Western Railroad Discussion > MRL KCKPAS has 5 cars on the ties, line open Wednesday

Up on Mullan Pass east of the Skyline trestle 5 mty center beam flats are upright but derailed.

The site is mostly inaccessible except by snowshoes, snomobile or rail. The wrecker train left Missoula about breakfast time.

Helena,MT had -17 temps and blowing snow last night, Skyline will be colder.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/18 08:55 by fbe.

Will the MRL fan boys blame this on C4 engines too?

Posted from iPhone

Improper torque limitor setting on the flat cars, either that or some ice.

Out

Sure, why not? C4 dumped it's load in the drifting snow covered rail, the lead unit spun out and the run in from the helpers shoved the empty flats off the curve.

I have no info if C4 units were in the consist.



jointauthority Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Will the MRL fan boys blame this on C4 engines
> too?
>
> Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/18 16:46 by fbe.

fbe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sure, why not? C4 dumped it's load in the drifting
> snow covered rail, the lead unit spun out and the
> run from the helpers shoved the empty flats off
> the curve.
>
> I have no info if C4 units were in the consist.

I doubt the above poster has any experience running C4s to know why everyone hates them.

It was a ET44C4 leading two Dash 9s on that train.

But, but, but, it says right here that a C4 is the equivalent of a Dash 9 (he said from the comfort
of his office).

Out

That is true, they just aren't the equivalent of any 6 powered axle AC 4400 hp unit.

At this point one theory is about as good as any other except perhaps speeding.




callum_out Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> But, but, but, it says right here that a C4 is the
> equivalent of a Dash 9 (he said from the comfort
> of his office).
>
> Out

GE locomotives have a family heritage. The C4s have a direct tree line to MILW 5700s so far as pulling reliability goes. I've worked with both, C4s have nicer cabs and don't need to be restarted as often.


jointauthority Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Will the MRL fan boys blame this on C4 engines
> too?
>
> Posted from iPhone

It's about time BNSF gives up on this BS "experiment" and makes all of these "C4's" true 6 axle units again. This experiment has gone on long enough, and is not only making your trains slower, but also damaging your trains, equipment, ect as you "try" to make things more efficient. ES44AC or bust BNSF, get your head out of your collective asses and erase this ineffective "technology" while you have the chance.

amtrak34east Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It's about time BNSF gives up on this BS
> "experiment" and makes all of these "C4's" true 6
> axle units again. This experiment has gone on long
> enough, and is not only making your trains slower,
> but also damaging your trains, equipment, ect as
> you "try" to make things more efficient. ES44AC or
> bust BNSF, get your head out of your collective
> asses and erase this ineffective "technology"
> while you have the chance.

It would take a decade to install the missing traction motors on all of the C4's. BNSF has nearly 2,000 of the damn things.

BNSF could just accept them for what they are ans use them on trains of 2 hp/t or higher. Better if they are restricted from trains over 100 t/ob as well. Then they might live up to expectations.

NS19K Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> It would take a decade to install the missing
> traction motors on all of the C4's. BNSF has
> nearly 2,000 of the damn things.

BNSF roster as of 2/20/18...

AC4400 / DASH-9 ~ 1881 Grand Total
AC4400CW - 121
C44-9W - 1760

Evolution Series ~ 2992 Grand Total
(6 TM) ~ 1453 Total
AC4400EV - 51
ES44AC - 684
ES44DC - 718

(4 TM) ~ 1539 Total
ES44C4 - 1265
ET44C4 - 274 (and counting...)


Mr. MRL

Thanks, Robbie. That is over 3000 AC traction motors they have saved from purchasing so far and counting.

Are there stalling issues with the C4s in California over Cajon, Tehachapi and Donner like there are on northern lines?

Thanks.

fbe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ...
> Are there stalling issues with the C4s in
> California over Cajon, Tehachapi and Donner like
> there are on northern lines?

I dont typically hear any complaints about overly slippery power over Cajon Pass from the road hoggers in and out of Hobart. That’s not saying it isn’t happening, perhaps they’re just used to it? Or perhaps the lighter piggy-back intermodal trains ~6500-8000 tons just don’t slip. Also the heavier 10,000-12,000 ton double-stack container trains out of the ports typically have a pair of DPUs on the rear instead of just one as seen with some of the other unit train consists across the system.

Tehachapi may be a little different, a bit more manifest traverses that route, plus those whopper loaded grain trains for the Central Valley. Then again, they don’t get the heavy unit ethanol trains for the refineries like So Cal regurlarly does. But still plenty of DP support is typically provided with two and on rare occasions three units in a set.

I’m not sure too many of the C4 units get the opportunity to traverse the Sierras over Donner Pass.

Mr. MRL



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/18 07:51 by MrMRL.

The wreckage is removed, trains are moving from both sides but I haven't heard of anything has passed through the site yet. Westbounds may be a priority.