View allAll Photos Tagged DistributedPowerUnit
NS 29A is on the final miles of its two day trip from Chicago, IL to Atlanta, GA. A rarity however is a end train DPU on the for this train usually caries its limited manifest block up front, if it has one.
However, the stars (and moon) aligned for this one as the nose out rear DP was a KCSM "Grey Ghost" AC44CW.
CSX ET44AH #3367 serving as DPU on the rear of an ethanol train (97 cars) at Santa Fe Junction in KCMO. It was nice that all of the power on this train is CSX power, not a common sighting out here.
A pair of SD70ACes make for a respectable fake on the rear of a coal empty. The true head end can be seen in the distance towards the top of the hill. East of Osage, WY on the BNSF Black Hills Sub. September 9, 2023.
Q116 rolls through Foreman Zoraff's "Planned Work" on the Neenah Sub. The containers are more colorful than the few leaves still on the trees. One Dash 9 was at the head end and one was DPU'd about 2/3 back in the train.
Norfolk Southern stack train with mid-train DPU westbound through Rolling Prairie Indiana. MP 458 on the NS Chicago Line.
A flat car in front of a a distributed power unit on southbound CSX manifest freight 507 affords a good view of the rear profile of the unit, including the rear radiators. The train is just north of Overpeck, Ohio, on the Toledo Subdivision.
The day had "warmed up" to -4. All the "core" trains I saw this day had a single DPU 2/3s of the way back in the train, to keep things moving and even more critically to (re)supply air through the frigid train line. This one was the most interesting DPU unit and also the one I got a decent photo of. If anyone know the train numbers for these 3 please share it in the comments below, thanks.
January 18, 2016.
Sully Springs... The North Dakota badlands... The beautiful s-curve... The semi-arid climate... Cattle that will "detail" one's parked vehicle during winter salt season... A great setting for railfans to shoot, yes? Yes, yes, indeeeeed... IF one is at a proper vantage point at the right times! Pffft...
After shooting at nearby Theodore Roosevelt National Park's south unit a week ago (9-3-2023), I stopped by Sully Springs to look at various vantage points and compositions that could be accessed via the Little Missouri National Grasslands plots that adjoin the local ranch properties. I honestly didn't have any intentions on shooting anything and didn't even have my radio scanner on but while looking at some ideas from the Hess pumpjack access road, I hear the rumbling... Mind you, I am parked facing away from the tracks with a window opened just a wee bit and I'm wondering why the noise of the pumpjack has changed... I glance at the pumpjack just in time to see the lead units of a BNSF unit crude oil train passing eastbound, working their way up the grade. I rolled my eyes, shot the forbidden dpu seen here, then tried to get ahead to at least shoot at the Fryburg grade crossing. Nope... It simply wasn't in the cards, for the gates were dropping by the time I came into view of the crossing and I was just in time to see the lead units pass over the road. Oh, well! You win some and you lose some, eh? lol I opted to head back to Williston at this point and call it a day after what equates to a simple roster shot.
Unit ore train U780 surprised me by trying to sneak through Neenah, WI under cover of light snow. I nearly missed this train, thanks to Starbucks. IC 2724 & CN 5601 were the lead two units, then 150 loaded ore jennies. The two units pushing at the rear were IC 1028 & CN 8938.
BNSF CW44AC #5642 serves as DPU on a southbound BNSF coal train (124 cars) on the Pittsburg Sub at 12th St in the Blue Valley area on KCMO. This train is bound for Martin Lake Power Plant in Tatum, TX.
Partway through the monster M340 the roar of prime movers working hard could be heard. A pair of 6-axle engines (one EMD, one GE) were shoving hard in the middle.
A trio of DPUs from Eastern and Western railroads serve as DPUs. A Norfolk Southern SD70ACe, Norfolk Southern CW44AC6M #4648 and BNSF SD70ACe #9380 are the rear power on a southbound coal train bound for Robert W Scherer Power Plant in Juliette, GA at CP30th on the Ft Scott Sub in Kansas City, MO.
At the rear of the coal loads was this surprise, a really clean SD70ACe. Such a rarity these days. Yes I was a little miffed this one turned up as a DPU but it was actually better positioned, relative to the light, than the head end was. It was nice enough that I gave serious consideration to chasing for another set or two. I did press on but this was one of the cleanest ACes I'd see all trip.
Benteen, MT, September 8, 2023.
A coal train passes through Columbia, South Carolina on SCX's Eastover Sub in 2011. We're actually seeing the end of the train. CSXT #834 is a GE ES44C-H unit built in 2008. The egineer in the lead engine on the head end of th train can control this locomotive
Despite snow falling on the head end and the middle of the train, this day of fast changing weather provided sun on the DPU.
April 8, 2016.
GE C44-9W
BNSF 5275 & 5305 as the rear DPUs on a westbound intermodal.
Flagstaff, Arizona
April 7, 2019
CN 8887 leads B786 on the south side of Oshkosh. On this windy and cold morning they're told to drag their feet by the RTC as A446 lost his air around MP166. The seagulls in the air aren't moving as the wind is strong enough to hold them in place.
A pair of BNSF SD70ACes, #8440 and #9366, serving as DPUs inside a southbound BNSF coal train (139 cars) on the Ft Scott Sub at BN Junction in KCMO. This train is bound for Robert W Scherer Power Plant in Juliette, GA.
BNSF ES44C4 #7904 and Ferromex SD70ACe #4068 serve as DPUs on the rear of a 1x2 ethanol train (97 cars) at Santa Fe Junction in KCMO. This Ferromex paint scheme is definitely one of my favorites.
A couple of blocks behind L576, M342 and it's DPUs are under throttle as they continue their journey to Shops Yard and beyond.
Two GEs work a loaded coal train north in a westerly fashion. CATWS (Antelope Mine - Weston) comes through Clyman Jct.
A trio of BNSF DPUs (CW44AC #5711, SD70ACe #9145, and SD70ACe #8491) on a southbound BNSF coal train (132 cars) on the Fort Scott Sub at CP 30th St in KCMO. This train is bound for James H Miller Power Plant in Palos, AL.
After getting clearance from Foreman Zoraff in charge of the Planned Work (Form B to the rest of the world) between MP184.0 and MP184.3 on the Neenah Sub, M346 stays on the throttle knowing that "men & equipment are in the clear". This was a long and heavy train, requiring two mid-train DPUs.
CSX stack train Q202 had two locomotives couple together working as distributed power units. The train is northbound on the Toledo Subdivision at Hamilton, Ohio.
Orginally, this was a 2x1 train. While stopped at Blue Valley, the second DPU was added. Canadian Pacific CW44ACM #8144 and ES44AC #8797 are the DPUs on the rear of a southbound oil train (120 cars) on the Pittsburg Sub at Coal Mine Rd in KCMO.
L576's FRED just cleared Nevada Ave (crossing in background) when the 181.1 detector announced yet another southbound. This time it was a potash train, B790.
Loads of potash are typical on M346, at least from what I've seen. With temperatures finally warm enough to make an open window comfortable, the hogger on this M-2 has his window open and his eyes on the rails ahead.
...means potash. M346 heads south through Oshkosh. Mostly potash ahead of the DPU and mostly sulphur afterwards.
The first time I've seen this...but apparently not the first time in this area. Northbound, mid-train DPUs on Q199. I was totally surprised and had to settle for this grab shot.
M346 throttles up south of the Oshkosh Swing Bridge a day after we had snow flurries. Welcome to Wisconsin where the weather changes from tornados to snow to sun within a week!
The rear of NS train 12Q had a Canadian National DPU. The lead unit of the train also had a CN unit. The train is shown on the street running of the Marion District in Warsaw, Indiana.
Southbound BNSF coal (132 cars) on the Ft Scott Sub at CP Merriam in Merriam, KS. A pair of ET44ACHs are the DPUs, #3650 & #3658.
An EMD trio, SD70ACe #8527, Grinstein (Executive Scheme) SD70MAC #9809 and Grinstein SD70MAC #9804 serve as DPUs on a southbound BNSF coal train (134 cars) on the Ft Scott Sub at CP 30th St in KCMO. This train is bound for James H Miller Power Plant, Palos, AL.
CP ES44AC and KCS CW44AC were on the front. The DPU trio inside are CP CW44ACM #8108, BNSF ES44C4 #6885, and CN ES44DC #2285 at Santa Fe Junction in KCMO. This would have been even better if there was no BNSF unit on the train, but still one of the most unique lashups I have seen.
Image of a westbound Norfolk Southern manifest freight made in Goshen, Indiana, on the Chicago Line.
After getting past M343 in Dixie Siding, M340 comes south working the camelbacks between Neenah & Oshkosh.