. 4 mostly grain. 5, 6, 7, 8 mostly coal.
There is actually a train type associated with the symbol when the schedule is built for the train.
NS has been getting ready for a 10 character train symbol for quite a while. As each IT system gets upgraded, it's provisioned for 10 charaters. There is just one system left to be converted or eliminated. ...any year now...
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
"Rock Train" is new to me. The Pennsylvania RR used to have "mineral traffic/ trains" which carried one or more of coal*, iron ore, limestone (those 3 being the prime ingredients for steel), rock, gravel, sand, other ores, etc.
*Not sure if coal was separate or not, but you get the idea, I'm sure.
- PDN.
Paul_D_North_JrThe Pennsylvania RR used to have "mineral traffic/ trains" which carried one or more of coal*, iron ore, limestone (those 3 being the prime ingredients for steel), rock, gravel, sand, other ores, etc. *Not sure if coal was separate or not
On Union Pacific "rock train" is code R, associated with E for 'light power move' and W for "work train". This may indicate a different type of load category than the Florida 'phosphate rock' unit trains.
Also on UP, C is "coal" and O is "ore" explicitly. I don't know what the code for an oil train would be, but U is the 'grain' code used for ethanol trains (politely ignoring the actual biomass genetics involved!)
CSX does a lot of business with various Rock Runner's. These are scheduled aggregate trains operating between quarry's and customer aggregate distribution terminals.
CSX & NS are also big in Trash Trains - hauling municipal trash from Northeastern cities to dumps in the Southeast and West; the high population density of the Northeast means their is virtually no place for common dumps for local trash.
The moral equivalent of a Z train NS would be a Premium Intermodal train. There are a couple dozen. You can't tell by the symbol, but operating folks and the dispatching system know which they are and they preferred priority, just behind Amtrak.
The "Z" designation comes from a long established AAR requirement that the reporting marks for railroad owned or controlled TOFC trailers end with the letter "Z". Some non-railroads, such as JB Hunt, followed the convention. JB Hunt used JBHZ on their rail trailers. UPS used UPSZ. Leasing company "XTRA" marked its trailers XTRZ, leasing company Realco marked its trailers REAZ, etc. As an example, an XTRA trailer would be marked and numbered XTRZ206981. That's how you kept track of the dang things. The railroads used such reporting marks as ICGZ, SFTZ, BNZ, CNWZ, UPZ, etc.
The expidited intermodal trains thus had almost solid consists of equipment with reporting marks ending in "Z". So they came to be called "Z" trains. The improvised designation made its way in to official use on a couple railroads. It's now used, on at least the Union Pacific, to designate any expidited schedule.
The AAR says container reporting marks must end with the letter "U". But I've never heard of a "U" train.
All the above explanations are very good, but every railroad is different. Up in Canada I've never seen a "Z" train around here, but all CN's intermodal trains are designated by the letter "Q" (supposedly stands for 'quality service'). Then again we don't have any true hotshots or premium intermodal service up here.
Also on CN the letter "Z" is used to denote a light engine move, for example "Z802" would be light engines heading out to pick up cars from a grain elevator (800's are grain trains on CN) while "G803" would be the return trip with the loaded train. The numbers are different because in our train numbering scheme even numbers are supposed to be east/northbound, and odds are west/southbound.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
CN Letters
10000 feet and no dynamics? Today is going to be a good day ...
And, here's CSX:
Direction of train based on symbol
--Even numbered trains are usually east-bounds and north-bounds
--Odd numbered trains are usually west-bounds and south-bounds
A_ _ _ - Yard switcher, Southern Region (Atlanta and Jacksonville Division) Locals
B_ _ _ - Cumberland coal business unit trains, Northern Region Locals
C_ _ _ - Locals
D_ _ _ - Locals
E_ _ _ - Empty unit coal
F_ _ _ - Florence division locals
G_ _ _ - Unit grain trains
H_ _ _ - Locals
J_ _ _ - Illinois & Indiana Locals, long distance locals
K0_ _ _ - Oil
K1_ _ _ - Ore
K2_ _ _ - Chemicals
K3_ _ _ - Coke
K4_ _ _ - Ethanol
K5_ _ _ - Metals (Including rail carrying trains)
K6_ _ _ - Ethanol
K7_ _ _ - Aggregates
K8_ _ _ - Phosphate/Potash/Sulfur
K9_ _ _ - Aggregates
L _ _ _ - Alternate route/times/stops/destinations of Q _ _ _ series trains
M _ _ _ - Southern Region Locals (Mobile, AL, Jacksonville, FL, and Nashville, TN division locals)
N_ _ _ - Loaded unit coal
O _ _ _ - Southern Area Locals (Florida business unit locals)
P _ _ _ - Passenger Trains (Amtrak, inspection, circus)
L _ _ _ - Alternate route/times/stops of Q _ _ _ series trains
Q – ‘Quality’ train, as they call ‘em.
Q001-050 Intermodal Expedited (usually UPS)
Q051-Q099 Expedited Unit
Q1_ _ - Intermodal
Q2_ _ - Automotive
Q3_ _ - Northern part of the system east-west manifest
Q4_ _ - Eastern part of the system north-south manifest
Q5_ _ - Western most part of the system north-south manifest
Q6_ _ - Any direction, any corridor
Q7_ _ - Unit specialty train i.e. juice, trash, stone, etc.
R_ _ _ - Rerouted
S_ _ _ - Second Section of Q_ _ _ series trains
T_ _ _ - Loaded unit coal
U_ _ _ - Loaded unit coal
V_ _ _ - Loaded unit coal
W_ _ _ - MOW/Company Equipment/special moves
X_ _ _ - Misc. Extra, Light Power, Unscheduled trains
Y _ _ _ - Yard Jobs
Z_ _ _ - Foreign train
tree68 And, here's CSX: Direction of train based on symbol --Even numbered trains are usually east-bounds and north-bounds --Odd numbered trains are usually west-bounds and south-bounds A_ _ _ - Yard switcher, Southern Region (Atlanta and Jacksonville Division) Locals B_ _ _ - Cumberland coal business unit trains, Northern Region Locals C_ _ _ - Locals D_ _ _ - Locals E_ _ _ - Empty unit coal F_ _ _ - Florence division locals G_ _ _ - Unit grain trains H_ _ _ - Locals J_ _ _ - Illinois & Indiana Locals, long distance locals K0_ _ _ - Oil K1_ _ _ - Ore K2_ _ _ - Chemicals K3_ _ _ - Coke K4_ _ _ - Ethanol K5_ _ _ - Metals (Including rail carrying trains) K6_ _ _ - Ethanol K7_ _ _ - Aggregates K8_ _ _ - Phosphate/Potash/Sulfur K9_ _ _ - Aggregates L _ _ _ - Alternate route/times/stops/destinations of Q _ _ _ series trains M _ _ _ - Southern Region Locals (Mobile, AL, Jacksonville, FL, and Nashville, TN division locals) N_ _ _ - Loaded unit coal O _ _ _ - Southern Area Locals (Florida business unit locals) P _ _ _ - Passenger Trains (Amtrak, inspection, circus) L _ _ _ - Alternate route/times/stops of Q _ _ _ series trains Q – ‘Quality’ train, as they call ‘em. Q001-050 Intermodal Expedited (usually UPS) Q051-Q099 Expedited Unit Q1_ _ - Intermodal Q2_ _ - Automotive Q3_ _ - Northern part of the system east-west manifest Q4_ _ - Eastern part of the system north-south manifest Q5_ _ - Western most part of the system north-south manifest Q6_ _ - Any direction, any corridor Q7_ _ - Unit specialty train i.e. juice, trash, stone, etc. R_ _ _ - Rerouted S_ _ _ - Second Section of Q_ _ _ series trains T_ _ _ - Loaded unit coal U_ _ _ - Loaded unit coalV_ _ _ - Loaded unit coalW_ _ _ - MOW/Company Equipment/special movesX_ _ _ - Misc. Extra, Light Power, Unscheduled trainsY _ _ _ - Yard JobsZ_ _ _ - Foreign train
U_ _ _ - Loaded unit coalV_ _ _ - Loaded unit coalW_ _ _ - MOW/Company Equipment/special movesX_ _ _ - Misc. Extra, Light Power, Unscheduled trainsY _ _ _ - Yard JobsZ_ _ _ - Foreign train
Shortly before I retired, the 'brain trust' in Service Design decided to use V for empty grain car movement. V is no longer a coal train identifier.
In the year or so before I retired people entered Service Design positions in all the product lines who must have though train identities were just numbers and didn't mean anything beyond being a number. They juxtaposed long standing train ID's into both new O-D pairs and different work elements when on it's historical route. On the first pass with the new ID's mishandling was common.
Train ID's tell everyone in operation's - in short hand - where the train operates and what work it performs along the way. Change it at your risk.
BaltACDV is no longer a coal train identifier.
Found it on what appears to be someone's personal website. Should have attributed.... Looks like the site has symbols for most of the railroads.
https://sites.google.com/site/trainsymbols/home
Edit - I tried to light it up....
Norm
Thanks. Just couldn't get it to work... Next time it'll work just fine...
RME Paul_D_North_Jr The Pennsylvania RR used to have "mineral traffic/ trains" which carried one or more of coal*, iron ore, limestone (those 3 being the prime ingredients for steel), rock, gravel, sand, other ores, etc. *Not sure if coal was separate or not On Union Pacific "rock train" is code R, associated with E for 'light power move' and W for "work train". This may indicate a different type of load category than the Florida 'phosphate rock' unit trains. Also on UP, C is "coal" and O is "ore" explicitly. I don't know what the code for an oil train would be, but U is the 'grain' code used for ethanol trains (politely ignoring the actual biomass genetics involved!)
Paul_D_North_Jr The Pennsylvania RR used to have "mineral traffic/ trains" which carried one or more of coal*, iron ore, limestone (those 3 being the prime ingredients for steel), rock, gravel, sand, other ores, etc. *Not sure if coal was separate or not
On the UP the prefix code for through train symbols is one or two letters.
A-automotive.
C-coal.
E-engine move.
F-foreign line detour.
G-grain. They usually have a second letter (such as an S for shuttle train) to further describe the train.
I and K are intermodal symbols.
M and Q are manifests.
O-ore. Also used for oil trains.
R-rock or sand train.
S-customer's special. It can be a freight move, such as a wind turbine train or high/wide train, or a business car train.
U-unit train. Unit ethanol trains will have a UE designation.
Z-premium intermodal. Also used for the Railex perishable train.
W-work train. The letter behind the origin/destination code describes what type of train it is. B for ballast, R for rail train, T for ties, G for gang move, Z for Herzog ballast trains that can dump on the move and D for the Georgetown conveyor dump train. There's probably a couple I missed.
Regular trains can have a letter or number behind the origin/destination codes, too. For example, many coal trains are extended hauls (can go 1500 miles between class 1 air brake inspections) and are designated by ending with a 9. Example is CNAPW9-31 means Coal North Antelope Powerton extended haul originating on the 31st of the month. Some trains, such as the Railex Z train, have a P for perishable at the end. X at the end is for an extra. There's also a B, V and W that's sometimes tacked onto the end of a manifest symbol, but I don't know the exact meanings for those. (I heard what the B means, but don't remember. The V and W have something to do with being off schedule.)
The origin/destination codes are two letters or letter/number combination. There is some duplication of codes. There was talk about going to a 3 letter code for origin/destination, but nothing seemed to come of it.
Jeff
In addition to what Jeff said, there is a "section" prefix and other suffixes.
A section is an additional instance of a train schedule that is not regularly planned. There is also a "B" suffx (or C,D, etc). for a planned second instance of a train.
If Council Bluffs has enough traffic to run two manifest trains a day to N Platte, there will be two manifest schedules, MCBNP and MCBNPB. If Ft Worth has enough business to run one train a day between Ft Worth and N Platte, but today has two trains worth of that business, they will run an MFWNP and 2MFWNP.
There are also suffixes for trains on different days of the week, for variable schedules, for schedules that have been modified.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
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