Western Railroad Discussion > Double Monster Trouble in Mandan

"Super Trains" is the term used by the BNSF for extra-long trains. Yesterday was anything but super for the railroad and its crews on the Dickinson and Jamestown Subs. Since operations on the Hiline (ex-GN) have been restored since the tragic Amtrak wreck near Joplin, MT, super trains are to operate from Dilworth, MN to Sandpoint, ID westward on the HiLine and eastward via MRL and Glendive (ex-NP). These routes are necesseary because these trains won't fit in most sidings and many terminals. Some BNSF genius decided to run back-to-back supers east. To simplify te story I will call them monsters:

• Monster 1: SSSECXO [Ocean containers from Seattle to CSX] 13,000+ ft., 2+4+1 power (two trains likely combined at Hauser, Id)
• Monster 2: QSSECHC [Guaranteed Service Intermodel from Seattle to Chicago Cicero], 12,000+ ft.. 2+3+0 power (two trains likely combined at Hauser with the first section domestic containers from Seattle and the second section vechicles from Portland (trains split at Cicero and vehicles will go to LPC near Joliet)

Monster 1 arrives in Mandan at 0100 on 9-29. No rested crew available. Train completely ties up all traffic from west of Mandan. Trains arrive from east until the yard is full. Monster 1's crew is called for 1035. They have several BO set-outs, complicated by some on either side of the midtrain DP's. They depart Mandan at 1716, down 65 hours from schedule and the crew with only 5 hours remaining.

Meanwhile, while monster 1 does its work, monster 2's crew goes dead at Lyons (just west of Mandan). Monster 1 has finally pulled up far enoungh east to clear West Mandan so the dog catch crew can bring the Q train into town on track 1 (monster 1 is on the main). The leaders of monster 2 are fueled at the east pumps and can go no further until monster 1 leaves town. At 1630 the Q train gets a fresh crew and pulls the train forward to fuel its midtrain DP's after monster 1 has departed. Monster 2 departs the terminal at 1800, down (only) 13 hours.

While these monsters trek across the Jamestown Sub, three westbound crews went dead. I guess the goal of reducing crew starts didn't quite work out this day.

Bismarck Bill

1. Midtrain DP's of the stack train (monster 1) with unusual autum thunderstorms in the area
2. BNSF 7594 leads the SSSECXO making BO set outs at East Mandan
3. The rear DP of the stack train passes the east pumps where the BNSF 4246 Q train's leader have fueled
one more....

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4. Midtrain DP's of the Q train get fueled at the east pumps. You can see the JB Hunt domestic containers ahead and the vehicle cars behind. The likely split is the first DP is the rear DP of the Q train and the other two belong to the V train.

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Great coverage of all the activity  in your area.  Thanks for sharing..  Like the shot with the Thunder clouds above the Monster 1 stacker.

PWM



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/21 07:53 by Quakerengr.

Thanks for all the interesting information Bill, sounds like a tough day in Mandan. Like the storm clouds!

Larry

But it's "Precision".

bmarti7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Super Trains" is the term used by the BNSF for
> extra-long trains. Yesterday was anything but
> super for the railroad and its crews on the
> Dickinson and Jamestown Subs. Since operations on
> the Hiline (ex-GN) have been restored since the
> tragic Amtrak wreck near Joplin, MT, super trains
> are to operate from Dilworth, MN to Sandpoint, ID
> westward on the HiLine and eastward via MRL and
> Glendive (ex-NP). These routes are necesseary
> because these trains won't fit in most sidings and
> many terminals. Some BNSF genius decided to run
> back-to-back supers east. To simplify te story I
> will call them monsters:
>
>

• Monster 1: SSSECXO 13,000+ ft., 2+4+1 power
  > (two trains likely combined at Hauser, Id)
  >
• Monster 2: QSSECHC , 12,000+ ft.. 2+3+0 power
  > (two trains likely combined at Hauser with the
  > first section domestic containers from Seattle and
  > the second section vechicles from Portland (trains
  > split at Cicero and vehicles will go to LPC near
  > Joliet)
  >
  > Monster 1 arrives in Mandan at 0100 on 9-29. No
  > rested crew available. Train completely ties up
  > all traffic from west of Mandan. Trains arrive
  > from east until the yard is full. Monster 1's crew
  > is called for 1035. They have several BO set-outs,
  > complicated by some on either side of the midtrain
  > DP's. They depart Mandan at 1716, down 65 hours
  > from schedule and the crew with only 5 hours
  > remaining.
  >
  > Meanwhile, while monster 1 does its work, monster
  > 2's crew goes dead at Lyons (just west of Mandan).
  > Monster 1 has finally pulled up far enoungh east
  > to clear West Mandan so the dog catch crew can
  > bring the Q train into town on track 1 (monster 1
  > is on the main). The leaders of monster 2 are
  > fueled at the east pumps and can go no further
  > until monster 1 leaves town. At 1630 the Q train
  > gets a fresh crew and pulls the train forward to
  > fuel its midtrain DP's after monster 1 has
  > departed. Monster 2 departs the terminal at 1800,
  > down (only) 13 hours.
  >
  > While these monsters trek across the Jamestown
  > Sub, three westbound crews went dead. I guess the
  > goal of reducing crew starts didn't quite work out
  > this day.
  >
  > Bismarck Bill
  >
  > 1. Midtrain DP's of the stack train (monster 1)
  > with unusual autum thunderstorms in the area
  > 2. BNSF 7594 leads the SSSECXO making BO set outs
  > at East Mandan
  > 3. The rear DP of the stack train passes the east
  > pumps where the BNSF 4246 Q train's leader have
  > fueled
  > one more....

bmarti7 wrote:. I guess the

• > goal of reducing crew starts didn't quite work out
  > this day.
  >
  And the corridor manager geniuses haven't seen the light, seemingly . . .

I love it when they complain about a headache and hit themselves in the head with a hammer at the same time. 🤷‍♂️
I just hand them a bigger hammer, sit back, and laugh.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/21 14:36 by Drknow.

Running a railroad is tough.  It is tougher when you are stupid.

Stupid is as stupid does   Did EHH say that ?/?

Sounds like fun in Mandan I'll be looking for some of those monsters when I head that way. Nice pics Bill.

Ed

> "Super Trains" is the term used by the BNSF for extra-long trains.
. . . . .
> ...super trains are to operate ... eastward via MRL and Glendive (ex-NP).
> These routes are necesseary because these trains won't fit in most sidings
>and many terminals.

Eastbound is the only direction MRL operates eupertrains over Mullan Pass. The westbound grade is steeper with too much curvature. The Winston Hill (the steepest non-helper grade on the MRL) would be another problem westbound

steeplecab