Up Powder River Basin

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by MasterofTrains, May 12, 2018.

  1. MasterofTrains

    MasterofTrains Member

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    The Powder River Basin produces about 400 million short tons of coal a year. To ship that coal out they have massive coal trains move it out. Union Pacific and BNSF both operate on this trackage. But due to the BNSF licence issue they can't be included in this. The route would only consist of UP power on the trains. The route is 120 miles long and most likely can't be made in the current state.
    [​IMG]

    The route would start around Gillette, WY. Trains coming in would be empty and trains leaving this way would be full.
    [​IMG]

    About 15 miles later the trains come across 13 mines spread out across the land where they can load depending on whom they are hauling the cars for. The mines are not close together.

    [​IMG]

    Then the loaded trains head south or north depending on where they are going. The southbounds meet empty northbounds headed for the mines. The line splits in to three to four tracks depending on the area and grade.
    [​IMG]
    After that for the load coal trains it is miles of rugged land and steep grades. The empty trains get a much easier climb to the mines. The route ends at Orin juction where the trains switch off to get to the power plants that need coal.
    Operations and traffic
    The traffic would be all coal trains headed north empty or south loaded. With four track many trains travel this line daily. The operations would be traveling up and down the line line fighting grades and loading the massive trains. Trains are 125 to 150 cars long running 2x2 or 2x3 setups.

    Rolling stock
    [​IMG]
    Standard coal car for UP and other companies.
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    EMD power in UP.
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    GE power in UP
    Other Features​

    The high volume of traffic make the need for maintenance often a feature for the basin could be random MOW equipment traveling around or doing work on the track causing slow orders and certain track to be out of service.
    A replacement to bnsf would be to use the fallen flag that used to run on the route the CNW
    [​IMG]
    CNW could be put in place of BNSF just so not everything is UP.
    The other option is to make a fictional railroad to put in place of BNSF that could be created by the community.
     
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  2. pschlik

    pschlik Well-Known Member

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    I have always wanted to see a powder river basin route. Some might consider it boring, but I sure would not. Tons and tons and tons of trains, each loaded one barely getting by with the power offered, while the empties are a breeze would offer a lot of challenge and a lot to do. But I wouldn't be so condescending of BNSF. Proposing absurd fictional options like CNW and a completely fictional company while simply unbranded BNSF is possible makes very little sense.
     
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  3. jedi247

    jedi247 Well-Known Member

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    This would be great. I really would like BNSF, but maybe we could get some C&NW or Burlington Northern Diesels.
    I think we need a UP ES44AC, a UP SD70M or SD70ACe, an AC6000, an SD90MAC, or maybe a UP or C&NW C44-9W or AC4400CW. A BN SD40-2, SD60MAC or SD70MAC could also be added. If BNSF engines are added later, we need an ES44AC/DC/C4, a C44-9W, an SD70MAC, an SD60MAC, an SD75M/I, or an SD70ACe.
     
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  4. pschlik

    pschlik Well-Known Member

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    Man you might as well be asking for everything! And "needing" all of that, good luck waiting for it to happen...There are a few too many posts like that, if I say so myself...

    In all seriousness, this is a route for the ACs. I think I'd choose AC44 and AC60 for UP, then ES44AC and SD70ACe for BNSF at the very least. This is probably one of the few routes you could even justify making BNSF AC4400CWs for because BNSF's few AC4400CWs basically live out there.
     
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  5. UP_conductor79

    UP_conductor79 Member

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    I know exactly where this route is, nice pick!!! Very good choice and I hope DTG will consider it or make it possible for the community to build it and put it on all platforms, if that happens I got the timetable for it (signal locations, track speeds, mile posts, etc) and I have maps of all the tracks inside the mines. But I might add that it separates from the BNSF, just South of Bill, Wyoming, and from there UP goes SSE towards Shawnee,Wyoming which is about 50 miles from Bill, Wyoming but then it continues down to South Morrill, Nebraska and for locomotives all which is mostly correct that you have stated above, but we also use NS power on that territory as well. We also run a 2×1 DPU set ups
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2018
  6. Big Papi34

    Big Papi34 Well-Known Member

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    Route looks very interesting. Kinda sad that it got forgotten.
     
  7. roger_lavender

    roger_lavender New Member

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  8. Cold Warrior

    Cold Warrior Member

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    I like this suggest but, like CSX Sand Patch Grade route it would probably no make it onto consoles because it is too big. I would love big main line freight locomotive for US lines on console.
     
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2019
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  9. I would love to see a Chicago and North Western locos on the Powder River Basin Route!!
     
  10. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    4 year necro?
     
  11. 21c164fightercommand

    21c164fightercommand Well-Known Member

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  12. OldVern

    OldVern Well-Known Member

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    Not surprised in view of the time this post has laid dormant.
    And unless you are a registered member at RWA you can't view the forum anyway.
     
  13. jedi247

    jedi247 Well-Known Member

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    Now that DTG has a BNSF license, we can get BNSF on this route. Here's an updated list of possible locos I want to see on this route:
    -UP:
    -AC6000CW/C4460AC/C44ACM
    -SD90MAC-H/SD90-43MAC
    -SD70ACe
    -SD70AH-T4
    -C45ACCTE
    -C45AH
    -AC4400CW/C44ACM
    -C44-9W/C44ACM
    -SD70M
    -SD50 (Ex-C&NW)
    -SD60 (Ex-C&NW)
    -SD60M
    -SD40N

    -C&NW:
    -SD50
    -SD60
    -C44-9W
    -AC4400CW
    -SD40-2

    -BN:
    -SD60
    -SD60M
    -SD70MAC
    -SD40-2
    -SD45
    -U30C
    -C30-7

    -BNSF:
    -C44-9W
    -AC4400CW
    -SD70MAC
    -SD75M/SD75I
    -SD70ACe
    -ES44AC
    -SD60M (Ex-BN)
    -SD45-2
    -SD40-2
     
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  14. driverwoods#1787

    driverwoods#1787 Well-Known Member

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    If made now Powder River Basin adds more traffic to Cajon Pass in the form of ET44C4 same age as the existing 3250-3299 batch 2020 making them 3 years old at this point and 76 years newer than the LMS locos. In return, Cajon Pass gives ES44C4 2020 Tier 4 Credit 3250-3299 and SD70ACe. The latter can be used outright on Powder River Basin thanks to DLC locos not being matched to their home routes instead they use the Training Centre as their Tutorial level.
     
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