BNSF Coal Train pictures/information

Does anyone know of a site dedicated to BNSF coal trains? I plkan on modeling a BNSF coal train in HO scale so any help is appreciated.

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marshall

 

I don't know of anything other than the Qstation coal train identifier...

 

pentrex has a lot of good videos.check that out it should help.


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those who know me know my sense of humor,dont take me seriously.
bnfan99

 

I have alot of photos on my site of BNSF coal trains headed towards KC. I also have a few links on my site to other coal sites. You can check it out at http://www.trainweb.org/mattsdepot

Matthew

 

Help I lost QStations address!!!!!!!

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marshall

 

BNSF_9999,

While I don't have any pictures to send or post, I can tell you about the trains in my region. I live near the Norhtern Coal Corridor from Glendive, MT to Fargo, ND and have spent considerable time this month fanning the line. If you actually want BNSF gons, any type will look right. The various paint schemes have been freely mixed, and it's possible for one train to have 7-8 different BNSF paint schemes. There are also a fair amount of utility-owned trains, but the BNSF trains will be a better general modleing effect. I will be presenting a video of the Jamestown, ND to Fargo, ND segment of the NCC at the FOBNR convention next weekend in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Maybe I'll see you there.

 

http://www.qstation.org/

 

Speaking for the Denver region, there are lots of trains north/south. From what i've seen the trains are very consistent in having the same car style/scheme/color but there can be differences. I don't remember seeing a whole lot of only BNSF car dominated trains. I did see a new Mineral red BNSF train southbound under UP power(One CNW AC as well) just this week. Mainly utility cars for th most part.

Almost always the coal trains are powered by SD70MACs. I almost never see any other type of power anymore. This is speaking for my little neck of the woods around Denver though, so i expect things might be a little different other places.

 

"Almost always the coal trains are powered by SD70MACs" Yeah that is another thing is there any instances where BNSF has used other power??? such as Dash 9-44CW's??? Because I might end up having to model my first SP train.

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marshall

[This message has been edited by BNSF_9999 (edited 28 July 2000).]

 

I've never seen any Dash 9s on the unit coal, but every once in a great while you might get an SD60/60M or an SD40-2.

And of course i saw the SD60MACs working with the 70s until they were returned to EMD.

You could model the 3 ACs though i guess.

 

We get almost everything through here. SD40-2s, EMDs (Oakways), SD60Ms, SD70MACs (Grinstein and HII) and yes, even C44-9Ws on coal trains. The only coal train through here regularly is to Columbia, WI which interchanges with the CP at Aberdeen Line Jct. (Information from BN4EVR also.)

[This message has been edited by DakotaFan (edited 28 July 2000).]

 

Having spent 9 months in Alliance NE and Gillette Wy working the road and yard, I can offer the following in regards to coal tran makeup and power. Trains of power company cars usually stay with matched sets, untill bad orders are culled out and replaced with what's on hand. Very seldom will you see a matched set of cars unless resonably new. Power is usually 3 or four 70MACS, but SD60's, SD40-s's and the occasional C30-7 gets mixed in. The 9000 series Oakways are a real pain! Power is changed up and down the line when dp units are involved. Power adds and subtracts take place first at Guernsey WY and Alliance NE going "east". Sheridan WY adds and subtracts going "west". While still on the Orin line going "east" UP helpers may be seen (try Logan Hill with 12000 HP and 135 cars at 18000 tons, bring a lunch!).

 

I was wondering about that also...

I wish an engineer would give a descritption of all the terms, ie, loading, etc...

 

Quoting from the August CTC Board
"BNSF will replace its Crawford and Bridgeport, NE helpers with SD60M's this summer. The units will be from the fleet of SD60M's that BNSF is reassigning from Glendive, MT to Alliance, NE to make room for the DP equipped DASH944CW's and AC4400CW's" These GE's have already been testing on the Mandan, ND corridor due to their DP capability. Looks like a possible changing of the guard up north on coal.

 

Same "rumor" has come from the roundhouse people in Alliance NE. It's amazing that I get more information from the "press" and these boards than I get from the company.

 

It is amazing what different people had to say about certain engines.After talking with an engineer in Alliance, He said that the Oakways were the best thing that were used as they would get down and just pull. Another engineer in alliance said that the GE ac would start to have wheel hop under heavy loads. I have a nice pic of the south coal yard in Alliance,which was taken in june,if you would like just email me and i will send it. You can beat a visit to Alliance but if you cannot go check out the video "Black diamonds through the dunes" great video.

 

Jrhmem, I was talking to a conductor once. Of course this is his opinion. He told me he would take 3 SD60's to 2 SD70MAC. He said that the SD60's are real pulling machines. he told this reasoning is because the SD70MAC slip alot in bad weather. I thought this was wierd because they are equiped with wheel-slip control. The only work I see the SD60 do in Galesburg are hauling the taconite trains and these are very HEAVY trains. They use 3 units on them.

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Keep on railroad'n

 

I was looking at the lineup of trains coming
out of Edgemont SD this last weekend and notice that the trains are getting a lot
heavier as 4 or 5 trains had over 19,000
trailing tons and close to 7500 feet long.
they had 3 helper set station in Crawford,
2 SD40-2 sets(2 sd40-2s, fuel tender, 2 Sd40-2s)and 1 set of Sd70mac w/fuel tender.
the angora hill helpers were 2 Sd40-2s fuel tender, 2Sd40-2s. Alot of action on saturday as a intermodal stalled on the hill requiring the Sd70mac to push it over the hill, which
inturn back up the coal trains in Crawford.
Alot of coal trains were seen in just about every direction from alliance.