THE GATEWAY CHEROKEE

As mentioned in December, the AP&W and the KCS now have a joint high-priority intermodal train, the Gateway Cherokee, that runs between Kansas City and New York City. The advertised run time is 24hrs between the two cities, or about half the normal time for low-priority freights.

Norman and Sam look up to catch the approach of the eastbound train, GC10NYC.

As the train passes through the yard, we see the normal mix of power; both AP&W and KCS are represented on the head end. A high-speed, high-priority train requires reliable, high-horsepower locomotives; the AP&W AC4400 and the KCS ES44AC's combined 8800 horsepower will keep this train on schedule, but sometimes even more power is needed.

As this picture shows, there couldn't be a more dramatic contrast between the two roads' paint schemes! Reportedly, the AP&W is looking to at least add some color to the basic 'dip job' its engines currently receive. Being paired up with a colorful KCS or a BNSF engine does not become
an AP&W locomotive!

The two engines pull their train through the yard on the way to New York City, via Philadelphia. As seen in the layout updates and here, the Hillsdale skyline is expanding and improving!

The long train stretches on through the yard and beyond with a heavy dose of double-stacked 53' domestic containers; including ones from Schneider, Crowley and JB Hunt. As seen before, the trains also haul trailers, and can often be found hauling lots of UPS equipment as well. And there is already talk of adding an additional pair of trains to handle international container traffic. And with FedEx now running on the rails, it probably won't be long before we see their equipment on these trains!