THIS MONTH’S TOP NEWS STORIES AND PHOTOS
Tier 4 Locomotives Arrive
On July 28, 2015, Building 26 at General Electric’s plant in Erie, Pa., was testing Canadian National ET44ACs No. 3011 and No. 3013 along with CSX ET44AH No. 3252. These locomotives are part of the fi rst production run of Tier 4 compliant locomotives for GE. Although CN began receiving its new power in early August, the CSX order was in process. CSX units are in primer, as they are being painted by contractors elsewhere. PHOTO BY STEPHEN M. KOENIG
BNSF RAILWAY SAYRE KOS
Locomotives Delivered First Tier 4
After much anticipation, BNSF took delivery of five new Tier 4-compliant ET44C4s. BNSF Nos. 3911, 3916, 3917, 3919, and 3924 were pressed into service at the end of July. The 3917 and 3919 were delivered first from General Electric’s plant in Fort Worth, Texas, followed by the 3916 and 3924; the 3911 was received from GE’s plant at Erie, Pa. As of press time, the locomotives were on different “Z” trains operating between California and Chicago.
Texas Testing Six-Motor Rebuilds
BNSF AC44C4M No. 616 recently returned to BNSF property following nearly a year of testing at Southwestern Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. It is presumed that this test conversion of an existing six-axle locomotive to operate with four traction motors was successful, since Dash 9-44CWs 602, 606, 610, and 611 were all en route
6 OCTOBER 2015 •
RAILFAN.COM
to Mexico on Train M-ALTTPL3-12 (Manifest, Alliance-Temple, Texas) for conversion to AC44C4Ms.
LNG Locomotives Roam
BNSF’s three LNG locomotives have been split up, at least temporarily. SD70ACes No. 9130 and No. 9131 re- turned to Topeka, Kan., with fuel tender 933501 on Train H-BARKCK1-29 (High Priority Manifest, Barstow, Calif.-Ar- gentine Yard, Kansas City, Kan.), pass- ing through Clovis, N.M., on the after- noon of July 30. LNG ES44AC No. 5815 remained in Winslow, Ariz., on August 7 after spending time in various termi- nals along the Transcon, allowing oper- ating and mechanical crews to become familiar with LNG operation. Sources indicate the trio of LNG locomotives may reunite in September for testing along Tehachapi Pass in Southern California.
Semaphore Update New Mexico
On July 29, semaphore signals at West Siding Switch Watrous and East Siding Switch Watrous, as well as intermediate
signals at mile 748.27, mile 746.37, and mile 744.34 on the Raton Subdivision, were removed from service and replaced with tri-color signals. Although this recent signal replace-
ment project diminishes the number of semaphores on the Raton and Glorieta Subdivisions, more than 30 semaphores remain in service from as far east/ north as Springer to as far west/south as Lamy. It is not yet clear when the remaining semaphores on this route — the highest concentration of operating semaphores in North America outside a museum — will be replaced. Currently, only Amtrak’s two daily Southwest Chief trains are scheduled over this corridor.
Dirt and Sand Trains
The “Dirty Dirt” trains that BNSF deliv- ers to Avard, Okla., have recently taken a different route back to Chicago, where they’re interchanged to CSX Transpor- tation. Empty gondolas move from Av- ard to Newton, Kan., as U-AVDNEW1, and after being inspected and switched (if there are bad order cars), they move to Chicago as U-NEWCSX1. Previously, the trains were inspected and switched at Wellington. But due to heavy traffic
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