Railroads may also keep a small fleet of locos in storage for those peaks seasons. BNSF has a surge fleet they use during the harvest season for agricultural commodities such as grain. Last i checked the fleet was made up of older SD70MACs.
Gosh, that is a GREAT catch!!
Recently, I saw a Citirail (CITX) locomotive on a BNSF grainer in downtown Spokane, Washington and I was wondering the same thing...
it is probably cheaper now to let the leasing companies incur the storage expenses. every dollar has being porred into deferred maintenance.
You can catch a bunch of them over in the Seattle area. The grain season taps BNSF power resources heavily every year. The fleet reduction and retirement of older units and depowering of others for yard and hump service also took down the fleet. I think once the grain season is over you will see less CREX units unless they get moved to coal trains or oil. Easier to leas some units and turn them back when the peak season is over than to buy new power and then it sits idle. Also I think its a fancy accounting move as well. It is a different accounting section for leasing than for buying.
CSX has gotten back into the 'Rent-a-Wreck' market - I have seen some CEFX units on the property recentlty.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BNSF has exactly one "Locomotive" in running order stored, a yard slug. There are some locomotives needing major shopwork stored, but nothing else. All running SD70MACs are in service, the SD75Ms that BNSF returned to Bank of America have all been leased back. BNSF also returned some SD60Ms to Progress Rail, BNSF has also leased some of them back, those that Progress Rail hadn't already leased out to other companies. BNSF's power shortage is a result of bountiful grain harvest, combined with Crude Oil traffic, and brutal winter weather that is causing trains to die, yards to plug up, and crew shortages.
beaulieu BNSF's power shortage is a result of bountiful grain harvest, combined with Crude Oil traffic, and brutal winter weather that is causing trains to die, yards to plug up, and crew shortages.
BNSF's power shortage is a result of bountiful grain harvest, combined with Crude Oil traffic, and brutal winter weather that is causing trains to die, yards to plug up, and crew shortages.
This sounds a very interesting sight! I spotted even more colorful consist on Left Coast Rail Videos latest preview Shawnut to Dome Valley: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNdGrWkws8E
Would you have any pics here of the CSX etc. locos in the West?
blue streak 1 Here in the SE we are now seeing results of the power shortage. BNSF has a haulage agreement for CSX to haul BNSF intermodal trains from Birmingham - Atlanta area intermodal terminals. Usually the trains are 3 - 4 4400 HP all BNSF. In the last 2 weeks consists are now 3 units max with foreign power first time. Have seen CN, CP, TFM, and even NS power. Today it was the 0700 northbound train late at 1130 with just 2 units a brand new C-4 lead by a Citi rail unit. No numbers as view blocked by another west bound intermodal. Have seen what I suspect was an all CSX locos train for BNSF but could not confirm. !
Here in the SE we are now seeing results of the power shortage. BNSF has a haulage agreement for CSX to haul BNSF intermodal trains from Birmingham - Atlanta area intermodal terminals. Usually the trains are 3 - 4 4400 HP all BNSF. In the last 2 weeks consists are now 3 units max with foreign power first time. Have seen CN, CP, TFM, and even NS power. Today it was the 0700 northbound train late at 1130 with just 2 units a brand new C-4 lead by a Citi rail unit. No numbers as view blocked by another west bound intermodal.
Two of the Norfolk Southern Heritage Units, the Interstate and Norfolk Southern ones, have been hanging around the Northwest recently, along with other foreign power. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to be trackside recently.
Yes, times are really busy now. Hopefully that means that businesses are again starting function like they used to in early 2000s. Wouldn't those NS Heritage units look cool on BNSF freight? Intense colors with intense colors. Making the train look either very bad or very cool.
Wonder which of the big class 1s is next short of power due to time of the year traffic?
NorthWest Two of the Norfolk Southern Heritage Units, the Interstate and Norfolk Southern ones, have been hanging around the Northwest recently, along with other foreign power. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to be trackside recently.
I've seen local pictures, and they look quite good!
As for the next power short railroad, CN seems to be perennially power short. They did buy the EMD SD70ACe-P6 demonstrators, but they have computer issues that may not be resolved. IIRC, they are ordering more ES44ACs, but are still short.
CP seemed like it would be short for a while, especially with the lease to BNSF of about 100 GEVOS. They reactivated their SD60 fleet, and some of their long stored SD90MACs. (I think dead since about 2009).
McKey Wonder which of the big class 1s is next short of power due to time of the year traffic?
Maybe we need a thread entitled. " what is your RR's power situation? "
Yeah, just tell me how to change the title
blue streak 1 McKey Wonder which of the big class 1s is next short of power due to time of the year traffic? Maybe we need a thread entitled. " what is your RR's power situation? "
Hmmm, sounds like a lot of circulation of locomotives might be happening...
Interesting that something like P6 has software programming problems, this sounded to me like an easy upgrade. But with programming, of course _anything_ can happen.
Sorry my poor knowledge on US carriers, what is the IIRC?
So all these moves are due to structural, not caused by certain commodities shipped at the certain time of the year? Maybe outside the "grain season".
NorthWest I've seen local pictures, and they look quite good! As for the next power short railroad, CN seems to be perennially power short. They did buy the EMD SD70ACe-P6 demonstrators, but they have computer issues that may not be resolved. IIRC, they are ordering more ES44ACs, but are still short. CP seemed like it would be short for a while, especially with the lease to BNSF of about 100 GEVOS. They reactivated their SD60 fleet, and some of their long stored SD90MACs. (I think dead since about 2009).
IIRC = If I Recall Correctly
Thanks, Balt. McKey, Sorry about the confusion.
Almost everyone is power short because of the winter, which typically strains power resources (trains must be shorter and will move slower due to frozen switches, etc., which means more locomotives are needed.) This coincides with the grain season, a huge bump in traffic for certain areas. Add in the oil boom, and there aren't enough units around!
Well, about time I learned the meaning of the letters!
Not the Indiana Interstate Railway after all...
At the time of this thread one must remember CN had the 5400's and the 2000's still being sent through the shops before release.
Also, CN differs from other railroads in the fact that they operate their trains with the minimum amount of power needed to crawl up the steepest hill.
10000 feet and no dynamics? Today is going to be a good day ...
traisessive1 Also, CN differs from other railroads in the fact that they operate their trains with the minimum amount of power needed to crawl up the steepest hill.
The reality is, with power tight, all Class 1's are using this concept on all except their highest priority trains.
BaltACD The reality is, with power tight, all Class 1's are using this concept on all except their highest priority trains.
There are way more than 15. I'm not sure exactly how many at this moment, since the third order of 35 is still being delivered. The first order was for 15, and the second for 50.
Last week when I was leaving the model railroad club in Livingston, MT located in the basement of the old Northern Pacific depot there was a westbound coal train apparently waiting for helpers. The second locomotive was a Citirail locomotive. I tried to take a photo with my phone, but it was just a sunset and the poor lighting kept me from taking a good photo. Thanks for the posting so now I know what I saw.
I think American Express would be a more suitable livery.
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