Railway Pics - Locos, Rolling Stock, Buildings, Etc!

[Burning Beard]

Those look like containers that are loaded on to the flat cars you can see in the other picture. They stack them two high. Those flat cars share their trucks, so that the one in front is attached to the same truck as the one behind. I have been noticing them around here for the last couple of years.

Beard

[southwestforests]

Originally Posted by beckychestney

Not a big mornings fan either! Could you tell what they were hauling? I don't think I've seen cars like those before.

Would be one style of these double stack container cars in linked page: manufacturer was previously known as Gunderson, now known as Greenbriar. Loaded in first photo, empty in second.
Greenbrier Manufactures Quality Railcars | Greenbrier

We manufacture virtually all types of railcars for the North American market. We are the market leader in intermodal railcar production. Our customers include all Class I and many shortline railroads, shippers and leasing companies—partners who depend on us for innovative design, quality production and on-time delivery.

• Automotive
• Box Cars
• Center Partition Cars
• Covered Hopper Cars
• Double Stack Cars
• Flatcars
• Gondola Cars
• Tank Cars

[whulsey]

Looks like other folks beat me to it. That section of the BNSF (old Santa Fe main line) parallels I40 from Barstow CA to close to Albuquerque NM. Its not unusual to see them a couple of miles long and since its double track to see an east bound and west bound passing. Or to stop to grab gas or something to eat and by the time you're back on the road here comes another. All those containers coming or going from San Pedro, LA and Long Beach heading to warehouses across the US.

[beckychestney]

Ah, I see it now.

[sgoti]

Originally Posted by whulsey

Looks like other folks beat me to it. That section of the BNSF (old Santa Fe main line) parallels I40 from Barstow CA to close to Albuquerque NM. Its not unusual to see them a couple of miles long and since its double track to see an east bound and west bound passing. Or to stop to grab gas or something to eat and by the time you're back on the road here comes another. All those containers coming or going from San Pedro, LA and Long Beach heading to warehouses across the US.

Double stack cars have been around since the mid-1980's.

I can't find figures for today, but initially many of the early containers were for international customers.

It was faster (and/or sometimes cheaper) to receive containers on one coast, transfer them to railcars for the run across the country, and load them onto another ship bound for whatever country.

You saved transit times to/through the Panama Canal this way (3-4 days compared to several weeks).

[whulsey]

Now that's interesting for the trans-shipping from ocean to ocean.

[sgoti]

Originally Posted by whulsey

Now that's interesting for the trans-shipping from ocean to ocean.

It's commonly known as a "land bridge".

American President Lines (APL) was an early pioneer of this, initially using single-level container on flat car (COFC) trains. Some history here:
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_President_Lines>

[beckychestney]

Yes but nowadays far more containers arrive at US ports than are sent back to their country of origin full of US made goods. Our primary export to China is paper. Which is made into boxes to hold the things Americans buy. Sad cycle.

[Kevin WS]

Ken - splendid pictures of you doing your bit. I am glad you enjoyed it and they actually let you drive a bit!

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Wayne - what a nice classic BNSF pic using the light - the first one! One of those "keepers" you get once in a while!

[Kevin WS]

Here are a couple pf pictures I took on Friday.......

Pictures 1 and 2 are of an 18E Electric loco consist. The 18E is an upgrade of 6E class (first manufactured 1969). Appearance wise they remain pretty much the same as the 6E's. They are powerful locos.

Picture 3 and 4 shows the drivers doors - this is a recent mod to these locos and is aimed at protecting the crew from people throwing rocks as well as the odd bullet. A nuisance to the drivers as the windows on that side do not open.

Picture 5 is of an African Rail Services Loco - this is a proivate company that services mines and steel works and other industrial sites. They run a whole of lot of stock and I have not seen a loco like this (clearly American in origin) before.

Model, manufacturer, year made, anyone?