Service Interruptions

BNSF suffered a derailment near Hartley, TX on the Dalhart Sub on May 11^th. A microburst of wind struck train E-SLPCAM0-76 derailing the rear 12 cars in the train and the two DP locomotives. Out of the 12 cars, 8 of them were on their sides and one of them was on the eastbound lanes of highway 385The single main track was out of service for about 24 hours. This is part of the South Loop between Pueblo and Amarillo where trains are normally ran in a northbound direction from Amarillo to Pueblo. Several empty coal trains were detoured out of Texas from Fort Worth to Oklahoma City, Arkansas City, and Newton KS, then west to Dodge City, KS and on to La Junta, CO and Pueblo where they got back on their original route. These included the E-IOGCRM0-15A, E-SLPCAM0-77A, E-SLPJRM0-71A, E-HAFRWM0-41A, and E-HAFRWM0-42A. One empty coal train was routed from Amarillo east via the Panhandle Sub to Wellington, KS, then north to Newton and on west to La Junta. That was train E-MLTBTM0-79A.

On May 19^th at 17:55, two trains collided head on at Gunter, TX on the Madill Sub between Irving and Sherman, TX. This is former Frisco territory and is non signaled. Train U-MAODON1-19 was a southbound loaded rock train heading from Madill, OK to Donie, TX with engines BNSF 6789, 142, & 7138 and 65 loads weighing 9044 tons. Train U-SHTIRB1-19 was an empty train with engines BNSF 6351, FURX 8099, FURX 3052, BNSF 7806 and 65 empties for Clark, OK. The southbound loaded train apparently missed making the meet at Dorchester, TX and was operating with no authority on the main track. Crew on the northbound train was able to get stopped and jump off just prior to impact sustaining only minor injuries. Crew on the loaded train was not so lucky. The engineer was fatally injured in the crash. The conductor jumped prior to impact but was trapped in the wreckage and burned severely, but will live. Also fatalities of this crash were four engines, BNSF 6789, 142, 7138 and 6351. The 142 was badly burned in the wreck. Also, 24 of the loaded rock cars were derailed. The empty since it was stopped only had lines 3 & 4 and lines 9 – 13 derailed. The track was back in service at 12:30 on the 20^th.

On May 23^rd, train Z-CHILAC1-22 derailed at 68 MPH at Argonia, KS, 20 miles west of Wellington. The derailment was apparently caused by a container of wire coils being overloaded and breaking through the bottom of the container and then the bottom of the double stack car that at line 7 of the train. The derailment had lines 7 =96 14 on the ground and in a pile. This equated to 15 car lengths. Also damaged was a liquid fertilizer plant located along the house track. The tank farm for this fertilizer plant and a warehouse were destroyed. One of the containers was loaded with Aluminum Chloride, which is a hazardous substance. As it mixed with the liquid fertilizer, Haz mat crews evacuated about half of the town including the local graduation service at Argonia high school. Residents were let back into their home in only a couple of hours as the haz mat spill was contained rather quickly by Sumner and Sedgwick County Haz mat teams. The crew suffered no injuries, but this derailment still nearly turned deadly for one couple stopped at the tracks to wait for the train. A retired ATSF conductor and his wife were on the south side of a crossing at Main Street in Argonia when the derailment occurred. The driver was able to get the SUV in reverse and back away without much damage. A freight car truck passed within a few feet of hitting the front of the SUV and the passenger side was pelted with ballast damaging much of it. Also a brake shoe crossed the hood making a crease in it. Very fortunate that there were no injuries in this one. One of the most interesting loads derailed in the derailment was a container load of Cap’n Crunch for Los Angeles. It included three or four different types of Cap’n Crunch in the large boxes like you get at Sam’s Club.

BNSF has dealt with many tornadoes crossing the tracks this month in Kansas. On May 12^th at Attica, KS, a tornado ripped through the town destroying a few houses near the BNSF main line and knocking down signal lines along the tracks. This forced BNSF to flag trains through Attica until the signal wires could be restored. Much debris was deposited across the main and siding as the house just to the south of the tracks was ripped apart forcing BNSF to put a 40 MPH slow order on the main line for several days. After the owner got the debris they wanted picked up, the speed restriction was lifted. On May 29^th, a tornado crossed the tracks near Argonia, KS ripping apart a farm house just south of the tracks and shredding trees along the Chickaskia River bridge leaving several of them on the main line. Another tornado crossed the tracks at the west switch at Eula causing signal damage to a flasher & gate-equipped crossbuck. It was ripped from the ground and dropped about 100 feet east of the crossing. Signal wires were also destroyed forcing BNSF to flag trains through this location until the next morning. Another tornado tore the signal head off of a signal east of Danville making crews flag that location as well. A total of four tornadoes touched BNSF tracks between Attica and Milan, KS on the Panhandle Sub the evening of May 29^th with three of them doing damage. Thankfully, no injuries were reported with any of these though.

BNSF train X-ELPSJO9-30 derailed the head 69 cars at Wright, KS just east of Dodge City on Two main tracks at 11:20 on June 2^nd. The derailment was caused by high winds. The train had 95 empties crossing the La Junta Sub with the rear of the train pulled back to Dodge City. The crew had received a high wind warning and was slowing the train per the rules to stop it when the derailment occurred. Many of the cars were on their sides but still coupled to each other. The train was derailed on Main 2 with almost all of the cars derailing to the south side of the two main tracks, but two of the cars actually rolled back and fouled main one. It was cleared at 17:05 and back in service at 18:00 on the 2^nd. Main 2 was opened at 13:00 on the 3^rd. Since this is ABS Double track territory, eastbound trains will have to operate with track permits from Dodge City to Wright against the current of traffic so this will slightly delay eastbound trains such as Amtrak #4.

June 3^rd proved to be a bad weather day for the former ATSF lines of BNSF. At 08:30, San Joaquin, CA Sheriff’s office reported that a levy broke on the Middle River near the BNSF tracks between Trull and Orwood. A 250 =96 300 foot break in the levy resulted in water up to the bottom of the roadbed along main #1. Main 1 was taken out of service as a precautionary measure due to a wooden trestle spanning the area. Main 2 remained in service due to having a steel trestle. AS of June 4^th, the main line is still out of service waiting on rip-rap and ballast to fill in the track. BNSF has detoured several trains across the UP during this high water situation. At 18:45 on June 3^rd train M-ELPBEL1-03 reported a derailment of their train at the west switch of Tonuco, NM, just south of Rincon, NM. The reason for the derailment was a mudslide that hit the train at line 32 derailing lines 32 – 37 of the train. One of the cars was on its side. The main train was put back in service at 10:00 on the 4^th with the siding remaining out of service.

I seldom report grade crossing collisions but I thought this might be worth reading. Near the west end of the siding at Noel, OK (Just west of Alva) on the Panhandle Sub train Z-SBDWSP3-30 encountered a semi loaded with wheat on a crossing. The driver had tried to turn towards the Noel elevator and misjudged the crossing. At 21:40 in the evening of June 1st, the lead unit struck the rear portion of the semi trailer that was just off of the crossing and drug it some ¼ mile down the track into a cut where it finally dislodged from the nose of the 4348. The crew was not injured nor was the driver as the trailer came off of the tractor. This is one of the hazards of wheat harvest in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas this time of year. Many operators of combines and trucks are so interested in trying to get the whet cut that they often forget to look about the crossings. The Z train was delayed for about 3 hours due to the train having to set out the lead unit and get another lead unit. The 4348 was damaged to the front with the handrails and steps all bent and some missing. Ditch lights were destroyed, as were the MU connections on the front of the locomotive. A total of 9 other trains were delayed as well before traffic was moving in a normal pattern.

Traffic & Track

BNSF has more second main track on the Panhandle Sub. With the 1.7 mile section opened over the Canadian River on May 11^th, that makes the Texas Panhandle all multiple main tracks now. On May 18^th, a short section of new Main 1 was opened at Mooreland, OK. The former siding at Mooreland was connected to the new crossover at Curtis which is now located at MP 369.1 instead of 367.1 where it has been since 1995 when Curtis Hill got the second main track. =93Old=94 Curtis became East Curtis some months ago. The new main 1 between East Curtis and Curtis was cut in on June 1^st making that current section of 2 main tracks from Heman at MP 351 to Mooreland at MP 372.3. From Moreland to Woodward is to be cut in later this month extending the 2 main tracks west to MP 383.3. As I reported last month, much of the roadbed and bridge work is in place between the west end of Woodward and East end of Tangier. No asphalt has been laid on the roadbed or track as of yet. On June 1^st, the dirt work began west of Tangier to move the additional main track on west to tie in at Goodwin, OK. When this is all completed in early 2005 that will have the Transcon with two main tracks from Heman, OK to Ft. Sumner, NM. This is roughly 365 miles of second main track that has been added since 1995. Of course the second main was also added across New Mexico beginning in 1995 with nearly 160 more miles on west of Fort Sumner to Belen. Much dirt work has already been done west of Tangier, but not for roadbed. It is for utilities, signals and defect detectors. There are several places where it looks as if roadbed was built, but it is for new power lines to reach new signals and defect detectors.

Speaking of Fort Sumner, the long bridge over the Pecos River has had a work window the first week of June. The track on the bridge is being undercut and new ballast added. The work window has been at night to miss the majority of the Z trains that pass through the area.

BNSF seems to be having trouble deciding whether to run Z or Q trains these days. The Z-KCKLAC9 train had an extra day of operations added in March moving the Z-KCKSBD trains back on the line up to run a little later in the day. The Z-KCKSBD trains had been on weekdays out of Kansas City after the schedule change departing at 22:00 except for Wednesday when it departed at 23:30. Now, on Monday & Tuesday, the train runs as a Q-KCKSBD as it doe not have much LTL traffic to move. As of May 6^th, the Q train departs Kansas City at 21:00 and reaches Los Angeles at 14:45 on Wednesday & Thursday.

In April, the Z-WSPLAC4 trains schedule was changed to be a pair of Q trains, the Q-WSPSBD9 and the Q-CHILAC9. On May 7^th, they were changed to the Z-WSPSBD5 and the Z-CHILAC1 trains respectively. On May 27^th, the Z-CHILAC was done away with and changed back to the Q-CHILAC train. Current operations call for the Z-WSPSBD5 to depart Chicago daily except Tuesday at 20:00. The train arrives in San Bernardino at 02:00 daily except Friday. On Tuesday, the train is ran as the Z-WSPSBD7 denoting a slightly hotter schedule with more UPS traffic for Albuquerque and El Paso. The Q-CHILAC departs Chicago on Wednesday through Saturday and handle Los Angeles expedited Truckload business. On Thursday =96 Saturday, it handles UPS “Cold Day” Air loads. It was changed from the daily Z-CHILAC train. It was being combined with the Z-WSPSBD5/7 on Sunday, Monday & Tuesday often anyway, so those days were done away with.

Grain trains are again moving on the former Quanah route between Snyder, OK and Wichita Falls, TX. This line sees little traffic most of the year, but during grain harvest, it becomes a much busier railroad. It is part of the Frisco Transcon line from Tulsa to Quanah, TX that joined the ATSF there for a trip to California. From Snyder to Sapulpa, OK, it is owned by a WATCO railroad, the Stillwater Central. Farmrail also brings grain to the BNSF at Snyder for movement out of Southwest, OK. Since BNSF is still trying to get grain cars in place, much of the wheat has been piled on the ground in the Snyder to Altus area waiting on BNSF to show up with grain hoppers. Trains were beginning to move in early June though as three empty trains were headed for Snyder, OK for loading from Beaumont, Galveston and Houston. As the cars get loaded, they are moved to either Quanah or Wichita Falls and moved as unit grain trains from there. As of June 1^st four trains have ran out of the area, three from Quanah and one from Wichita Falls. As grain shipments taper off in the Pacific Northwest, the cars are moved south to handle the wheat harvest there. Such was the case on May 31^st when train X-KALWEL9-27 arrived at Wellington, KS for loading. The empty train originated at Kalama, WA. It was loaded at Wellington and ADM Farmland and moved to Galveston, TX as a loaded wheat train, the G-WELGAT9-01 departing just after midnight on June 2^nd.

Power Notes

As the grain shipments in the PNW have tapered off, the BNSF GEVOs have moved to coal service for testing. Out of the 30 GEVOs on BNSF numbered 5718 – 5747, all but 6 of them were in coal service on June 5^th. The 5719, 5721, 5722, & 5727 were in Manifest train service across the Northern lines out of Pasco, WA all heading east. The 5724 was on an empty grain train heading for East Dubuque, IL and the 5742 was on CSX where it delivered a military train to East St. Louis on May 30^th. One example of the GEVOs in coal service was seen at Amarillo, TX on June 5^th when train C-BTMMLT0-98A arrived with BNSF 5744 and 8810 up front and BNSF 5601 & 9483 on the rear as DP units. Most of the GEVOs seem to be operating as single units mixed in with the regular BNSF AC4400CWs and SD70MACs on the coal trains.

As for the new BNSF Dash 9s, engines 5114 to 5169 of the current order have all been delivered as of early June with the exception of 5115, 5116, 5125 & 5126. CSX has not delivered them to BNSF as of June 5^th.

BNSF has began following UP=92s lead in making Remote Control platforms instead of installing the equipment in all the yard engine they want to use. Some older SW1000s and SW1500s are the prime candidates for this conversion. The 3614 & 3615 are returning from the San Luis Potosi shops in Mexico converted as RC Platforms. Both are ex BN SW1000s and both are in Heritage paint. On June 5^th, both are in Laredo, TX on the TM heading back to BNSF after conversion. The 3614 is supposed to go to Los Angeles for RCL assignment and the 3615 is to go to Lenexa for testing at the training center then to Chicago for RCL assignment. In Robstown, TX heading for Mexico for conversion is SW1500 3403 and SW1200 3509 along with ex ATSF GP9 BNSF 1672.

The last of the former Ex Conrail B23-7s that BN acquired form Metro North Commuter Rail is heading for Houston probably for shipment to Brazil. BNSF 4200 moved from Topeka in the dead line to Walton, KS in local service in late May waiting shipment to Houston on a through Freight. The unit is still in the colorful MNCR red, blue & silver paint scheme.

BNSF also has some 104 locomotives for sale right now. Included in the group are 3 ATSF GP7s and one ATSF GP9 that is currently leased to the CCT; 7 GP10s still lettered BN; 1 BN GP50; 7 BN SD9s; 5 BNSF GP7s (all ex ATSF); 6 BNSF GP15s; 4 BNSF GP9s (1 ex BN and 3 ex ATSF); 1 GP30; 2 GP35s; 2 SW1500s; 12 SW1200s; 3 SW1000s; 3 GP7 slug mothers; 2 B23-7s (including the 4200 mentioned above); 27 BNSF SD9s; 16 SD45-2s; 4 SD45-2Bs; and 2 SD40-2s. BNSF also has 48 locomotives laid up bad order waiting on repairs and 31 laid up pending decisions on what to do with them. This includes 7 engines in the Gunter, TX wreck mentioned above. The days of having surplus power are over for BNSF. There are currently 9 engines stored good order across the system, mostly switchers.

Warbonnet Watch

Not many Trios of Warbonnets to report this month. One was on train Z-KCKSBD1-27 seen at Waynoka, OK the morning of May 28^th with BNSF 703, 906 & 707 for power. Train Z-KCKSBD1-02 on June 3^rd was seen at Amarillo with a trio of Warbonnets, the BNSF 679, 638 & 864. On May 15^th, train U-ESLPIT1-13 was seen in Clovis, NM with a trio of Dash 9s, the BNSF 4712, 741 & 721. The Unit train is a unit steel train from East St. Louis to Pittsburg, CA.

Special Trains

BNSF ran a special train of mostly combines on May 12^th out of East Moline, IL. Train U-EMLMCI1-12 ran from East Moline to Galesburg then west to the Cameron Connection where it went east to Galesburg on the ATSF and to McCook, IL. The train had BNSF 5207 & NS 9805 for power on the 70 cars that were transferred to the NS at McCook. The cars were all OTTX flat cars (limited to 45 MPH) and were loaded with both John Deer and Case combines and tractors. They went to Baltimore, MD.

Starting on May 28^th, BNSF began running the annual Employee Appreciation Special across the former BN lines out of Kansas City and to Lincoln, NE. On May 28^th, 29^th & 30^th, the train made trips out of Kansas City, MO on the St. Joseph Sub. On May 31^st, June 1^st & 2^nd, it made trips out of Lincoln, NE. On June 3^rd, it made trips out of Omaha, on June 4^th it was running out of Sioux City, IA and on June 5^th, it was at Sioux Falls, IA. The train has BNSF 501 & 503 for power with one engine on each end of it. The cars in between are BNSF 51 (Power Car/Baggage Snoqualimie Pass), 68 (Sleeper Rollins Pass), 64 (Sleeper Marias Pass), 5 (Business Car Atchinson), 77 (Baggage car), 29 (Club Lounge Valley View), 11 (Diner Fred Harvey), 6 Business Car Topeka), 44 (Bi Level Chair Car Colorado River), 45 (Bi Level Chair Car Powder River), 41 (Bi Level Chair Car Flathead River), 42 (Bi Level Chair Car Skagit River), & 31 (Full Dome Lounge Bay View).

Later in the Month of June, The Texas panhandle Railway Historical Society and the City of Amarillo will join forces to move the Madam Queen. The Madam is the ATSF steam engine that has been sitting in the courtyard of the former ATSF depot at Amarillo for many years. The Historical Society members have done work to make the 2-10-4 #5000 ready for the move. It is only moving about three blocks to a location along the north side of 3^rd street near Lincoln Street. The owner of the depot has an upscale antique shop and auction house there (housed in a separate building) and wants the steam engine moved. The small patch of ground that the engine sits on actually belongs to the city of Amarillo, but they have agreed to move the engine. The move is planned for the last week of June.

Last month I mentioned that the Artrain was headed for Norman, OK and then to Fort Worth on BNSF. This month, it will be in Kansas at the city of LeRoy on June 12 – 15^th, Leavenworth on June 19^th & 20^th, Kansas City, MO on June 24^th – 27^th and Atchinson, KS on July 2 – 4^th. All moves should take place on the UP.

K&O Traffic & Power

The Kansas & Oklahoma Railway has been getting some unusual traffic off of the UP at Hutchinson, KS. The traffic is loads of large pipe destined for Grigston, KS on the Scott City Branch. The pipe is for a pipe line being built from Cheyenne, WY to Greensburg, KS, a distance of about 400 miles. The UP is bringing the trains down from Canada to Hutchinson and interchanging them to the K&O in 50 plus car trains. The K&O moves them to Grigston, has them unloaded and returns them to the UP at Hutchinson. To date about 200 cars have moved to Grigston. The pipeline is for a gas company. More pipe is being move to the Goodland, KS area on the Kyle Railway as well.

The K&O shops in Wichita are getting some of the ex CN GP40-2Ws that WATCO purchased for use on their lines in Kansas & Oklahoma. WATCO has purchased 22 of the units for use on their lines. In Wichita on the K&O, they will have 9 of the units. The Eastern Idaho and Camas Prairie will have 6 of them and 7 more will go to Baytown, TX for WATCO properties there. All are numbered in CN 9400 series right now, but will eventually be WAMX 4001 – 4022. CN 9447 was delivered to Wichita, KS the first part of June lettered as WAMX 9447 but will be re-lettered as WAMX 4008 when it is released from the shops.

The Midland Railway in Baldwin, KS has grown. The railroad is a tourist railway that has the former ATSF track from Baldwin to Ottawa, a distance of about 20 miles. The Midland has ran from Baldwin to Nowhere for the past several years with only the track from Ottawa and a connection with the BNSF (ex ATSF) being used to move equipment when necessary. Track work has been completed and the Midland will now run the entire 20 miles to Ottawa before turning back to Baldwin. The Midland uses a pair of Rock Island E units and a NYC RS3 along with an EMD re-powered MKT RS3M for power on the line. They have other power that is not being used at this time also.

SFRH&MS convention in Wichita on June 24^th – June 27^th. It is not too late to register. See the Website at www.ATSFRR.com