Steam & Excursion > Big Boy 4018 Move on 7/21 Postponed Again

From the MAR site:

Due to last minute concerns arising from the need to wye the Big Boy in Southeast Dallas, today's move of the engine has been postponed. The Museum's Santa Fe F-7A diesel locomotive and two storage boxcars will move to Frisco instead. Departure of these three pieces from Fair Park is expected shortly. More details to follow regarding a rescheduled Big Boy move. We will continue to post updates on today's move of the F-7A and boxcars.

Seems strange the need to wye the Big Boy is a last minute show stopper. Either somebody didn't do the homework, or there is more to the story.

Seems odd to me....this would have been planned down to the last spike, rail, wheel. Someone has some 'spanning to do..

Paranoia will destroy ya! Somebody on BNSF must be scared to death of that move.

I think the wye they are talking about is the old Tower 17. When the engine was originally pulled through it they had a problem with the tender raising the wheels on one side. If I remember correctly they had to cut one of the drawbars to get it to go around the wye without derailing. whether or not the drawbar was welded by I don't know.

Tominde Wrote:
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> Seems strange the need to wye the Big Boy is a
> last minute show stopper. Either somebody didn't
> do the homework, or there is more to the story.

It's called somebody forgetting to call the UP to let them know that the move was today. UP needs at least 24 hours notice if not more for special moves like this that requires the train to move at 10 mph for several miles across congested main line.

BNSFDS

Oopsie.

BNSFDS Wrote:
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> It's called somebody forgetting to call the UP to
> let them know that the move was today. UP needs
> at least 24 hours notice if not more for special
> moves like this that requires the train to move at
> 10 mph for several miles across congested main
> line.
>
> BNSFDS

Interesting. I thought that BNSF had moved all the other pieces of equipment. Where does the UP fit in all of this?

BNSFDS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tominde Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Seems strange the need to wye the Big Boy is a
> > last minute show stopper. Either somebody
> didn't
> > do the homework, or there is more to the story.
>
> It's called somebody forgetting to call the UP to
> let them know that the move was today. UP needs
> at least 24 hours notice if not more for special
> moves like this that requires the train to move at
> 10 mph for several miles across congested main
> line.
>
> BNSFDS

Before making such preposterous accusations that the museum is that unprepared do your homework. Clearly the issue is with the 4018 specifically as the DGNO crew arrived and coupled to the consist this morning (as planned way in advance) which included two boxcars of stored museum parts and the ATSF F-unit. Fr whatever reason the 4018 was taken out of the consist and everything else did in fact make the journey to Frisco.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/21/13 19:56 by PhillipJohnson.

To get to the BNSF Madil sub, you have to first get on the UP Mineola Sub just north of Belt Jct. and then travel to MP T217 where you get on the TRE. Then it's about 14 miles to Irving, where you make a left at NC Jct. before you're on the BNSF. DGNO is in charge of the move until Irving, where BNSF takes over. Four different Railroads are involved, it's a wonder any moves happen at all!
Hirailgirl

PhillipJohnson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BNSFDS Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Tominde Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Seems strange the need to wye the Big Boy is
> a
> > > last minute show stopper. Either somebody
> > didn't
> > > do the homework, or there is more to the
> story.
> >
> > It's called somebody forgetting to call the UP
> to
> > let them know that the move was today. UP
> needs
> > at least 24 hours notice if not more for
> special
> > moves like this that requires the train to move
> at
> > 10 mph for several miles across congested main
> > line.
> >
> > BNSFDS
>
> Before making such preposterous accusations that
> the museum is that unprepared do your homework.
> Clearly the issue is with the 4018 specifically as
> the DGNO crew arrived and coupled to the consist
> this morning (as planned way in advance) which
> included two boxcars of stored museum parts and
> the ATSF F-unit. Fr whatever reason the 4018 was
> taken out of the consist and everything else did
> in fact make the journey to Frisco.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. I am privy to info not available to the public due to my job in operations on the Madill Sub which handles these moves from Irving to Frisco. We have to talk to UP to make these moves but according to them, they were not given the proper notice needed to run the locomotive which required an inspection by UP Mechanical personnel and MOW forces to verify it would be able to wye at Miller. Also the fact that the move would've been during the time of the day when many hotshot Z trains and Amtrak trains 21 and 22 are in the area, UP rejected the engine because they did not get the proper notification to prepare their traffic on the Dallas Sub. So you see, it's not a wild accusation.

BNSFDS

I understand the move being nixed for lack of notice, but why wouldn't UP Mechanical have already inspected the engine? More importantly, why wouldn't UP MOW have long ago checked out the suitability and condition of the wye? Or has this all already been done and just for the sake of extra caution a final re-check of both engine and wye track needs to be done just before the move in case something has changed?

I don't believe there was a problem with the wye track itself, its just that
UP runs a lot of trains through the wye and without proper notice, the
Big Boy move had the potential of tying up UP's movements of intermodal trains
through the area. Its almost laughable, if it is true, that no one cleared
the movement with UP since it is moving on their busy railroad.

If this is true, then I'll admit I jumped to conclusions. One would think the museum would have notified the RR, considering they have already made multiple trips to Frisco already. Someone really dropped the ball if lack notice is the actual reason the 4018 didn't make the trip.