BNSF through downtown Richmond (RVM)

[guest]

Was in downtown Richmond yesterday near the Triple Crossing. Heard a train horn, turned around, and saw three vibrant, colorful BNSF locomotives at the head of a train heading east on the CSX Peninsula line. Behind the locos were tanker after tanker, maybe of crude oil. Somewhat frightening to be so close to inflammable material, but exciting to see exotic locos in my hometown. This was near the Cinco de Mayo festival on the Canal Walk. I was waiting for a GRTC bus on 14th Street, near the foot of the Mayo Bridge.

 

[user 1215]

Interesting. Though I must admit that I still fail to understand the American fascination over a holiday celebrating Mexican victory over the French in a small Southern Mexico state.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Interesting. Though I must admit that I still fail to understand the American fascination over a holiday celebrating Mexican victory over the French in a small Southern Mexico state.

We'll drink to anything. Cheers!!!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Your puzzlement over celebrating Cinco de Mayo must be due to the fact that there are no Mexicans or Mexican- Americans in Savannah, which would make it the only city in the US without them! Smiles

Since Latinos ( mostly of Mexican heritage) have become the largest minority in the US ( and the Majority in some Cities like San Antonio and soon the State of Texas!), Cinco de Mayo celebrations are once again, along with Diez y Seis, becoming big time!

 

[Anderson]

(1) The Mayo Bridge doesn't refer to Cinco de Mayo.

(2) "Out of place" locos aren't terribly surprising. The short version is that the freight railroads have arrangements to have their equipment step in for other RRs as needed, with the loans to be paid back in kind (i.e. if BNSF loans CSX a locomotive for a week, CSX would return the favor with a week-long loan later).

 

[CCC1007]

It seems to me that the run through agreements create a house of cards, since railroad a loans a locomotive to railroad b, who then can loan the same locomotive to railroad c and railroad c sees it as a railroad b locomotive. A locomotive can be traded like this for as long as a whole year or more!!

 

[jis]

Why is it a house of cards?

 

[CCC1007]

Because the owner of the locomotive can at times not know where their locomotive is... Or who is using it now.

 

[jis]

If they bothered to fit their locomotives with proper GPS tracking equipment at least they'd know where it is. and then they could possibly figure out whose rails it is on. Admittedly it is potentially a much bigger problem to figure out what happened to a specific freight car.