Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF Seattle-Portland

How many trains, including UP and Amtrak, run between Seattle and Portland? Does intermodal predominate, or is there a pretty good variety?
Thanks!

Andy

yea, I would be interested in hearing about this territory too........

66

Count 'em up... (Vancouver/Camas) essentially Portland, OR.

Mr. MRL

---

ah, too cool. thanks......

66

MrMRL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Count 'em up... (Vancouver/Camas) essentially
> Portland, OR.
>
> Mr. MRL

Gee Robby,

I was going to put a very comprehensive report on the Seattle Sub and you stole my thunder...

I do have to say that is pretty neat that you can screen capture something like this.. :-)


SP8100

Just a bunch of train symbols on a list to me. I know nothing about traffic patterns or Amtrak schedules through the PNW region.

Mr. MRL

SP8100 Wrote:
----------------------------------------
> I was going to put a very comprehensive report on
> the Seattle Sub and you stole my thunder...

That screenshot is indeed neat, however feel free to post that comprehensive report (I like to compare / update my own notes).

I do know that Amtrak runs 8 Cascade trains and 2 Coast Starlight trains a day between Seattle and Portland.

Andrew

Posted from iPhone

twropr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How many trains, including UP and Amtrak, run
> between Seattle and Portland? Does intermodal
> predominate, or is there a pretty good variety?
> Thanks!
>
> Andy

Andy & others,

Portland to Vancouver, Washington is the BNSF Fallbridge Sub and sees all the Amtraks, UP's and some BNSF freights.. From Vancouver, Washington to Seattle is the BNSF Seattle Sub and it sees 98% of the traffic. Basically anything out of Portland/Terminal 6 can go east and bypass points north of Vancouver, Wash.

Amtrak runs 4 round trips of the Amtrak Cascades (500, 501, 506, 507, 508, 509, 513, & 516) plus the Amtrak Coast Starlight (11 & 14). This makes for a busy corridor to get the Amtrak trains around freights.. Before BNSF had the meltdown, it would a rare sight to see a freight make Amtrak wait for more than 20 minutes or so.. Sure, timing wouldn't be spot on, but nothing is, right??

Union Pacific uses trackage rights between North Portland Jct. on the Fallbridge Sub and Reservation (just north of BNSF's Tacoma Yard). UP does run unit (grain & potash) trains from the Midwest & Canada up to Longview/Kalama terminal area that is directly on the might Columbia River. UP also runs trains to the shortline Puget Sound & Pacific (PSAP rr). They will run unit autos, unit soybeans, unit garbages & unit grains(???). The rest of Union Pacific's traffic is manifest for their ex MILW yard at Fife & intermodal out of Tacoma (Tacoma Rail originates K-line stackers) and unit intermodal/unit garbarge out of Seattle.. See 494's post (http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3478571) about the M-LVHK which replaced the M-PSHK that was from the PSAP..

BNSF runs multiple manifests between Seattle & Vancouver. EVEPAS, EVEVAW, TACPAS, SEAPAS (may go Stampede if all standard height cars), LVWSPK, CENPAS(PSPPAS???) VAWINB, PASVBT, PASVBC, PASINB, SPKLVW, LYDVBT.. That are the ones I can think of right now. You have the PTLPAS/PASLYD, VAWBAR(VAWBAK)/BARVAW & VAWPAS/PASVAW that you can see at the Vancouver Amtrak station that go east out the BNSF Fallbridge Sub.

Grain: BNSF runs unit grain trains one or more to the following locations: Terminal 5/6 west of North Portland Jct., Port of Vancouver, Kalama/Longview, Aberdeen via the PSAP, Tacoma & Pier XX just south of the Interbay yard north of the King Street tunnel.

Unit coal to the power plants @ NE of Centralia, Wash. & Roberts Bank, B.C. (Centralia sets use bottom dump coal cars & Roberts Bank coal cars are rotary dumped).. See below for the coal empties that are very similar to the oil empties..

Unit oil to Port Westward on the Portland & Western railroad (Interchanged at St. John's siding which is in between Portland & Vancouver.); unit oil to Anacortes & Cherry Point (U-ELUAWA & U-TNDAWA). The U-AWAXXX train usually use Stevens or Stampede Pass due to the Iron Triangle crew districts that are used in the PNW.. Crew A starts at Tacoma, Auburn or Seattle. Works east over Stampede Pass to Pasco. Lays over, then works from Pasco to Vancouver. Lays over a second time, then completing the triange from Vancouver to Home Terminal (TAC, AUB or SEA.)

Intermodal can be iffy at times.. If not enough HP, then the Tacoma/Seattle intermodals will go south to Vancouver and east out the Fallbridge Sub. If ample HP is provided, then you will see intermodals go north from TAC/SEA to Everett and go east over Stevens Pass. Stampede is not capable of intermodal being double stacked. Standard height cars ONLY...

Vehicle trains - A mix of vehicles trains that have been consisently being changed around, so I don't have a good grasp about them except for the V-WENPTL which comes west over Stevens Pass, then south from Everett to Terminal 6 west of North Portland Jct. Does work enroute at Kent, Tacoma & Vancouver I believe. The once "Z" trains from South Seattle (Z-SSECHC) and Portland (Z-PTLCHC) are now "Q" trains as you can find a bunch of discussion on lowering the service level.. SSE uses the Seattle Sub from South Seattle (across from Boeing Field) to King St. tunnel. It will continue to go north to Everett, hang a right turn and go up Stevens Pass. The Portland "Q" only uses the BNSF Fallbridge Sub between Portland & Vancouver.

Garbage trains - EVEROO/ROOEVE & INBROO/ROOINB are the only consistent ones I hear on the radio.. TACROO/ROOTAC are usually when Tacoma has enough for a train by themselves, otherwise EVEROO/INBROO will do work at Tacoma & Centralia before terminating at Roosevelt, Wash.


Welcome additions/deletions and/or corrections to this post..

SP8100

Only 1 tac to lpc.

With MrMRL's screen capture and SP8100's post, an excellent picture of traffic between Portland and Seattle!

mapboy

Union Pacific runs 49 intermodal trains a week between Seattle and Portland, averaging 7 a day.

symbol - departure from origin
IBASE Mo, We, Fr
IDITA Th
IDUSE Tu-Sa
IG4SE Tu-Sa
IG4SEB Su
IG4TA Sa
IGNCH6 Sa
ILBSE Tu, Fr
ISEBA Mo, We, Fr
ISEG4 Mo, We, Fr
ITAAH2 Tu
ITAAH4 Th
ITAG23 We
ITAME3 We
KSEMN Tu-Sa
KTAG42 Tu
KTALN1 Mo
KTMPD Daily ex. Su
ZBRTM Daily

Andrew

Posted from iPhone

Adding to Andrew's post above, there is an average of two or three ZBRTM's out of Brooklyn in a twenty four hour period.