Ferromex and BNSF in Melvindale Yard

[DBFanatic]

Greetings, fellow railroadfans!

We (family and I) are in the process of moving to Allen Park, not far from the diamond at John Riel Park. A couple of nights ago I spent the night at the new house and took an evening walk to the park and did a couple of laps around the footpath. Traffic was plentiful but I was surprised to see the following:

1) A BNSF locomotive helping pull a N&S train into the yard
2) A 'Ferromex' locomotive helping pull another train into the yard

I have been buying railroad coasters from a guy who sells them at local train shows for all the railways that come past our new house. So far I have Grand Trunk, CN, CP, and N&S. Now it looks like I have to (get to?) add BNSF and Ferromex?

I'm a bit of a railfanning noob, at least in the US, so my question is this: should I expect to see just about anything come past me when I'm out in John Riel Park, or will I, at some point, have seen all the railway companies that use those two lines?

Thanks in advance,

Carsten

[atrainguy60]

Greetings, fellow railroadfans!

We (family and I) are in the process of moving to Allen Park, not far from the diamond at John Riel Park. A couple of nights ago I spent the night at the new house and took an evening walk to the park and did a couple of laps around the footpath. Traffic was plentiful but I was surprised to see the following:

1) A BNSF locomotive helping pull a N&S train into the yard
2) A 'Ferromex' locomotive helping pull another train into the yard

I have been buying railroad coasters from a guy who sells them at local train shows for all the railways that come past our new house. So far I have Grand Trunk, CN, CP, and N&S. Now it looks like I have to (get to?) add BNSF and Ferromex?

I'm a bit of a railfanning noob, at least in the US, so my question is this: should I expect to see just about anything come past me when I'm out in John Riel Park, or will I, at some point, have seen all the railway companies that use those two lines?

Thanks in advance,

Carsten

Nice! Seems like Ferromex's are not the most common sights around here. As for what you'll see there normally, pretty much what you listed as having already seen. You may see some occasional fallen flags like SOO and DM&E/IC&E occasionally on CP trains, and foreign power like BNSF should be fairly common, so expect anything.

[SD80MAC]

Yes, you can expect to see locomotives from other Class 1 railroads very frequently. The railroads constantly borrow and pay for the use of each other's locomotives.

[DBFanatic]

Thank you for the replies. This is a really helpful group.

I guess I never considered that railway companies 'rent' locomotives from each other. That will certainly make my walks to the park more interesting!

A shame I didn't see that Ferromex locomotive in the daytime. The color scheme looks pretty cool!

- Carsten

[atrainguy60]

Thank you for the replies. This is a really helpful group.

I guess I never considered that railway companies 'rent' locomotives from each other. That will certainly make my walks to the park more interesting!

A shame I didn't see that Ferromex locomotive in the daytime. The color scheme looks pretty cool!

- Carsten

Ferromex is definitely one of the more colorful ones!

[detroitbench]

Possibly just saw the Ferromex mentioned leading a NS heading south from the North Yard on a Conrail for Ft. Wayne.

[SousaKerry]

The practice is not so much renting a locomotive like renting a car. What happens most times is a train will originate on one railroad and terminate at another. Under contracted rates it takes time and money to change out the locomotives when the train is handed off to another railroad, so the contract will state that the power will stay on the train until the destination. Most time the power will return on the empty return trip, but that does not always happen. The power desk back at headquarters tracks all this and how many hours the visiting locomotives spend on the railroad. The math does not always balance out so one railroad will owe another so many horsepower hours at the end of the month. To balance the books one railroad will then loan available locomotives (usually the old clunkers nearing retirement) to the other railroad. Those locomotives then wind up going almost anywhere on the system and that is how you see old paint schemes and paint schemes of railroads that are long gone. The owning railroad is not going to give up its best power so they send the junker from out back that runs just good enough not to breakdown for a month or so.

Most of the time you will not see these "rent-a-wrecks" leading as they may not have all of the fancy equipment of the newer locos. Usually air conditioning or up to date radios even a toilet that does not work. They are fine for trailing units as nobody will have to ride in them. But if you want to see a crew in a horrible mood give them leased power as a leader with a bad toilet or uncomfortable seats and a crappy radio.

Of coarse there are companies that specialize in leasing power to railroads when they are busy and don't have enough locos to go around. Those units are usually older engine that have been rebuilt or fixed up just enough to pass inspections. The better the engine the more you pay for the lease. Often times these engines will still be painted in the previous owners colors and just have the railroad name painted out and the new owner reporting marks panted in the cab.

[KenB]

Now that you are in Allen Park you can come to The Michigan Railroad Club meetings, always the first wednesday of the month at the Henry Ford Centennial Library, 16301 Michigan Ave, Dearborn. Meeting starts at 1900, have to be out by 2100. Next meeting is Wednesday, April 05, 2017.
All are most welcome!

[SousaKerry]

All are most welcome!

Or is that Most all are welcome?

[KenB]

Nope, everyone is welcome to come to the meeting.