Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF Concrete Ties

Eight flats cars of concrete ties trailed BNSF's trackage rights train QDVSTJ into Salt Lake City on Sunday, August 20th. Why would these cars be on a BNSF train headed through Colorado/Utah/Nevada on the Union Pacific?

Any ideas?

James

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Train goes to Stockton , CA. I believe they make them somewhere in Denver. So STO DEN is the symbol , I dont think there is anything unusual going on. They might be destined for the I-5 corridor.

I am pretty sure that the tie factory is just east of the BNSF intermodal yard, next to UP (DRGW) North Yard.

This load was sitting very near there last night, Thursday.

Soundman out

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Interesting......THAT much weight on the rear of the train....Hmmmmmm

DaveL

The DENSTO is pretty much a solid train with nothing but loads. Can't make any money hauling empties on the UP.

The empties have to go back the same way

WAF Wrote:
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> The empties have to go back the same way

The empties do not have to go back the same way. It varies per pool ID and where they get applied next.

soundman Wrote:
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> I am pretty sure that the tie factory is just east
> of the BNSF intermodal yard, next to UP (DRGW)
> North Yard.

You are correct. They make the ties in Denver at Rockla. They get shipped all over the place. If they have enough cars they run unit trains of just ties. They are doing a lot of work near Klamath Falls, Oregon. Thats probably where they are going.

> This load was sitting very near there last night,
> Thursday.

This was a unit train. It left last night (thursday).

GrandeGold Wrote:
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> Eight flats cars of concrete ties trailed BNSF's
> trackage rights train QDVSTJ into Salt Lake City
> on Sunday, August 20th.

James. I belive your symbol is incorrect. BNSF doesn't run DEN-STO's any more. Its now the H-DENRRB (Denver RiverBank). They also have AKRPVO's (Akron, CO to Provo's). The Akron trains get built in Akron with a short crew change in Denver, then head west.

Pinlifter Wrote:
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> James. I belive your symbol is incorrect. BNSF
> doesn't run DEN-STO's any more. Its now the
> H-DENRRB (Denver RiverBank). They also have
> AKRPVO's (Akron, CO to Provo's). The Akron trains
> get built in Akron with a short crew change in
> Denver, then head west.

Thanks for the updates. I have heard the symbol MDVRBJ from time to time.

What day did you take this photo on? The DENRRB arrived in Riverbank, CA on the afternoon of Aug 22 with eight cars of concrete ties on the tail end (five BNSF and three BN cars). The motive power was something else, too; eight big GEs (six BNSF: four red and silver, one H1, and one H2, and two NS).

lynnpowell Wrote:
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> What day did you take this photo on?

Sunday, August 20th.

That was quite likely the same train. BNSF 867 on the point (red/silver) followed by two black NS GE's...

Yes, that is the same train! Probably needed the added power to get over Donner.

Actually this was two trains. We combined the DENRRB and KLFRRB together at Stockton. Both trains had setouts, and we also added an eigth unit that needed to go to Riverbank. The 867 was one of the worst riding units that I have ever run, AC didn't work and toilet stunk too.

Brian

Brian Wrote:
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> Actually this was two trains. We combined the
> DENRRB and KLFRRB together at Stockton. Both
> trains had setouts, and we also added an eigth
> unit that needed to go to Riverbank. The 867 was
> one of the worst riding units that I have ever
> run, AC didn't work and toilet stunk too.
>
> Brian

One of those days you wish you didn't have to go to work eh Brian? That sucks!

Pinlifter Wrote:

>
> You are correct. They make the ties in Denver at
> Rockla. They get shipped all over the place. If
> they have enough cars they run unit trains of just
> ties. They are doing a lot of work near Klamath
> Falls, Oregon. Thats probably where they are
> going.
>

Except that the UP owns/maintains the busy K Falls-Chemult section where the ties would likely be used.

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> Brian Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Actually this was two trains. We combined the
> > DENRRB and KLFRRB together at Stockton. Both
> > trains had setouts, and we also added an eigth
> > unit that needed to go to Riverbank. The 867
> was
> > one of the worst riding units that I have ever
> > run, AC didn't work and toilet stunk too.
> >
> > Brian
>
> One of those days you wish you didn't have to go
> to work eh Brian? That sucks!

Just another day on the roadswitcher. Combining the trains kills two birds with one stone: 1 less round trip to Stockton.

Brian

BobL Wrote:
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> Except that the UP owns/maintains the busy K
> Falls-Chemult section where the ties would likely
> be used.

I am aware of that BUT the destination for the cars was Klamath Falls (just reporting facts).