Railroad workers in Lincoln, NE tries to move railcar by truck and hits bridge

CN or CP

The rest don't operate this side of the border.

 

CSX reigns supreme where I live(they have a railyard in West Springfield,MA) with trackage rights on some of the routes shared with other railroads(MBTA Commuter Rail,Amtrak). I have a cousin who was a conductor for BNSF until he injured his back.
In Illinois I had a choice between Union Pacific,Metra,BNSF and Canadian National. Both Union Pacific and BNSF operate commuter train service on Metra’s behalf(Metra owns the trains and portions of the track but they’re crewed by the respective railroad employees).

 

If I stand by the dual track main passing through our county and count the rail cars and trains passing day and night UP is hurting really bad. They are no where near the intensity they were prior to the 2003 Iraqi Invasion. (Hundreds of empty flatcars screeched south every hour at 80 to support armor movements in the USA) And in between military hourly trains they were shoehorning everything else on both tracks every 30 minutes.

Today it's dead. You will have a couple of trains today but until Amtrack later tonight (Texas Eagle) there isnt much to speak of.

In short, freight is dead. For now. Until something else happens in the future. (And it will)

Also in the engines, you will see pool power. A awful lot of older Mexcian SD40's for really cheap are wearing out their final miles daily on that line. The newer units are hoarded in the Jenks Yard (North Little Rock) Its cheaper to rent out power hour than it is to run own engines and crews if possible.

If I wanted to run for a railroad, it's going to be a regional or a shortline. Quieter with more of a defined schedule. The last time I interviewed with UP I was told that I would be on the phone at the house 24/7 oncall within 90 minutes of the call to be at the yard. My life and it's required issues such as doctors appts etc meant nothing to them. Obviously I did not proceed any further.

UP does keep up the maintains on the dual main in our area. Every other year or so they replace ties and bad joints and so on. (Which is relatively rare with the welded rail) and beef up the stone roadbed. One of the reasons is near a subdivision there is a bridge that will wash out in heavy rain, they need about 8 inches in any 12 hour period and boom all the drainage in the county goes to that bayou and washes out that bridge. The good side is that one is easy fix. Fast.

The bad side is they take out the occasional drunk who high centers on apple street south of mcrae in one of the towns. Its rated for 79 mph freight and 80 for passenger so they don't stop for nothing.

 

Where on earth did you manage to find a RR car with NO graffiti on it?

 

I prefer the Norfolk Southern- If I had a choice- They always been pretty "Quiet" without much Drama- Not overly huge but heavy Service to and from the eastern seaboard....Killer salary and benefits

My second choice would be the CP (Soo Line) Canadian Pacific

Wouldn't touch the UP or BNSF

 

Man that is pure GOLD LOL

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lmgYtlupbwg