08-31-2010, 11:41 AM
TOFC is as common as COFC here in So Cal. Often the two are combined as in the train you saw. On the BNSF, different trains run at diferent speeds and have different priority levels. The shipper pays extra for guaranteed faster delivery times, and so most of the trains will have a combination of COFC & TOFC, with priority being the overriding factor on train make up.