real noobish question

[Angelic]

Plz don't laugh, but can anyone explane to me how and why I see Competeing Railroads BNSF, UP, CSX, and NS Locomotives Lashed up together in the Long Beach Yard wouldn't they NOT want to work together Plz help my confusion

 

[conrail92]

One reason some railroads lease power from other railroads to use as there own while payin the other, Another reason some time railroads by loco's from other companies and they dont always paint them to the colors instantly.

 

[jbaakko]

The reason you see alot of NS power is BNSF & NS "share" units. Power hours type thing for one, and run through trains. say it started on the east coast, somewhere in New York, NS ran the train to Chicago & BNSF took over. A majority of the engine turn around along the way, and head back (on train "rebuilds"), but alot make it all the way West.

 

[HaggisKennedy]

Most of the time, it's paying back horsepower hours that one RR owes another. These hours get accumulated when the loco 'runs through' to the final destination. Then, it might get assigned to some other train which doesn't go back to the home road. All of this shuffling around is on the host RR nickel, so they figure out that if you use my loco for a few thousand hours running trains on your network, I'll use your loco on my network for a few thousand hours in return.

Since all the big players do this, that's why you see these mishmashs of lashups.

Kennedy

 

[Angelic]

cool basicly you use mine i use yours type of thing