Western Railroad Discussion > Los Angeles Freeway Traffic

A BNSF AC4400CW, purchased for the slow speeds and heavy weight required for coal drags out in the hinterlands, now serves in new duty as a powered cab car on a Metrolink passenger train from San Bernardino to Los Angeles, CA in the country's second most populated urban area - seen here racing through Alhambra is a dynamic median strip in the 10 freeway.

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I often wonder what running all of those does to Metrolink's fuel costs.  Besides the cost of fueling them for running them out on the main, I'm in LA a lot and see those diesels running at idle at LAUPT, near 8th St., at Taylor Yard, etc..  Does anybody know what one of those burns at idle?

-Martin

It's a tough number to calculate as the auto shutdown feature is involved. So on a nice warm day when
the prime mover and lube temps stay reasonable you might burn 5 gallons per hour if that, in the cold
you might burn 10-15. At any rate, burns a lot more than the PE line that used to run through there with
wire over it.

Out

Are the BNSF engines specially equipped for some unique feature of Metrolinks signal system? Some other special feature? 

King_Coal Wrote:
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> Are the BNSF engines specially equipped for some
> unique feature of Metrolinks signal system? Some
> other special feature? 

It's not Metrolink's signal system that has the "Special Feature", it's BNSF's. Automatic Train Stop.

All the BNSF units being used are set up for Postive Train Control.

Chris

Great capture

There were 5 more BNSF engines sitting in the storage tracks just South of Mission Tower in LA Saturday morning as we arrived home on a trip on TIOGA PASS.  I have been told the engines are leased to Metrolink at $500 per day each, or $25,000 a day.  Not a bad deal since they would be stored now anyway, what with the recession strarting.
Also, there was no ATS on those engines.  The leased engines have been equipped with PTC systems and the 5 still parked are the last to de done.

TIOGA PASS

Norman Orfall
Helendale, CA
TIOGA PASS, a private railcar

Mudrock Wrote:
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> All the BNSF units being used are set up for
> Postive Train Control.
>
> Chris

BNSF is in the process of equipping most of their fleet with PTC.
You only need ATS if you're hauling passengers at passenger train speeds in ATS territory.

I know that Phil!

Chris

Great capture, Charles.  Makes me think of what BNSF freight trains would have looked like down the middle of the 210 Freeway in Pasadena if the line hadn't been cut and sold to the LA MTA.

Rich

About 80 per hour!

Great photo!  Too bad the planners didn't leave room for a second track for increasing capacity in the future.

MarionLinn Wrote:
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> Great photo!  Too bad the planners didn't leave
> room for a second track for increasing capacity in
> the future.

When the freeway was originally built in the 50's along the PE State St line there was plenty of room.  When carpool lanes were added later they took up all the space.  At that time the whole freeway would have had to be widened to leave room for another track.

Is there any freight traffic through this section or is it Metrolink only?

There used to be freight traffic but it stopped when Metrolink came into being.  The Sunset used to run this way but I don't believe that it does any more.