KBCpresident wrote:When they repaint them do you think they will be black with BNSF's new logo or will they be orange. BN painted their tenders green and black rather than black like the tender I saw, maybe BNSF will do the same.
I doubt they would ever get repainted. But, anything is possible...
CSSHEGEWISCH wrote:The BN fuel tenders were indeed painted green and black, and were basically company service tank cars fitted with transfer hoses and other items to serve as fuel tenders. They were part of an attempt to reduce the number of fueling points for locomotives, especially those in intermodal and coal service.
To add to Paul's comments, during the 1980s BN ran a series of Chicago-Seattle hotshot piggyback trains equipped with specialized power lashups. The pictures I saw usually featured two SD40-2's coupled together and facing west, two SD40-2's coupled together and facing east, plus a fuel tender tank car spliced into the middle. The fuel tender had m.u. cable receptacles on both ends, full sets of m.u. hoses (independent brake + actuating + main reservoir) hookups, and the required train brake hoses like any other railroad car. Each of these specialized power lashups could make a full round trip between The Windy City and Puget Sound on one fillup. BN's thinking was this: fill the engines and fuel tender just once, but only at the cheapest fueling point along the route. In other words, BN was playing fuel supplier against fuel supplier in order to get the lowest delivered price possible.
During the 1980s (and it may still be true today), piggyback operations - while a growing source of traffic to be sure - were also the least profitable on a per unit handled basis; so, BN, like any other railroad, had to watch fuel costs in order to be able to wring any meaningful profit out of this service. Incorporating fuel tenders into their hotshot power consists may have been part of BN's effort to improve this segment's profitability.
The Beaverton, Fanno Creek & Bull Mountain Railroad
"Ruby Line Service"
KBCpresident wrote:I don't mean to be difficult, but How do you know that they are not using them elsewhere on the line. What happened to equipted engines?
KBCpresident wrote:That's a shame! I wonder why not, anyone know? It would be awesom to see a fuel tender. Say BNSFrailfan, how do you know BNSF doesn't use them any more?
One of the reasons that use of fuel tenders was discontinued was that it put limitations on motive power usage. Not all locomotives were equipped with the gear for fuel tenders and those that were equipped to work with tenders would be virtually in captive service, which could put a crimp in utilization.
CSSHEGEWISCH wrote: trainfan1221 wrote:Burlington Northern did a lot of experimenting with locos, particularly with other fuels. I remember a really fancy painted SD40-2 with a tender containing some kind of product that wasn't diesel fuel being pictured in a magazine.I believe that there were two SD40-2's with fancy paint jobs that were testing compressed natural gas and Refrigerated Liquid Methane as fuels. The engines were fitted with spark plugs and other modifications for these fuels.
trainfan1221 wrote:Burlington Northern did a lot of experimenting with locos, particularly with other fuels. I remember a really fancy painted SD40-2 with a tender containing some kind of product that wasn't diesel fuel being pictured in a magazine.
I believe that there were two SD40-2's with fancy paint jobs that were testing compressed natural gas and Refrigerated Liquid Methane as fuels. The engines were fitted with spark plugs and other modifications for these fuels.
KBCpresident wrote:That website I showed you said that they were still using them in '02 Does anyone know If BNSF is still using them?
KBCpresident wrote:Not to confuse you or anything, but I think it was that kind of car. Thats my final answer
NO
THIS is a FUEL TENDER.
This is the TANK CAR you saw.
Its possible the tank car you saw USED to be a fuel tender, but has not been for years, therefore you saw a tank car, not a fuel tender.
Mechanical Department "No no that's fine shove that 20 pound set all around the yard... those shoes aren't hell and a half to change..."
The Missabe Road: Safety First
ok...
Railfan1 wrote:This type of car was not equipped to be used as a fuel tender.
Here is a cool website with technical and operational details of the BN fuel tenders.
http://www.mtnwestrail.com/wyoming/bnft.htm
So how far can a unit coal train travel one tank of gas (assuming 2 AC4400s, ~110 cars, heading south out of the PRB)?
I for one, have never actually seen a fuel tender on the BNSF or it's predecessor, the Burlington Northern. Didn't the BN or the BNSF phase them out entirely some years ago?
CANADIANPACIFIC2816
She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.