Why Union Pacific and BNSF Choose Completely Different Locomotive! | Which Design Philosophy Wins?

Comments · 213

• BI

  @BigTexLonghorn · 2 months ago

  BNSF is no longer buying new locomotives with unpowered axles. The railroad ended its "C4" purchase program in 2020 and has shifted back to ordering conventional six-motor AC-traction locomotives heavily ballasted for maximum adhesion.

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• RA

  @Razgriz__1 · 2 months ago

  tl:dw: BNSF likes 4 (powered) axle locomotives, which are better for cruising at speed.  UP likes 6 axle locomotives which are better at dragging trains up slopes.  BNSF adopted AC as their standard first, but both railroads use AC these days, which is objectively better than DC despite being more expensive.

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• FA

  @FAMUCHOLLY · 2 months ago

  Good video, but that loop got SUPER ANNOYING after the 4th time around. 😔

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• DR

  @Dr_Reason · 2 months ago

  GE figured out Tier 5 by selling the business to WABTEC.

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• FR

  @frankszanto · 2 months ago

  This is so weird. In Australia, we use EMD and GE derived locos, but always with all 6 axles powered. For the iron ore mines in Western Australia, these are the SD70ACe and the GE C44i. The iron ore mines are a long way from and not connected to the rest of the Australia rail network, where we use much lower axle loads - typically 23 tons. Since 2000 nearly all new locos have been AC, with traction on all 6 axles.

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• PR

  @PrinceofPwnage · 2 months ago

  Saving this video for my kiddo, he's obsessed with trains, we live in Chicagoland so we see these two often

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• SA

  @sappy4happy448 · 2 months ago

  Damn AI voicing. I had no idea that BNSF changed to BNFS (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUTzuNTYW-M&amp;t=492">08:12</a>)?

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• JE

  @jerrychurchill8765 · 2 months ago

  They are called “Traction Motors”, and Voltage verses Ampheres very to control.

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• HS

  @HSMiyamoto · 2 months ago

  The Siemens Vectron moves lots of freight in Europe. It would be interesting to see them challenge the big North America builders.

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• BI

  @Bionicbunny0864 · 2 months ago

  Here in UK, our Class 31s have A1A wheel configuration with equalised beam suspension.<br><br>Our coal loading and going to the power stations was called MGR - Merry Go Round in four wheel hoppers.<br><br>The have a maximum speed of 45mph empty and 60mph loaded.<br><br>You in the USA might not have heard of a guy in the UK called Richard Beeching who was partly responsible for setting up this system that and, the container system on rail.<br><br>He is more infamously known as the guy who closed thousands of miles of track, stations closed and loss of jobs.

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• JO

  @johnmsmith9462 · 2 months ago

  I didn&apos;t know that, DC vs AC, like Thomas Edison vs Nicoli Tesla.

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• MM

  @mmi16 · 2 months ago

  Retired from CSX. &nbsp;Had the Atlanta to Waycross to Jacksonville territory - lots of coal trains going to power plants in the Southeast. &nbsp;Standard was a 90 train hauled by two GE Dash-8 DC locomotives. &nbsp;Route South out of Atlanta has several grades between Atlanta and Manchester, GA. &nbsp;If the weather was dry, the coal trains could make the run, if the dew hit the rail in the wee hours of the morning the Dash-8 trains would stall and clog the railroad. &nbsp;Starting in 1996 the Dash-8&apos;s were replaced with the GE 44AC&apos;s which handled the 90 car trains so easily, the standard train became 110 cars.

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