Foreign Engines on local roads?

[scottso699]

Ok I have a question - I primarily focus on the history of local railroads. Anything having to do with current railroads revolves around the Southern Secondary which is populated with CSX or NS engines due to the CSAO agreement so it's common to see those two roads here in NJ. When I occasionally make my way into the other threads I see a lot of BNSF, CN and UP units (and even some SP units? What's that all about? SP Ceased to exist 18 years ago!) here in NJ. How and why would units from these western railroads be here in NJ? And not just sometimes... but a lot! Is this what I have heard of called "pooling"? Again, because I focus so much on local fallen flags such as the CNJ and PRR its seems as though these railroads would NEVER lend out one of their engines to another railroad unless there was some $$$ in it for them. I've never seen a picture of a PRR SD45 climbing up the Cajon Pass... Or a UP GP20 mixed in with some LV GP18s... Do the railroads just play nice with others now? They've learned to share their toys? Can someone educate me in modern motive power?

[glennk419]

Foreign power did occasionally show up on other roads due to power shortages and such. CNJ leased N&W F units when they were short of power in the early 70's and EL units occasionally ran through between Scranton and Port Elizabeth. Reading and B&O units could also be regularly seen. The LV also leased a fair amount of PRR power during the same time frame. Obviously, some of the latter examples were in conjunction with the parent railroads.

Run through power is much more common these days than in the past, especially on hot shot perishable goods and container trains. The railroads know that in competition against trucking, every minute counts. This results in frequent foreign power sightings. In addition, the railroads will pay off "horsepower hours" by allowing their units to be used on other roads and some foreign roads also run their power through via trackage rights. I've seen pictures of Conrail blue locomotives in Florida pre-CSX and even on the West Coast, tied up alongside San Diego Coaster commuter locos. South Jersey also sees a fair amount of foreign power on crude oil trains, usually BNSF, UP and CN, with the most unique one recently being a NdeM (Mexican National Railways) GE unit.

Here's the latest "guest" in SJ: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3893027" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[scottso699]

Exactly - CNJ Leased those units from N&W so I could see why they'd be here. A CN unit in South Jersey? Just seems so strange to me - it almost seems lately that foreign units out number the locals! I just never thought I'd see a bunch of BNSF or UP units all over New Jersey or the east coast for that matter...

[von schlieffen]

The Bakken crude oil trains come in to NJ from out west with foreign power, normally CN or BNSF. It appears that when there is a need for six-axle power on some of the South Jersey locals, those units are used rather than left waiting for empty tanks to take back to North Dakota. I'm not sure if they are operated on a "rental" basis, or a horsepower-hour trade in which somewhere, the BNSF or CN is operating CSX/NS locomotives in exchange.

CA-11 often uses foreign power on its daily run down the Delaware river.

[scottso699]

The Bakken crude oil trains come in to NJ from out west with foreign power, normally CN or BNSF. It appears that when there is a need for six-axle power on some of the South Jersey locals, those units are used rather than left waiting for empty tanks to take back to North Dakota. I'm not sure if they are operated on a "rental" basis, or a horsepower-hour trade in which somewhere, the BNSF or CN is operating CSX/NS locomotives in exchange.

CA-11 often uses foreign power on its daily run down the Delaware river.

Ok so that would then make sense to me - BNSF would get some NS locos in exchange for their power being run on NS lines.

[Angus202]

Just caught a brand new NC SD70ACe #1032 on a hot BNSF UPS train on the Stockton subdivision in California headed to the port of Oakland. Seems the hotter the train, the more likely you'll catch foreign power. The UP coal drags in the area are always solid UP power.

[glennk419]

And again today, courtesy of Bob Vogel:

http://chuchubob.rrpicturearchives.net/ ... id=3899211

[davebdawg]

Was at Potter Wednesday afternoon and saw a CN engine along with 2 NS'ers, would this be the same CN I saw there yesterday heading east? Did'nt get the engine number though.

[tomk62]

While traveling past Newark Airport Sunday evening I noticed two CP and 1 Santa Fe locomotive over by Port Elizabeth.

[kilroy]

Lots of foreign power around this past Sunday. Two CP's and a DM&E on a tank train at Motiva with another beaver sitting at Carteret. A CP and a UP were on a parked tank train at Trembly. Two more Uncle Pete's parked at Trembly as well.

Caught another UP on 24V I think it was. All this in a llittle over two hours.