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Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF's New "Snow Coaches"Date: 12/03/19 20:30 BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: bnsfsd70 This afternoon, BNSF's two new "Snow Coaches" left Topeka for the first time on a shakedown run behind the BNSF 4477. These are now the BNSF 70 and 71, and each one of the ex-Santa Fe Hi-Level coaches is now paired up with an ex-ATSF baggage car-turned-HEP car. These cars are to roam the system to transport crews to/from trains where the normal crew vans can't access due to snow.
Thanks for looking, - Jeff Carlson Date: 12/03/19 20:35 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: shortlineboss What does the inside look like?
Mike Root Madras, OR Date: 12/03/19 20:39 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: SouthWestRailCams Date: 12/03/19 20:41 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: bnsfsd70 The two baggage/HEP cars are now the BNSF 58 and 59. Both are ex-ATSF/Amtrak 1200-series ACF cars that arrived in May, 2019.
Photos from their arrival can be seen here: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,4790898,4791375#msg-4791375 - Jeff Carlson Date: 12/03/19 20:41 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: bnsfsd70 Thanks!
- Jeff RailFanAZ Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Nice Shots! Date: 12/03/19 21:19 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: bnsfsd70 BNSF released a shot of the interior on one of their sites. It's a pretty spacious coach area, with 2x2 seating throughout.
- Jeff shortlineboss Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What does the inside look like? Date: 12/03/19 21:22 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: EMD2024 The lack of diaphrams between the cars in the third image is somewhat unsettling.
MWPerkins Posted from Android Date: 12/03/19 21:39 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: SP4360 That power car looks much better than the UP car.
Date: 12/03/19 22:02 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: Fizzboy7 Very slick. But does a railroad need an entire coach to transport a couple of crews at a localized area under snow? Maybe there's more to it than I realize, as far as operations go.
Date: 12/03/19 22:07 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: fbe There is no need to cross between cars so diaphrams are unnecessary. It is not like there is a dining car in the train to go for a meal.
EMD2024 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The lack of diaphrams between the cars in the > third image is somewhat unsettling. > > MWPerkins > > Posted from Android Date: 12/03/19 22:12 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: MP555 EMD2024 Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > The lack of diaphrams between the cars in the > third image is somewhat unsettling. Why? It simply appears that personnel are not intended to go from car to car. I think what we'll see is that these are operated as two separate sets. Date: 12/03/19 22:23 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: webmaster Why not just buy a couple of existing private cars with generators on them? Seems like a lot of trouble to drag around a high level and a separate baggage car with a generator to carry a few crews. There are plenty of PVs for sale these days with Amtrak making is so hard to transport them.
Todd Clark Canyon Country, CA Trainorders.com Date: 12/03/19 22:26 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: mojaveflyer Certainly looks more comfortable than the converted cabooses the UP uses. Probably with enough seating to recrew an entire division....
James Nelson Thornton, CO www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer Date: 12/03/19 22:40 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: EMD2024 Good point fbe. Forgot they would run separately. Just looks so odd with the gap between the cars.
MWPerkins Posted from Android Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/19 22:41 by EMD2024. Date: 12/04/19 00:51 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: pdt a take on the new snow cars.....
1. A crew can be a lot more than 2 people. Suppose ur picking up an MOW crew. Or a flanger or spreader crew. These crews can die on the law out in the mioddle of nowhere. Last tiome i remember listeniong to the DS over tehachapi during a bad snow storm, the UP was pickup up crews from 3 trains, with just light power as the rescue train. Maybe they went back to the time honored tradition of having a wooden bench in the cab so someone can sit in front of the electrical cabinet.. 2. Overnighting crew members can have quite a lot of bags. Its nice to have a place to throw your bags, and not have to ride with them in the seat next to you. Also suppose you are tranporting maintenance personal to fix a broken down train...nice to have a place for them to put all their stuff. 3. If you've just gotten off a train after sitting on it for hours, and your in the weather, by the time you get to the rescue train, you will be tired, sweaty, and possibly soaking wet or covered with snow. Having an area just to brush off the snow, without having to do it in the aisle, or all over the chairs, is nice. 4. IDK if these cars have this, but certainly a place to change clothes would be really nice. (I guess a shower would be asking too much) 5. Tables to do paperwork. Maybe a company computer Thats really helpful too. Ive never seen these cars, and IDK what amenities they have, but there's certainly a lot u could put in a rescue train car that would be really helpful. Im just saying. Date: 12/04/19 02:59 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: dan Date: 12/04/19 04:36 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: dcfbalcoS1 Cheaper and more appropriate to use these than buys high dollar private cars. These guys are working, not going on vacation. Can you imagine what they would do just in normal travel to a private car?? Come on!
Date: 12/04/19 07:00 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: bnsfsd70 Haha! Fortunately, I doubt that these will be running together anytime in regular operation, so they should be just fine.
- Jeff EMD2024 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The lack of diaphrams between the cars in the > third image is somewhat unsettling. > > MWPerkins > > Posted from Android Date: 12/04/19 08:01 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: Kimball I would wonder if the upkeep on older PVs would far exceed these newer cars. Each PV might be different too.
Date: 12/04/19 08:48 Re: BNSF's New "Snow Coaches" Author: Cumbres seems like a smart move. you have enough space to have multiple crews onboard either traveling to the terminal or to a train. If one of the passenger cars gets bad ordered you can connect a different one from the fleet and I presume these cars will mix with the other cars in the fleet for other purposes when there is no snow flying.
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