Western Railroad Discussion > MRL doubling mty trains

Now the president and VPO on MRL have CSXT backgrounds the railroad is starting to couple two grain empty or two coal empty trains into single long trains in DPU 2+3+1 configuration. As yet there are no crew savings and transit times for the doubles and westbound trains meeting them are increasing. This seems the experience of all other roads which have tried it.

When will they learn?

Interesting. bnSF has recently started doubling some Cali-bound baretables making them 12Ks.
 

Hookdragkick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting. bnSF has recently started doubling
> some Cali-bound baretables making them 12Ks.

Yep, and they plug up the entire railroad, especially when someting goes wrong. Hit the detector or have a UDE from a hose? Total gridlock.

BNSF runs some coal emptys on Joint Line in CO 2x4x2 (two coal trains).

Sounds like MRL has come down with a nasty case of the PSR Virus... Does anyone have the antidote?

#Epidemic

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/19 18:24 by MC6853.

Hookdragkick Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting. bnSF has recently started doubling
> some Cali-bound baretables making them 12Ks.
>  

Saw something like that passing Los Angeles westbound towards the ports just the other day. 14-16K, first half loaded 40’ stacks, middle DP, then rear half empty port wells with an etd on the back. First time I’ve seen that configuration.

Mr MRL

MrMRL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hookdragkick Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Interesting. bnSF has recently started doubling
> > some Cali-bound baretables making them 12Ks.
> >  
>
> Saw something like that passing Los Angeles
> westbound towards the ports just the other day.
> 14-16K, first half loaded 40’ stacks, middle DP,
> then rear half empty port wells with an etd on the
> back. First time I’ve seen that configuration.
>
> Mr MRL

Made a pick up at the set out tracks at Esperanza?

where do the emptys get doubled together? hauser? missoula?

Can't say that I've seen these in Helena. That length would preclude parking them without breaking them, even with the newer storage tracks on the east end. Can you imagine trying to add helpers to these?
steeplecab
Helena

Yes, antidote is take 2 500mg. capsules of common sense and 1 1,000mg capsule of Matt Rose wisdom. You'll be cured in no time.

   Ross Rowland

steeplecab Wrote:
<<Can't say that I've seen these in Helena>>

That's because they've been doubling them together in the late afternoons in the Missoula area (Clinton, Missoula and West Msla). So HY after your bedtime.
Dave in Missoula

I'm unfamiliar with MRL - are all of those empty movements eastbound? Do they face similar ruling grades to the loaded moves?

Empty grain, coal and oil unit trains go eastward. Mullan pass is a lighter eastbound grade though the mty trains have the same amount of road power as westbound loads.

There are few sidings which will handle the long tracks and no yard tracks unless a yard lead is also fouled.

fbe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Empty grain, coal and oil unit trains go eastward.
> Mullan pass is a lighter eastbound grade though
> the mty trains have the same amount of road power
> as westbound loads.
>
> There are few sidings which will handle the long
> tracks and no yard tracks unless a yard lead is
> also fouled.

And then deadhead crews eastbound via auto because there are fewer eastbound trains running....  Railroad operations logic!

There's an eastbound double empty grain coming in right now. Mainline, change at the depot. Since there are few places to go in the hole, it will probably be in Laurel by early morning.
Dano
Helena

monaddave Wrote:

> That's because they've been doubling them together
> in the late afternoons in the Missoula area
> (Clinton, Missoula and West Msla). So HY after
> your bedtime.
> Dave in Missoula  

I wonder what it's like managing the air, throttle and dynamic brake while going over the abrupt summit at Blossberg...

TK

Now that the speed limit on the east side of Mullan Pass is 20 mph the dynamic brakes on the modern diesels are strong enough to hold the empties so airbrakes are not a problem.

The engineer will put up the fences between the consists while going through Blossburg. Power will be throttled back on all three consists. At the lower end of the tunnel the lead consist will be placed into dynamic braking to catch the cars coming over the top. As the middle consist gets near mid tunnel the engineer will set that consist to idle or perhaps light dynamic braking. The rear consist will maintain power all the way until it tops over East Blossburg to prevent the rear end from running out and causing a break in two. Once inside the tunnel the engineer will leave the rear power in idle and gravity will keep the rear slack bunched. The front and mid consists will control the train speed and keep the slack bunched. If needed the rear consist can be put into light power to keep the rear bunched around Tobin and Helena Jct. No extra pay is involved to be responsible for doing the work of 3 engineers.