BNSF Units in NS Yard

[Engineer James]

I was lookin around on a local site that has a webcam, well, in the Wayne Yard, about 10 miles south of me, There were 3 BNSF locos. Something going on we should we know about? There has been an increase, from none, last year, to 8 so far this year. NS and BNSF getting friendly?

[Komachi]

Read...

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20088


Should answer your question... to a point.

[Komachi]

BTW, James,

Could you change your header to, "BNSF Units in NS Yard," or "Increased Activity in Wayne Yard" or something along those lines? "Amazed" makes it sound like you saw a lashup of classic E-units in regular service, or an Amtrak high-speed test run out on the line, or news that they've decided to finally rehab the old Michigan Central terminal for commuter service... something earth shattering.

Mind you, hearing that there's increased activity in a yard is interesting news... and the mixing of BNSF and NS equipment, while coincidental, may be further proof of the alleged merger between the two.

[LCJ]

NS and BNSF getting friendly?

Someone who reads posts on this site really should pick up on this after a while. All of the Class I railroads are "friendly," in so much as they often share power when it is to their mutual advantage. They all keep running balances of horsepower hours by letting units run through to other railroads on a fairly regular basis.

NS and BNSF are both part of the North American rail network, and interchange a good bit of traffic every day.

[Engineer James]

Well, I just noticed it. I am interested. HOWEVER, if NS were to be bought by BNSF, CSX, who owns the other half of the Conrail Assets, I THINK, would not let it happen, unless they (CSX) bought NS. CSX Wants to have an upper hand when it comes to CR stuff. BNSF, might know alot about operation on an Eastern Road, compard to the speedways of the midwest.

[LCJ]

All I'm saying is that the presence of locomotives from one railroad on the property of another is not an indication of pending mergers or takeovers. It's just a common, daily occurrence.

When/if the next round of consolidations comes along, there is no question that all of the major players will assert their concerns and/or approvals of any such plans for consolidation.

Discussion about which company will end up with which other one is pure speculation at this point (not that there's anything wrong with speculating in this forum!).

[pennsy]

Hi LCJ,

Correct. These days they are called "Run Throughs". That is the foreign power is merely running through, essentially on loan from the parent RR. That is how you can see east coast RR's engines on the west coast and vice versa. They are merely on loan from the parent RR. to provide the required horsepower for the train and eventually will be returned to the parent RR. In short the dispatcher making up the train and assigning engines to the train will take whatever is in the yard at the moment to provide the proper horsepower. Naturally if the train is going to somewhere where an engine that is available belongs, or comes from there, it will be given precedence.

This is a phenomenon that is indigenous strictly to Diesels. This could never happen with steamers.

[Engineer James]

I got concerned. Would CSX try to protect NS, over their shares of CR??

[tahawus84]

personally I think there are greater things in life to be concerned about.

[scannergeek]

This happens all the time. I saw a freight come through Fullerton, Calif. with all NS and ex-Conrail power. I wondered which side of the continent I was really on!

[washingtonsecondary]

On NS's Lehigh Line in New Jersey you see all kinds of power, BNSF, UP CSX. If foregin power indicated imminent mergers, ownership would constently be changing hands.

[inkyrail]

My friend that works at BNSF said that NS owes BNSF a lot of power usage, so you are going to see NS units on BNSF trains for a while.

Also, yesterday I saw a UP empty well car train lead by an NS unit and a CSX unit.

[scannergeek]

Here's a pic I took from an Amtrak train last September. Guess where I was:

http://paul.internetforall.com/displayi ... m=6&pos=27

BTW, that primer locomotive is another NS unit, NS 9955
http://paul.internetforall.com/displayi ... m=6&pos=26

[Engineer James]

Well, I am saying it is wierd. BNSF use NS power? Over here, we mostly have EMD's, Geeps and that stuff, not many BIG diesels.

[washingtonsecondary]

My friend that works at BNSF said that NS owes BNSF a lot of power usage, so you are going to see NS units on BNSF trains for a while.

Also, yesterday I saw a UP empty well car train lead by an NS unit and a CSX unit.

I'm not suprised, given the amount of BNSF power I saw in New Jersey over the last year.