Hunterdon County, NJ, is celebrating its tricentennial with different events throughout 2014. Two events involving railroads in the county are listed here with links to the appropriate official web pages.
First is a power point presentation about the fascinating history of the Trains, Train Stations and Railroads of Hunterdon on Wednesday evening September 10, 2014. This is free, but you must register beforehand. Details at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/trains-train-stations-and-railroads-of-hunterdon-tickets-12345406443?utm_campaign=new_eventv2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eb_email&utm_term=eventurl_text
Second is a train ride on the Black River & Western Railroad from Flemington to Ringoes and return. This extended trip (approx. 4 1/2 hours) will include lunch and entertainment at Ringoes. Date is Saturday, September 13, 2014. Reservation are required and the cost is $15 per adult, $10 for children aged 6 to 17, and free for children 5 and under. Details at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-river-western-historic-rail-experience-read-below-tickets-12345428509?utm_campaign=new_eventv2&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eb_email&utm_term=eventurl_text
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Variety was riding the rails!
(Train sightings on 8-23-14 and 8-24-14.)
...between Saturday evening and Sunday morning in the various consists I observed.
Photo 1- BR&W's last "Caboose Hop" of the year on Saturday evening is seen crossing Route 12 and approaching Flemington's (NJ) Turntable Junction. Motive power was LV SW1 112 still earning its keep after seventy-five years with a Chessie, Wabash, Maine Central and Erie cabooses in tow.
Photo 2: Air Products heat exchanger makes it way down CSX's Trenton Line at Belle Mead (NJ) on Sunday morning around 9:30. On Saturday it was moved from Bethlehem (PA) to Manville (NJ) were it was held over night for Sunday's trip down the TL as CSX X999. That diesel seen in the shadows is NS 6918. This heat exchanger's final destination is unknown.
...between Saturday evening and Sunday morning in the various consists I observed.
Photo 1- BR&W's last "Caboose Hop" of the year on Saturday evening is seen crossing Route 12 and approaching Flemington's (NJ) Turntable Junction. Motive power was LV SW1 112 still earning its keep after seventy-five years with a Chessie, Wabash, Maine Central and Erie cabooses in tow.
Photo 2: Air Products heat exchanger makes it way down CSX's Trenton Line at Belle Mead (NJ) on Sunday morning around 9:30. On Saturday it was moved from Bethlehem (PA) to Manville (NJ) were it was held over night for Sunday's trip down the TL as CSX X999. That diesel seen in the shadows is NS 6918. This heat exchanger's final destination is unknown.
Photo 3: Before heading home I stopped by the LEHL's Valley Road grade crossing
in Hillsborough (NJ) and saw NS 22V with NS 7601 and NS 8713 for power. As those
COFCs passed by my location, I couldn't help but to wonder about the variety of
goods and products within those COFCs. Three different trains with three
different consists!
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
An Air Products High & Wide Move over the LEHL
(Train sightings on 8-23-14.)
Despite some gloomy skies and intermittent showers here in central NJ, I
decided to venture track side in hopes of seeing another Air Products heat
exchanger move from Bethlehem (PA) to Manville (NJ) on the LEHL (NS's Lehigh Line). This move snuck
in under my radar since there were no heads up on any of the local websites I
visit. Motive power for this move was NS 6918 (Rebuilt EMD SD60E) and NS 9383
(GE C40-9W). The consist was a buffer car, APTX 203, APTX 204, another buffer
car and the Air Products caboose. If past history holds true to form, on Sunday
this H/W will depart Manville yard around 9 AM and head west over CSX's Trenton
Line. This particular shipment eventual destination is unknown.
 |
| Photo 1: Taken at Three Bridges (NJ; LEHL MP 48) has it passing through the Main Street grade crossing around 1:45 PM. I was surprised to see the old LV depot sporting a fresh coat of red paint. |
 |
| Photo 2: NS 052 is passing through the Roycefield Road grade crossing in Hillsborough (NJ; LEHL MP 40). |
 |
Photo 3: A view of the support that holds these high and wide loads in
place.
|
Friday, August 22, 2014
BRW Special Events Update
Received the following via email.
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Monday, August 18, 2014
Ed Jenkins Named CSXT Vice President, Market Strategy E-Business
Received the following via email.
JACKSONVILLE , Fla. - August 15, 2014 -
Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer Clarence W. Gooden has
announced the appointment of Ed Jenkins as vice president-market strategy
e-business for CSX Transportation, effective August 15. Jenkins, who will
continue to report to Gooden, has fostered the development of the team
responsible for translating customer needs and growth opportunities into
service innovations that support each of the railroad's key markets.
Ed Jenkins Named CSXT Vice President, Market Strategy
E-Business
"Ed has led remarkable innovations in e-business tools
and customer analytics that have helped propel CSX's service insights and
service culture and, in these areas, has set industry standards. His work has helped CSX gain genuine and
constant customer engagement and insight," said Gooden. "As a result,
the company is much more skilled in anticipating and addressing the needs and
expectations of current and future customers.
These skills will be essential as our service grows in volume and complexity,
and I am very pleased to have Ed and his team in place to help take us
forward."
Over a nearly 30-year career at CSX, Jenkins has held
positions in operations, sales and marketing and strategy. He was appointed
assistant vice president, market strategy and e-business in 2004 after having
been named assistant vice president, corporate development and strategic
planning in 2000. Jenkins spent several
years in management consulting and holds a bachelor's degree in marketing
management from Virginia Tech and a master of management in transportation,
finance and marketing from Northwestern
University
CSX, based in Jacksonville ,
Florida United States , where nearly
two-thirds of the nation's population resides. It also links more than 240
short line railroads and more than 70 ocean, river and lake ports with major
population centers and small farming towns alike. More information about CSX
Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at www.csx.com. Like us on
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/OfficialCSX) and follow us on Twitter (http://twitter.com/CSX).
Contact:
Melanie Cost
904-359-1702
Sunday, August 17, 2014
NS CEO Moorman to address Global Transportation & Aerospace/Defense Conference
Received the following via email.
Aug. 11, 2014
Norfolk Southern CEO Moorman to
address Cowen and Company 7th Annual Global Transportation &
Aerospace/Defense Conference
NORFOLK, VA. - Norfolk Southern
Chairman and CEO Wick Moorman will address the Cowen and Company 7th
Annual Global Transportation & Aerospace/Defense Conference.
Cowen
and Company 7th Annual Global Transportation & Aerospace/Defense
Conference
Wednesday,
Sept. 3, 2014, 10:35 a.m. EDT
Boston
Harbor Hotel, Boston
Webcast
URL: http://wsw.com/webcast/cowen18/nsc
Norfolk Southern
Corporation
(NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk
Southern Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of
Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and
provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates
the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of
coal, automotive, and industrial products.
###
Norfolk Southern
contacts:
NS reports progress and efforts to reduce environmental impact
Received the following via email.
August 8, 2014
Norfolk Southern reports progress
and efforts to reduce environmental impact
NORFOLK, VA. - Norfolk Southern
has reported its carbon performance and strategic efforts in the past year to
lower the railroad's greenhouse gas emissions, driving improved operating
efficiencies and customer service.
The company's seventh annual
public disclosure to CDP, formerly known as the Carbon
Disclosure Project, describes investments in technologies and network
improvements reducing the railroad's carbon footprint while expanding freight
capacity and providing fuel- and cost-efficient customer service. The disclosure
also charts progress on the company's five-year goal to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions intensity by 10 percent per revenue ton-mile, reaching nearly 79
percent of goal with one year remaining.
"Our CDP disclosure is driven by
the company's commitment to be accountable and transparent in how we address
environmental impacts of our operations," said Blair Wimbush, vice president
real estate and corporate sustainability officer. "Today's environmental issues,
such as climate change, offer complex challenges as well as opportunities for
businesses and communities, and Norfolk Southern is fully engaged in achieving
successful outcomes."
Norfolk
Southern describes key strategic initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
They include:
- Expanding its LEADER train-handling initiative, a GPS-based technology that in 2013 saved an estimated 10 million gallons of diesel fuel and reduced locomotive GHG emissions by an estimated 110,500 metric tons.
- Purchasing new, more fuel-efficient locomotives and upgrading older locomotives with reconditioned engines that boost fuel economy and are cleaner burning.
- Investing in network improvements to increase freight rail capacity, providing customers with truck-competitive service that reduces their supply chain carbon footprint and eases highway congestion.
- Improving building operating efficiencies by installing more energy-efficient lights and HVAC systems at railroad facilities.
- Exploring locomotive fuel alternatives, including battery power and natural gas.
To learn more about Norfolk
Southern's efforts to reduce the environmental impacts of its business
operations, view the railroad's CDP filing and 2014 sustainability
report.
Norfolk Southern
Corporation
(NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk
Southern Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of
Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and
provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates
the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of
coal, automotive, and industrial products.
###
Norfolk Southern
contacts:
NS brings emergency responders to training center for crude-by-rail safety class
Received the following via email.
August 7,
2014
Norfolk Southern
brings 40 emergency responders from nine states to world-class training center
for crude-by-rail safety class
NORFOLK,
VA. - First responders from nine states took part in a Norfolk Southern-sponsored crude-by-rail emergency response class
recently at
the Association
of American Railroads'
Security
and Emergency Response Training Center
(SERTC) in Pueblo, Colo. The event marked the latest in Norfolk Southern's
ongoing efforts to facilitate rail-focused training for emergency personnel
across its operating system.
Forty responders from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Delaware, Indiana, New York,
New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, and Alabama participated last week in a
three-day
course. Participants learned about the different kinds of crude oil being
transported, types of tank cars used for crude transportation and crude oil
response precautions. They also practiced specialized firefighting techniques
during a mock 20-car derailment and fire.
"This is top-notch," said Jason Hudgens, a firefighter and paramedic
from Akron, Ohio, who participated in the training. "We were on a 52-acre
facility in the desert, and they ignited a fire to create a real-life situation.
We could feel the heat and use the hoses to spray foam. You can't do that in a
classroom. You can't do this anywhere else."
The
training is part of the freight rail industry's commitment to provide
specialized crude-by-rail training and tuition assistance to 1,500 first
responders during 2014. Norfolk Southern will provide tuition, travel and expenses for a total
of 126 responders to attend the training this year at no cost to communities or
organizations. Additional NS classes will be held in October and
November.
"NS is committed to enhancing safety, which includes not only sound
train operations, but also preparing for emergency situations," said
David Julian, NS vice president safety and environmental. "Pre-planning and
training for first responders is essential to help them perform their duties
when the need arises. With respect to the crude oil traffic segment, we look
forward to working with emergency response agencies to assist them with
hazardous materials planning, training, and resources to help them prepare for
and to minimize impacts in the unlikely event of an incident."
In
2013, NS safety and environmental teams trained more than 4,800 state and local
emergency responders at 108 locations across the railroad's 22-state network,
and since 2000, NS has provided classroom and hands-on training to 62,000
responders.
Emergency response personnel from the following organizations attended
the course:
Alabama
Tuscaloosa Fire & Rescue Service
Delaware
Christiana Fire
Department, Newark Fire Department, PBF Energy-Delaware City Refinery
Indiana
Elkhart Fire
Department, Fort Wayne Fire Department, South Bend Fire Department, LaGrange
Fire & Rescue
Maryland
Cecil County
Department of Emergency Services, Maryland Department of the
Environment
New
Jersey
Elizabeth Fire
Department, Gloucester
County Office of Emergency Response, Newark Fire Department
New
York
Elmira Fire
Department, New York State Division Homeland Security and Emergency Services
Office of Fire Prevention Control
Ohio
Akron Fire
Department, Columbiana County Emergency Management
Agency-Franklin Fire Department, Fulton County Emergency Services,
Norwalk Fire Department, North Ridgeville Fire Department, Toledo Fire &
Rescue Department, Zanesville Fire Department
Pennsylvania
Allegheny County
Emergency Services, Beaver County Emergency Services, Chester County
Department of Emergency Services Hazardous Materials Response
Team, Dauphin County Hazardous Materials Response Team, Eddystone Fire
Company, Erie County Regional Hazardous Materials Team,
Friendship Fire
Company, Lancaster County Emergency Management Agency, Lehigh County Emergency
Management Special Operations, Montgomery County Department of Public Safety,
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, Philadelphia Fire Department,
Pittsburgh Fire Department, Westmoreland County Hazardous
Materials Response
Team
Virginia
Alexandria
Fire/Emergency Medical Services, Lynchburg Fire Department
Norfolk
Southern Corporation
(NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk
Southern Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route
miles
in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in
the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail
carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the
East and is a major transporter of coal, automotive, and industrial
products.
###
Norfolk Southern
contacts:
Wednesday, August 06, 2014
CSX - Alliance for Community Trees and CSX Announce National NeighborWoods® Tree Plantings and Giveaways
Received the following via email.
Alliance
WASHINGTON , D.C. , August
4, 2014 - Alliance
Alliance Alliance
"ACTrees
appreciates CSX's long-standing passion for community greening and the work our
members are doing," says Executive Director Carrie Gallagher. "After
working together to accomplish the CSX Trees for Tracks goal of planting 21,000
trees last year, we're excited that CSX is continuing to support ACTrees member
initiatives to bring the environmental and economic benefits of trees to
communities."
"At CSX, we are
committed to continually improving our environment and helping to make the
communities we serve cleaner and greener," said Tori Kaplan, assistant
vice president corporate social responsibility, CSX. "National
NeighborWoods® Month allows us to support a real difference in 30 communities,
in collaboration with ACTrees, to protect and improve the country's natural
resources."
CSX Giveaway Grants
will fund tree giveaways of 75 or more large trees during National
NeighborWoods® Month. Trees will be given to the public, neighborhood
associations, and community organizations at no cost. ACTrees members will
provide technical assistance and planting instructions to those who receive
trees.
These giveaways will
strengthen the urban canopies of 15 communities: Arlington ,
VA ; Baltimore , MD ; Bloomington , IN ; Carmel , IN ; Detroit , MI ; Fredericksburg , VA ; Grabill , IN ; Indianapolis , IN ; Louisville , KY ; New Orleans , LA ; New York , NY ; Philadelphia , PA ; Richmond , VA ; Richmond Hill , GA ; and St.
Louis , MO.
CSX Restoration
Grants will fund plantings in communities that recently lost canopy coverage
due to extreme storms, pests, and diseases, as well as in sensitive riparian
buffer zones along urban waters. Replanting trees in city parks, along streets,
and in riparian areas will restore urban forests in these communities.
In addition, ACTrees
members will perform i-Tree analysis on the grant-funded trees to calculate the
measurable impact these new trees will make, including stormwater runoff
adsorbed, carbon captured, and the dollar value of these benefits.
These grants will
help rebuild the canopies and watersheds of 15 communities: Atlanta ,
GA ; Baltimore , MD ; Buffalo , NY ; Chicago , IL ; Cleveland , OH ; Frankfort , KY ; Greenville , SC ; Pittsburgh , PA ; Raleigh , NC ; Savannah , GA ; St. Louis , MO ; Valparaiso , IN ; Washington , IL ; and Wilmington ,
DE
Want to get
involved? Interested volunteers in these cities can find their local ACTrees
member organization at www.ACTrees.org.
For the past four
years, CSX and ACTrees have partnered to provide and promote urban and
community tree planting, care, conservation and education. Together CSX
employees and ACTrees members have planted more than 22,600 trees.
National
NeighborWoods® Month is the annual celebration of trees in our
communities. Every October, tens of thousands of volunteers take action to make
their communities greener and healthier by planting trees-turning their
neighborhoods into vibrant, livable NeighborWoods®. Be part of this national
event. Join in at www.NeighborWoodsMonth.org.
About Alliance
About CSX
Corporation
CSX Corporation,
based in Jacksonville , Florida District of Columbia
Media Contact:
Anthony Le
202-291-8733
CSX - TRANSPORTING NUTRITION TO FOOD DESERTS
Received the following via email.
TRANSPORTING NUTRITION TO FOOD
DESERTS
CSX and The Conservation Fund
launch grant program to support transportation of fresh food to underserved
communities
ARLINGTON, Va. (Aug. 4, 2014) --
CSX and The Conservation Fund today announced a program of grants aimed at
improving the transportation and distribution of fresh, healthy food to
communities in need. More than 23 million Americans across the country have limited
or no access to fresh produce, dairy, meats and seafood. One of the
contributors to these so-called "food deserts" is the lack of
infrastructure to distribute fresh food to markets.
As a leading supplier of
efficient rail-based freight transportation in North
America , CSX recognized the integral role that local distribution
plays in bringing fresh food to the people who need it. Many producers and
organizations are challenged to retain food quality and safety as they sell,
store, package, and distribute produce and other goods to the communities they
serve.
To support local distribution and
help address this need, CSX and The Conservation Fund, a national nonprofit
dedicated to finding conservation solutions that balance environmental and
economic needs, teamed up to create a program that will help farmers and
distributors enhance their delivery capabilities.
Grants ranging from $2,500 to
$10,000 will be made available to entities that distribute fresh
produce/perishable food in the 23 states where CSX operates. The grants can
support a range of activities related to transportation such as:
- acquiring refrigerated vehicles
for direct delivery to markets;
- financing "veggie
vans" to bring fresh food to isolated communities;
- providing better access to food
hubs or other sites where produce, dairy, seafood and meats can be stored
safely for distribution; or
- purchasing produce boxes and
cold storage bins to keep unsold food fresh for the next day's farmers market
or wholesale purchase.
"This program provides a
lifeline to Americans who struggle to make fresh food a part of their daily
meals," said Kris Hoellen, Vice President of Sustainable Programs for The
Conservation Fund. "With CSX's help, we're connecting our most vulnerable
populations to healthy, fresh food by addressing local gaps in food
distribution systems. Efficient distribution of healthy food also means more
effective use of natural resources required for sustainable agricultural
practices."
"This program truly
demonstrates the power of partnerships, drawing on the strengths of both CSX
and The Conservation Fund to identify solutions that serve the communities in
which we live and work every day," said Tori Kaplan, Assistant Vice
President, Corporate Social Responsibility, CSX. "Facilitating fresh and
healthy food distribution to underserved communities is exemplary of CSX's core
value of right results, right way."
Grant applications are due by
October 1, 2014. To download a grant application and see more information about
the program, please visit http://www.conservationfund.org/partner-with-us/corporate-partners/profiles/csx/
or contact Margarita Carey at mcarey@conservationfund.org.
CSX is also working with The
Conservation Fund on a program that is improving access to healthy food in five
underserved counties in West Virginia
CSX has long been a supporter of
The Conservation Fund's work. CSX has helped restore critical habitat at two
national wildlife refuges through the donation of more than 13,000 trees and is
helping reconnect children and nature with the creation of a school curriculum
unit that teaches kids about the environment, math, science and economics through
real-world freight transportation scenarios.
# # #
About CSX
CSX, based in Jacksonville , Florida United States
CSX is committed to helping
communities it serves live healthier, greener, safer lives. The company
recognizes the importance for these communities to gain regular access to
locally grown, nutrient-rich, fresh food. That's why CSX is supporting
these grants to enable farmers, churches, towns, cities, neighborhoods, and
community groups to transport fresh food to people who need it, as part of a
healthier lifestyle.
About The Conservation Fund
At The Conservation Fund, we
combine a passion for conservation with an entrepreneurial spirit to protect America
Contacts:
Ann Simonelli, The Conservation
Fund, 703-908-5809, asimonelli@conservationfund.org
Melanie Cost, CSX Corporate
Communications, 904-359-1702, melanie_cost@csx.com
Tuesday, August 05, 2014
NMRA Palmer, Mass. Convention Update
Received the following via email.
NER Members:
The Palmer NER Convention, September 11 to 14, is less than six weeks away. If you haven’t yet registered please do so soon. Any activities that do not meet the minimum registration requirements will have to be cancelled. The discounted early registration period ends August 20th. If you have already registered, Thank You!
Please visit the www.nediamonds2014.org website for all the latest convention information, some of these changes are summarized in this email. (Please Note: If you have visited the website before, please refresh your browser (usually F5) on each page to see the updated version of the page.)
Lodging:
In case you missed it, we have arranged discounted rooms at a nearby hotel:
Day's Inn
450 Memorial Drive, Chicopee, MA 02020.
Reduced rates for the convention are:
$92.21 per night for one night
$84.34 per night for two or more nights
A full continental breakfast is included.
Call (413) 739-7311 to make your reservation. Remember to specify "Palmer NER Convention" when booking in order to get the reduced rates.
Banquet:
The Steaming tender can only accommodate about 125 diners in the main dining room, so please get your registration in to enjoy the evening in Palmers’ historic railroad station. The Banquet menu and Awards Breakfast menus are now available on the convention website. The restaurant will also be offering a speedy lunch menu for convention attendees on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Prototype Tours:
The PVRR tours now also include a 45-60 minute ride in their dining car over a 3-mile branch line that runs through an industrial park. Please remember that we are visiting working railroads and safety is of utmost importance. Proper dress and footwear is required for the tours, no open toes shoes, sandals or shorts.
The Keystone Arch Bridge tour has updated the requirements for attending the tour, including items for your safety. Please see the website.
Operating Sessions:
Home and club layout operating sessions are assigned based on the order of convention registration. The lower your registration number, the higher your priority will be when choosing your sessions. If you want to improve your chances of getting into a session of your choice, please send your convention registration to the Registrar by this Tuesday, August 5. (You may want to mail your application and notify the registrar via. email)
Clinics:
Pdfs of all clinic descriptions and the clinic schedule have been posted on the website. You can use them to assist in your activity planning. Also, on Friday evening, Tony Koester will be presenting his clinic on “Multi-Deck Railroad Design and Construction.”
Please note that the Bolinger participation clinic is no longer being offered. Please select from the other participation clinics. If you’re already signed up for Bolinger’s clinic, when you check in at the registration desk, you’ll be able to sign up for a different clinic or receive a refund.
Non-Rail:
Please note that the Old Sturbridge Village Tour requires 15 attendees to go ahead at the discounted tour price of $15.00. By comparison, regular admission is $24.00.
The Thursday evening “Modeling with Cosmetics” session has been canceled and replaced by a non-participation clinic. The “Modeling with Cosmetics” will still be offered on Saturday.
Contests:
Updated forms and guidelines for the Photo Contest are available on the NER website. A link to this website is available on the convention website. Please note that submissions to the Model and Photo Contest will only be accepted Friday evening between 5PM and 9PM. Judging will take place on Saturday.
Thanks again from the Palmer Convention Committee! We will send another email update soon, including more info on layout tours.
NER Members:
The Palmer NER Convention, September 11 to 14, is less than six weeks away. If you haven’t yet registered please do so soon. Any activities that do not meet the minimum registration requirements will have to be cancelled. The discounted early registration period ends August 20th. If you have already registered, Thank You!
Please visit the www.nediamonds2014.org website for all the latest convention information, some of these changes are summarized in this email. (Please Note: If you have visited the website before, please refresh your browser (usually F5) on each page to see the updated version of the page.)
Lodging:
In case you missed it, we have arranged discounted rooms at a nearby hotel:
Day's Inn
450 Memorial Drive, Chicopee, MA 02020.
Reduced rates for the convention are:
$92.21 per night for one night
$84.34 per night for two or more nights
A full continental breakfast is included.
Call (413) 739-7311 to make your reservation. Remember to specify "Palmer NER Convention" when booking in order to get the reduced rates.
Banquet:
The Steaming tender can only accommodate about 125 diners in the main dining room, so please get your registration in to enjoy the evening in Palmers’ historic railroad station. The Banquet menu and Awards Breakfast menus are now available on the convention website. The restaurant will also be offering a speedy lunch menu for convention attendees on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Prototype Tours:
The PVRR tours now also include a 45-60 minute ride in their dining car over a 3-mile branch line that runs through an industrial park. Please remember that we are visiting working railroads and safety is of utmost importance. Proper dress and footwear is required for the tours, no open toes shoes, sandals or shorts.
The Keystone Arch Bridge tour has updated the requirements for attending the tour, including items for your safety. Please see the website.
Operating Sessions:
Home and club layout operating sessions are assigned based on the order of convention registration. The lower your registration number, the higher your priority will be when choosing your sessions. If you want to improve your chances of getting into a session of your choice, please send your convention registration to the Registrar by this Tuesday, August 5. (You may want to mail your application and notify the registrar via. email)
Clinics:
Pdfs of all clinic descriptions and the clinic schedule have been posted on the website. You can use them to assist in your activity planning. Also, on Friday evening, Tony Koester will be presenting his clinic on “Multi-Deck Railroad Design and Construction.”
Please note that the Bolinger participation clinic is no longer being offered. Please select from the other participation clinics. If you’re already signed up for Bolinger’s clinic, when you check in at the registration desk, you’ll be able to sign up for a different clinic or receive a refund.
Non-Rail:
Please note that the Old Sturbridge Village Tour requires 15 attendees to go ahead at the discounted tour price of $15.00. By comparison, regular admission is $24.00.
The Thursday evening “Modeling with Cosmetics” session has been canceled and replaced by a non-participation clinic. The “Modeling with Cosmetics” will still be offered on Saturday.
Contests:
Updated forms and guidelines for the Photo Contest are available on the NER website. A link to this website is available on the convention website. Please note that submissions to the Model and Photo Contest will only be accepted Friday evening between 5PM and 9PM. Judging will take place on Saturday.
Thanks again from the Palmer Convention Committee! We will send another email update soon, including more info on layout tours.
NS named to 'green' supply chain list
Received the following via email.
July 31, 2014
July 31, 2014
Norfolk Southern
named to 'green' supply chain list
NORFOLK,
VA. - Norfolk Southern Corporation has earned a place on Inbound Logistics' 2014
75 Green Supply Chain Partners list in recognition of sustainable supply chain,
logistics, and transportation practices.
The
transportation industry magazine cited Norfolk Southern's Trees and Trains
tree-planting initiative and its investments in track and rail facilities to
increase freight rail capacity across the company's eastern U.S.
network.
"Norfolk
Southern strives to provide customers with unrivalled service while mitigating
business impacts on the environment," said Blair Wimbush, vice president real
estate and corporate sustainability officer. "We are proud and gratified to be
recognized by Inbound Logistics for these efforts. Employees at all levels of
the railroad are working hard to be more efficient, less resource-intensive, and
innovative in the way we do business."
In
announcing its "G75" list, Inbound Logistics said a company's
corporate sustainability initiatives, collaborative customer-driven projects,
and participation in public-private partnerships were considered. Four
benchmarks carried weight: measurable green results, sustainability innovation,
continuous improvement, and industry recognition.
"We
found Norfolk Southern to be one of those companies that is truly 'walking the
walk' when it comes to supply chain sustainability," said Felecia Stratton,
editor of Inbound Logistics.
Norfolk
Southern launched Trees and Trains in 2011 with a five-year, $5.6 million
commitment to reforest 10,000 acres in the Mississippi Delta with more than 6
million native hardwoods and cottonwoods. The railroad also is working with
conservation partners to restore longleaf pines and American chestnut trees.
These forest habitats offer carbon sequestration and watershed protection, with
the Mississippi Delta initiative projected to generate 1.12 million tons of
carbon-offset credits. That is equal to nearly one-fifth of Norfolk Southern's
2013 carbon emissions, primarily from its diesel-powered locomotive
fleet.
In
the current year, NS expects to spend $2.2 billion on strategic investments in
its rail franchise, including projects to improve capacity and network flow.
Inbound Logistics singled out NS' ongoing investments in its Crescent Corridor
public-private improvement project, which spans 11 states and has the potential
to ease highway congestion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by diverting
long-haul freight from trucks to trains. More companies are shifting transport
of their products from highway to rail to reduce their supply-chain carbon
footprint and achieve business sustainability goals.
Norfolk
Southern in July released its seventh
annual sustainability report,
which details the company's Trees and Trains carbon mitigation strategy and the
economic and environmental efficiencies of the railroad's network.
Norfolk
Southern Corporation
(NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk
Southern Railway Company subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route
miles
in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in
the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail
carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the
East and is a major transporter of coal, automotive, and industrial
products.
###
Norfolk Southern
contacts:
Sunday, August 03, 2014
Announcing New Special Events on the Black River & Western!
Received the following via email.
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Announcing Two New
Special Events!
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It's been a busy year at Black River & Western, and we're only getting started! It is with great pleasure that we are announcing two NEW special events for 2014: a special #112 75'th Anniversary Celebration, and Story Time With Mrs. Claus! Also - North Pole Express tickets are now available to returning BR&W customers! #112 75'th Anniversary Celebration Our trusty switcher, LV #112, is turning 75 years old! So on September 6 and 7 we'll be operating a special trip from Ringoes to Three Bridges and return. Passengers will be treated to several photo run-bys and will receive exclusive souvenirs. Reservations required.  Story Time With Mrs Claus Ride along with Mrs. Claus and her helper on this unique train. During this 45 minute trip Mrs. Claus will read a story aloud, kids will receive a small gift, everyone gets a candy cane, and there will be additional live entertainment. IMPORTANT - SANTA IS NOT ON THIS TRAIN. Reservations required.  North Pole Express Tickets Now Available! North Pole Pole Express tickets are now available to returning BR&W customers! Just follow the "Buy Tickets Now" link below and enter the access code "santa2014". Feel free to share the access code with your friends and family. North Pole Express tickets go on sale to the general public on August 15, so buy your tickets now before trains start selling out!
For
complete details on all of our trains and events
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