Empty grain train , For Kevin

Kevin,

Heres a empty grain train ready to depart Bakersfield for Elm Creek,NE... , Units are
UP 7297/UP 7098 there may be more , Headsup.

-Richard

 

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by RichC44AC:
Kevin,

Heres a empty grain train ready to depart Bakersfield for Elm Creek,NE... , Units are
UP 7297/UP 7098 there may be more , Headsup.

-Richard<hr></blockquote>

The power is here in Bakersfield awaiting refueling. The actual grain trains never make it farther south than Tulare, with the power running light into Bakersfield for refueling. When the empty cars are ready for pickup, a Bakersfield crew runs the light power North out of town and picks up the train at whichever location (usually Tulare or Traver) and heads on to Roseville and points East. There are probably other grain trains that run to Turlock, Livingston, etc..., but that power probably goes to Fresno or Roseville. Just thought you might like to know about this operation. Unfortunately, other than this and the Fresno Local, Bakersfield has become a virtual UP ghost town

 

Kevin,

I thought they assemble trains in Bakersfield...
since when did UP start seldomly using the yard
in Bakersfield? , Yeah there are alot of grain
elevators in the Valley , I know one of them is
in Kearney just south of Stockton... , Thanks for
the info though , Its probally to dark to shoot
those engines anyway.

 

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by RichC44AC:
Kevin,

I thought they assemble trains in Bakersfield...
<hr></blockquote>

They used to, and I wish they still did...I believe the official shutdown day of the Bakersfield Yard was supposed to be 1/1/2001, but it was finally done a couple of months later. The only train that is still made up in Bakersfield is the Bak-Fresno local. There is now only one switch job and one local job originating in Bakersfield, as the six day a week M-BKYR/M-YRBK's (Bakersfield-Yermo local) were shut down around the middle of the year, replaced by a seemingly irregular M-FRYR (Fresno-Yermo). All of the heavy valley switching and train-making is now done in Fresno. The other death nail to Bakersfield was the use of DPU power all the way between Roseville and West Colton. The DPU power was originally added at Bakersfield, but that was also discontinued around the first of the year. As for now, Bakersfield is mainly a crew change point on the UP, although the yard is mostly intact (most of the track is red-flaf\gged or otherwise in poor condition). Truly a sad sight...

 

Kevin,

Thats too badd now you gotta travel a little farther to catch more train action like the
loop or somewhere in the desert , I guess UP
isn't making alot of business in BK I bet thats
the reason for shut down of the yard and switching
that was done over the past years.

 

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by RichC44AC:
I guess UP
isn't making alot of business in BK<hr></blockquote>

Actually, there's plenty of business coming out of Bakersfield that originates on the SJVR operated branches. The reason for the change on the UP has more to do with operational politics in the Roseville Service Unit than with traffic levels (this info comes from inside sources who shall remain anonymous). The BNSF Yard in Bakersfield is still plenty busy, with several BNSF switch crews working around the clock as well as SJVR crews working their portion of the yard. It should also be noted that the SJVR is also regularly working the UP Yard each morning, dropping and picking up cars from the previous day's UP setout.

[ 30 November 2001: Message edited by: Kevin Stevens ]</p>