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tested outside the plant on GE’s former BNSF trackage. As part of its 2017 capital budget for 50 new locomotives, NS will also receive 16 of the ES44AC Tier 4-credit versions to be built at GE Fort Worth. These ES44AC units will be numbered 8169–8184. As for General Electric a.c. conver-


sion programs, NS and GE were able to rebuild an additional 16 Dash 9-40C units into AC44C6M models during 2016. This is on top of the two proto- types converted in 2015, resulting in 18 units active, numbered 4000–4017, at year’s end. For 2017, NS plans to begin converting at least 50 more Dash 9 units into the AC44C6M class. This work will be split between GE’s plant in Fort Worth and the NS shops in Roanoke, Va., and Altoona, Pa.


Coal News During the first six weeks of 2017,


NS coal loadings hit 111,725 carloads, a 25 percent improvement from the same period in 2016. During late 2016, NS also saw a slight mix shift in its utility coal, with more flowing into northern region power plants than in the south. NS expects that to continue in 2017, as a result of stockpiles generally being lower in the north this winter than they are in the south. On the export side, growth in late


2016 was associated with the Baltimore piers instead of Lambert’s Point, Va. NS currently has around 100 engineers and trainmen furloughed, primarily in the coalfields. That number could possibly begin to drop if the recent upswing in coal continues into the summer. Contrib- uting to the carloadings increase was


NS’ recent win to supply Powder River Basin coal to Detroit Edison plants in southeast Michigan. Loaded movements are typically running as Train 872 into River Rouge, Train 878 into Trenton, and Train 880 into Monroe. Empties usually return as Train 873, Train 879, and Train 881 respectively from these three plants.


I&O Grain Trains Earlier this year, NS began handling


unit grain trains originating at several loading points on the Indiana & Ohio Railway’s former Detroit, Toledo & Ironton and Baltimore & Ohio trackage in Ohio. These trains are interchanged at Springfield, Ohio, on NS’ Dayton District, and support Cargill facilities around Gainesville, Ga. Loads typical- ly operate as Train 46R and empties return as Train 45R, although some trains have been designated 46Z loaded and 45Z empty. The normal routing for these trains is directly via Chatta- nooga, Tenn., between Cincinnati and Atlanta. However, some of the loaded trains have been diverted to Sevier Yard in Knoxville, Tenn., to be stored several days when not immediately needed by the receiver.


UNION PACIFIC JONATHAN QUINLEY


Bring Back the Old Union Pacific felt a pinch with motive


power as traffic was up a bit in Febru- ary, the UP AC44/6000CWs were headed to storage, and weather woes in the


Pacific Northwest were causing power to be trapped in areas that resulted in shortages systemwide. It was decided to pull stored units out of Missouri Valley, Iowa, that had been there since 2015. A total of 50 units were pulled in the form of SD60s, SD60Ms, C44-9Ws, C40-8Ws, and C41-8Ws. The biggest surprise is the last two Chicago & North Western “twins,” Nos. 8646 and 8701, which were both pulled from storage at the Illinois Railway Museum and put back into service. The 8701 lasted one trip before the turbo blew, but the Proviso (Ill.) shop was able to make repairs.


Winter Weather Woes Heavy winter rains, coupled with snow


and ice storms, wreaked havoc across Union Pacific lines in California and Nevada during the month of February. A breach in the 21-Mile Dam closed the line between Ogden, Utah, and Montel- lo, Nev., on February 9. The same week, the former Western Pacific Feather River Canyon route between Portola and Oroville, Calif., was closed due to numerous washouts, further complicat- ed by evacuations due to the damaged Oroville Dam. Flooding also closed the line between Stockton and Roseville, Calif., and affected operations between Winnemucca, Nev., and Portola. Heavy snows hammered Donner Pass, forcing the activation of the rotary plows to keep the former Southern Pacific route over the Sierra Nevada open. By the end of February, Union Pacific


had managed to reopen most routes with the exception of the Feather River Canyon. No estimate was made for a planned return to service —O.M.V.


Alco Interlude at Nevada Northern


While steam may be the main attraction for many, Nevada Northern’s fleet of Alco switchers deserve their fair share of attention. Two Alco RS-3s were staged at Ely, Nev., during the railroad’s annual Winter Photographer’s Weekend event February 17-19. No. 109 was built in 1950, while No. 105 was built in 1949, both purchased new by Kennecott Corp.


PHOTO BY JOHN KLEEMAN


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