Sensible BNSF Northern Lines Roster

[ljudice]

Comments please on whether I am on the right track here....   I have been lucky to put together a reasonable fleet of BNSF power - some of it I've had for a while some are additions:

(3) H1 C44-9W's  - these seem to float around mostly the northern lines
(2) H2 C44-9W's (Most recent run - super common)
(1) BNSF Warbonnet C44-9W
(1) ATSF Warbonnet C44-9W
(2) AC4400CW H2  - these seem to be assigned now to the north
(1) ES44AC
(1) SD70ACE
(2) SD70MAC's  -   1 BN Exec,   1 BNSF exec
(3) SD40-2's  (2) H1,   (1) H3
(1) GP39M (GP30)  BN
(1) SD40-2 BN renumbered

I am guessing it would make sense to pick up a couple more ES44AC's and perhaps one of the repainted C44-9W's. From a numbers perspective it would make sense to get some more H2 C44-9W's but I always wonder if Kato has them coming and I can avoid renumbering.

Another vexing question is whether to foob a couple of ES44AC's as ES44DC's.  I love the FVM model, but the color is more important to me than some minor details.  But again - will Kato do it?

My traffic will be grain, coal unit trains,  merchandise and some intermodal.   Also looking at doing some oddball things like a military unit train and a wind turbine unit train.

I would love to stick one of the FVM GP60B's in - my thought was to pair it with something like an Atlas B40-8 (ex SF) on a rail train or some other odd visitor from another part of the far-flung system.  Or do they mix in on trains?

- Lou

[Hyperion]

The problem is trying to keep proportions the same even as you shrink the population without ditching all variety altogether.  And what I mean by that is, technically, you should probably have a few more Dash-9s in there.  Outside of coal, it's a rare train that doesn't have a Dash-9 on it.  I just randomly checked 30 mainline trains (mix of M/H/S/Z/G/E/C) totalling 95 locomotives from Seattle to Minot and here's the results (I'd make this prettier, but can't FTP on work laptop):

C44-9W -- 48%
SD70MAC -- 21%
ES44AC -- 14%
ES44DC -- 8%
SD70ACe -- 4%
AC4400 -- 3%
ES44C4 -- 1%

Also probably useful for you...

Merchandise Trains -- 63% C44-9W, 22% SD70MAC, and 10% ES44DC
Intermodal Trains -- 100% C44-9W (checked 8 trains just to increase sample)
Grain -- 60% C44-9W, 15% ES44DC, and 10% ES44AC/AC4400 (tie)
Coal -- 41% SD70MAC, 38% ES44AC, and 14% SD70ACe

But, now that I think about it -- your numbers aren't that far off.  Proportional to your entire list, your Dash-9 population coudl be a little higher, but that's counting your SD40s and Geeps and stuff for local/oddball power in there too.  Remove those form the equation, and just look at the good road power, and you're just about spot-on the actual breakdown.

Paint schemes I'd be less help on.  Certainly with any quantifiable numbers anyways.  But your suggestions seem right to me.

I'd run a ES44DC too -- but I'm also a fan of FVM.  And, in my opinion, color be damned.  It's not like any two orange BNSF units ever look the same after a few months anyways.

And I'm feeling your on the GP60s.  But, hey, at least you're modeling BNSF.  I'm doing KCS and I still bought a set just because GP60s are my favorite units.  I've seen 60Bs making their way across the HiLine as recently as just a couple months ago.  So you can get away with one every once in a while.  They certainly won't be on your Coal or Grain and are highly unlikely to ever touch an Intermodal train though, just tack it on to the general merchandise stuff.

[Denver Road Doug]

Lou, that looks pretty good to me, here's mine, keeping in mind that I model 1998-2003 so more pre-merger stuff and even the AC4400's were scarce then. (other than the demo units, the production AC4400's didn't hit until mid-2003 or so)   I also have other non-BNSF locos since UP was a big player where I model as well.  And, many of my BNSF roster units have multiple shells for one mech.   So I have both ATSF and BNSF silver warbonnet versions, both phases of SD60M's, whiteface/non-whiteface, BNSF-patched or not, etc.   Just one way to add variety and not mech's and decoders.

Atlas GP39M BN WF
Atlas GP38-2 BN
Atlas SD60 Oakway
Atlas SD60M BN
Atlas B30-7AB BN
Atlas B39-8 LMX
Atlas B40-8W ATSF
FVM GP60B ATSF SWB
Kato SD70MAC BN 9580
Kato SD70MAC BN 9615
Kato SD70MAC BN 9662
Kato SD70MAC BNSF GG 9782
Kato SD70MAC BNSF H2 9853
Kato SD70MAC BNSF H2
Kato SD40-2 BN
Kato SD40-2 BN
Kato SD40-2 ATSF
Kato SD40-2 BNSF H1
Kato C44-9W ATSF SWB
Kato C44-9W BNSF H1
Kato C44-9W BNSF H2
Kato C44-9W BNSF H2
Kato C30-7 BN

Regarding the GP60B, I have one on order to run primarily with the Dash-8-40BW and LMX units...they were still pulling hot intermodals at that point although not as much.   But in later times they would show up in the darndest places so I think having one would be a nice addition to your roster.  Not sure about a rail train but certainly any standard manifest.  I bet if you look long enough you'd find a photo of one on a rail train in transit.   Funny, my "oddball trains" are a military train and a welded rail train.  Was going to do the Red Train too but it turned into too much of a project for the price....maybe someday.

[ljudice]

Thanks guys, for the detailed responses and information....

Looks like I'm on the right track.

Got to find a use for the GP60B - definitely a silver one!

[jagged ben]

I'd suggest that your ex-BN GP39 needs an ex-ATSF Geep to pal up with for running locals.  (Or another ex-BN Geep, or an H1 Geep, or that GP60B...) 

Other than that I think it's a great roster, and the main question is how many more locos do you want? 

Not clear what time period you're going for, but for more variety I would suggest these (patching up to you):
BN SD60M (Atlas)
ATSF SD75M (Athearn)
ATSF Dash-8 (Atlas)
Something leased (e.g Oakway SD60, or even patch an SP SD40T-2.  Saw a few of those in Seattle in '05.)

To be realistic you might buy two more H2 Dash-9s and re-number them.

[Hyperion]

Not clear what time period you're going for, but for more variety I would suggest these (patching up to you):
BN SD60M (Atlas)
ATSF SD75M (Athearn)
ATSF Dash-8 (Atlas)
Something leased (e.g Oakway SD60, or even patch an SP SD40T-2.  Saw a few of those in Seattle in '05.)

If he were doing '05, I'd agree completely.  But I believe, and I could be wrong here, he's doing present-day.  And, given that -- our SD60Ms are laid up (or, most recently, some placed into YARD SERVICE pending some GP-conversions we have in progress the next couple years), our SD75Ms are laid-up (too bad, I like 'em, but the D90 traction motors make them oddballs in the fleet), our Dash-8s are laid-up, and the Oakways all ran off to Canada.

Now, when I say "laid-up" I don't mean you may not see one rolling around -- so no one go take a picture and prove me wrong.  I did, for example, find one when I was doing my survey above (through I removed it as an anamoly).  But, they were all laid up Good Order, and generally speaking, those units are not to be used unless a location REALLY needs power for some reason.  When one does, it can sometimes sneak around a while before someone snags it and lays it back up again.  That's not technically supposed to happen.  But you get in trouble for not having power for a train -- no one ever says anything about putting a LUGO back into service.

[Robbman]

Didn't most of the SD75Ms go back to lessor, or are they just all LUGO'd in Silvis?

[Hyperion]

Didn't most of the SD75Ms go back to lessor, or are they just all LUGO'd in Silvis?

I'm actually not certain.  I've been told they were laid-up, and that's how they show in our system last I checked a few weeks ago.  But I know they went back to BoA and I know we have no plans for them.  For that matter, we haven't really ran them much at all since 2008.  So it's possible the next time I pull the fleet stats next month, they'll no longer show.  I'll see where the "I"s stand then too.

[Leggy]

From photos and information I've seen both the 75Ms and 75Is are off roster and back to BoA. Mind you you'd be better off tracking down a non flared Kato SD70M and modifying it to a SD75M/I, the Athearn SD70/75s aren't really that nice...

[Hyperion]

Alright, ya'll got me curious, so I pulled the report earlier than I normally would for the month.

Right now 36 of the 50 units between 8200 and 8250 have been returned to lessor, the remainder are still on property and laid-up in a status that changed just this afternoon (just to be safe for me, I won't divulge what the status was changed to), mostly in Northtown.  Of 8250-8301, all of those remain on property in LUGO and kinda spread all over the Eastern portion of the system, but most of them are in Northtown or Galesburg.

[ljudice]

Interesting stuff....   The SD75's have never been among my favorites, but I left out the fact that I have an SD60M in the process of being renumbered and BNSF-ified.  Again for use on infrequent occasions...

I also have an Atlas GP35 BNSF/SF patch shell, but it is a sad little puppy - something between the main body shell and the cab is warped slightly and I have not quite figured out the entire problem.

There have been some good deals on H2 C44-9W's (MBK) so I may take a look at that for a renumbering project, but I think beyond that the only thing I might add is an ES44AC.

- Lou

[Hyperion]

I also have an Atlas GP35 BNSF/SF patch shell, but it is a sad little puppy - something between the main body shell and the cab is warped slightly and I have not quite figured out the entire problem.

The GP35s have been laid up for quite some time, awaiting rebuild.  If you can make it work right, these GP35s (and some 'straight' GP38s), converted into GP39-3Rs (and the -2Rs) will be the future backbone of BNSF's yard/local power fleet.  There's some running around now, but there'll be a lot more in the future.  But they're all due for fresh paint afterwards.  After making it run and repainting it, you may be better off just buying a unit already in Swoosh that may be better suited as a GP39-3R stand-in.

Better get your BNSF EMD pictures now, because it won't be too long before the variety will be gone and all you'll see are GP39s and SD70ACes.  It won't be long before the GP39s outnumber in the SD40s.  Still waiting a proper SD40-2 rebuild program that'll keep 'em around another 25 years or more.  Right now they're falling off so fast that the GP39s will outnumber 'em before too long.

[ljudice]

Interesting... I know you can't reveal inside info, but I take it the SD70ACE's have not been impressive enough to warrant more orders?

[Robbman]

Pretty sure they're still getting their recent order for 80 SD70ACes now (numbered in the Oakways slot no less)... some are supposed to be test P4 models (EMDs take on the ES44C4... yay)

[Leggy]

No doubt they and others will be interested in the 'Independent Axle Control' update of the SD70ACe.