Mix and Match?

[Bob Collins]

I'd be very interested in watching a discussion here about how much mix and match can reasonably be expected to be seen with motive power on the various railroads. BNSF runs through here and you seldom see anything but their own units, except for the occasional GE or EMD demo.

Is the same true on other lines? It sems that probably at one time on the UPRR you would see some CNW on their eastern routes. I don't know if that is the case anymore or not, but I'll sure like to learn more about it!

Bob

 

[rockislandmike]

Definitely exclusive up here in the Prairie Provinces. CN locos on CN trackage; CP locos on CP trackage. Never even seen motive power from one of their acquisitions/merger partners.

 

[IMRL393]

There has been a mix of BN...

(ok - BNSF - but all the locos are green and black!)

...and IMRL on the IMRL (new ICE, old ROCK) line from time to time, but not often. Perhaps a "mix" is more likely on regional tracks?



All the UP trains I've seen on the track have used UP locos, however.

(UP always was a bit snobbish....).

'Course, I might have missed one (but the watchers on the IMRL forum rarely do!).

Historically, Burlington and RI pooled equipment on the Zephyr Rocket (So if you model the RI in the 60's, you can justify that BR loco!).



- George

 

[IMRL393]

Also IMRL and KCS, as per this IMRL watchers report:

"Starting about 0940, the game plan with the 901 crew on the KCS-IMRL
run thru changes....they are to wye one of the KCS units at Air
Line. But the crew doesn't have much experience with computerized
engs, and after wasting about 30 minutes, they simply put the KCS's
on the point, and pull. But now, they pull it to Birmingham, cut off
the KCS power and lite eng to Liberty. When train 240 finally rolled,
it had KCS 2011-2027-MRL "Operation Lifesaver" 264-IMRLs' 232 (UP
paint)-200-216, MRL flare 358, and IMRL 211. So I grab some shots
over a soybean field, and head to Lawson. Both KCs cookers are east
facers, so the 241 will go into KC eventually with long-hood first
KCS Dash-9W's."

(Note: a this time, the same Co. owned MRL and I&MRL)

It also occurs to me that mixed mp can be due to "paybacks" for track use or borrowed mp.

- George

 

[60103]

CN northwest of Toronto is mostly CN units, with VIA, GO, or Amtrak on the passenger runs. Goderich and Exeter trains run through from Georgetown to Macmillan yard with a wierd collection of second hand units and some CN ones.
CN sometimes has leased units (LMS was a favourite)(aslo used ex-UP units with no lettering but still in yellow & grey). They also sometimes have something odd from the GM Diesel shops -- that's how I saw my first Santa Fe loco. They also used to lease GO commuter locos on the weekends. Used to see occasional Grand Trunk.
CP sometimes has SOO units come through.

 

[Vic]

Hi Bob, I don't know one diesel from another(STEAM RULES) but down here the Norfolk Southern serves the aera. We see a lot of UP and Conrail units mixed in with them. A gentleman that works for NS told me that they love the UP units....some of them have air conditioned cabs!

 

[alkcnw]

On the CP main line from the Twin Cities to Chicago they run everything. My feed mill is 20' from the tracks and I see it all. CP, BNSF. UP, SOO, MILW. ROAD, CEFX,WC,EMD DEMOS,CSX,and a few I can't even tell you what they are, no logos and strange paint schemes!!

 

[pcentral]

Hi Bob,
Out here in central California we see it all. Heres a sample:
Seen on UP mainline-UP (of course),SP(likewise),Rio Grande,CNW,NS,Conrail,EMD,GE(demos),GATX(leased)and some others I don't remember the roadnames of.

Seen on the BNSF-BNSF(all paint schemes),BN(green/black),SF(all paint schemes),Demos,and even some UP engines in a consist of a BNSF freight. There probably have been more but I don't see the BNSF tracks much

 

[YakkoWarner]

Saw an odd one down in southern Ca. a few weeks ago. BNSF logo on the SF warbonnet (red/silver.) I had never seen that before.

 

[Drew1125]

Over here in CSX territory, we're, of course seeing a lot of engines still wearing ConRail paint, after the merger.
Best of all, though, is the number of UP units being used...either bought or leased, I'm not sure...?
Also a lot of leased units from a leasing company called HCLX.

 

[IMRL393]

We also have some leased units (FURX - First Union Rail) along the ICE tracks - they are running older BN (still in green and black) locos - have to look to see the "FURX" to distinguish between them and BNSF. Heritage colors can be seen, but G-B is more usual around here.

- George

 

[brakie]

Here I see units from every railroad being ran on the NS.I have seen engines from CP to Susie Q. I never know what I may see when I am railfanning.

 

[Bob Collins]

Brakie;

Would you be so kind as to give us some sense of where you are located please. I really have very little sense of where the NS operates, except it is probably east and south of my general location (SW of St. Louis)

Thanks

Bob

 

[brakie]

But,of course! You are correct I did fail to mention the location-DUHHHH! I see these units on the Sandusky line and at Bellevue,Ohio...

 

[Bob Collins]

Thanks brakie. I wasn't trying to pry at all, but your listing doesn't show what part of the country you hail from and I was just curious.

I am going to be running basically UPRR in the Iowa/NE area and I was really looking to see if I could figure out if it made sense to run some of the motive power of say the CNW, who were bought out by the UP some years ago. Being along a main line of the BNSF I don't get to see much of the UP unless I'm traveling, so thought there must be some wise souls here on the Gauge who would certainly know about mixing and matching on the various railroads. I haven't been disappointed

Thanks to all.

 

[brakie]

Bob, No problem. I live in Bucyrus Oh about 2 blocks from the Sandusky line and about 40 miles from Bellvue.You ever get in this neck of the woods give a shout and I will show you around the railfan spots.

 

[Bob Collins]

Thanks Larry.

Is Bucyrus heavy equipemt? Why is that name so familiar??

Bob

 

[brakie]

Bob,Bucyrus Ohio was home to Bucyrus Crane. Bucyrus Crane did make cranes for the railroads and for the construction industry.It then became Bucyrus-Erie,then Ohio Crane.It merged with Plymouth Locomotive Works,then finally close it's doors last year.

 

[Woodie]

a little different

I suppose it's a little different here. (in Oz). The infratructure (tracks etc) is mostly government owned. Some of it has been put up to tender, or "corporations" (wholly government owned) have been set up to manage/maintain the infrastructure.

The operations, (motive power, rollingstock) has also had the same thing done, but split off from the infrastrcture. Some "privatised" (sold off to corporates), and some retained. So you don't really see specific locos only on specific lines. Some of these "privatised" corporations are mostly government owned, with the long term intention of selling them off.

For instance, freight livery and loco's are usually by freight type. e.g. wheat, iron ore, long distance freight, interccity passengers etc. Some are geographical, intrastate, cross country etc.

As none of them actually own/operate the infrastructure, (just pay "trackage fees", (even though it may be pay one gov't department from the other!) you tend to get all sorts of things all over the place, including one railway leasing equipment from another, during peak/lean times. (e.g wheat/crops/holiday season etc). Sometimes, during peak loading, you even get the historical/preservation societies leasing their equipment for commercial use!

So it makes for good viewing sometimes!!

 

[CarlFidy]

See a varity of combinations in Tulsa

Hey Bob,

In Tulsa the UP has a former MKT line that they use as a branchline for local swithing and to make interchanges between their main in Muskogee, OK with BNSF's Cherokee Yard, the TSU(Tulsa Sapulpa Union) and the Sand Springs Railway just on the westside of downtown Tulsa. On this line they usually have 4 to 6 four-axle units assigned. Usually half to two-thirds are UP and the rest vary, including SP, Cotton Belt, and within the last six months there was an ex-CNW still running original colors although very faded. I presume Katy units would have been seen just after that merger. My guess is the units get assigned to the branch for two to three months and get rotated out when their 90-day inspections come due.

East of Tulsa UP has two mainlines they use for directional running (north-south) - Muskogee-Claremore-Coffeyville,KS and Muskogee-Vinta-Parsons,KS(?). Usually the power I see on those lines is predominatly UP, with one recent exception. BNSF has been running an empty unit coal train north on the route through Claremore - two BNSF units leading, approx. 120 Grand River Dam Authority(GRDX) hoppers, and two BNSF units trailing.

On this end of BNSF's Springfield Division I've see NS, KCS, CP or CN(I don't remember which) and a variety of lease company locos in the BNSF consists. Several times a unit auto-rack train has come through always with two CSX/Conrail units.

Hope this gives you some more info.
Carl