Western Railroad Discussion > I.D. this HO scale UP stacktrain...

I'd post this in the model train section, but the expertise on this topic is not there. My intersts are building trains that represent an exact prototype. Here I have an idea this would be an SLC to LA stacktrain, but maybe it's something that runs on the Sunset Route instead. What does it look like most?
Thanks for helping.

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Well, it definitely doesn't look like the ISCLB which runs from SLC to Long Beach. It reminds me a little bit of the Zs that run down on the Sunset Route.

If you would have put a DPU unit between the stacks and trailers, you would have that weird Z train UP likes to run on the Cotton Rock and the Sunset Route.

PS; the weird train is the ZCIG4/ZG4CI, take a look at this link.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3099951,3100751#msg-3100751

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/19/13 17:12 by funnelfan.

zwsplac Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Well, it definitely doesn't look like the ISCLB
> which runs from SLC to Long Beach. It reminds me a
> little bit of the Zs that run down on the Sunset
> Route.


Agreed. The ISCLB has a hodge-podge of blocks of domestic containers, trailers, and marine containers. Sometimes it seems like there are at least four different blocks of cars (though I can't say for certain how many blocks there are, as I don't have access to UP train lists).

funnelfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you would have put a DPU unit between the
> stacks and trailers, you would have that weird Z
> train UP likes to run on the Cotton Rock and the
> Sunset Route.
>
> PS; the weird train is the ZCIG4/ZG4CI, take a
> look at this link.
>
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3
> 099951,3100751#msg-3100751


Thanks for the helpful link. Everyone is right, it's closer to a Sunset Route train. I have too many CSX boxes in mine for it be a SLC train.
One thing I've seen on both lines though are Werner and Navajo trailers at the end of each. Got that down, but I need those common "Central" reefers, which no one makes.
Thanks again, great info and very helpful.

This train could pass for one of the westbound Donner intermodals, maybe ZG2LT (formerly ZCSLT) in 2009-2010 when the Donner route started allowing doublestacks. Nowadays, the ZG2LT has the pigs in the middle of the train, and fewer of them, unfortunately.

The Werner Express pig are often seen on the KMNOA, usually in middle of the train. We see quite a bit of CSX boxes on the westbounds here in NorCal, like the model you built. KMNOA usually has a solid string of 53' along with a handful (less than 6) of Werner Express pigs for the Lathrop setout, and the rest are 40' and 45' boxes, some single stacked, some with 53' on top (or bottom). The Lathrop setout can be in the front or rear of the train. You can use Athearn GEVOs (52xx series), as a lead unit or DPU added in Sparks, for realism. Donner Grime is mandatory. :-)

My impression is that we see fewer Stax boxes in NorCal compared to SoCal stackers, but I may need to study my videos more before I reinforce (or retract) that claim.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/13 00:17 by cchan006.

funnelfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you would have put a DPU unit between the
> stacks and trailers, you would have that weird Z
> train UP likes to run on the Cotton Rock and the
> Sunset Route.
>
> PS; the weird train is the ZCIG4/ZG4CI, take a
> look at this link.
>
> http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3
> 099951,3100751#msg-3100751
ZG4CI is Favorite but needs some reefer boxes and DPu ahead of the pigs

cchan006 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This train could pass for one of the westbound
> Donner intermodals, maybe ZG2LT (formerly ZCSLT)
> in 2009-2010 when the Donner route started
> allowing doublestacks. Nowadays, the ZG2LT has the
> pigs in the middle of the train, and fewer of
> them, unfortunately.
>
> The Werner Express pig are often seen on the
> KMNOA, usually in middle of the train. We see
> quite a bit of CSX boxes on the westbounds here in
> NorCal, like the model you built. KMNOA usually
> has a solid string of 53' along with a handful
> (less than 6) of Werner Express pigs for the
> Lathrop setout, and the rest are 40' and 45'
> boxes, some single stacked, some with 53' on top
> (or bottom). The Lathrop setout can be in the
> front or rear of the train. You can use Athearn
> GEVOs (52xx series), as a lead unit or DPU added
> in Sparks, for realism. Donner Grime is mandatory.
> :-)
>
> My impression is that we see fewer Stax boxes in
> NorCal compared to SoCal stackers, but I may need
> to study my videos more before I reinforce (or
> retract) that claim.


A wealth of info, as always! Thank you!
I didn't even consider the Donner domestic stack trains, but it could be close to that too. From the videos I've seen, there's a fair amount of CSX boxes on these trains.
For what it's worth, the ex-Stax containers are also CSX. You'll see the reporting marks hidden there. One neat thing about the Stax logo is it can be used for post-SP merger stack trains and modern day UP trains.

Stax containers not longer exist, the pool is shut down. Some old Stax containers were changed to UMXU pool. No CSX containers with CSX reporting marks run on UP only on BNSF. The old CSX boxes are UMXU if running on UP.

gmojim

gmojim Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Stax containers not longer exist, the pool is shut
> down. Some old Stax containers were changed to
> UMXU pool. No CSX containers with CSX reporting
> marks run on UP only on BNSF. The old CSX boxes
> are UMXU if running on UP.
>
> gmojim


Didn't the Stax containers first go to CSX, with CSX reporting marks? I remember seeing ex-Stax containers before the whole UMAX thing got started.