Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF testing double length grain trains

https://www.railwayage.com/freight/bnsf-testing-double-length-grain-trains/


gmojim



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/19 19:43 by gmojim.

That ought to close the Arroyo Street crossing at the top end of Mojave for a while...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

MojaveBill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That ought to close the Arroyo Street crossing at
> the top end of Mojave for a while...

I don't think Mojave is between Auburn, WA and Hauser, ID.

I have only seen I double coal empty thru denver last couple months, wierd they try this new strategy during winter.  EDIT as soon as a I typed this saw a few more double trains, with detours there are more now
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/19 04:41 by dan.

I get the impression that they experiment with these bigger trains in the slower traffic times of the year.

I would also think trying a longer train in winter makes sense because if air flow works in those conditions, it will certainly work in warm conditions.  

dan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have only seen I double coal empty thru denver
> last couple months, wierd they try this new
> strategy during winter.

I was in Denver for most of February and did catch one on the 27th.  At 13112 feet, it was impressive to see.  It seemed like it just kept coming!

Rob

OregonOldGuy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I have only seen I double coal empty thru
> denver
> > last couple months, wierd they try this new
> > strategy during winter.
>
> I was in Denver for most of February and did catch
> one on the 27th.  At 13112 feet, it was
> impressive to see.  It seemed like it just kept
> coming!
>
> Rob

How do they arrange the DPU for long grain loads?  I've seen 2x2x2, 1x2x2,etc

1. The article discusses a double-long grain EMPTY, not a load, and describes the power configuration.

2. The article mentions nothing about Colorado or anywhere else in the SW US. The testing of the double-long grain empties is taking place in Washington state.

will be interesting to hear how the tests went.

The bean counters love this scenario - 2 trains with just 1 crew, a great deal. UNTIL they have a train seperation, particularly in an area of no, or very limited, access and then these monsters shut everything down. At least over Stampede Pass any failures shouldn't affect other trains but as soon as these trains have problems on busier corridors the crew costs escalate quickly with multiple re-crews and the savings are quickly wiped out. 

And what about congestion at Hauser, isn't that a chokepoint where throwing a 14,000 ft. train in the mix will make things worse?

So here is the best part...  they aren't saving crew starts.  It creates an imbalance in the pools so they have to deadhead crews to compensate.  They're actually spending more money with a van company than if the crew had just worked the train.  

Railbaron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The bean counters love this scenario - 2 trains
> with just 1 crew, a great deal. UNTIL they have a
> train seperation, particularly in an area of no,
> or very limited, access and then these monsters
> shut everything down. At least over Stampede Pass
> any failures shouldn't affect other trains but as
> soon as these trains have problems on busier
> corridors the crew costs escalate quickly with
> multiple re-crews and the savings are quickly
> wiped out. 

Maybe the van costs go into somebody else's budget?

Railroads love silos for cost accounting.  As long as the expense goes into somebody else's account, don't worry about it.

Pinlifter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So here is the best part...  they aren't saving
> crew starts.  It creates an imbalance in the
> pools so they have to deadhead crews to
> compensate.  They're actually spending more money
> with a van company than if the crew had just
> worked the train.  
>

Yup. In the 21st (and late 20th for that matter) Century, wasting money is just the cost of doing business.

TAW