Community Railroad????

[Todd McWilliam]

I have a question, I recently moved from Iowa to Texas, and I live 50 yards from the UP mainline that runs from Houston to Texarkana. My question is this? If the UP owns the tracks and has at least 3 trains an hour, why do I see, BNSF and CSX and Norfolk Southern trains several times aday running on the UP tracks? They are not mu'd behind a UP diesel, they are BNSF and NS and CSX trains. Does the UP lease track rights, or is the UP leasing motive power?
Sorry if this is a stupid question, I am a rookie to model railroading, and I was wondering about this. Once I get a digital camera I can post some nice photos of motive power.

[dgwinup]

It could be any of your suppositions. UP may have granted trackage rights to other roads, leased power during a shortage, the locomotives may be part of a power pool or a combination of all of the above.

You should feel blessed that you have the opportunity to see and photograph so many different railroads right in your own back yard!

Darrell, quiet...for now

[cacole]

I see locomotives from Conrail, Illinois Central, CN, CP, CSX, NS, BNSF, and dozens of other lines and leasing companies on the UP Sunset Route through Arizona all the time.

[cwclark]

All the different roadnames you see in and out of Houston are leased locomotives by the UP with the exception of KCS (which uses UP tracks between Beaumont and turns north just before Houston) and the Houston Belt & Terminal railroad which is a short line railroad to handle the excess traffic in the Houston Area (which also uses UP and BNSF tracks)...The other railroad in Houston is the BNSF with their main yard over by Wayside Dr....there used to be 7 major railroads that came to Houston (SP/Cotton Belt, UP, MP, Rock Island, BN, SF, and the KCS ) but now there are only 3 (UP, BNSF, and the KCS using UP tracks) anything else you see is either a short line, contract (like the CFSX), or leased RR eqiupment...chuck

[nbrodar]

Could be leased power, but more likely the BNSF, NS, and CSX locomotives are:
1.) Run through power (which is why we get UP, BNSF, and CN power in Philadelphia).
2.) Interchange runs
3.) Trackage rights

Any of these reasons can also be used to increase the varity of locomotives on your layout.

[leighant]

I believe regulatory authorities required UP to grant certain trackage rights as a conditions of the UP-SP merger.

Houston used to have (clockwise from due north):
International and Great Northern (later MP, now UP)
Houston East and West Texas "Hell Either Way Taken" (SP)
New Orleans, Texas & Mexico (MP)
Texas & New Orleans (SP)
Houston North Shore Interurban (MP)
Port Terminal RR Association
Texas Transportation Company (SP)
Houston Belt & Magnolia (MP)
La Porte, Houston and Northern (SP)
Galveston, Houston and Henderson (MP/MKT)
Houston-Galveston Interurban
Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe (ATSF)
Columbia Tap (MP)
Galveston Harrisburg & San Antonio (SP)
San Antonio & Aransas Pass (SP)
Texas Western Narrow Gauge
Missouri Kansas & Texas
Houston & Texas Central (SP)
Houston Heights (SP)
Trinity & Brazos Valley/ Burlington-Rock Island Joint Line
to name a few....