Recently I have seen 3 Union Pacific locomotives pulling 2 different trains around Jax. One train was 2 UP locos pulling empty auto transport cars into Baldwin fron the north, the other was teamed up with 2 CSX locos heading north along Roosevelt.
I was under the impression that the locomotives usually stayed on their respective company's trackage, is it normal for UP locomotives to be this far east??
Yes it is. Norfolk Southern often leases UP engines. I have seen UP, Santa Fe, even UP painted up in Missouri Pacific colors as part of their heritage program.
Ok cool, is it a wet lease or are they purely getting the engine and then providing crew, fuel, maintenance, etc?
It is pretty common for railroads to share locomotives. They trade horsepower-hours until the locomotive finds its way home. The railroads even do maintenance on locomotives they don't own to keep them moving.
A lot of times it's not practical to swap locomotives on a train and it's never practical to send one a long distance without pulling something.
Like Lunican said. Stop by the NS Simpson Yard over off Old Kings Rd sometime and you are bound to see several UP engines parked there waiting to head north to Atlanta and points north and west.
Thanks guys, I've always been interested in trains as machines, but never paid much attention to how the railroad operations work.
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/Ocklawaha/RAILROAD%20Images/PASSENGER-RAIL-IC-CofM-ST-LOU-connection-in-STL.jpg)
Check out that Illinois Central Paint scheme on this short St. Louis section of the famed train.
Lunican explained the 'how' part of this question, I'll give you the historic why. Since Lunican explained the horsepower hour swap, I'll restrict my answers to pooled power.
Starting back about 1938-9, the railroads started replacing the older 'heavyweight' passenger trains, with the new stainless steel streamlined trains.
These trains, updated travel, and in many cases by using selective stations, and other upgraded facilities, they trimmed time off the schedules. The interesting part about many of those trains, is they were effectively 'launched' by one railroad with the full participation of partner railroads.
The 'City of Miami,' a running mate with the famed 'City of New Orleans', was an Illinois Central train. As the name suggests the train ran from Chicago to Miami. The route took it over:
Illinois Central: Chicago/St. Louis - Birmingham
Central of Georgia: Birmingham - Albany
Atlantic Coast Line: Albany - Jax
Florida East Coast: Jax - Miami
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/Ocklawaha/RAILROAD%20Images/PASSENGER-RAIL-CofG-pool-engine-ATL.jpg)
Note this CofG locomotive wearing the same City of Miami colors.
Each railroad placed locomotives and cars into the City's equipment pool. THEY EVEN PAINTED THEM IN THE SAME COLORS!
The 'City' was a sight to see, wearing as it did, the Illinois Centrals unique colors.
These arrangements were more common on the Florida - Midwest trains then anywhere else, and the lessons of economy were not wasted singularly on the passenger train.
Today coal trains running through from Wyoming to eastern utilities typically operate with pool power. The same is true of the Jacksonville - Los Angeles mainline.
Here is the full length CITY OF MIAMI running mate 'The Seminole' to give you an idea of how impressive these trains were.
(http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa111/Ocklawaha/RAILROAD%20Images/PASSENGER-RAIL-champaign-IL-IC-Seminole.jpg)
E units take the cake for the best looking diesel of all time.
Personally I'm partial to the RS-3.
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/ALCO_RS3.JPG)
QuoteStarting back about 1938-9, the railroads started replacing the older 'heavyweight' passenger trains, with the new stainless steel streamlined trains.
To learn more about the passenger trains and their equipment, there is an excellent book on the Pullman cars and their service with the railroads. The Cars of Pullman, by Welsh, Howes and Holland. It shows the progression of the wooden cars to the eventual steel cars and the craftsmen who worked on them. How originally they were real craftsmen in wood, and then became proficient with working with steel. Fascinating progression of the cars.
Even though you may see BNSF or UP or other leased equipment, you will always have a CSX or FEC crew leading the engine, because it is a no-no to have another railroad operator, unfamiliar with the line run that locomotive. In fact, the Jax to Miami run on Amtrak has a CSX operator there in the cab to run the rails. At least they used to do so, seems like a Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers turf thing.
My favorite streamline engine is the GM E-6 or E-8s. My grandfather used to work for ALCO, I do like the Steam Engines of ALCO best.
Quote from: mtraininjax on March 22, 2012, 04:14:00 PM
QuoteIn fact, the Jax to Miami run on Amtrak has a CSX operator there in the cab to run the rails. At least they used to do so, seems like a Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers turf thing.
They may have at one time, but Amtrak engineers sit in the cab and operate the train on the Meteor and the Star.
Yeah, maybe, the Alco RS units sounded like percolator coffee pots, they were a good way to get really dirty, would overload and belch black smoke. Gotta love the underdog.
As a result, my all time favorite was the Baldwin Centipede, designed as a high speed passenger locomotive, their electrical systems and other mechanical troubles common to all Baldwin cab units jinxed them. Had you ever seen one in action it was 90 feet of 90 mph Silver Meteor... IMPRESSIVE!
(http://www.northeast.railfan.net/images/tr_sal4500.jpg)
Maybe the Baldwin Ghost gets the last laugh, as the newer super powered units are following with an 'A FRAME' engine, and modular prime-movers so a mountain railroad could have 2 prime-movers while the FEC may have only one per locomotive.
And THAT is exactly what Baldwin tried so long ago, in many ways, way ahead of their time.