♫ It’s Two … Two … Two Trains in One! ♫*
While this train, BNSF S-FRESCO1-30A, appears to be ordinary, in the third decade of the Twenty-First Century, trains are often more convoluted than they appear to be. Case in point: While symbolled as S-FRESCO (Intermodal Stacks led by BNSF ES44C4 4247 and Dash 9-44CW 4006, that originated in Fremont NE and is headed to Long Beach CA with export containers loaded with liquid by-products distilled from grain, much of it cattle feed), roughly midway in this train are three more locomotives (BNSF ES44C4 6908 and a pair of Norfolk Southern AC44C6Ms – 4408 and 4258 – pulling what was>/i> train Q-NYCLAC6-02 (Guaranteed Service Intermodal with domestic containers, operating from New York NY to Los Angeles CA). The two trains were combined in Waynoka, Oklahoma, becoming a 14,962-foot train with 158 loads and two empties, weighing 11,561 tons. From Waynoka on the combined trains used the leading train’s symbol. (Fullerton, California – August 6, 2021)
* - Those of a certain age will understand this reference…