Western Railroad Discussion > Question re UP Stack/TOFC Train on I-5 Corridor

Today in Sacramento I saw a UP train going north on the ex-WP tracks (towards Marysville) around 130pm.  It had four units up front, a bunch of double stacks, then trailers, then more stacks and finally a few more trailers at the rear.  A friend who lives near the WP tracks says he sees this train nearly every day, around the same time, and it's always the same - stacks/trailers/stacks/trailers.  Seems like it's pre-blocked.  Can anyone fill me in on this train - where does it originate and terminate?  What symbol does it run as?  Where does it work enroute?

Thanks much!

Stan Hunter
Davis, CA

ZLCBR?

That is the ZLCBR.  It used to be blocked at L.A. Shops Yard (LC), and looks like it still is, for Tacoma and Seattle on the head end, then the rear for Brooklyn Yard (BR) in Portland.  It has no work enroute and bypasses Lathrop Intermodal Yard, and uses the Sacramento Sub to bypass Roseville.  It usually changes crews at Del Paso just north of Sacramento.

mapboy 

Hey mapboy, thanks for that! here are a couple related questions: where does the LCBR train crew change on its way out of LA? Or does the same crew that builds it take it all the way to Bakersfield? I somehow doubt that.

Also I saw recently the ILBSE is no longer running-- i had been wondering why I hadnt heard it in a while. What happened to this traffic? How can this train (which i believe made a side trip to set out in Oakland) just go away? I doubt those stacks have been incorporated into some other train. Curious. Thought you might know something.

Posted from iPhone

The ZLCBR is the hottest train on the I-5 corridor (a Z+ train). No work en-route. The crew districts for it are:

1) LA - Bakersfield
​2) Bakersfield - Roseville (crew change frequently at Del Paso)
​3) Roseville - Dunsmuir
​4) Dunsmuir - Klamath Falls
​5) Klamath Falls - Eugene
​6) Eugene - Portland

​​The also run the ZLCLT,  ZLCBRB, or ZLCBRC on different days of the week (Mapboy will have the specifc days). Whichever one it is on a specific day works out of LA about 12 hours after the ZLCBR. The ZLCLT will go via Metrolink to Palmdale and is hot as well (Z+ train again). The ZLCBRB or ZLCBRB have been going via West Colton and are not as hot (Z- trains). On the days it is the ZLCBRB or ZLCBRC, there is a set out and occasionally a pick up at Lathrop, before heading to Portland.

Any traffic that had been on the ILBSE in the past is now moving on one of the ZLCBR versions.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/16 09:54 by ble692.

ble692 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The ZLCBR is the hottest train on the I-5 corridor
> (a Z+ train). No work en-route. The crew districts
> are for it are:
>
> 1) LA - Bakersfield
> ​2) Bakersfield - Roseville (crew change
> frequently at Del Paso)
> ​3) Roseville - Dunsmuir
> ​4) Dunsmuir - Klamath Falls
> ​5) Klamath Falls - Eugene
> ​6) Eugene - Portland
>
> ​​The also run the ZLCLT,  ZLCBRB, or
> ZLCBRC on different days of the week (Mapboy will
> have the specifc days). Whichever one it is on a
> specific day works out of LA about 12 hours after
> the ZLCBR. The ZLCLT will go via Metrolink to
> Palmdale and is hot as well (Z+ train again). The
> ZLCBRB or ZLCBRC have been going via West Colton
> and are not as hot (Z- trains). On the days it is
> the ZLCBRB or ZLCBRC, there is a set out and
> occasionally a pick up at Lathrop, before heading
> to Portland.

ble692 knows his trains!  I have ZLCBRB originating Wednesdays, passing Sacramento area ~0330 on Thursdays.  The ZLCBRC is Fridays, pass ~0330 on Saturdays.  The ZLCLT originates Saturdays-Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I haven't seen international containers on it.  However I've only seen two that I knew were definitely ZLCLTs.

> Any traffic that had been on the ILBSE in the
> past is now moving on one of the ZLCBR versions.

The ILBSE was discontinued around November, 2015.  At that time the ILBOA returned on Tuesdays only.  The ZLCBRC was on the Dunsmuir webcam 5/14/16 with APL and K Line on the head end.  That would be an example of traffic handled by the ILBSE.  I haven't seen a ZLCBR in awhile, but in the past I saw it with none to 2 international containers.  OP Stan Hunter could tell us if any of the ZLCBR double stacks are international ones.

mapboy

Anyone know what time this train leaves LA? I would like to photograph it through Soledad Cyn

Posted from iPhone

CPRR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone know what time this train leaves LA? I would like to photograph it through Soledad Cyn

​The ZLCBR is a night time departure out of LA. Just after midnight. It doesn't see daylight until close to Bakersfield. The ZLCLT is a midday departure out of LA, and can be seen in Soledad Canyon during the afternoon.

Yes very hot train. Dispatcher makes sure MOW and other trains know when it will arrive.

Adam

ble692 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The ZLCBR is the hottest train on the I-5 corridor
> (a Z+ train). No work en-route. The crew districts
> for it are:
>
> 1) LA - Bakersfield
> ​2) Bakersfield - Roseville (crew change
> frequently at Del Paso)
> ​3) Roseville - Dunsmuir
> ​4) Dunsmuir - Klamath Falls
> ​5) Klamath Falls - Eugene
> ​6) Eugene - Portland
>
> ​​The also run the ZLCLT,  ZLCBRB, or
> ZLCBRC on different days of the week (Mapboy will
> have the specifc days). Whichever one it is on a
> specific day works out of LA about 12 hours after
> the ZLCBR. The ZLCLT will go via Metrolink to
> Palmdale and is hot as well (Z+ train again). The
> ZLCBRB or ZLCBRB have been going via West Colton
> and are not as hot (Z- trains). On the days it is
> the ZLCBRB or ZLCBRC, there is a set out and
> occasionally a pick up at Lathrop, before heading
> to Portland.
>
> Any traffic that had been on the ILBSE in the
> past is now moving on one of the ZLCBR versions.

are those considered long pool crew change points ???

NO