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  • UP ‘loco hire in’ engine hour swaps?

  • Discussion about the Union Pacific operations past and present. Official site can be found here: UPRR.COM.
Discussion about the Union Pacific operations past and present. Official site can be found here: UPRR.COM.

Moderator: GOLDEN-ARM

 #1464255  by UP 7076
 
Hey all;

I’m sure someone can help but how do other railroads borrow units from others? Is this done on a miles basis or engine hours? I assume railroads all at some part on their network link up to allow sharing of motive power?

For example in Vegas over the last week a good 1/3 of the trains I’ve seen have had a real mix of units. So far three CSX, two Norfolk Southern and two Kansas City Southern. All from just two hours typically per morning. What would cause the need to borrow such units in such volume? Are Union Pacific doing fleet work/overhauls on specific types that leave them short? I guess UP help other railroads so I can assume some of this is cover being paid back to UP but the CSX locos I didn’t expect given CSX country is more east coast certainly not Nevada!

Any explanation is appreciated sorry so many questions.

Kind regards;

Michael
 #1464285  by Wayside
 
Railroads exchange locos this way continuously, usually at interchange points on trains set up for "run through" to terminals on the other side of interchange. It's all accounted for using horsepower hours, plus a reconciliation for fuel on board at interchange. All of the class I roads have power running all over the country at any given time.
 #1464335  by UP 7076
 
Many thanks for that information. Another Norfolk Southern spotted today. Most times the borrowed units are tucked behind the lead UP loco(s) but I have seen them banking and in the middle! Are BNSF class 1? Given how local they are they don’t appear as much! Only once last year did I catch a pair of BNSF locomotives shunting onto a train with three UP’s to lead it to Arden and beyond...would think given the railroads are close that it would be more frequent.
Last edited by UP 7076 on Thu Mar 08, 2018 5:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
 #1464351  by Wayside
 
Yes BNSF is a class I. As for not being the lead unit, the foreign road power is often not fixed up with the same signal or automatic train stop equipment as the host road, so they have to be trailers.
 #1464363  by UP 7076
 
Wayside wrote:Yes BNSF is a class I. As for not being the lead unit, the foreign road power is often not fixed up with the same signal or automatic train stop equipment as the host road, so they have to be trailers.
Many thanks for that! You learn something every day.