CN tanker on CSX line?

I was heading to work on Friday around 6:30 or so, and I went through Catlettsburg at the Big Sandy Junction to see if anything was followable over into Huntington. I saw an engine so I headed down to a typical turnaround place, and as I passed the train..I saw two CN engines, with an Illinios Central (i think?) engine in the middle, pulling a short tanker load into West Virginia. The line all along there is CSX territory, but I was curious as to why a CN/IC engine set was on this line. Anyone care to explain?

I'll post a video up in a bit of the encounter...I also caught it going past work in West Huntington, but only caught the end at a restricted speed.

iceman977th wrote:Anyone care to explain?

The North American railroads interchange and use each other's power on a daily basis. The use of the power is settled up periodically in horsepower hours.

iceman977th wrote:I was heading to work on Friday around 6:30 or so, and I went through Catlettsburg at the Big Sandy Junction to see if anything was followable over into Huntington. I saw an engine so I headed down to a typical turnaround place, and as I passed the train..I saw two CN engines, with an Illinios Central (i think?) engine in the middle, pulling a short tanker load into West Virginia. The line all along there is CSX territory, but I was curious as to why a CN/IC engine set was on this line. Anyone care to explain?

I'll post a video up in a bit of the encounter...I also caught it going past work in West Huntington, but only caught the end at a restricted speed.

The train you saw was K898-21. It's a loaded molten sulphur tank train that runs from Clearing Yard, in Chicago, to Lee Creek, North Carolina. Run through power is very common on the K series sulphur trains that run from Chicago to NC. The last 3-4 have ran with CN, and UP power.

This train had a nearly new CN SD70M-2, IC SD70, and a former WC SD40-2 on the point. I shot the train exiting Big Bend Tunnel, in Talcott, WV

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=257298

The units were used as pushers on the rear of this train, as it left Fulton Yard, and will be returning on an E series coal empty train tonight or tomorrow, along the same route.

Loyd L.

wmmanager wrote:

iceman977th wrote:I was heading to work on Friday around 6:30 or so, and I went through Catlettsburg at the Big Sandy Junction to see if anything was followable over into Huntington. I saw an engine so I headed down to a typical turnaround place, and as I passed the train..I saw two CN engines, with an Illinios Central (i think?) engine in the middle, pulling a short tanker load into West Virginia. The line all along there is CSX territory, but I was curious as to why a CN/IC engine set was on this line. Anyone care to explain?

I'll post a video up in a bit of the encounter...I also caught it going past work in West Huntington, but only caught the end at a restricted speed.

The train you saw was K898-21. It's a loaded molten sulphur tank train that runs from Clearing Yard, in Chicago, to Lee Creek, North Carolina. Run through power is very common on the K series sulphur trains that run from Chicago to NC. The last 3-4 have ran with CN, and UP power.

This train had a nearly new CN SD70M-2, IC SD70, and a former WC SD40-2 on the point. I shot the train exiting Big Bend Tunnel, in Talcott, WV

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=257298

The units were used as pushers on the rear of this train, as it left Fulton Yard, and will be returning on an E series coal empty train tonight or tomorrow, along the same route.

Loyd L.

Yup, that would be it. Is it a CSX or a CN train though?

CSX is operating the train (and collecting revenue on said train) with run-thru power from CN-IC. Note that North American railroads interchange entire trains, again, on a daily basis. It is all one big rail network. When foreign equipment is run on another railroad, that railroad pays a daily rent (per diem) for using/hauling the equipment, the movement of which generates revenue from the shipper. The per diem is paid to the owner of the equipment being hauled.

Not to be nitpicky, but as this is a molten sulfur train, it is tanks. Railroads don't own tanks; they are either owned by the shipper or leased by the shipper from a leasing company (GATX/GE Rail Services/Union Tank/etc). Foreign roads pay both per diem and loaded mileage charges for railroad-controlled equipment in their possession. On private cars, railroads pay only mileage for any loaded miles accrued by the private equipment to the equipment owner (which is, in turn, credited to whoever is controlling the equipment). In most cases nowadays, railroads negotiate "0" mileage contracts that provide a reduced rate in exchange for waiving the mileage-based compensation.

Go Cubs...

Yeah, thanks. I meant to say all of that, too (except the part about the Cubs).