Western Railroad Discussion > STB vs BNSF

A friend of mine sent me this article:

STB takes BNSF Railway Company to task in advance of fall harvest - Michigan Farm News

During my days driving BNSF crews in ND I can attest to these issues. Here's some examples:

• There was a CHS grain terminal west of Taylor, ND which was visible from I-94. I would pick up an in-bound crew of an empty shuttle. CHS would start loading the cars immediately as they had 24 hours to complete loading.  During the next several days I would go past there to/from points west, shuttleling other crews.  I would notice the power was no longer there (robbed for another train). After a week or more the train would be gone.
• Once I took a three-person crew to the ethanol plant at Richardton. They picked up the power there and took it to CHS. (good luck finding power for the next ethanol departure.) Then they put the loaded train together, air tested and the two would take the train west to Glendive. I would drive the brakeman back to Mandan. (That layout needed the 3rd person and van to assemble the train)
• I got called to take a Dilworth crew. to Jamestown to pick-up a work train in Jamestown, ND and take it to Dilworth. Upon arrival there was no power. Their ipad showed power at the Peavey grain terminal, west of Jamestown. There was an east-facing unit there and they took it to power the work train. (good luck to the crew that ould coming to take the 117 loaded grain cars west.)

When I was driving the crews there always seemed to be a shortage of power and/or rested crews. I'm sure BNSF's attendance policy hasn't helped.

PCBill

1. Loaded grain shuttle departing ADM Hensler for Longview, WA - DP on the right
2. Empty shuttle arriving from Interbay, WA at Eldridge, ND
3. Loaded shuttle departing CHS New Salem, ND for Kalama, WA (DP pictured)



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/24 07:27 by bmarti7.

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bmarti7 Wrote:
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> When I was driving the crews there always seemed
> to be a shortage of power and/or rested crews. I'm
> sure BNSF's attendance policy hasn't helped.
>

(executive conference call) "Hey, I have an idea: let's close down more locomotive maintenance facilities and eliminate more mechanical jobs to cut costs.  If customers get angry because we're not moving their products, we'll just blame it on the train crews who keep bad-ordering all the engines."
 

STB director Lance Primus called out Union Pacific for screwing around with local switching. He should have fun with this.

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Thanks for informative information and photos Bill.  I know you not missing winters back up north,  ehh?.

PWM

Quakerengr Wrote:
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> Thanks for informative information and photos
> Bill.  I know you not missing winters back up
> north,  ehh?.
>
> PWM

Got that right. I do miss working with the rails -great bunch for the most part.

PCBill

"All is well. Nothing to see here. Move along."

Posted from Android