Western Railroad Discussion > BNSF Phoenix Sub Upgrade News

BNSF has upgraded three locations to remote control switch position(dual control)from handthrow allowing the control operator(dispatcher) to line the switch.Formerly two of the three were spring swicthes and double track with about six thousand plus feet in length.Still no signals ,but each location has switch position lights and authority is granted by TWC.Shown below is an eastbound MPHXBEL at East Beardsley one of the locations before the change .The other locations are Skull Valley and Tucker.Bill Webb

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What time was that headed out of town? It used to go consistantly between 9 PM and Midnight. Sounds like another year or so before they finish CTC on this line.

They need to do everything they can to speed up train movements, as the line gets busier
the trip to Winslow tends to get longer. Thanks for reporting, nice have a local reporter.

Out

The train was leaving late afternoon early(March) last year.They picked up at El Mirage,which had been common at that time ,but now we are seeing the solid vehcle trains more often.Bill Webb

How much of the Phoenix Sub is still dark territory?

The entire Phoenix Sub is TWC non ABS.Bill Webb

Care to guess what the count is North/South daily on the line these days?

I'd say 5 to 6 each way per day.

Out 

A little generous, basically an intermodal, vehicle and manifest each way with extra intermodals some days, plus the A&C connection out of Phoenix to Castle Hot Springs. Last visit to Ash Fork, CTC was being installed between Williams Junction and Ash Fork per conductor with signals in at Ash Fork.
JB

3rdswitch Wrote:
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>  Last visit to
> Ash Fork, CTC was being installed between Williams
> Junction and Ash Fork per conductor with signals
> in at Ash Fork.
> JB

Signals have been in for over 2 years. Siding was only recently extended. According to sources on the ground, maybe Ash Fork becomes a CTC island next year. CTC to Williams unknown.

You also have container repo trains from Phoenix to Long Beach and unit grain trains for Rose Acres that come down the Peavine to the A&C.

Here is what we have observed living near the railroad.An eastbound and westbound Z five times per week.A ZWINPHX five times per week.MPHXBEL/MBELPHX five times per week.Q trains both directions four to five times per week.Vehicle trains are back more considtently about four to five times per week.Occasional uunit ethanol trains.A rare unit cement train and,repos going to California over the A&C Once in while lately a PHXBAR.The A&C interchange trains seem to be getting smaller and no longer run the five the day schedule of the past.The Phoenix Local does El Mirage Peoria and Lizard Acres instead of the straight shot of the past.The only ones you can depend on time wise are  the eastbound Z and the WINPHX.All the others are all over the place time wise except for the Local.These are anecdotal observations so don't hike in some where and expect a train.You might be waiting all day.Plus the warrants are now sent over the computer so only thing you might get is the readback if you are close.Bill Webb 

Winslow to Drake runs the Sub a couple times a week, don't the think the 5-6 is generous
at all.

Out

callum_out Wrote:
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> Winslow to Drake runs the Sub a couple times a
> week, don't the think the 5-6 is generous
> at all.
>
> Out
What runs Winslow to Drake?  Is there any traffic that is destined for Drake?  I though that was merely the connection to the branch down to Clarkdale that is now a tourist railroad?
Thanks.

Great big cement plant at Drake.Called Drake Cement.Bill Webb



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/22 16:56 by spider1319.

Traffic for Drake is handled by the Flagstaff Local (LSWE0071) making a turn to Drake from Flagstaff on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  This traffic moves to/from Flagstaff on the LSWE0061 from Winslow on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (LSWE0061 works east of Winslow M-W-F).  This was started back in 2019 to help the H-BELPHX/H-PHXBEL manifests make their runs within 12 hours.  (They formerly handled the Drake traffic).  The Flag Local turn to Drake was suspended when the crew change at Ash Fork was re-established, putting the work back on the manifests, then a couple months ago resumed when the Ash Fork crew change was abolished. 

Ted Ferkenhoff
Flagstaff, AZ