Grand Junction Locals, part 3

: Sep. 11, 2017. Westbound BNSF Local

As of Dec. 4, 2018, Trains News Wire, the introducing of Precision Scheduled Railroading at Union Pacific will be implemented by the middle of 2019.
It is already announced that MNYRO/MRONY was switched to tri-weekly MNYGJ/MGJNY since Dec. 2018.
These may bring some changes to the local traffic at Grand Junction and its vicinity. Here, I represent my record of the local traffic at Grand Junction and its vicinity as of summer 2017.


Here are the BNSF local trains originate and terminate at Grand Junction:

BNSF Local is the nickname of the local trains serving BNSF Parachute Yard at Grand Valley and Suncor Energy Inc. at Railhead. Two six-axle locomotives on the point are the norm.

According to the latest information I could find on the web (2017), the local departs Grand Junction station in the morning five days a week. After arriving light at BNSF Parachute Yard, they switch the yard and industry trackage, picks up cars, and heads westbound for Railhead. After switching the industry trackage, they return light again to Grand Junction in a day. A caboose BN#12517, used as a shoving platform at former American Soda industry trackage, is stationed at Parachute Yard.

As of Sep. 11, 2017, the westbound BNSF Local was consisted of:
BNSF ES44C4 #6890 and #6612,
ten, maybe sodium bicarbonate, hopper cars SMNX#44540, ASHX#1346, SMNX#44531, SMNX#44521, SMNX#44443, ASHX#1713, SMNX#44603, SMNX#44607, ASHX#1258 and ASHX#1152,
two gasoline(UN-1203) tank cars UTLX#203040 and UTLX#203039,
twenty-four flammable liquid(1993) tank cars UTLX#903154, UTLX#41011, UTLX#206724, UTLX#203086, UTLX#206744, UTLX#206729, UTLX#206754, UTLX#203110, UTLX#203053, UTLX#203113, UTLX#203034, UTLX#203083, UTLX#203088, UTLX#903174, UTLX#201206, UTLX#208138, TOTX#1027, UTLX#209904, UTLX#41010, TOTX#1003, UTLX#903135, UTLX#212634, TOTX#1030 and TOTX#1029,
eight alcohol(UN-1987) tank cars TILX#199471, TILX#192786, TILX#193954, TILX#199368, TILX#192893, TILX#199013, TCBX#195011 and TILX#198710
in order from the head end, total of forty-four cars.
It went through Palisade on around 12:00AM.

: BNSF Local at Palisade
: BNSF corporate office at S 5th St, Grand Junction


Grand Junctionを基点とするBNSFのローカル貨物列車は１系統のみである。

列車は通常6動軸型機関車２両で運転される。平日の朝、Grand Junction駅２番線に駐泊していた機関車２両のみで、まず東に位置するGrand ValleyにあるBNSFのParachute Yardに向かう、そこで入換ののちGrand Junctionの西に位置するRailheadにあるSuncor Energy Inc.まで貨車を牽いて行く、最後に再びGrand Junction駅まで単機回送、という運用である。Railheadからの返空貨車は、乗り入れている他のBNSFの列車が担当するようだ。

ローカルといってもこの列車は、動画にあるように40両を越える長い編成である。以前は、Parachute Yardにおいてshoving platform代わりに用いるBNスキームのカブースもGrand Junction駅に駐泊していたが、現在はParachute Yardに移ってしまったようだ。