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[Anonymous]

Can someone tell me why I see BNSF locomotives on the CN mainline in Southern Ontario? Could they be on lease? It's not often I see more than one on a set of locos. Usually only one of 2 or 3.

Merry Xmas

[Noah Hofrichter]

Lease, or its a join operation from some reason, especially if they are on intermodual trains. Or, it could be that the locos are going somewhere for maintenance. Also, isn't there a locomotive plant in London Ontario,(if memory serves me correctly)? They could be new locomotives going from there to the BNSF. Really it could be any number of reasons, and maybe more than one.

Noah

[Anonymous]

...or just regular old power sharing.

[Anonymous]

Can you help me more guys? Here is what i can tell you from your response. Yes the GM locomotive plant in London is still building locomotives. I believe the type I am seeing. But why would they be leading a freight? Especially heading east, when I am east of London. If they were being used in delivery thay would be going to Michigan at Windsor/ Detriot or Port Huron I would think.

So tell me more about power sharing vs leasing?

They are not normally on intermodal consists when i see them.

Do you see BNSF locos in BC macguy?

[Anonymous]

The BNSF units that I see here in the Shops area of Fond Du Lac,Wi are on both lead and in the back of the lead unit.Most likely,the BNSF units are on a power by the hour basis,being used for lease purposes,or for owing the CN hosepower hours that are owed to them, as the BNSF may have been using some CN locomotives. This is what may be the case. As for "new" units,they most likely would be sent on the nearest railline,and then to the nearest area for the railroad to get the new locomotives.

[ndbprr]

A couple of thoughts. If the engines look brand new and very shiny they could be breaking in on the CN before delivery to BNSF. That way they can be returned to London more easily for repairs or modifications required. But I doubt that. Often rairloads will "run through" power to save time and keep trains moving - particularly trains like containers that could have travelled from the west coast having come off a ship and have to meet another ship at Halifax to upload the containers for travel to Europe. that is called a land bridge operation and happens all the time. here in Chicago trains would run with western power to Elkhart, Indiana on the old CR to avoid delays in Chicago. I would often see BN, ATSF, UP, CNW, SP and others on the old NYC mainline headed for ELkhart. It was pretty rare for them to go much farther east but it happened. Lets suppose CN and BNSF have an agreement (which they probably do) that BNSF keeps track of engine hours when CN engines are running on BNSF and vice versa. So at the end of the month Cn engines have run 1000 hours on BNSF and BNSF has only run 500 hours on CN BNSF owes CN some money or hours. so hours are easier to repay and BNSF allows CN to use their engines to repay the hours. It is somewhat rare for railroads to lease their engines to other railroads because typically when one railroad is busy they are all busy. there are companies that specialize in leasing engines. Typically they will have names like GATX or HLMX and will always end in X. The X means they aren't railroads but equipment companies. try to keep track of the engine numbers. that will indicate if it is the same engines or different ones and helps identify what is going on. My immediate guess would be some kind of run through train that originated on the BNSF and ends on the CN somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to the last two responses. That helps a lot. Power by the hour huh? Thats a new one to me. But makes sence.
The locos I see are not new, so I am guessing they are power by the hour or "run through".
Now one more question. Under either circumstance, who's crew would be in them. BNSF or CN. If it's BNSFs would they have someone from CN aboard?. Sort of like ships have pilots when in some foreign waters.

[ndbprr]

In the days of steam when engines went off line they (like going around a derialment) they usually operated with the home roads crew and a pilot from the host road. Since diesels basically all operate the same anyone can run them. So in your cae it would be a CN crew qualified to run that section of railroad.

[Anonymous]

bnsf way cool paint schemes and awesome way cool locomotives my favorite is ac4400 cw

[CSXrules4eva]

QUOTE: Originally posted by gunslinger

bnsf way cool paint schemes and awesome way cool locomotives my favorite is ac4400 cw

Yes BNSF does have some way cool paint schemes and a good fleet of leased and owne locomotives. I like the Pumkin units myself [8D]. Unfortunitly, I don't see too much BNSF power up here in Philly, for me it's CSX, Conrail, NS, Amtrak, NJT, SEPTA. However, I do know of an NS mainline in Conshocken, PA which does have BNSF AC4400CWs on some of their coal drags. I love it when I see BNSF on NS.

[rambo1]

Is cn and bnsf not one railway now?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rambo1

Is cn and bnsf not one railway now?

Short answer: No.

Its just a power/track sharing deal.
CN crews do not drive BNSF power in Canada.
At least, not yet anyways.