Nostalgia & History > Who here remembers the "Ford Fast"?

Called the "FF" on the WP, and train #179 on the D&RGW (when it was routed via the the Rio Grande and not the UP/SP routing).

I'm trying to find out what the symbol was on the MP (Kansas City to Pueblo) and, during 1980 and 1981, what was the scheduled departure time was out of Kansas City.

Thanks!

Allen

I remember some folks calling it the "Fast Fords". Maybe that was just a nickname. Actually I think I've heard it both ways. (FWIW)

Wasn't this an auto parts train for the plant at Milpitas?
I remember it as the Ford Fast.

Tom

The MOP called it the FFT and departed K. City 7:00pm day 1.

Spot time at Milpitas was 5:00 am day 4.

This sked was effective June 1, 1981 with an overall
running time of 85' 05" from Flat Rock.

The WP time from SLC to Milpitas was 24' 05".

If handling Ford traffic only: 60 cars max.

If handling fill along with Ford traffic: 50 cars total.

Train scheduled to operate daily depending on Ford requirements.

The power guide specified 4 hp/ton.

It was the called the "Ford Fast" while on the WP. Worked it many times over the years.

Al

Here it is at Mesa, UT, in Sept '83 at sunset.
JB

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The N&W ran a "Ford Fast", too. It came off the DT&I at Delta, OH, and went west to Montpelier, Ohio, and on west on the old Wabash from there, hottest thing on the railroad, everything cleared for it.

Another gem JB. Thanks for sharing.

TME

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Here it is at Mesa, UT, in Sept '83 at sunset.
> JB

Was this also called the UPSFF on the SP? Or was that another expedited train?

Cheers,
Harry

when operated on UP/SP the symbol was the UPMIA (while operating on SP). It ran for awhile on the SP/UP routing in 1979, but spent the early 80's mostly on MP/DRGW/WP.

AM

bradleymckay Wrote:
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> It ran for awhile on the
> SP/UP routing in 1979, but spent the early 80's
> mostly on MP/DRGW/WP.
>
> AM


No, see my CTC Board article. The FAST alternated UP and MoP - DRGW routings every 90 days over its entire lifetime. It also alternated SP and WP routings every 90 days over its entire lifetime, but the switch dates were different from the UP vs. MoP - DRGW switch dates. Always routed DTI - N&W from origin to Kansas City.

There was a short period in the early 70s when a KC-CRIP-Sandown Jct.-UP routing for the FAST was tried. President Dixon of the Rock came out and attached his biz car to the train for several trips. But to no avail, the Rock could not make schedule, and so it reverted to an all-UP routing from KC to Utah gateways during UP's 90-day periods.

Ford's traffic policy was to spread the business around the Western carriers, to try and keep competitors healthy and in the game. Hence the switch every 90 days. In contrast, GM's Warm Springs auto parts train never wavered from a CRIP-UP-SP routing. While Ford operated an assembly plant in Pico Rivera in Southern California, there was a similar train run to there. The routing was always ATSF west from KC. Believe it was ATSF 308.

But back to the Milpitas train: FAST = Ford Auto Service Train, symbol coined by Ford Traffic management for its train of Milpitas parts plus Bay Area set-ups.

Simply referred to as the FAST on the UP. Some of the other roads called it the Ford FAST or the FAST Ford, but that was redundant. As Allen noted, it was called UPMIA by SP after 1972. Was just termed a section of the FMS before that. But when SP management was on the phone with Ford, they had to tell the boys in Dearborn where the FAST was.

There was a time in the early 70s when Ford was after the RRs to run the EB empties as a dedicated unit train in an effort to increase car utilization. This was unpopular with UP management, we called the proposal the FART (Ford Auto Returning Train).

Best regards,

Rob L.

Sorry for the late reply. I have been on the road the past three weeks. I have consists of the FFF on both the N&W and UP and UP scheduled for it. quite a train.
Dick Eisfeller
Big "E" Productions

The auto part train that serviced GM at Warm Springs...was known as the ARRO.. Sometimes the FF was combined with the ARRO..and the crew would drop off the cars for Warm Sprins and continue onto Milpitas..