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Train of Locomotives
Sep 28, 2020 18:42:41   #
tommy2 Loc: Fort Worth, Texas
 
Lately when driving by this rail yard we see more and more locomotives lined up idle. Drove as slow as we could today to count almost 40 in that line. Sometimes we see a few on the track next to that one too.

For the last several years we have seen two or three parked in that spot next to a large repair facility but very seldom more. Watching a daily 8 a.m. train entering that yard we've counted an average of 100 cars or more being pulled until this past spring. We now count 35 or less arriving from the northeast.

All we see on the TV newscasts are airplanes in storage, how about this rolling stock? I wonder if the railroad industry has received any of the billions of dollars as has been given to the airline industry this last six or more months?


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Sep 28, 2020 20:26:40   #
Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.
 
tommy2 wrote:
Lately when driving by this rail yard we see more and more locomotives lined up idle. Drove as slow as we could today to count almost 40 in that line. Sometimes we see a few on the track next to that one too.

For the last several years we have seen two or three parked in that spot next to a large repair facility but very seldom more. Watching a daily 8 a.m. train entering that yard we've counted an average of 100 cars or more being pulled until this past spring. We now count 35 or less arriving from the northeast.

All we see on the TV newscasts are airplanes in storage, how about this rolling stock? I wonder if the railroad industry has received any of the billions of dollars as has been given to the airline industry this last six or more months?
Lately when driving by this rail yard we see more ... (show quote)

Are they BNSF?

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Sep 29, 2020 05:21:38   #
rmorrison1116 Loc: Near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
 
Mac wrote:
Are they BNSF?


I see a lot of American flags so those would be Union Pacific.

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Sep 29, 2020 22:51:59   #
GrayGhost
 
UP has been pulling autoracks & reefers out of storage here in KS and going east with them to Topeka / Kansas City. Lots of BNSF coal trains are stored now on the Kyle RR in northwest KS I believe as BNSF was taking them (coat trains) to Courtland, KS & then the Kyle would pick them up and head out west with them somewhere. Have been told BNSF has 4 axle engines in storage in Newton, KS.

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Sep 30, 2020 10:03:13   #
tommy2 Loc: Fort Worth, Texas
 
tommy2 wrote:
Lately when driving by this rail yard we see more and more locomotives lined up idle...

This morning 5 more locomotives arrived at the yard. I can't quite make out the meaning of the writing painted across the initials "FWRR" but it starts out "Fort Worth &...". Interesting is that each locomotive has an outline of a Longhorn with a different county name painted on them too.
There were only 27 cars being pulled along with them.
(Sorry about the fuzzy handheld shot from about a half mile away.)


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Sep 30, 2020 11:28:49   #
GrayGhost
 
Shortline many of us will never see due to its location <G><G>
Fort Worth & Western Railroad (FWWR)www.fwwr.net
Fort Worth & Western Railroad (FWWR) is a vertically integrated full service railroad operating over 276 miles of track through 8 counties in North Central Texas
73
GG

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Oct 5, 2020 16:17:30   #
rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA
 
tommy2 wrote:
Lately when driving by this rail yard we see more and more locomotives lined up idle. Drove as slow as we could today to count almost 40 in that line. Sometimes we see a few on the track next to that one too.

For the last several years we have seen two or three parked in that spot next to a large repair facility but very seldom more. Watching a daily 8 a.m. train entering that yard we've counted an average of 100 cars or more being pulled until this past spring. We now count 35 or less arriving from the northeast.

All we see on the TV newscasts are airplanes in storage, how about this rolling stock? I wonder if the railroad industry has received any of the billions of dollars as has been given to the airline industry this last six or more months?
Lately when driving by this rail yard we see more ... (show quote)

I see lots of locomotives stored by the Norfolk Southern Railroad in Elkhart Indiana, but that is often the case. I have seen a number of container trains, but few crude oil trains {as expected}. I haven’t checked to see if the short-line Elkhart&Western is still storing grain cars {this is about when I would I would expect them to be needed}.

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Oct 26, 2020 14:26:40   #
RixPix Loc: Miami, Florida
 
Here's the latest news.

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/short-lines-seek-temporary-waivers-from-fra-due-to-coronavirus

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May 5, 2021 15:14:11   #
tommy2 Loc: Fort Worth, Texas
 
Guess the economy is picking up a little judging by the length of freight trains. This morning a 100 car train passed by, the last time was over a year ago. At that time there would be several per week.
Throughout the last year most trains had an average of 35 cars and there were less per week.
Several 80+ car trains have passed by in the last couple weeks and one 94 car train.
Glad to see the hundred cars and four engines traveling by this morning.

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Jun 14, 2021 15:55:22   #
larryepage Loc: North Texas area
 
tommy2 wrote:
Lately when driving by this rail yard we see more and more locomotives lined up idle. Drove as slow as we could today to count almost 40 in that line. Sometimes we see a few on the track next to that one too.

For the last several years we have seen two or three parked in that spot next to a large repair facility but very seldom more. Watching a daily 8 a.m. train entering that yard we've counted an average of 100 cars or more being pulled until this past spring. We now count 35 or less arriving from the northeast.

All we see on the TV newscasts are airplanes in storage, how about this rolling stock? I wonder if the railroad industry has received any of the billions of dollars as has been given to the airline industry this last six or more months?
Lately when driving by this rail yard we see more ... (show quote)


During business downturns, it is common for locomotives to be stored in locations considered relatively secure to avoid tampering, theft, or vandalism. Storing them near a heavy shop facility makes it easier and quicker to put them back in service when needed, because they are right where they need to be for the necessary inspections and required maintenance or repairs. I'm sure that the FWWR units are on the way to those same shops for inspections and maintenance. There would be no reason for the railroad to pay the UP or BNSF to store them, since they have plenty of space in their own facilities in Fort Worth or Brownwood. The other possibility is that they may be leased units being returned to the owner, or they may have been sold.

Where in Fort Worth is that large group of locomotives? The diesel shops are sort of lined up with Montgomery Street on the old MoPac line through town. I'm guessing they are probably at the west end of the main yard, but can't tell for sure.

Thanks for the images. Nice panorama.

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Jun 14, 2021 19:28:39   #
tommy2 Loc: Fort Worth, Texas
 
The photo was taken while driving north on Chisholm Trail Parkway in between Bryant Irving and Montgomery. The engines are being slowly removed from that parking space alongside the large repair/service buildings. Actually even seeing trains numbering almost 100 cars arriving into the city again after seeing no more than 40 car trains during the last year. Good sign the economy is rebounding.

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