What do these letters on a locomovtive mean HLCX

[railfan619]

Hi everyone I was watching a Up train today going up the. I think the green line that runs from mitchell yard to the recycling plant off of 21st and morgan and. The locomovtive that was pushing the train up the hill was a a dark a red with the letters HLCX and I don't think it had numbers onit but I'm not sure. Thanks

[coborn35]

Helm Leasing Services. The X means its a leaser. Examples: FURX, HLCX, etc.

[railfan619]

Oh thanks for the Info Now I learned something new tonight.

[oltmannd]

Every piece of railway equipment is identified by an intial, or mark, and a number.  If the mark ends in an X, the it's private equipment.  That is, it's owned by someone other than a RR. 

[ericsp]

Helm Leasing Services. The X means its a leaser. Examples: FURX, HLCX, etc.

A reporting mark ending in X does not necessarily mean it is owned by a leasing company. If I remember correctly, it means it is not owned by a common carrier. Shippers that own their own cars will have reporting marks that end in X, unless there is some arrangement with a railroad for the equipment to carry that railroad's reporting marks. Also, much rolling stock (EEC comes to mind) are in lease fleets but carry railroad reporting marks.

[ericsp]

Every piece of railway equipment is identified by an intial, or mark, and a number.  If the mark ends in an X, the it's private equipment.  That is, it's owned by someone other than a RR. 

Do non-common carrier railroads' reporting marks end in an X?

[senshi]

Every piece of railway equipment is identified by an intial, or mark, and a number.  If the mark ends in an X, the it's private equipment.  That is, it's owned by someone other than a RR. 

Do non-common carrier railroads' reporting marks end in an X?

To add on, wouldn't METRA be a common carrier, passengers.  Yet it's reporting marks are METX?  Or are they not considered a common carrier?

[Railfan1]

Some other Helm reporting marks are:

HLLX,HATX, HL, and HLGX (just a little FYI)....

[oskar]

Another Helm is National Helm Leaseing(NHL), no X.

 

 

kevin

[PBenham]

The NHL marks aren't used, since they would imply the owner was a railroad. Helm is the largest locomotive leasing company in the US with only GE financial being larger, but their units are not short term leases like the majority of Helm power. CSX will have upwards of 300 Helm units running around at times, then there are times when there are hardly any at all. Which is why CSX likes the short term (less than a year) or "power-by-the-hour" lease units. There are no carrying charges on these units as Helm usually bought the older SD40/45/40-2/40T2s with $. They make money quite well, by all accounts.

[ericsp]

Every piece of railway equipment is identified by an intial, or mark, and a number.  If the mark ends in an X, the it's private equipment.  That is, it's owned by someone other than a RR. 

Do non-common carrier railroads' reporting marks end in an X?

To add on, wouldn't METRA be a common carrier, passengers.  Yet it's reporting marks are METX?  Or are they not considered a common carrier?

I don't think they would be considered a common carrier. Here is the definition from the STB, "a railroad that has an obligation to provide reasonable service upon reasonable request to all shippers tendering traffic, applying publicly disclosed rates and service terms (see 49 U.S.C. 11101), and provide service to other industries that might locate to the area in the future." From this, it sounds like only freight railroads are common carriers.

This brings up Amtrak. It has AMTK reporting marks. On the other hand it has, and perhaps does, haul freight.

[ericsp]

Some other Helm reporting marks are:

HLLX,HATX, HL, and HLGX (just a little FYI)....

Another Helm is National Helm Leaseing(NHL), no X.

 

 

kevin

The NRHS information seems to disagree. When I look at their Reporting Marks by Company/Organization Name, I find no National Helm Leasing listed. I also found no NHL reporting marks listed in the Reporting Marks by Designator page.

Here are the listings for Helm that the NRHS had. This data base is historical, not just the current owners, which is why a reporting mark may show up under different owners.
Helm Equipment Leasing
HELX
HEQX
VEPX
Helm Financial Corporation
AKMX
GSNX
HATX
HELX
HEQX
HLCX
HLGX
HLMX
HMJX
HPJX
SFIX
Helm Locomotive Leasing
HJVX
HLLX
Helm-Atlantic Associates, L.P.
HATX
Helm-Atlantic Leasing Limited Partnership
HAPX
Helm-Pacific Leasing
HPJX

I did find Helm Chesapeake Limited Partnership (HCSX) in http://www.nakina.net/report.html, so obviously the NRHS list is not error free. Neither database listed NHL or HL.