Western Railroad Discussion > cool BNSF "J" train through Nebraska...

Yesterday, 4/5/18, BNSF ran another J train with Boeing 737 fuselage moving from Wichita to Washington for final assembly. The train of 4/5 not only had five fuselages, but also BNSF test cars DIABLO CANTON and KOOTENAI RIVER. There appeared to be staff on board the test cars. These shots show the train as it came through the junction at Ashland, NE. Ashland is where the line from Sioux City meets the Creston Sub, and there is a passenger line up to Omaha that diverges from the mainline. In this case the train was routed down the "eastbound" main due to track work further west. Power was BNSF 4578 and the fuselage cars were a mix of BNSF cars and ones carrying MTTX reporting marks.

Gary B.
Waverly, NE

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Here is BNSF 4578 leading the fuselage train westbound just east of Waverly, NE

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Here is a look at BNSF test and research car "CANYON DIABLO"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/06/18 09:51 by binder001.

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and here is BNSF test car "KOOTENAI RIVER"

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I believe that's Canyon Diablo

Great photos Gary. And I love to old heavyweight rider cars. When you coming out this way to visit? I could use someone to coax me out of the office and go chase trains.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

pummer Wrote:
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> I believe that's Canyon Diablo

I second that.

Posted from Android

Outstanding Pics...THX...SHM

Good photo coverage
SD-45

Excellent set of photos and commentary. Thank you.

I posted a picture of the BN Kootenai River that was taken in 1975 in this Feb. post if you want to see an earlier version.

Date: 02/24/18 05:57
RRS (18): A&StAB, ATMX, BAR +6 more
Author: valmont

Some great shots. I waited around for this train for six hours near Kansas City and then it didn't appear until there was almost total darkness. Consider yourself most fortunate. The way things have been going in the Midwest, both of us could have found ourselves in a blizzard.

valmont Wrote:
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> I posted a picture of the BN Kootenai River that
> was taken in 1975 in this Feb. post if you want to
> see an earlier version.
>
> Date: 02/24/18 05:57
> RRS (18): A&StAB, ATMX, BAR +6 more
> Author: valmont

Not the same car. The "Kootenai River" in your 1975 photo was former GN business car A-28 built in 1947 remodeled by BN and renamed the "Canadian River" in 1981. A former Frisco business car built in 1912 named the "Canadian River" was in turn renamed "Kootenai River" at the same time. I am not sure if this former Frisco car is the same one as in this test train, but it may very well be.

Gary,
thanks for this photos. Curious only 1 engine for this expensive freight.

Erwin from Austria

What's the weight of a train like this? How does an aluminum fuselage compare in weight to a loaded grain or coal car?

Posted from Android

It's interesting that both of these cars are still marked "Burlington Northern Santa Fe".

Gary, Congrats on Image of the day!
Steve

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> What's the weight of a train like this? How does
> an aluminum fuselage compare in weight to a loaded
> grain or coal car?
>
> Posted from Android


I don't know the weight of the fuselage alone, but the empty weight of 737-800 is about 45 tons, so I am guessing the fuselage alone, with the wings, etc., is maybe 20 tons. A loaded grain or coal car weighs 143 tons.