Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF 737-8 Fuselages Storm Light Hudson, CO, 6 July 2025

BNSF 8119, ES44C4, Q ALTPTL6-05A Alliance, Texas, to Portland, Oregon, train 65 loads, 17 empties, 6321 tons, 6605 feet.  Train had three Boeing B737-8 fuselages.  Hudson, Colorado, 6 July 2025.  BNSF  Brush Subdivision storm light.

BNSF 3907 was on the Chicago, IL, to Denver, CO, intermodal train Z CHCDEN.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/25 03:35 by cozephyr.

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Nice shots!

texchief1

Great pictures, ladies and gentlemen the pilot has turned on the fasten the seatbelt sign due to storms in the area.
Robert in Island City Oregon 

Boeing B737-9 and B737-8 (also called B737 MAX 8) on BNSF train dodged thunderstorms around Denver Metro area, CO, Sunday, 6 July 2025.  Unit oil cans were parked on Hogans Alley.  This is near where the proposed Denver Broncos football stadium that might be built on the former Union Pacific Burnham Shops property.  Discussions continue on where the new Denver Broncos football stadium will be located.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/25 03:40 by cozephyr.

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Great photos here!
Planes on a train going into the storm.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

A train regularly runs Alliance to Portland via Hudson? Via Wichita and Lincoln to Denver, then north?

Great storm photos and comments.
t4p.

timz Wrote:
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> A train regularly runs Alliance to Portland via
> Hudson? Via Wichita and Lincoln to Denver, then
> north?

Train is the Q ALTPTL6 and operates daily.  North from Amarillo Tx thru Dalhart,Texline and into Trinidad Colo. Trinidad north to Pueblo where a pick up is made, usually involving the Boeing Cars. Then north to Denver. From Denver it runs up the Brush Sub to well, Brush, then onto the Angora Sub north to Alliance. From there north to Huntley and west towards Laurel. Not 100% positive after that. Believe it runs over the ex MRL to Spokane/Sandpoint. Then over ex SPS to Pasco west along the Columbia to Portland then north to Seattle.  Ben

Ah. I was assuming the train was westbound.

So no thru trains on C&S north from Denver?

Suspect there are more crews available to support a hot schedule on the Brush and Angora Sub. The eastward curve of the Brush Sub seems counter-intuitive but they seem to run plenty of trains.

They do have through trains on the C&S but not many, ergo not many to swap around. A few years ago they had a good number of re-position trains but often had to re-crew by van in small towns.

Curious about physical clearances on the C&S, seems to be good for most trains but did not see loaded fuselages or windmill blades. The tunnels around the Wind River Canyon could be an issue, Have heard of doublestacks going through the PRB occasionally but that seems to be for specific situations.

when coal was  going they went up the C &S, much better track going into nebraska

NS2557,

You have it correct as they run the Q-ALTPTL over the MRL from Huntley, Montana to Spokane, Wash.

The next part is the they take the ex-GN from Latah Jct. over Stevens Pass to Interbay, Washington where they Renton Rocket handles them to Renton, Washington.


SP8100


ns2557 Wrote:
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> timz Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > A train regularly runs Alliance to Portland via
> > Hudson? Via Wichita and Lincoln to Denver, then
> > north?
>
> Train is the Q ALTPTL6 and operates daily.  North
> from Amarillo Tx thru Dalhart,Texline and into
> Trinidad Colo. Trinidad north to Pueblo where a
> pick up is made, usually involving the Boeing
> Cars. Then north to Denver. From Denver it runs up
> the Brush Sub to well, Brush, then onto the Angora
> Sub north to Alliance. From there north to Huntley
> and west towards Laurel. Not 100% positive after
> that. Believe it runs over the ex MRL to
> Spokane/Sandpoint. Then over ex SPS to Pasco west
> along the Columbia to Portland then north to
> Seattle.  Ben

Great shots!!

Thanks for detailing the itinerary guys . .  interesting route.

Is it a daily train now? I was under the impression it was still 3x weekly. 

SP8100 Wrote:
> You have it correct as they run the Q-ALTPTL over the MRL from Huntley, Montana to Spokane, Wash.

To reinforce what SP8100 wrote, the BNSF's MRL sub is the High/Wide route across Montana. As I understand, Marias Pass doesn't have the clearances through the snowsheds and they don't want to interrupt the flow of trains with slow oversize traffic. Large wind generators used this route as well. Eastbound oversize loads headed for Dakota go through Glendive to Fairview and then north across the Snowden Bridge to get to the High Line.
Dano
 

> As I understand, Marias Pass doesn't have the
> clearances through the snowsheds and they don't
> want to interrupt the flow of trains with slow
> oversize traffic.

Can Marias take 20-ft stacks?

Nice work with Pic 3.....