union pacific, and santa fe running with norfolk southern freight trains

[paulstecyna21]

This morning in willow grove, pennsylvania where i live, i saw a three engine frieght train and the engines were in this order, Norfolk southern as 1, santa fe as 2, and union pacific as 3. Is there a possible merger happening between CSX, Norfolk Sothern, Union Pacific, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe? The freight train was heading towards philadelphia or new jersey.

[JoeKoh]

merger no.just borrowed power where one rr uses anothers power and then lets them borrow there power for awhile.usually on ns if there is an ns in the consist it usually has the point.csx puts engines in various orders.
stay safe
Joe

[ShaunCN]

just railroads sharing power again, nothing to do with mergers at all.

[paulstecyna21]

then how come norfolk southern had those 2 engines?

[samfp1943]

QUOTE: Originally posted by JoeKoh

merger no.just borrowed power where one rr uses anothers power and then lets them borrow there power for awhile.usually on ns if there is an ns in the consist it usually has the point.csx puts engines in various orders.
stay safe
Joe

It seems like all the Class 1's share power, interestingly when there is borrowed power running in the trains around here, Parsons, Ks- Union Pacific, the foreign power seems to be the lead unit more often than not. The other day I posted a note about a work train, welded rail train, that had NS power on the lead[ SD70] and BNSF trailing (C44W GE) and all the cars were still lettered for Cotton Belt [SSW] and the only UP id was a Shield logo on the last car.

[David_Telesha]

QUOTE: Originally posted by paulstecyna21

then how come norfolk southern had those 2 engines?

RUN THROUGH POWER AGREEMENT

Somewhere there is a NS engine on BNSF and UP - saves from changing engines at interchanges and other things.

How many times must this topic come up?

[chad thomas]

Or it could be paying back or accumulating "horse power hours"

Run through agreements are typicaly between "city pairs" on a particular route that goes through two or more railroads territory (tracks).

Units accumulating or paying back horsepower hours can show up anywhere in any service as the power desk sees fit.

Railroads, especially the class ones, are always borrowing power from eachother. The way they keep things even is called "horse power hours". For instance lets say UP borrows a NS SD40-2, An SD40-2 is 3000hp and will be counted as 3000 horse power hours for every hour it spends on UP. If it's there for a day the UP would owe NS 72,000 HP hours. Now say somewhere else NS has borrowed a UP AC6000 for a day. Sience the AC6000 is 6000 hp it will accumulate 144,000 hours in the same time. So now there is a debt owed to NS of 72,000 hp hours. Each railroad keeps track of the balance between them and each one of the other railroads and if the balance gets to be too much, the oweing railroad will send some units to the owed railroad to balance things out. They usually use there own power for this but they could also lease units from a leasor or another railroad to pay back hp hours owed. They could send the owed railroad a whole bunch of units to pay off there debt quickly or more economicaly they send a few units to the owed railroad and it takes a lot longer. In that case a foreign unit might be roaming around the owed railroads property for a while and could end up in the farthest corners of there system. They are typicaly treated as if they were there own units and would assign them as they would any other power (though sometime the power desks will keep them in a certain geographic area or service)

[JoeKoh]

QUOTE: Originally posted by David_Telesha

QUOTE: Originally posted by paulstecyna21

then how come norfolk southern had those 2 engines?

RUN THROUGH POWER AGREEMENT

Somewhere there is a NS engine on BNSF and UP - saves from changing engines at interchanges and other things.

How many times must this topic come up?

well when we get new members they might ask a question that has come up before. just try to help the newbies and be patient.[:)]
stay safe
joe

[chad thomas]

If only I had a nickel for every time a foreign unit started a merger rumor, I'd be rich.[(-D]

[CSXrules4eva]

QUOTE: Originally posted by paulstecyna21

This morning in willow grove, pennsylvania where i live, i saw a three engine frieght train and the engines were in this order, Norfolk southern as 1, santa fe as 2, and union pacific as 3. Is there a possible merger happening between CSX, Norfolk Sothern, Union Pacific, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe? The freight train was heading towards philadelphia or new jersey.

Well this is a small world after all. I only live 15 minutes from Willow Grove, PA. I know exactly which line you are talking about. This line is apart of the NS Harrisburg Division , I'm not sure were it begins and ends but, I do know that trains frequently run through Abrams Yard, in Upper Merion Twh not far from West Conshohocken. The track from Willow Grove up to Valley Forge turns into a double track main, from the single track in Willow Grove. I do most of my railfaning along this line. Lately I have seen many interesting things over there, including what you are talking about the Santa Fe and CSX power heading up NS freights. I have been seeing a whole bunch of BNSF units on NS coal trains along this line as well. Two weeks ago I saw a Belvidere & Delaware River Railroad GP9 in the middle of an NS Dash-9 consist. I too want to know what is going with NS using all of this foreign power along this line?

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by chad thomas

If only I had a nickel for every time a foreign unit started a merger rumor, I'd be rich.[(-D]

I've recently seen some AT&SF locomotives on BN trains here locally. You don't suppose that BN and SF are planning a merger, do you?[:p]

[Anonymous]

Through here on this NS line I have seen all of these come through with these paint schemes at one time or another: Santa Fe, BNSF, BN, CN, IC, UP, CNW, IC, WC, MRL, SP, CP, CSX, SOO, SP, KCS, Conrail (both NS & CSX).

[paulstecyna21]

i will contact the company and find out more

[chad thomas]

QUOTE: Originally posted by paulstecyna21

i will contact the company and find out more

[(-D][(-D][(-D] GOOOOOOD LUCK [(-D][(-D][(-D]

[David_Telesha]

QUOTE: Originally posted by paulstecyna21

i will contact the company and find out more

Good one!!![(-D][(-D][(-D][:-^]

[route_rock]

Found that NS motor your looking for. It was in Galesburg yesterday along with an IC in CN colors.a ton of lease units and a SP with UP yellow outs. We share power like stated before. Horsepower trade offs and the interchange deal.

There is no merger happening just cause you see a unit from another railroad on your line.

[spbed]

Look up the below link then click on any of the California galleries & you will see NS & CSX units on the UPRR & BNSF way out there in California some 3,000 miles or so from Willow Grove [:)]

http://vgalleries.com/members/railfan1/The+Trainfan.vrg

QUOTE: Originally posted by paulstecyna21

This morning in willow grove, pennsylvania where i live, i saw a three engine frieght train and the engines were in this order, Norfolk southern as 1, santa fe as 2, and union pacific as 3. Is there a possible merger happening between CSX, Norfolk Sothern, Union Pacific, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe? The freight train was heading towards philadelphia or new jersey.

[carnej1]

Don't get me wrong..I agree that "there's no such thing as a stupid question" however.........

Railroads have been using run through/pool power, etc. for the past 4 decades (i.e most if not all of the lifetimes of many who post here). Anyone who has observed mainline freight service in North America for any period of time has seen locomotives belonging to railroads other than the line's owner...So I find it strange that there's a variation of the above post here on an almost weekly basis..........

[chad thomas]

Mabee in your world it's 3000 miles but not in ours.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by paulstecyna21

This morning in willow grove, pennsylvania where i live, i saw a three engine frieght train and the engines were in this order, Norfolk southern as 1, santa fe as 2, and union pacific as 3. Is there a possible merger happening between CSX, Norfolk Sothern, Union Pacific, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe? The freight train was heading towards philadelphia or new jersey.

I think that NS just had the engines out for a little "Test drive" to see who's locos were better maintained...Enable them to decide which (railroad) they want to buy...[}:)]

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by chad thomas

Mabee in your world it's 3000 miles but not in ours.

Depends on the routing.[;)]

[paulstecyna21]

i will still find out information

[Gluefinger]

Why?? You're not going to find jack!

[chad thomas]

QUOTE: Originally posted by paulstecyna21

i will still find out information

OK, You be sure and let us know what you find out.[#dots]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by paulstecyna21

i will still find out information

There's nothing to find out, the answer has already been given, it happends all day everyday on all the RRs.

It's no mystery or secret or one time magical event, it's power sharing!

[paulstecyna21]

i am going to call rudy husband of norfolk southern and ask him

[ValleyX]

Rudy is anxiously awaiting your call, he'll probably spill the beans.

I remember when we used to have run through Cotton Belt and SP power back a l-o-n-g time ago. Yes, and we'd have run-through UP and MP power and UP cabooses, too. Still waiting on that merger but never once did I see run-through Southern power in my neck of the woods. How'd we end up merging with THEM?

[chad thomas]

QUOTE: Originally posted by paulstecyna21

i am going to call rudy husband of norfolk southern and ask him

If you're going to **** all over our answers, Then why did you bother asking the question.[:(!]

[Jack_S]

QUOTE: Originally posted by paulstecyna21

This morning in willow grove, pennsylvania where i live, i saw a three engine frieght train and the engines were in this order, Norfolk southern as 1, santa fe as 2, and union pacific as 3. Is there a possible merger happening between CSX, Norfolk Sothern, Union Pacific, and Burlington Northern Santa Fe? The freight train was heading towards philadelphia or new jersey.

A couple of months ago I saw, on the UP tracks over the 5 Freeway in Commerce, CA, a two engine set of a UP unit hooked to a Cotton Belt unit. It was backing to the NW toward LA.

[Gluefinger]

Oh crap....is Cotton Belt next in the line of mergers???