Some BNSF shots

BNSF FAN Dec 28, 2007

  1. acptulsa

    acptulsa TrainBoard Member

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    It appears to me to be the back end of a GE wearing the warbonnet.
     
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  2. acptulsa

    acptulsa TrainBoard Member

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    A matched set working that hump today.

    IMG_20210805_181017330_HDR.jpg
     
  3. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    Wow, nice!!(y)(y)
     
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  4. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member

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    A Frisco engineer that worked the hump in Tulsa in SL-SF days, said a GP38+SW15 were standard power at one time, after that it was a single SD38-2. Now we have 2, SD70MAC's, wow. That should tell you how much humped tonnage has increased there. What has not changed in most cases is the light rail in yards over the last 75 years, and all that tonnage moving over 90lb rail on rotten ties and lousy ballast has resulted in some significant derailments in yards using this hi HP/adhesion road power in switching applications. I mean can you imagine what of tonnage a couple SD70MAC's in start and stop with the independent brakes alone in short moves, and the lateral forces being applied to that old rail. A recipe for derailments for sure. I have seen a few SD40-2/SD70MAC combos too.
     
  5. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    The photos seem to show welded rail and concrete ties.
     
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  6. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member

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    Wasn't referring to Tulsa in particular.
     
  7. r_i_straw

    r_i_straw Mostly N Scale Staff Member

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    July 10, 2011 in Rosenberg, Texas.
    DSCN2482.JPG
     
  8. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    A very backlit BNSF intermodal races west though the high desert between Barstow and Victorville CA July 25, 2012

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  9. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    Auburn Yard this afternoon found two GP25's switching a garbage train, aka "Stinky"! The second unit is a former Santa Fe GP40x with flaired radiators. 20210827_173608.jpg
     
  10. rch

    rch TrainBoard Member

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    I worked that hump job in Tulsa about 8 years ago. It's a little different from other humps I've seen because it's downhill up to the last 20 or 30 car lengths before the hump. The majority of the time you are braking to hold the train at hump speed. There are two switchmen pulling pins so you want to maintain a steady walking speed pace. If you don't keep that pace you have to stop the train and depending on how it went wrong you might have to go fishing over the hump to get misplaced cars.

    This hump job is where I learned the difference between standard range dynamic brakes and extended range dynamic brakes. At that time there were two sets of power on the hump: a matched set of BN SD40-2s and a matched set of Santa Fe SD40-2s. When I first started I used the Santa Fe set, which had extended range dynamics, and I was able to control the train speed pretty easily without using much air and mostly working the dynamics. The trick was transitioning when you got near the little sag before the hump, but I got it down.

    One day I had the BN set to use. We dragged out and got lined up. I got the train positioned on the hump and we were ready to get started. I set 10# and got into the dynos and let it start to roll. The train screamed right past 2.5, 4, 7 and just as I was wondering if the dynos worked at all they started to kick in. Meanwhile my crew is telling me to stop. The speed this happened triggered my memory so I looked it up. Yep, unlike Santa Fe SD40-2s BN SD40-2s do not have extended range dynamic brakes.

    Having said that, I can see how the SD70MACs would be a good fit for this hump. You probably wouldn't need to touch the air on all but the heaviest trains. Dynos would do the trick. Where SD70MACs would suck is going fishing over the hump. That was scary steep and a rough ride, probably made worse by backing up with a heavy handle of cars. The independent brakes on those 70MACs aren't exactly responsive either, but at least on the hump you're not doing the kind of work you would be spotting an industry. I had a pair of 70MACs on a bum job years ago and it took quite awhile to get used to the brakes. A lot of spots were overshot. In a perfect world there's not a lot of times you stop on the hump, so the independent brakes might not be much of an issue.
     
  11. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Watching action at the west end of Gavin Yard before the GN tower comes down in 2 weeks. A pair of BNSF 'Deuces shuffle the deck.

    _MG_6563.jpg
     
  12. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    Victorville CA July 25, 2012
    IMG_2207.JPG IMG_2198.JPG
     
  13. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Tower being demolished? Argh. Aside from the depot, there will be almost no reminders the GN was ever there... Sad. :cry:
     
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  14. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    The "other" Triple-7 in town!
    BNSF 777 in Auburn Yard today. 20210829_153141.jpg
     
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  15. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Yup, almost nothing but the depot is GN heritage. Here's one exception.
    [​IMG]
     
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  16. acptulsa

    acptulsa TrainBoard Member

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    The road certainly seems to think so. Today I spotted these four in the yard. I couldn't whip out the phone fast enough to get the four of them in one shot, but I could drive fast enough to get the two that hauled a cut down the lead (to a spot with more favorable light). IMG_20211013_175044030.jpg IMG_20211013_175540999.jpg
     
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  17. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Tower is gone now, but here's demolition photos of it.
    _MG_9204.jpg _MG_9284.jpg

    On a happier note, some action at Lostwood on the out-of-service Grenora Branch:

    _MG_2128.jpg
    _MG_2134.jpg
     
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  18. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    A grab shot of BNSF 7061 as she leads a westbound through Victorville CA - July 26, 2012

    bnsf7061.JPG
     
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  19. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    Westbound at the bottom of Cajon Pass - April 2013

    IMG_4259.JPG
     
  20. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    ABA set of EMD's at Auburn Yard, getting ready to head south! 20211021_132017.jpg
     

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