August & September 2004

Traffic

Almost as soon as the BNSF added the H-KCKRIC symbol, they changed it. The H-KCKRIC was added on July 26^th to depart Kansas City on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, & Sunday. As of August 10^th, the H-KCKRIC was abolished and replaced with an n H-EMPRIC1 departing from Emporia, KS with an added day. The train now departs on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, & Sunday. It is due out of Emporia at 19:00 on those days and reaches Richmond at 03:20 5 days later for an 82 hour and 20 minute trip. The train is scheduled to set out and pick up at Belen, Winslow, & Needles and then get re-blocked at Barstow. From Barstow, it again works Bakersfield, Fresno, Stockton and Pittsburg. The traffic for the train develops in Kansas City and moves to Emporia on the Daily L-KAN0071 local that runs from Kansas to Emporia and return. The traffic at Kansas City is just blocked for the local to move to Emporia with all cars going west of Wellington in one block. The Emporia yard engine assembles the Belen, Winslow, Needles and Barstow & West blocks for movement to the west. The power for the train is usually power that is reduced off of eastbound trains at Emporia. The first train west had the UP 6357, HLCX 8148, BNSF 6798 & BNSF 7842. The 7842 was picked up at Wellington. (This is the train that derailed in California, see below.)

Early last spring, the BNSF changed the M-AMSKCK train (Amarillo South Yard to Kansas City) to a M-AMSGAL train to terminate in Galesburg. The train ran via Newton setting out all the Kansas City Traffic at Newton and picking up all Galesburg traffic there and also from Wellington. As of August 12^th, the M-AMSGAL was replaced again with the M-AMSKCK train also running via Newton on a daily basis. The train still is basically the same train out of Amarillo with a pick up at Kingsmill, TX of the Celanese and Borger Traffic. At Wellington, it also picks up all the Kansas City traffic in that yard and then runs via Newton to set out all the Galesburg traffic for a new M-NEWGAL train that replaced the M-NEWKCK. The M-AMSKCK is due out of Amarillo (Santa Fe Yard) at 15:00 daily with arrival in Kansas City at 18:50 the next evening. The M-NEWGAL is due out of Newton at 10:00 Daily except Sunday and into Galesburg at 02:30 only 16’ 30’ later. It is scheduled to only change crews at Kansas City.

Beginning on August 9^th, another new train is running out of Springfield, MO. Train H-SPMBAR is due out of Springfield at 21:00 on Tuesday, Thursday, & Saturday with arrival in Barstow at 22:00 the fourth evening making it arrive there on Friday, Sunday & Tuesday. The train has a 75 hour schedule. The train is all Barstow and Northern California out of Springfield with fills for Barstow and Belen at Tulsa, Amarillo and Summerfield, TX and sets out and fills at Belen for Winslow and Barstow and beyond. It supplements the daily H-TULBAR train.

Beginning on August 11^th, a new P-BIRLAC train began operating between Birmingham, AL and Los Angeles. It departs Birmingham on Tuesday only at 04:00 and arrives in Los Angeles at 05:50 on Fridays. This train had been running as a Q-BIRSBD train.

Power Notes

Warbonnet Watch

BNSF graced us this month with a solid Warbonnet consist out of Kansas City on August 6^th. Train Z-KCKSBD1-06 was out of Kansas City the evening of the 6^th with a trio of Dash 9s, the 4719, 717 & 719. The 4719 & 717 returned east via Raton Pass on a Baretable train by themselves. The two went west again along with BNSF 760 on train Z-WSPNBY1-12 seen at Amarillo, TX on the morning of August 13^th. Consist was BNSF 4719, 760 & 717.

Just to count all the pure ATSF Warbonnets still on the BNSF roster, there are a total of 74 of them. There is 1 GP60M (the 135), 1 Dash 8-40BW (the 561), 5 Dash 8-40CWs (the 928, 930, 933, 936 & 950), and 67 Dash 9-44CWs (all in the 600 class). Of course there are still many BNSF Warbonnets on the BNSF system. In addition to these ATSF units, there are a trio of stored GP7s and a leaded GP9.

Unusual consists

On August 26^th, train L-TEX7501-26 departed Oklahoma City with BNSF B23-7 4234, Slug 3950, and GP7 3837 for power heading for Arkansas City, KS. The GP7 and Slug were one of the Oklahoma City yard sets. Normally, these GP7 slug sets only see road service when they go to Kansas City for inspection. On Friday afternoon, the consist returned south to Oklahoma City with the GP7 leading the train. The Geep does not have ditch lights so it had to lead across ALL crossing at no more than 20 MPH! In addition, the GP7 is a torpedo boat with the air tanks atop the roof. It is former ATSF 1328.

How about an A-B-B-A consist with Dash 9s and GP60Bss? Well, that happened on August 14^th as train Z-ALTSBD9-14 was seen at Quanah, TX with BNSF Dash 9-44CW 4415 leading GP60Bs 336 & 345 and Dash 9-44CW 4156. Another train that had an unusual unit on the Transcon was train H-MEMBAR1-05 seen at Belen, NM on August 7^th with BNSF 545 leading SP 7828, BNSF 137 & 7314 (Dash 8-40BW, B30-7, GP60M, SD40-2).

Most NS and UP pool power is not new on BNSF. What is a little strange is that several of the Q-NYCLAC trains coming off the NS at Corwith have had a mix of NS and UP power that stays in tact to California. Several of these mixed consists have had ex Conrail power for the NS contribution. One such train was seen at Woodward, OK on August 18^th with BNSF train Q-NYCLAC6-17 having NS 8442, UP 3997, UP 4459, NS 6761 for power. (Ex CR Dash 8-40CW, 2 SD70Ms, SD60I) Both of the ex CR units were still in Conrail paint as well. On August 21^st at Alva, OK, train Q-NYCLAC6-20 had BNSF 5260 leading NS 9631 & UP 5092.

BNSF GP60s have been used mostly on locals and even in the yards lately as have the Dash 8-40Bs, and the comfort cab counterparts for these trains. Due to BNSF having extra traffic, seeing the GP60s on main line trains is not that odd right now. For instance, on August 28^th, train Z-LACWSP2-26 was seen at Tangier, OK was seen with 8729, 8725, 346, 515 & 8617 for power (2 GP60s, GP60B/Dash 8-40BW and Dash 8-40B) All are ex ATSF units with the original numbers being 4029, 4025, 346, 515 & 7427. Only the 346 & 515 were in Heritage colors. Train V-KCKPHX8-27 was seen later that same day at Woodward with BNSF 123 leading BNSF 334 for power on the 50 car vehicle train. Train S-LPCLT1-17 was seen I Woodward on August 18^th with BNSF GP60Ms 115 & 107 leading Dash 8-40B 8612 & SD40-2 8088 along with many doublestacks. The two GP60Ms were in Heritage paint, but the 8612 was still blue and the 8088 was still green. These consists are reminiscent of the early merger days of BNSF.

New Units

BNSF has taken delivery of almost all of the Dash 9-44CWs numbered between 5000 and 5099 with the 5500 numbers being the next ones used. BNSF 5525 - 5529 are out of Erie, PA and reported heading for Chicago on CSX. The 5529 was at IHB’s Barr Yard on September 1^st & 2^nd. As of August 30^th, 9 of the 5000 – 5099 group have not been delivered to BNSF. 5016 was a strange delivery. It came to BNSF via the NS at Kansas City and immediately was sent to KCS for a trip on that railroad making it’s first revenue run for BNSF as part of a Horsepower trade off to KCS. The 5021 was in service only two days when it developed problems. It was the lead unit of train Z-KCKSBD3-22 when it arrived at Wellington, KS with a severe water leak and had to be set out. Another unit had been set out at Wellington from an eastbound train to replace this but the two day old GE delayed the Z train 1’25” plus the additional delay of the eastbound train now running short of power.

Capacity Improvements/Track Work

On Any given day, BNSF routes 10 – 15 trains across the Arkansas City and La Junta Subs via Wichita and Newton between the end points of Mulvane and Ellinor, KS. This route is part of the old Passenger route and has not seen traffic like this in many years. BNSF uses the route as an outlet for the Emporia sub when it gets congested. While it has been reported as directional running, it is not, as BNSF runs trains in both directions on both routes between Kansas City and Wellington or Arkansas City. Starting August 16^th until August 31st, BNSF ran ALL traffic during the daylight hours via Newton due to a track gang working the Emporia Sub. Concrete Tie Gang P-811 & an undercutter have been working between Aikman & Bazar during the daylight hours with an absolute window to get the work done. BNSF has routed 15 – 20 trains per day during the daylight through Wichita and Newton. Just a few years ago, 6 BNSF trains per day was a good day in Wichita.

Track work between Woodward and Tangier, OK is nearing completion. If all goes well, this 11.2 miles of second main tracks should be cut in on September 21^st. All of the track is in place with a pair of crossover turnouts to be placed on the new main 1 at what will be East Tangier and a turnout from Main 1 to the Union Underwear Spur just west of the new East Tangier Crossover. Much of the ballast is in place but not tamped or surfaced yet.

Starting on September 23^rd, Ames Construction began building small bridges between Shattuck and Gage for the new main track that will be added there in the near future. Dirt work started on the 26^th around MP 411 where the bridges are being built east of Shattuck. The Cimarron River bridge work to add the second track between Heman and West Waynoka should start in either late October or early November when the endangered minnows quit migrating in the Cimarron River. This is just a 3 mile section of single track, but it crosses the Cimarron River on a trestle that is nearly 2200 feet long. Dirt work should start in September for the third main track through Amarillo. Physical plant support like signals, etc are in the process of being re-located now. The auxiliary generator for the Amarillo yard is being moved in Early September to make way for the third track. Surveying for the second main track has been going on between Milan and Attica, KS. BNSF sources report that the work should start in late October but will not be opened until late June of 2005. The most difficult part of this 30 mile segment of second main track should be the crossing of the Chickaskia River west of Argonia. That trestle is nearly 800 feet long.

Service Interruptions

At 15:40 on August 14^th, train H-EMPRIC1-10 derailed on the Bakersfield Sub at Allensworth, CA on single main track. Allensworth is 45 miles west of Bakersfield (North). Lines 20 through 59 of the H-EMPRIC derailed with line 20 hitting the lead locomotive of train Z-NBYWSP2-14, the BNSF 4882, derailing it and the other two units and the lead car of the Z train. No injuries occurred to either crew during this derailment. Several right of way fires were started by this derailment as well as considerable damage to the pole line that was still in use by BNSF. No cause was give yet as to why the H train derailed. The siding was put back into service at 18:40 on the 15^th with the main line not back into service until the morning of the 16^th. Total cost f the derailment was over $2.6 Million. Due to this derailment, at least one train took an odd detour route. Train Z-NBYWSP9-18 was detoured via the BNSF trackage rights from Stockton, CA to Denver on the UP (Ex DRGW) via Moffat Tunnel and then across the old CB&Q across Nebraska to Galesburg where it made the final leg into Willow Springs. The Z train ran across the D&RGW with BNSF 5413, 8729, NREX 6462 & BNSF 5193. The NREX unit is a former ATSF SD45-2.

At 06:10 on the morning of August 18^th, BNSF train Q-RICALT1-16 operating on the UP Mojave Sub at Bealville, CA derailed two locomotives and three cars on single main track. This derailment was rather spectacular due to the fact that the rear car was still inside a tunnel. The other two cars were on their sides along with NS 9681. BNSF 5407 was derailed, but upright and only had one end on the ground. The main track was out of service until 02:00 the next morning. The derailed cars were all double stacks.

At 14:50 on August 13^th, BNSF train V-OKCOKC8-13 struck a BNSF welding truck at the west end of Matfield Green, KS. There were two welders in the truck at the time and both were life watched to Wichita. This was partially because an ambulance could not get to the site. I have never heard anymore on the two as to their condition. The lead locomotive BNSF 507 sustained some damage to the plow and front steps. It was unclear at the time as to whether the driver of the truck drove over a small crossing in front of the train or backed up too close to the track. The truck was also destroyed. Several trains were delayed and others were sent “via Newton”.

Weather has been the key word for service interruptions this month. For the Central part of the US, it has been unseasonably cool and wet. The wet part also pertains to most of the former ATSF tracks for the last half of August. Starting on August 13^th, man flash flood warnings were posted to the western part of the Transcon with no less than four posted at various times of the day. They included the Clovis Sub from Joffre to Encino, the Seligman Sub from Winslow to Canyon Diablo, The Seligman sub from Franconia to Needles and the Needles sub from Needles to Ibis. The worst of the bunch was the one on the Needles sub, with Main 1 under water at Ibis and needing ballast to fix the scouring of the roadbed. After the water receded, trains were allowed over the 50’ long spot at 10 MPH.

At 11:30 on the morning of the 14^th, Weatherdata Inc. issued a Flash Flood warning between Victorville and Hesperia on the Cajon Sub. The Track inspector reported water of the rail at MP 40.5 2 miles west of Frost or 5 miles east of Hesperia at Thorn. Water had gotten as high as 8 feet above the rail at the crossovers at Victorville. AT 14:55, local Roadmaster reported a washout on Main 1 of 500’ long and 4’ deep. Main 2 had bridge damage and will have to be repaired. A 49 car ballast train was sent from Newberry to help with the damage in addition to ballast being trucked to the site and another ballast train coming from Winslow to fix the damage. The track was not re-opened until 04:00 the next morning with the upper crossovers at Victorville out of service until 10:40 the morning of the 15^th. Over 60 trains were reported staged for the opening of the track. Included in the mess was Amtrak #3 that could not get through. The train turned around at Barstow and became Amtrak #4 departing Barstow on the 15^th and running nearly 18 hours late out of there. This made for some unusual train watching by railfans getting to see #4 running in the daylight where it normally ran at night. The A-41-16 was ran out of Los Angeles, but was getting delayed terribly due to congestion and track work on the Cajon sub due to the washout. IT too was very late into Kansas City running about 12 hours late. A-41-17 was very late out of Los Angeles as well. IT was over 12 hours late leaving Los Angeles due to train #3 not getting there on time and no spare equipment. This was again due to flash flood warnings on the Seligman and Needles subs. This train got delayed so bad that it took three crews to get it from Kingman, AZ to Los Angeles. One of the reasons was two washouts at Ibis on Main 1. The two washouts totaled 150 feet in length but only a few inches deep. This defect was found at 01:00 PDT with the track out of service until both mains could be inspected. Main 2 was returned to service at 03:00 while Main 1 was not returned to service until 06:10. Amtrak 3 took a 4’28” delay waiting on the track to open. In addition, nearly 20 other trains took substantial delays for this washout.

On August 27^th, trains were halted at Wellington, KS due to tornadoes hitting the ground within 1 mile of the Transcon. No damage was reported to the BNSF although one house south of Wellington was damaged. This storm that caused the tornadoes moved along the BNSF dumping up to 8 inches of rain in the Kansas City area in 24 hours. This caused some local flooding and traffic again was delayed. AT least three eastbound trains were parked at Wellington waiting on Kansas City to be able to move them through. As the westbound trains did get through Kansas City, they had to be fueled at Wellington or Amarillo since the fuel facilities on the main line were out of service. Water was over the fuel pumps and they could not be used. Some trains were fueled at Emporia and some at Wellington by local fuel vendors. Some trains had the power traded at Amarillo so it could be fueled there. It depended on the individual train and how much time would be lost in each case.

On August 25^th, a rather strange incident occurred near El Dorado, KS. Train Z-WSPLAC9-24 got a report of a trailer smoking badly as they passed Chelsea at 05:30. AS the crew rounded a curve near El Dorado, the discovered it was a trailer on fire about 30 cars deep in the train (halfway back). The notified the DS to have the El Dorado Fire Department meet them at El Dorado. Upon inspection, they discovered it was a car containing haz mat. The El Dorado Fire department requested that the train be moved back out of El Dorado due to the haz mat and refineries in El Dorado. The train was backed up about 3 miles to a rural overpass where the fire department dumped water on the top of the Roadway Trailer. The trailer of LTL freight contained one drum of Phenol Formaldehyde along with 20 cases of matches and other freight of all kinds. It was unclear how the fire started, but the trailer was a total loss along with its contents. The car was set out at El Dorado with the Z train getting over 3’45” delay.

Something that you don’t hear of everyday happened on August 21^st at Amarillo. At 18:00 it was discovered that the former ATSF turntable had suffered a broken axle. This had stranded 6 engines on the whisker tracks off of the turntable that can only accessed by the turntable. These included two of the GP7 Slug sets that normally work the Amarillo yards. It will require 2 – 3 weeks to get the replacement part and get it installed.

Miscellaneous

The former BN Trough Train is being eliminated. The Trough Train has spent most of the last five years in storage in various places. It was stored on the former Rock Island main line east of Amarillo, TX that was abandoned only a few miles east of the trough train cars for over a year. This was a storage track for Progress Rail Car Shops. On August 22^nd, a train of 21 of the trough cars was seen passing through Lincoln, NE on its way to Birmingham, AL as BNSF train U-GUEBIR1-18. The cars had most recently been in storage at Guernsey, WY where they were moving empty from to the CSX at Birmingham listed as condemned cars. Power for the empty Trough train was BNSF SD40-2 7903, KCS AC4400CW 2046 and EMD SD60 9092 as it departed Lincoln. The train arrived in Birmingham on August 26^th at 11:41 and was interchanged to CSX at 11:42. The only car missing of the original 23 cars built in late 1994 was the BN 552006 that had previously been separated and probably scrapped. One of the units of that car is still at Progress Rail in Amarillo. The Aluminum cars were 278’ 4” long per 13 unit car. The 23 cars could carry the equivalent of 146 standard coal hoppers at a reduced tonnage due to the light weight of the cars. The Car numbers for these cars were BN 552000 – 552022. None were ever renumbered as BNSF cars.

No more mail via passenger trains. The Washington Times reported on August 31^st that Amtrak will not carry anymore US mail as of October. Amtrak says that the profit margin is too small to make enough money to justify carrying the mail. Amtrak will focus on its core business of carrying passengers instead of mail. The US Post Office has shipped mail via passenger trains since 1831. Amtrak carries mostly bulk mail under a $60 Million per year contract. Most of the mail is magazines that travel on long distance trains. Some short distance trains still carry a small amount of first class mail. The Bush Administration is putting pressure on Amtrak to operate more efficiently and wants to give Amtrak $900 million for the fiscal year beginning on October 1^st. Amtrak operated with a $1.2 Billion budget for the year ending on October 1^st. The Bush Administration did not oppose Amtrak’s proposal to drop mail service. Amtrak carries most of the mail in road railers which take time to couple and uncouple the cars at terminals causing train delays. It also costs Amtrak extra money to switch the cars off of the trains according to the Times article. By Amtrak canceling the Postal Contract, that could shift some of that mail to intermodal on freight trains. BNSF and NS both handle US bulk mail on trains now and could handle more after October.

The University of Iowa has leased the Rio Grande Ski Train for the football season. The train will operate with 11 cars and a Ski train F40 on each end during the home games. It will shuttle fans from Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville to the stadium in Iowa City via Iowa Interstate Railroad a distance of 3.3 miles. This should make the parking problem much easier at the stadium. The University of Iowa has 6 home games this year, two in September, two in October and two in November. Railfans will be used as a volunteer crew to man the train with IAIS crews actually operating it.