Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF long trains on the Northern lines.

Very recently, like in the last week or so BNSF has started running 9000-10000ft trains on the northern lines. Some Pasco-Northtown and Northtown-Pasco seem to all be 9000ft plus and I heard maybe the Greatfalls trains also. There was also a 9300ft ZCHCPTL the other day. Keep in mind while we do have some double track most of the North lines are single track and on my territory’s sidings are are around 8100 ft with a few shorter and some longer. This is not good, so far most have beet non-DP trains and one of them pulled apart pulling Beatrice Hill today. Dispatch sure does not like it. This is going to fun when it starts getting real cold here soon.

I thought that train was rather long when it thru the backyard.

Larry

I have not seen anything unusual for train size on the Laurel Sub east of Great Falls.  Trains are usually powered by 2 GE's and sometimes a third. It is a rare day through here if a freight has DPU's tacked on. The Shelby/Laurel train has been passing through here around 10 p.m. The Laurel/Shelby counterpart is now appearing in the mid to late morning. But traffic has been quiet here due to work windows.  BNSF recently finished approximately a 15 mile stretch of  tie replacement in the area.  They spread the ties and set them in roughly 15 days. The contractor GREX is already picking up the old ties.  It was about as fast of tie replacement job I have seen the railroad do around here. 

The Laurel Shelby train today had unusual cargo today in the way of  flatcars with new construction equipment and a couple auto racks.  The appearance of auto racks on this line is about the only change I have seen on the sub.  No increased frequency or length of trains.  After the substantial coal train derailment on the MRL a month ago, coal trains appeared for a few days.  Those trains have obviously gone back to the MRL.  Grain trains have also taken a hiatus from the sub.  So it is quiet.  Maybe it will change once the GREX crew has piled up all the old ties and moved on.

That might explain why Pasco East wasn't doing a very good job keeping trains moving around Cheney this afternoon. Trains sitting at red blocks for no good reason.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

If the Washington and Idaho trains all have rear DPU's, where do the rear DPU's get put on/taken off on the eastern side of the Rockies?

It's kinda of a surprise to hear no DPU's, every BNSF train I've seen west of Nebraska has had rear DPU's. Maybe I need to get out more often.

TCnR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If the Washington and Idaho trains all have rear
> DPU's, where do the rear DPU's get put on/taken
> off on the eastern side of the Rockies?
>
> It's kinda of a surprise to hear no DPU's, every
> BNSF train I've seen west of Nebraska has had rear
> DPU's. Maybe I need to get out more often.

Sounds like he's just talking about the secondary line through Great Falls MT.  On the mainline, DPU on trains is almost the norm now days, particularly since they don't run helpers any more on Marias.

Pacific5th Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Very recently, like in the last week or so BNSF
> has started running 9000-10000ft trains on the
> northern lines. Some Pasco-Northtown and
> Northtown-Pasco seem to all be 9000ft plus and I
> heard maybe the Greatfalls trains also. There was
> also a 9300ft ZCHCPTL the other day. Keep in mind
> while we do have some double track most of the
> North lines are single track and on my
> territory’s sidings are are around 8100 ft with
> a few shorter and some longer. This is not good,
> so far most have beet non-DP trains and one of
> them pulled apart pulling Beatrice Hill today.
> Dispatch sure does not like it. This is going to
> fun when it starts getting real cold here soon.

I heard that BNSF has appointed a senior corporate manager to a role of streamlining and cost reductions project on the railroad; so can you say Hunter Harrison's PSR coming to the BNSF......?  I'm sure it won't be called that, even UP has quietly dropped calling it "Precision Scheduled Railroad (PSR)" from it's plan (now their "Unified Plan"), though they are going full forward with it after the Surface Transportation Board warned them about having the problems they've been having with CSX.  It was only a matter of time that BNSF was going to jump in, especially since Wall Street has been adoring CSX with it's latest financial performance.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/18 08:24 by spwolfmtn.

And wouldn't you know it? The day I say there are no DPU's on the freights guess what happens?  The Laurel Shelby freight had a 2x1 configuration today. (Thurs)  The Shelby Laurel train had 3 GE's up front today. No DPU. But both trains appeared longer than usual.  SO maybe things are changing on the Shelby Laurel line.  I will keep an eye on things.

BNSF just started running almost 14k ft empties North through CO.  They tac two regular empties together.  I had one at 247 cars and 13,700ft.  Engines are configured 2x4x2 or 1x1x1 online.  It saves one engine online and a crew start.  But it unbalnces the crews so they have to deadhead anyway.  There are few places these monster empties can meet trains.  So they just sit or clog up the entire sub.  I don't get what they are saving.  So it seems a system wide issue.  SMH

Pinlifter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BNSF just started running almost 14k ft empties
> North through CO.  They tac two regular empties
> together.  I had one at 247 cars and 13,700ft. 
> Engines are configured 2x4x2 or 1x1x1 online.  It
> saves one engine online and a crew start.  But it
> unbalnces the crews so they have to deadhead
> anyway.  There are few places these monster
> empties can meet trains.  So they just sit or
> clog up the entire sub.  I don't get what they
> are saving.  So it seems a system wide issue. 
> SMH

About the only place I can see the working effectively is on the directional trackage into Texas, and maybe on the mostly double track Joint Line.  Otherwise, especially on the rest of the mostly single track railroad (not to mention highly congested terminal of Denver), this sounds like a huge pain in the butt.

BNSF combined an empty coal and ethanol train out of Alabama a few days ago and ran it over the single track Frisco to KC and on to Guernsey, WY in a 5x2x1 configuration. The train is currently between Lincoln and Alliance. Caused nearly every southbound between KC and Thayer to go DOL. Some trains took 4 crews to get from KC to Springfield yesterday. The word coming out of management is to expect more of this systemwide. PSR has come to BNSF quietly.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/18 08:47 by Milw_E70.

I was wrong about the one that broke apart. It was DP'd. what happened though was the DP lost com going up hill while the head end was starting down. The engineer had the fence up with the DP pushing and the head end just starting ito dyno's when the DP went to idle and the slack rolled out. I guess the Roadforman said if they keep this up they will have to add some DP repeater radios. After talking to Vancouver crews it seems they are running west of pasco 10,000+ too. the TM said this all started a few weeks ago system wide and he thinks it will last till trafic picks up.

Pacific5th Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> After talking to Vancouver crews it seems they are
> running west of pasco 10,000+ too. the TM said
> this all started a few weeks ago system wide and
> he thinks it will last till trafic picks up.

...when trains will be 20,000 feet?

TAW

TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Pacific5th Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > After talking to Vancouver crews it seems they
> are
> > running west of pasco 10,000+ too. the TM said
> > this all started a few weeks ago system wide
> and
> > he thinks it will last till trafic picks up.
>
> ...when trains will be 20,000 feet?
>
> TAW


Right after they lengthen the sidings to 15000 feet.

Posted from Android

spwolfmtn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> About the only place I can see the working
> effectively is on the directional trackage into
> Texas, and maybe on the mostly double track Joint
> Line.  Otherwise, especially on the rest of the
> mostly single track railroad (not to mention
> highly congested terminal of Denver), this sounds
> like a huge pain in the butt.

youre absolutely right.  From Denver north the train has to be run like a Z with everything parting the ways for it.  Just like others mentioned, lots of dogcatches just so one train can get over the road.  From Pueblo it fits in CO SPGS, then Denver in one spot.  Then two sidings on Brush sub.  No where on Angora to Bridgeport.  Then just the double track section on the Valley to Guernsey.  From dispatchers to crews, it’s a logistical nightmare.  

Pacific5th Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was wrong about the one that broke apart. It was
> DP'd. what happened though was the DP lost com
> going up hill while the head end was starting
> down. The engineer had the fence up with the DP
> pushing and the head end just starting ito dyno's
> when the DP went to idle and the slack rolled out.
> I guess the Roadforman said if they keep this up
> they will have to add some DP repeater radios.
> After talking to Vancouver crews it seems they are
> running west of pasco 10,000+ too. the TM said
> this all started a few weeks ago system wide and
> he thinks it will last till trafic picks up.

i feel this engineers pain.   Mine kept loosing comm in the city.  It would almost timeout (go red) then get just enough comm to keep going.  It would always stay in yellow comm.   when i got out of town it behaved slightly better.  Then the wind picked up and i could barely make 50mph.  
Is it true the DP radios only go 8k ft?   Thought i read that somewhere.