UPS bullet train

[Anonymous]

Dru, you Sir, have been very helpful, Thank you.
TIM A

[favuprailroadfan]

Mr. Frank, well to tell you the truth, I beleive that they are running the newer series 6000's. Most of the time, they flash by you so quick, that it is hard to catch all the numbers. About the only way to really get the numbers is if you pace the train and hope that a cop doesn't find you. Out here on the plains of SW KS, we have some distance between towns. So it isn't that hard to keep up with it. But of the ones that I have saw are in the 7500's. And Targubright, I am really not sure as to how they would reroute this train. Personally if it was me, I would reroute it over the BNSF, but see the thing is. If BNSF causes a delay to this train and not run it how UP is, BNSF is subject to a penalty or fine, I am not quite for sure as to who takes care of that. I will do some checking on it and see what I can find out for you. So good luck in seeing the Golden Streak, it is well worth the wait. Laters, Dru

[favuprailroadfan]

Mr. Frank, well to tell you the truth, I beleive that they are running the newer series 6000's. Most of the time, they flash by you so quick, that it is hard to catch all the numbers. About the only way to really get the numbers is if you pace the train and hope that a cop doesn't find you. Out here on the plains of SW KS, we have some distance between towns. So it isn't that hard to keep up with it. But of the ones that I have saw are in the 7500's. And Targubright, I am really not sure as to how they would reroute this train. Personally if it was me, I would reroute it over the BNSF, but see the thing is. If BNSF causes a delay to this train and not run it how UP is, BNSF is subject to a penalty or fine, I am not quite for sure as to who takes care of that. I will do some checking on it and see what I can find out for you. So good luck in seeing the Golden Streak, it is well worth the wait. Laters, Dru

[favuprailroadfan]

Dear Chris, I thought that you didn't like trains.com???? But I guess I told you about this subject and you got interested. I have saw the solid set of UP's CTE4400's through on the bullet, just last week as a matter of fact. The guy that lives in Hutchinson, the timing sounds about right for the STREAK to go through there. It usually comes through Kismet around 6:00 to 6:30. The regular UPS Z's have normal power on them. The main bullet train runs with the UP power all the way. I don't know whether or not they allow the train to sit for that long. I mean when Liberal had tha car department here, they didn't take that long to inspect them and get them out of town. We are talking about a BPLBX that would be 8000 ft. long and it would only take them 15 minutes to inspect it. The bullet is only running maybe 3000 ft. long and it should take them no more than ten. I have a feeling that this topic is going to go on for awhile. But if there is anybody out there who has the best information, me and Chris would really appreciate it because we are thinking about doing a website on this operation. But there is one thing that baffles me Chris. There was a westbound Rack train sitting in the siding in Kismet. He released his warrant around 3:30, he then contacted Dis. 11 on the west end and got authority to Optima after one arrived. I left Kismet at 6:10 and he was still sitting there, and I never heard anything from either one of the trains. Plus, when I went into Liberal, I never saw him. If anybody has a scanner and wants to listen in on the GSR and possibly the bullet. I will go ahead and give you the Freq. to this line. 1. 160.320 AAR 1414 2. 161.550 AAR 9696. These are the 2 main channels that UP uses for the GSR. Plus if you want to listen to the BNSF through there. I believe the freq. is 160.650. Don't hold me to that. Well I guess that if you guys have anything else. Let me know and tell me where I screwed up. HAHA. Chris I should be home around 4 tomorrow if you want to head out anywhere. I should be able to get some money, but don't go to the races in Liberal. They don't have any Sprint Cars. That sucks. So I will give you a call and lets see what we can do.

Laters, Dru

[favuprailroadfan]

Dear Chris, I thought that you didn't like trains.com???? But I guess I told you about this subject and you got interested. I have saw the solid set of UP's CTE4400's through on the bullet, just last week as a matter of fact. The guy that lives in Hutchinson, the timing sounds about right for the STREAK to go through there. It usually comes through Kismet around 6:00 to 6:30. The regular UPS Z's have normal power on them. The main bullet train runs with the UP power all the way. I don't know whether or not they allow the train to sit for that long. I mean when Liberal had tha car department here, they didn't take that long to inspect them and get them out of town. We are talking about a BPLBX that would be 8000 ft. long and it would only take them 15 minutes to inspect it. The bullet is only running maybe 3000 ft. long and it should take them no more than ten. I have a feeling that this topic is going to go on for awhile. But if there is anybody out there who has the best information, me and Chris would really appreciate it because we are thinking about doing a website on this operation. But there is one thing that baffles me Chris. There was a westbound Rack train sitting in the siding in Kismet. He released his warrant around 3:30, he then contacted Dis. 11 on the west end and got authority to Optima after one arrived. I left Kismet at 6:10 and he was still sitting there, and I never heard anything from either one of the trains. Plus, when I went into Liberal, I never saw him. If anybody has a scanner and wants to listen in on the GSR and possibly the bullet. I will go ahead and give you the Freq. to this line. 1. 160.320 AAR 1414 2. 161.550 AAR 9696. These are the 2 main channels that UP uses for the GSR. Plus if you want to listen to the BNSF through there. I believe the freq. is 160.650. Don't hold me to that. Well I guess that if you guys have anything else. Let me know and tell me where I screwed up. HAHA. Chris I should be home around 4 tomorrow if you want to head out anywhere. I should be able to get some money, but don't go to the races in Liberal. They don't have any Sprint Cars. That sucks. So I will give you a call and lets see what we can do.

Laters, Dru

[Anonymous]

As Dru's source (favup) the Wednesday train is the fastest of them at 75, the others just cruise at 70. The last couple of trains I have seen have 3 70s on them. They do a rollby inspection at Pratt with the train sitting there at the depot for about 15 minutes. As he had mentioned they put everything on the siding for these trains. The UP symbols that I have for these trains are the ZLACS/ZCSLA. The power varies from day to day on this train. It can be a solid set of the new AC44CTEs to SD70Ms to AC60CWs.

Chris ~ Forever Espee

[Anonymous]

As Dru's source (favup) the Wednesday train is the fastest of them at 75, the others just cruise at 70. The last couple of trains I have seen have 3 70s on them. They do a rollby inspection at Pratt with the train sitting there at the depot for about 15 minutes. As he had mentioned they put everything on the siding for these trains. The UP symbols that I have for these trains are the ZLACS/ZCSLA. The power varies from day to day on this train. It can be a solid set of the new AC44CTEs to SD70Ms to AC60CWs.

Chris ~ Forever Espee

[craig4]

I live on the UP Golden state main line in Hutchinson, Ks. This is where the UPS train enters BNSF trackage ( 2 blocks from my work) heading east to KC, and of course leaving BNSF trackage to EL Paso. I saw the Westbound train , missed the power, thru here apx 2:30PM Central Time last Wed Aug 6th. According to the time table in Trains that may have been a little late. Am trying to document when it travels thru my area. Will be interesting. Loved the Trains article on this service. Craig Johnson

[craig4]

I live on the UP Golden state main line in Hutchinson, Ks. This is where the UPS train enters BNSF trackage ( 2 blocks from my work) heading east to KC, and of course leaving BNSF trackage to EL Paso. I saw the Westbound train , missed the power, thru here apx 2:30PM Central Time last Wed Aug 6th. According to the time table in Trains that may have been a little late. Am trying to document when it travels thru my area. Will be interesting. Loved the Trains article on this service. Craig Johnson

[Anonymous]

This doesn't directly deal with the topic but it's nostalgia. Put up w/ it from an old f**t. I worked my way thru college in Pittsbugh loading trucks on an evening shift for UPS. UPS has a tendency to get what it wants. When I first started with them in '63 they went no further west than a 5 mile perimeter into Ohio (Got them Youngstown) Over time they expanded West. It amazes me that there not just national but global today. They tried to recruit many of us into manager trainee ranks. ROTC got me into Army just in time for Viet-Nam. Got out went into teaching for the big bucks. Wonder where I would have gone & how many ulcers I'd have had, if I had hired on w/ UPS. We students had to join the Union, Local 249 of Teamsters even tho' we were pt. time. Local 249 gave UPS fits. They moved their entire hub to new Stanton just to get out from under them.
Pennsy: the standard railroad of the world.

[Anonymous]

This doesn't directly deal with the topic but it's nostalgia. Put up w/ it from an old f**t. I worked my way thru college in Pittsbugh loading trucks on an evening shift for UPS. UPS has a tendency to get what it wants. When I first started with them in '63 they went no further west than a 5 mile perimeter into Ohio (Got them Youngstown) Over time they expanded West. It amazes me that there not just national but global today. They tried to recruit many of us into manager trainee ranks. ROTC got me into Army just in time for Viet-Nam. Got out went into teaching for the big bucks. Wonder where I would have gone & how many ulcers I'd have had, if I had hired on w/ UPS. We students had to join the Union, Local 249 of Teamsters even tho' we were pt. time. Local 249 gave UPS fits. They moved their entire hub to new Stanton just to get out from under them.
Pennsy: the standard railroad of the world.

[Anonymous]

I must of missed that, that CSX brought the speeds of Conrail back. The pig trains have no problem running the 79 m.p.h. on the former Conrail Lakeshore. At 80 m.p.h. the FRA requires cab signals. I have been watching and listening for the Q-100 and the Q-153 through the Erie, Pa., area with no luck yet.
If you look at the times these trains are trying to maintain, the old Erie-Lackwanna set the standard, keep these times and beat it most of the time. If you wanted track time for a few minutes in front of one of these hotshots on the old EL and one of these trains were within 100 miles, forget it.
It will be interesting to see how long UP can keep this pace up..
Be safe.

[Anonymous]

I must of missed that, that CSX brought the speeds of Conrail back. The pig trains have no problem running the 79 m.p.h. on the former Conrail Lakeshore. At 80 m.p.h. the FRA requires cab signals. I have been watching and listening for the Q-100 and the Q-153 through the Erie, Pa., area with no luck yet.
If you look at the times these trains are trying to maintain, the old Erie-Lackwanna set the standard, keep these times and beat it most of the time. If you wanted track time for a few minutes in front of one of these hotshots on the old EL and one of these trains were within 100 miles, forget it.
It will be interesting to see how long UP can keep this pace up..
Be safe.

[Anonymous]

They are actually running from LA to the Chicago in 41.5 hours. They have less than one (1) hour of layover time from start to finish. The actual "bullet trains" run through Chicago without yarding, the other four trains are yarded by UP at Canal Street and CSX at 59th Street. The trailers are rubbered between the two yards on city streets. It would seem to me that they just put the power on and run it through the fuel rack with the train on it, just switching crews along the way. It would be interesting to see what kind of money UPS IS putting up for this kind of speed.

[Anonymous]

They are actually running from LA to the Chicago in 41.5 hours. They have less than one (1) hour of layover time from start to finish. The actual "bullet trains" run through Chicago without yarding, the other four trains are yarded by UP at Canal Street and CSX at 59th Street. The trailers are rubbered between the two yards on city streets. It would seem to me that they just put the power on and run it through the fuel rack with the train on it, just switching crews along the way. It would be interesting to see what kind of money UPS IS putting up for this kind of speed.

[locgg2020]

Four day transcon makes good publicity and make ups happy,but operationally killing every train on your railroad for 1 train will not pay the bills.It is sorta like Death Valley Scotties train it makes good records and is great publicity . Chris Roberts and Dave Fealy know from experiance that killing every other train and causing that much delay will not pay the bills.

[locgg2020]

Four day transcon makes good publicity and make ups happy,but operationally killing every train on your railroad for 1 train will not pay the bills.It is sorta like Death Valley Scotties train it makes good records and is great publicity . Chris Roberts and Dave Fealy know from experiance that killing every other train and causing that much delay will not pay the bills.

[Anonymous]

Originally posted by Mr. Frank

The article in Sept. '03 Trains on UPS Bullet Train is great!

The internet searches I've done so far indicate that the UP AC6000's are the standard power even on CSX. Can anyone confirm this? If this is not the case, what other power has been reported on these trains?
[/ quote]Have seen only once 5AM on a thurs. All UP AC6000's (4) pulling approx 25
loads, eastbound Rochester NY. Lot of power short train. Stay safe Mark

• Reply
• Edit