Leasing Engines?

[fauxcelt]

On my way to and from work, I drive either over or under the UP tracks which connect to the Jenks Shop and the freight classification yard here in North Little Rock. Earlier this week, I saw a train which had two "CSX" engines on the front end. On my way to work this morning, I saw another train with three "BNSF" engines. Is UP leasing engines from these other two railroads? Or did they buy these engines and just haven't had time to repaint the engines? Or did UP grant trackage rights to CSX and BNSF through North Little Rock?

Laurence

[doepack]

Leasing is a possibility, but BNSF and other roads are more likely to lease units from companies like National Railway Equipment, GATX, or Helm, among others. There could be two other situations at work: Run-through agreements, or a repayment of "horsepower hours", which is how the time spent by a unit on a foreign road is measured. In the latter case, depending on the arrangement, railroads loaning power to other roads are compensated either monetarily, or they'll take in a unit or two from the foreign road in question to run off a similar amount of hours; which is how it's handled most of the time.

This article goes into better depth...

[fauxcelt]

Thank you for your answer and the link Dorian. I was wondering about this because most of the time I only see UP engines on the tracks in the freight classification yard and the Shops. Then, in one week, I see five engines from two other railroads on the UP tracks here. Since I was on my way to work both times that I saw the "foreign" engines, I didn't have time to stop and take a closer look at the trains.

Laurence

[jstolberg]

Spotted two Ferromex locomotives on a Union Pacific train over I-355 in Illinois about half an hour ago. I don't see those very often around Chicago.

[Backshophoss]

Ferromex power is common on the BNSF Transconn thru Belen,now that GE has a loco factory in Ft Worth.

[UP 7076]

I wondered how this works.

Good to know as in two occasions I have seen Norfolk Southern locomotives working with UP on freight through Las Vegas and also on one occasion BNSF through there as well. I know BNSF covers Arizona but BNSF seldom pass through Vegas for sure!