Back in the 1980s, BN ran short TOFC unit trains called "Expediters" between certain terminal cities in order to compete with trucks. Usually short in size (not too many TOFC flats, power was usually one diesel unless otherwise needed. Here are some shots from northeastern Oklahoma from waybackyanderwhen: SD40-2 8010 with Tulsa-Kansas City Expediter, Afton, OK. About a 1/4 mile to the right, it'll cross over to the second main to head north up the former Afton Sub to Ft. Scott, KS. Where I'm standing to take this shot is the site of the former Frisco depot in Afton. An LMX B39-8 (GE's "Power by the Hour" leasers, in answer to EMD's Oakway SD60s) crossing a trestle on the Afton Sub north of Narcissa, OK, doing all of 50 MPH. Miami is 5 miles north of here, along old US66.
Man, those bring back memories. Most of the expeditors on the FW&D were only two, sometimes ONE 89-footer. Sometimes they would have a few more cars, but 95% of the time it was two. I think these were Houston or Irving (Dallas) to Amarillo, but that is just a guess. I have at least one pic of one of these so when I get my new Railimages account I'll report back.
Sounds like BN's version of the D&RGW Railblazer... How hot were the Expediter trains? Hottest? Hotter than that?
Pretty hot, I think they even put Amtrak in the siding (just like GN Silk trains did-to their passenger trains) And yes it is like DR&W Railblazers.
They were the QLA of the time- that is, just as hot as Frisco's hottest freight. Of the Expediters I saw rolling thru Afton (while visiting Mom & Dad), I never saw less than ten TOFC flats. You could say it was a pike-size freight train (a la Model Railroader's pike-size pass. train)
Yup. Back in ancient times. When railroad leadership hadn't forgotten what they were selling: C-u-s-t-o-m-e-r S-e-r-v-i-c-e. When what you paid them for, they tried to accomplish. mg: Boxcab E50
Yep, back in ancient times, Seaboard Air Line ran a dedicated piggy back train, TT-23 (The Razorback), from Kearney N.J. to Jacksonville, FL. in just under 30 hours, daily except Sunday. Typically 50 to 80 TTX flats and auto racks (loaded). This was done in conjunction with the Pennsy and RF&P. Tpical power in the beginning was from 1 to 3 passenger E-units, supplanted with GP-7/9/18's, later the power was whatever was Seaboards newest freight power (GP-30's, 35's, 40's and/or SDP-35's). From ~9:00 p.m to midnight, TT-23 met or passed 2 northbound and 2 southbound manifest freights. This, just two blocks up from my parents house. Average speed on Seaboard was 60.8 mph.
Somewhere in my pics I even have one of a Santa Fe SD45 leading one up the Cherokee Sub near Claremore, along old Route 66. Which wasn't too unusual,since ATSF power could be seen on runthru trains (esp. the JB Hunt stack trains) from the Avard (OK) connection to Tulsa, Springfield and down to Memphis, TN (a la Frisco's old CTB hotshot). The Tulsa-KC Expediters didn't exactly race thru Afton since they had to go on & off the Afton Sub line, but they never saw a red block in Afton.
