At the moment I photographed this eastbound manifest approaching Lind shortly after sunset, little did I have any clue that I had captured something unique. I later learned that these three locomotives, BNSF 1090, 1068 and 999, comprise one of two dedicated three-unit consists traveling about the BNSF system to test a new fuel optimization technology. This system functions by providing the amount of tractive effort requested by the engineer (via throttle position) through consideration of all three units' power output versus fuel consumption; for example, the system could determine that the best way to respond to a one-notch throttle increase is to increase engine RPMs in two units to full power while idling the third unit.
