Western Railroad Discussion > TX: How are BNSF and Union Pacific making out?

How are the Union Pacific and Union Pacific making out in the Texas snow / ice / electricity mess?   Looks like plenty of traffic on the highways in the Fort Worth Tower 55 camera.  Train activity looks pretty normal, so crews must be able to get to work

Looks like the Virtual Railfan cameras have elecric power, and people operating them

BNSF Redrock sub runs through Oklahoma City to Fort Worth. This line has been averaging
about 26 trains per day lately. The last four days have been 20, 12, 8, 10 trains per day. Common
problems in Oklahoma have been frozen switches and rail pull-a-parts. The Amtrak Heartland
Flyer train 821/822 has not operated since last Saturday.

Ken, Norman OK

From webcam observation it appears the only Z trains UP is running on the old T&P are the ZAILC/ZLCAI.  This could be due to ramps on both ends being clear,  Memphis and Mesquite ramps likely still snow covered, if not the ramp then streets getting to the ramps, which makes it hard for trucks to get there or employees for that matter.   It's gonna be a mess coming out of this. 

   

In watching the Big Sandy Tx cam traffic appears to off a little but have seen 3 eastbound container trains.  Also a empty container and trailer flats   heading back west to Ft Worth. That route and the old Cotton Belt trains seem to have more empty trailer and container flats.

I was part of a fleet of four trains that ran north out of Fort Worth to OKC the other day. The first three made it, but the fourth had to tie down outside town. Fortunately I dressed warm because I had to dig out a switch since my conductor was on the ground about half a mile back. I was reminded quickly why I took the promotion! The crews ahead of me in the hotel were called to dogcatch trains north into the city, but instead of using a taxi had to ride a train to the trains they were getting. Then take the train into the city and deadhead on a train back home. I was on a Q coming back home yesterday and it took us all 12 to do it because of frozen switches and dead trains. The Z behind us did about as well. This is the shortest half of the year but I laid off today.

tomstp Wrote:
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> In watching the Big Sandy Tx cam traffic appears
> to off a little but have seen 3 eastbound
> container trains.  Also a empty container and
> trailer flats   heading back west to Ft Worth.
> That route and the old Cotton Belt trains seem to
> have more empty trailer and container flats.

Run-thru trains to NS are running.  ILBNS for instance, and the Z's.  But UP's intermodal network is basically shut down and will be coming out of lockdown over the next day or two per this message.

https://www.up.com/customers/announcements/intermodal/allintermodal/IM2021-35.html

For those familiar with the count on the Tucson camera, how does it look there?  TIA!

mapboy

mapboy Wrote:
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> For those familiar with the count on the Tucson
> camera, how does it look there?  TIA!
>
> mapboy

Kinda slow. Plus Monday was a holiday.

Allen

Posted from Android

Not only rail, but air cargo transport is being severely affected.   Supply chain disruptions are significant.  

https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2021/02/18/cdc-says-vaccine-shipments-will-be-delayed-because-winter-weather-disruptions-memphis-fedex-hub/

https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/ups-worldport-louisville-close-winter-weather-storm/417-67e11bb7-b89c-43d4-b7dd-0e7dad36d803

 

mapboy Wrote:
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> For those familiar with the count on the Tucson
> camera, how does it look there?  TIA!
>
> mapboy

According to the system, it has been a little less here in Arizona.  :)

SouthWest RailCams
CA, NM, CO, TX, AZ
https://SouthWestRailCams.com