Western Railroad Discussion > Questions about operations at Ports of LA/LB

Am curious...when BNSF and/or UP deliver a container train to a LA/LB terminal, does the power stay at the Port or does the RR run it back to another facility? If they run it back, do they use the trench to get there, and where are the two railroads' facilities? If they leave it at the Port, is there a consolidated layover facility? Does it have fueling capability?

Was just out there, but didn't get much chance to look around except as we were driving through. Didn't see any loco facility, but am sure I didn't see the whole network. Thanks for any info you can provide!

Power does not go back to LA, both UP [Dolores Yard] and BNSF [Watson Yard] service power at their respective yards near the Ports. Power does not stay in the respective terminals at the two Ports.
JB

I've seen UP stash power at the east end of Meade Yard, as well as sendiing it up to Dolores engine house, though I don't know why they pick one over the other.

http://members.trainorders.com/cimascrambler/LunarLight/la_harbor_gallery/pages/2004-01-01-15.htm

The couple of times I've chased a hot BNSF train into the harbor, you could catch the power heading to the barn at Watson within an hour or so. The moves keep the PHL's ATM at Badger Bridge busy.


Example: on May 21 2003, the BNSF P-CLOWAT hits the harbor at the south end of ACTA tracks, headed for Pier 400 -

http://members.trainorders.com/cimascrambler/LunarLight/la_harbor_gallery/pages/2003-05-09-05.htm

And a little under an hour later, here's the power at Rolling Junction coming onto the Watson lead for the final mile to the barn

http://members.trainorders.com/cimascrambler/LunarLight/la_harbor_gallery/pages/2003-05-09-13.htm

- Kit

Sometimes the crews, particualarly BNSF, expire on the hours of service law and the power stays at one of the terminals for a bit. Many times the power staged at Meade, is there for the evening outbound vehicle train and came from Dolores after being serviced. Also, quite often at MAERSK's Pier 400 support yard, when a train pulls into a track, there is not a clear track left for the power to come back out.
JB

JB and Kit,

Thanks for the info! Makes sense to layover near the terminals so that power arriving at one terminal can be used at another terminal for an outbound.

Thanks again!