Long line of idle locos in Fort Worth

Highly doubt that's due to the virus. UP and other Class I's have been storing power deemed excess as part of Precision Scaled Railroading. There's a deadline of engines on NS at my local yard as well. 

That dead line has little to do with this virus. It has everything to do with PSR, which is supposed to stand for “Precision Scheduled Railroading.” However, there is a large contingent in the industry that thinks it actually represents “Pretty Sad Railroading.” Count me in that camp.

It seems the railroad industry is determined to repeat the mistakes of the past. With PSR they’re back to running monster trains that don’t fit in passing sidings or yard tracks, but because they have fewer locomotives on the active roster, it makes the balance sheet look good, which makes the stock price go up. And make no mistake, PSR is all about making stockholders happy, not the customers.

I saw a similar line of MoPac locomotives at that spot 40 years ago.  If I recall correctly, many were GP-18's riding on Alco trucks.

Rich Melvin posted:

 And make no mistake, PSR is all about making stockholders happy, not the customers.

Almost all corporations have been run that way for the last twenty years, at least.

Wasn’t it Theodore Roosevelt who said that “an engineer is someone who can do well for one dollar, what any man can do, after a fashion, for two dollars”? 

In tandem with Rich's observation, was at West Chicago (IL) a couple of nights ago, watching trains, in this corona-virus defined time. After a CN train hit the diamonds, a UP train came through the crossing. I counted the cars. Four locomotives up front, 96 - 97 - 99 - 100. Whoa (!),  two more locomotives mid-train. Then continued my count: 197 - 198 - 203.  A huge train, much larger then I have ever seen on the UP main, previously. Hope the promise of Precision Railroading producing improved service, conducted in a timely manner, are borne out. Otherwise the railroad industry may be poised to lose more business.

VRF posted this video today. Case in point X 2

The UPRR coal business has dropped dramatically.  Some of those engines are in storage because of that.  UP is also considering single tracking some of its Powder River Basin main line.

Thanks for the additional input. I do remember a long line of MP diesels there several years back. Based on my experience in model railroading I can say that longer trains are a lot of trouble.

mark s posted:

In tandem with Rich's observation, was at West Chicago (IL) a couple of nights ago, watching trains, in this corona-virus defined time. After a CN train hit the diamonds, a UP train came through the crossing. I counted the cars. Four locomotives up front, 96 - 97 - 99 - 100. Whoa (!),  two more locomotives mid-train. Then continued my count: 197 - 198 - 203.  A huge train, much larger then I have ever seen on the UP main, previously. Hope the promise of Precision Railroading producing improved service, conducted in a timely manner, are borne out. Otherwise the railroad industry may be poised to lose more business.

It will not.I have seen this idea on CSX.Monster trains with not enough power.Or as rich mention trains to long for sidings.Or trains backed up to the point of setting a whole shift.Then the train has gone no where.Till crew change.They need to scrape that idea.Work to improve service to customers.Keep the customers happy and build up a rep.

PSR is not just about using less locomotives. These monster trains are really two trains combined. What that means is only ONE crew is required, not two so the labor cost is lower too. This part of PSR is often overlooked by railfans as they all seem to focus on the size of these trains and the unneeded locomotives that are in storage, not the fact less employees are needed to crew the trains.

To Rich's comments:

A Company without any customers is not worth anything to anybody, especially the stockholders.....

seaboardm2 posted:

mark s posted:

In tandem with Rich's observation, was at West Chicago (IL) a couple of nights ago, watching trains, in this corona-virus defined time. After a CN train hit the diamonds, a UP train came through the crossing. I counted the cars. Four locomotives up front, 96 - 97 - 99 - 100. Whoa (!),  two more locomotives mid-train. Then continued my count: 197 - 198 - 203.  A huge train, much larger then I have ever seen on the UP main, previously. Hope the promise of Precision Railroading producing improved service, conducted in a timely manner, are borne out. Otherwise the railroad industry may be poised to lose more business.

It will not.I have seen this idea on CSX.Monster trains with not enough power.Or as rich mention trains to long for sidings.Or trains backed up to the point of setting a whole shift.Then the train has gone no where.Till crew change.They need to scrape that idea.Work to improve service to customers.Keep the customers happy and build up a rep.

Southern Pacific Sunset Route in the 1970's!

Phooey! This railfan innediately thought "labor, Australian crewless trains".  And towns screaming about blocked crossings, trains not moving, and shipper-customers fleeing to trucking.  That will put the stock price on the down escalator.

A 200 car train hitting Englewood Yard in Houston would create havoc!

UP has a bunch of locomotives stored in Grand Junction, Colorado too.

Well, I over the Englewood arrivial yard on Loop 610 today.  No stored locomotives.  No cars ready to go over the hump....