Western Railroad Discussion > 234 Car Stack on Flagstaff Webcam

At about 1:15 I saw a stack train westbound on the Flagstaff cam that was 234 cars with 4 units headend, 2 units 119 cars deep and 2 units pushing. Are these trains rare, semi-rare or normal? Usually I see 80-100 car trains when I watch. Train took about 6 minutes at speed to pass.

 

seems like i am seeing NUMEROUS of these w/b monsters (5/4x3/2x2) weekly.  it is to the point when i see a 5x3x2 stack train or 4x2x1 manifest i am not even surprised anymore.  

thanks for the head's up.........

66



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/19 13:59 by goneon66.

There should be another 4x2x2 monster approaching as it departed Belen, NM westbound earlier.

Makes you wonder just how long a train they will put together.  Brings to mind the 500 car coal train the N&W put together in the late 1960's or 1970's which was basically a down hill eastbound move.

I predict 20K stack trains and one air test, from origin to termination.

Posted from Android

hey hook,

i am seeing these 4x2x1 e/b manifests pretty regularly.  i would think there would have to be some kind of limit on the manifests with all of those drawbars going up/down the summits of gonzales, riordan, yampai, and ash hill.  how long do u think these manifests will get?

66

 

Lets hope nothing over 13k. Right now, there is no telling.

Posted from Android

FWIW, UP ran a single unit, two well double stack through here (Brooklyn Sub, Oregon) today.  No idea where it originated but it must have been some hot containers.

The doublestack monsters are common as are the 200 car manifest through Flagstaff.

SantaFeRuss

I find it hard to believe you saw a 234 car stack train. Do you mean it had 234 wells or platforms?

Posted from iPhone

BNSF allows running up to 16000 feet at 70 mph if the Distributed Pwer remote units are configured in a certain way for air brakes.

biff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I find it hard to believe you saw a 234 car stack
> train. Do you mean it had 234 wells or platforms?
>
> Posted from iPhone

Yes that's how I count them

Andrew Pine
,

So its not really 234 cars, its car lengths. There is a big difference with intermodel “cars” since a 3 pack car can be over 200 ft. And a 5 pack car can be over 300 ft.

delvalrailfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> biff Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I find it hard to believe you saw a 234 car
> stack
> > train. Do you mean it had 234 wells or
> platforms?
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
> Yes that's how I count them

delvalrailfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> biff Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I find it hard to believe you saw a 234 car
> stack
> > train. Do you mean it had 234 wells or
> platforms?
> >
> > Posted from iPhone
>
> Yes that's how I count them

i count them like that too..........

66

biff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So its not really 234 cars, its car lengths. There
> is a big difference with intermodel “cars”
> since a 3 pack car can be over 200 ft. And a 5
> pack car can be over 300 ft.
>
> delvalrailfan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > biff Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > I find it hard to believe you saw a 234 car
> > stack
> > > train. Do you mean it had 234 wells or
> > platforms?
> > >
> > > Posted from iPhone
> >
> > Yes that's how I count them

It's easier on the UP. All of the platforms of well cars are considered a separate car. So it would be a 234 car train. Oddly not the case for spine cars.

Since I've been visiting the US I always count intermodal trains by the platform, I'm sure most other railfans do as well.

biff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I find it hard to believe you saw a 234 car stack
> train. Do you mean it had 234 wells or platforms?
>
> Posted from iPhone

I'm sure thats what  he/she ment.

SantaFeRuss