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Russ Bellinis · 07-17-2009, 11:25 AM

eightyeightfan1 Wrote:Nice pics guys!
Its funny. I always see pictures of Eastern roads with foriegn power from the west. Never do I see a BNSF train with NS loco in the consist.

I don't know how many railroads are leasing power right now in the current economic times. Both the BNSF and the UP have long lines of equipment parked on spare sidings all over the desert waiting for the economy to turn around. If you go to <a class="postlink" href="http://www.socalrailfan.com/forums/index.php">www.socalrailfan.com/forums/index.php</a>? there are forums for most of the railfan locations throughout Southern California. I think they require registration to view pics, but registration is free. I went to the Cajon Pass on the BNSF and went to page 5 to a thread titled "An Exceptional Day In The Pass" by EngineCo16. This thread was put up on Sept 25, 2005, and Isaw pics of a BNFS freight with a CSX unit in the consist and another one with an NS unit in the lash up. We used to see a lot of Eastern road names on locomotives in lash up out here, but I don't think there has been enough business to require them to lease power from anyone else since last October at least.

csiguy68 · 07-17-2009, 03:06 PM

i agree with you russ its been over a year since i saw any foreign power on NS trains here in pennsylvania. i used to see a lot of BNSF and occassionally UP, and a good bit of CSX, but not lately. sign of the times i guess.

todd

railohio · 07-17-2009, 04:32 PM

Run-through power agreements and by-the-hour locomotives are two entirely different animals. Railroads are still honoring their run-through power agreements that they have for a decade or more. Eastern power doesn't make it to the west coast simply because it doesn't need to make up the horsepower hours owed. Run-through agreements exist to ease interchange operations. They aren't in effect because one of the roads is power short. The "rent-a-wreck" leasers are what railroads use when they are short on power and virtually all of those locomotives are parked now by Class 1 systems although some are still running around on shortlines and regionals without their own power.

**Brakie** · 07-18-2009, 03:31 AM

railohio Wrote:Eastern power doesn't make it to the west coast simply because it doesn't need to make up the horsepower hours owed.

Like all things railroad there are exceptions to the rules. Wallbang

Here's a NS unit happly rolling along in Redlands Ca.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.railarc.org/imagefetch3.shtml?i=ns-9065-redlands_ca-%5B27-aug-2000%5D-000.jpg">http://www.railarc.org/imagefetch3.shtm ... 5D-000.jpg</a>

Here's two more helping Uncle Pete at Niland Ca.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.railarc.org/imagefetch3.shtml?i=ns-9043-niland_ca-%5B27-aug-2000%5D-001.jpg">http://www.railarc.org/imagefetch3.shtm ... 5D-001.jpg</a>

I fully agree Eastern power on the West coast are rare birds indeed.

Russ Bellinis · 07-18-2009, 12:31 PM

I don't think those are exceptions, Brakie. Both of the photos you linked to were taken in 2000. Before I retired in 2006, the shop I worked out of was next to the U.P. main in City of Industry, Ca. I also made service calls all over the Southern Los Angeles County, Northern Orange County, and Western Riverside and San Bernardino County area. I seldom saw a BNSF or U.P. train without foreign power in the consist. In those years, I used to see almost as much CSX, NS, or Conrail power as U.P. and BNSF it seemed. In addition, they also had a lot of leased power. Probably only 25% Foreign power, but it stood out so much that it seemed to be more. In the last two years, the only non-home road power I've seen has been rentals, and those units are few and far between. I think right now the economy is so bad that the railroads are even storing a significant portion of their power. I suspect that purchases of new power have been delayed by both the U.P. and the BNSF and they may have even "moth balled" equipment that they were planning to trade in on the new power.

**Brakie** · 07-19-2009, 04:36 AM

Russ Bellinis Wrote:I don't think those are exceptions, Brakie. Both of the photos you linked to were taken in 2000. Before I retired in 2006, the shop I worked out of was next to the U.P. main in City of Industry, Ca. I also made service calls all over the Southern Los Angeles County, Northern Orange County, and Western Riverside and San Bernardino County area. I seldom saw a BNSF or U.P. train without foreign power in the consist. In those years, I used to see almost as much CSX, NS, or Conrail power as U.P. and BNSF it seemed. In addition, they also had a lot of leased power. Probably only 25% Foreign power, but it stood out so much that it seemed to be more. In the last two years, the only non-home road power I've seen has been rentals, and those units are few and far between. I think right now the economy is so bad that the railroads are even storing a significant portion of their power. I suspect that purchases of new power have been delayed by both the U.P. and the BNSF and they may have even "moth balled" equipment that they were planning to trade in on the new power.

Ouch! "Now I got bite by All things railroad".. Wallbang