Train Goes Into Emergency While Switching In Yard, Six Axle Genset Hauls Riverbank Job.

Welcome to the channel. This video was shot on the morning of February 21, 2024. I originally went to Oakdale with the high hopes of capturing two BNSF Dash 9s hauling a grain train over Sierra Northern Track, but to my disappointment that train had already left sometime during the night. However, I did not leave empty handed. While driving by the Oakdale yard, I happened upon Sierra Northern’s “Riverbank Job” switching cars in the yard. I took the opportunity to get some footage as I have none with trains in the Oakdale yard. The crew was friendly and didn’t seem to mind my filming. While switching cars the train did go into emergency, which is something I had never seen or captured on film. The conductor quickly located and corrected the issue so the train was not down very long. The images of the switching was a good catch, in my opinion, as it depicts how a train crew sorts cars and builds a train. Plus I was right next to the action. I’ll apologize in advance as the lighting was terrible and I was forced to shoot into the sun 🌞. Once I realized this was the Riverbank Job, I decided to stay with the chase as up until that time I had no footage of this job. I’m not that familiar with this job, but understand it’s a daily job from Oakdale to Riverbank and return. I believe Sierra services several industries on the job, including the army depot in Riverbank. This video also captures more images of ex UPY Genset #895, which is a six axle RP20CD Genset locomotive built on an SD40 frame. This makes it a bit larger than the other Gensets. Genset #52 is paired with 895 and leads the train west. Genset #52 is the first generation Genset built by the Sierra and is painted in their paint scheme. Sit back and enjoy as I chase this job west from Oakdale.

[@TwoRailfans]

Great video. It's nice to get a close perspective.

[@SERA52Railfan]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@SERA52Railfan]

Thanks for sharing that info👍

[@dwightbernheimer331]

👍👍👍 didn't realize you had a radio LOL

[@FJDad777]

Great action very cool, sub earned. 👊👍

[@SERA52Railfan]

Thanks for the sub!

[@beeble2003]

The hopper car is needed as a buffer between the reefers and the tank cars because the reefers have diesel engines, so they're more likely to catch fire than a regular box car. This is one of the situations in which 49 CFR 174.85 requires a buffer car. They'll also need the buffer car if the job sets out the reefers before picking up any other cars that could be placed between the tanks and the locomotive..

[@beeble2003]

Yes, they're reefers. You can see the refrigeration units on the ends of the cars that face the locomotive, e.g. at 10:20 (pure coincidence that all four cars are facing the same way).

[@user-pd5ht7qp9x]

Man I miss seeing the sera trains

[@GodTrustful]

No that is a free situation call. Not a repo car.

[@user-uu4gn4ii3p]

That reefer car is also called a Temperature Control Unit

[@hifijohn]

Reefer car is an old railroad slang term for a refrigerated car.

[@billyhunter2161]

I've been wondering what happened to UP PR20CD, Y895. That genset was assigned to the Roseville, CA hump. UP had a total six. Where are they now? Thanks for sharing.

[@SERA52Railfan]

Thank you for sharing where she came from! 😊

[@beeble2003]

Normally, I answer this kind of question by looking on RR Picture Archives -- they normally have photos of everything, and they're cross-linked by frame number so you can track owership changes. Not so for these locomotives! UPY 896-899 are marked as having being sold to LTEX, but there's no information for the others. BTW, looks like UP actually had 13, numbered UPY 887-99.

[@beeble2003]

@@SERA52Railfan RR Picture Archives has no photos of these under SERA ownership -- maybe you could contribute some?

[@rancesurbina3246]

Are thows Genset still Union Pacific. ? I miss see them in the DFW Texas area?

[@beeble2003]

No. Pretty much all the Class Is have ditched their gensets. It seems they do OK on short lines where they only get used a few times a week, but they're just not reliable for 24/7 use.

[@Train43Kaleb]

The same rp20cd 895 was switching out the grains

[@SERA52Railfan]

Yes same loco as day before. 898 it’s sister loco was parked in the yard

[@Train43Kaleb]

@@SERA52Railfan do you know the Sierra northern Genset rp20s going to get rebuilt into a hydrogen fuel locomotives

[@SERA52Railfan]

I do not know

[@Train43Kaleb]

That Sierra northern is bound for riverbank for the bnsf

[@SERA52Railfan]

Yes...the yard in Riverbank is a BNSF yard. That is where the Sierra exchanges with BNSF with the exception of the 100 car grain train that actually comes into Oakdale at least a couple times a month.

[@Jennifer-K5LA]

Nice video, but I absolutely hate genetic locomotives. They are hideous and sound terrible! Thank goodness there's so much more to loving trains then just locomotives😊 I'm so glad the locomotives around here don't sound like a truck stop parking lot 😂 every thing else is beautiful though❤

[@Jennifer-K5LA]

That was suposed to say GENSET, my auto correct snuck up on me 😅

[@SERA52Railfan]

The Gensets are growing on me 😊

[@Jennifer-K5LA]

Well, I still have to warm up to them.......I have to scratch build one in 1/29 scale for my collection not sure if I'm going to simply up scale an HO model part by part, or draw up and 3D print one to fit a usa trains chassis? In any case hopefully I will stop narrowing my eyes and sighing every time I see one rolling along by the time I'm finnished....I officially dub this loco the ugly duckling 😊😊😊