Flashback 25 years ago

Received the following via email from Kermit Geary, Jr. Text, photos, and captions are his.

Finally made it out of Danbury, CT with the illustrious 811 and are starting the test on the A&O out of Buckhannon, WV tomorrow! Sure am glad to be out of that snake-den. Nothing new to report so I figured I'd share a few from 25 years ago down here on the Chessie (C&O). Was working for a Safety Shoe company, driving a mobile shoe store around the railroads...servicing C&O, B&O, WM, L&N, SCL, WofA, Georgia, CRR, A&WP, N&W, CR, and D&H. Travelled with camera in hand, shooting everything...locos, cars, buildings, m of w equipment, and vehicles. Those were some good times!!!

So, Sit back and enjoy!

C&O 5883 at Coal Creek Jct, KY 8-9-1984

C&O 2329 picking up orders on the fly at Handley, WV 7-27-1984

C&O 4383 at Thurmond, WV 7-26-1984

C&O 4383 wesbound through Thurmond, WV 7-26-1984

C&O depot at Barboursville, WV 8-2-1984

C&O 33, 32 and Huelletts at Toledo, OH 4-8-1987

C&O 126 'Roadrailer' at Riverside, Baltimore, MD 8-27-1984

C&O 903137 at Morristown, IN 4-9-1987

stolen engine ???

Here is an example of misinformation found on the internet. We received the following item via email from a posting on a Yahoo group.

Someone in Omaha stole a locomotive. http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/article_ee878a8c-048d-11df-9b9f-001cc4c002e0.html Police are confident they can track it down.

If you follow the link, you will find the article below which was posted on SiouxCityJournal.com by someone that doesn't seem to know much about locomotives.

4-ton locomotive reported missing from Omaha yard

Posted: Monday, January 18, 2010 6:00 pm

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- Omaha police are trying to track down an 8,000-pound Union Pacific locomotive and those responsible for its disappearance.

The four-ton engine was recently discovered missing by employees of Rail Sciences. The consulting firm is contracted to diagnose and fix problems with Union Pacific equipment.

A police report says the General Electric locomotive traction electric engine is valued at $45,000.

It also says the engine's theft happened sometime before Christmas. The engine was last seen in the Rail Sciences yard in downtown Omaha.

Now, here is another article from the Omaha World-Herald about the same thing.

Train motor missing from business

Published Tuesday January 19, 2010

Authorities are trying to figure out how an 8,000-pound, $45,000 motor for a locomotive disappeared last month from an Omaha train repair business.

The General Electric locomotive traction electric engine is the property of Union Pacific Railroad. The motor had been out for repairs at Rail Sciences, 605 N. 13th St., when it disappeared between Dec. 16 and Dec. 23, according to Omaha police.

A Rail Sciences employee reported the loss to police on Wednesday, on behalf of Union Pacific. The motor had been outside, the police report said.

Union Pacific spokesman Tom Lange said giant machinery is used to move the massive motor. He had no idea how it could have been taken from the yard. — Susan Szalewski and AP

I would guess that the missing traction motor has been dismanteled by now, and the parts sold as scrap.

There's an old saying...

(Train sightings on 1-16-10.)

...as to what goes around comes back around. That adage best describes the route my travels would take me on this Saturday morning. My first stop of the day would be at Three Bridges where, by dawn's early light, NS 212 came through at 7:49. Motive power was NS 9028, NS 9642 and NS 6776. Arriving at Lansdown Junction just in the nick of time, NS 18G was soon seen bringing its load of mixed freight east at 8:30. Scouting out some locations at Jutland, westbound NS 21M passed by around 9:00. My trackside jaunt ended up where I started this day, at Three Bridges. With MP 48's block signal set for a westbounder, it wasn't too long before the WB'er could be heard. His symbol designation indicated it would be a high and wide load. It certainly was a nice way to close out this day.

Trestle Fire on NS Mobile Line - Update

Received the following via email.

Trestle Fire on Mobile Line

The Norfolk Southern mainline between Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama, disrupted by the trestle fire at Jackson, AL., has been restored to service the early morning of January 15. We are currently working to move the backlog of traffic resulting from this disruption and restore operations to normal as quickly as possible. Customers with shipments moving over this line should expect to see some delays until traffic flows are normalized.

Customers with questions regarding specific shipments should contact their Customer Service Representative.
Customer Service - 800 635-5768


Central Yard Operations representatives are also available to answer any questions regarding local service (set/pull) in the affected area.
Central Yard Operations - 800 898-4296

(Also see our post from Jan. 15, 2010.)

NS Crescent Corridor updates

Received the following items via email concerning Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor.

January 12, 2010

Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor has wide bipartisan support on Capitol Hill

NORFOLK, VA. - In recognition of the critical importance freight rail transportation offers shippers throughout the U.S., Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor program has been endorsed by 60 legislators on Capitol Hill as 2010 begins.

"Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor program comes at a critical time for our nation's economy, environment, and transportation infrastructure," said NS CEO Wick Moorman. "The Crescent Corridor will stimulate job growth, economic development, and local tax revenues, while delivering substantial public benefits for communities and shippers. We are grateful for the wide bipartisan support the Crescent Corridor is receiving on Capitol Hill."

Members of the U.S. Congress supporting the Crescent Corridor are:

Alabama: Sens. Shelby and Sessions. Reps. Rogers, Aderholt, Griffith, Bachus, and Davis.
Delaware: Sens. Carper and Kaufman. Rep. Castle.
Georgia: Sens. Chambliss and Isakson. Reps. Westmoreland, Johnson, Deal, Gingrey, and Scott.
Maryland: Rep. Bartlett.
Mississippi: Sens. Cochran and Wicker. Reps. Childers and Harper.
New Jersey: Reps. LoBiondo, Garrett, Lance, Pascrell, Payne, Rothman and Sires.
North Carolina: Sens. Burr and Hagan. Rep. Myrick.
Pennsylvania: Sens. Specter and Casey. Reps. Brady, Fattah, Gerlach, Murphy, Shuster, Schwartz, Dent, Holden, and Platts.
Tennessee: Sens. Alexander and Corker. Reps. Roe, Duncan, Wamp, Gordon, Davis, and Cohen.
Virginia: Sens. Webb and Warner. Reps. Wittman, Nye, Scott, Perriello, Goodlatte, and Boucher.
West Virginia: Rep. Capito.

The Crescent Corridor is an existing 2,500-mile rail network supporting the supply chain from Memphis and New Orleans to New Jersey designed to handle more rail freight traffic faster and more reliably, creating or benefiting some 73,000 jobs by 2030, and producing these estimated annual benefits:

· $326 million in tax revenues to states and communities
· 1.3 million long-haul trucks diverted from interstates
· $146 million in accident avoidance savings
· 1.9 million tons in CO2 reduction
· $575 million in congestion savings
· $92 million in highway maintenance savings
· 169 million gallons in fuel savings

This past September, lead state Pennsylvania, joined by Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia, applied for federal stimulus money under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Program. The application seeks $300 million in support of new independent intermodal facilities at Memphis, Birmingham, and Franklin County, Pa.; and the expansion of intermodal terminals in Harrisburg and Philadelphia. Track improvements in the five partner states will include 10 passing tracks, 557 individual speed improvements, and 393 miles of track improved with upgraded rail.

For more information about the Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Project, visit www.thefutureneedsus.com.

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is a leading North American transportation provider. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 21,000 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 and industrial products.

Norfolk Southern contacts

Media Rudy Husband 610-567-3377 rudy.husband@nscorp.com
Investors Leanne Marilley 757-629-2861 leanne.marilley@nscorp.com



January 14, 2010

Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor endorsed by Retail Industry Leaders Association

NORFOLK, VA. - Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Project has received the endorsement of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). As noted in a letter dated December 16, 2009, from Katherine Lugar, RILA's Executive Vice President, Public Affairs to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood:

"I believe this project is an effective and efficient use of public and private funds. It is a bold example of our nation's potential that exists if we set our sights on a more balanced approach to funding our nation's transportation needs. As you are aware, existing transportation resources are proving inadequate. This project will provide a new intermodal corridor with the ultimate potential to remove over 1 million trucks a year from our already strained national interstate highway system in the South and Northeast. Most importantly, these improvements can be completed within an 18 month timeframe."

RILA is the trade association of the world's largest and most innovative retail companies. RILA members include more than 200 retailers, product manufacturers, and service suppliers, which together account for more than $1.5 trillion in annual sales, millions of American jobs and operate more than 100,000 stores, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers domestically and abroad. A complete copy of RILA's letter of support can be found at: http://www.nscorp.com/nscorphtml/pdf/letter.pdf.

RILA joins a broad spectrum of supporters for Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor, including 60 U.S. senators and representatives, the leading business associations for Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia, along with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, A Greener Gulf Coast, the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the Mississippi Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils.

"The fact that our Crescent Corridor project is currently supported by more than 200 federal, state and local government officials, major companies, metropolitan planning organizations, and trade and environmental associations is a testament to its importance for our economy, environment, and national transportation network," said NS CEO Wick Moorman. "We are extremely grateful for the widespread support the project has received to date, and we look forward to working with the U.S. Dept. of Transportation to maximize the opportunities the Crescent Corridor will deliver to the nation."

The Crescent Corridor is an existing 2,500-mile rail network supporting the supply chain from Memphis and New Orleans to New Jersey designed to handle more rail freight traffic faster and more reliably, creating or benefiting some 73,000 green jobs by 2030, and producing these estimated annual benefits:

· $326 million in tax revenues to states and communities
· 1.3 million long-haul trucks diverted from interstates
· $146 million in accident avoidance savings
· 1.9 million tons in CO2 reduction
· $575 million in congestion savings
· $92 million in highway maintenance savings
· 169 million gallons in fuel savings

This past September, lead state Pennsylvania, joined by Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia, applied for federal stimulus money under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Program. The application seeks $300 million in support of new independent intermodal facilities at Memphis, Birmingham, and Franklin County, Pa.; and the expansion of intermodal terminals in Harrisburg and Philadelphia. Track improvements in the five partner states will include 10 passing tracks, 557 individual speed improvements, and 393 miles of track improved with upgraded rail.

For more information about the Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Project, visit www.thefutureneedsus.com.

Norfolk Southern Corporation is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 21,000 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 and industrial products.

Norfolk Southern contacts

Media Rudy Husband 610-567-3377 rudy.husband@nscorp.com
Investors Leanne Marilley 757-629-2861 leanne.marilley@nscorp.com

Trestle Fire on NS Mobile Line

Received the following via email on 1-13-10 from Norfolk Southern.

Trestle Fire on Mobile Line

A trestle fire between Jackson and Suggsville, Alabama (north of Mobile) has disrupted Norfolk Southern mainline operations between Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama. We are currently working to assess damage and restore operations as quickly as possible, including possible reroutes. However customers with shipments normally moving over this line should expect delays.

Customers with questions regarding specific shipments should contact their Customer Service Representative.

Customer Service - 800 635-5768

Central Yard Operations representatives are also available to answer any questions regarding local service (set/pull) in the affected area.

Central Yard Operations - 800 898-4296

Heading back to work 1-2010

Received the following via email from Kermit Geary, Jr. Text, photos, and captions are his.

After an extended holiday, due to truck problems with the illustrious 811, I am in Albany, NY getting ready to test down the River Line towards North Bergen, NJ on (SRS) car 954. Here are a few trains I shot on the way to Albany today.

Going to be sending out some historical shots periodically...things that I have taken 20+ years ago...

NS 9448 at Albany, NY

Amtrak 716 at Albany - Rennsaelaer, NY

CSXT 2437 - 1010 at Selkirk Yard, NY

NS 8914 south of New Milford, PA along rt 11

To be trackside on a morning like this...

(Train sightings on 1-9-10.)

...Saturday morning when the temperature "hovered" in the lower twenties, a person has to be devoted to railfanning or else wear plenty of layers of clothing to stay warm. For myself, I would have to answer those two questions by saying "Yes!'. The first train seen was NS 214 at 8:22 at the Lansdown Road grade crossing. My main interest in seeing this train was that the third unit was BNSF 7211. It has been a long drought for me when it comes to seeing foreign power along the LEHL. I had to feel a little compassion for some contractors that were working on some fiber optic cables along the ROW. Besides the cold, they also had to deal with the frozen ground!

Deciding to try a new location and warm up, I drove up to a new location that I have not been to previously. This spot would be the Perryville Road (MP 60.8) grade crossing. I was quite pleased with what I lensed. First train through would be NS 22V, lead by NS 7693.


Knowing that NS 64J would follow behind this train, I opted for another location near here. A mound of ballast helped to give me some elevation to snap NS 5423 rounding the curve just west of this grade crossing. After two hours of being out in the cold, I decided to head on home with what I considered a good morning of railfanning.

Weekly Rail Carloading Report - Week 52, 2009

There is an interesting report available on the web that is "A Weekly Report of North American Rail Freight Traffic by Major Railroad and Commodity." It is currently showing data for week 52 of 2009.

http://railfax.transmatch.com/

Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2008-2009 vs. 2007-2008. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.

Note: This is the last Railfax that we will post because ASI/Transmatch, who provides this data, is discontinuing their free weekly data download. Here is the comment that they included in their last email.

We will be discontinuing our weekly data download with the last week of 2009. The data will be available in a new Railfax Highlights database that will be debuting with the first week of 2010. This new product will include the data that has been in our weekly file as well as the complete 2 year time series to incorporate all restatements issued by the AAR. The Highlights data base will be available on a subscription basis for $65/year (less than $1.25/week). Click HERE to view a sample and subscribe.

Invitation: CNJ Railroad Slide Show

Received the following via email.


Invitation: C.N.J. RR Slide Show

Feel free to forward this invitation to your friends

The Oldest Model Railroad Club in America invites you.

The New York Society of Model Engineers will be hosting a Slide Show covering the Central Railroad of New Jersey's Lehigh and Susquehanna Division in Pennsylvania. The slide show will feature CNJ operations there from the early 60's to the end of CNJ operations in Pennsylvania. Also, the show will be enhanced with slides of Lehigh Valley operations after they took over the CNJ trackage.

The presentation will be given by noted rail photographer Rich Taylor.

Due to the strong response to this slide show it has been moved from NYSME HQ to larger location permitting even more people to attend. Non-NYSME members are welcome!

Date & Time: Friday, January 15, 2010 at 8:00pm

Location: Rutherford Ambulance Corps Meeting Room, 44 Ames Ave., Rutherford, NJ
One block from downtown Rutherford.
There is a free parking in a lot directly across the street.
You can come by train, only one block from the NJT Rutherford Train Station.

Additional Details: http://www.modelengineers.org/

Admission: FREE (But, we would not mind a donation to cover cost of coffee and donuts)

The location is only 1 mile from the Meadowlands Sports Complex and Giants Stadium.

Feel free to forward this invitation to your friends.
A great way to start the new year.

Happy New Year,
New York Society of Model Engineers

========================================================================
Founded in the early part of the 20th. Century and incorporated in 1926, the New York Society of Model Engineers is the oldest Model Railroad Club in America and possibly the oldest in the world. Located within our 5,000 square foot building are two large model train layouts, "HO" and "O" Scale, a fully equipped machine shop and large research library. The Society is located at 341 Hoboken Road, Carlstadt, NJ. This is less than one mile from the New Jersey Sports Complex and Giant Stadium.
Membership is open to anyone with an interest in model trains or just trains.
See http://www.modelengineers.org/ for additional information.

CNJ - On This Date

On this date, January 8th, in 1970 the CNJ North Branch Station burned down.

NS UPDATE - Force Majeure on Coal Shipments Lifted

Received the following via email.

UPDATE – Force Majeure on Coal Shipments Lifted

The Force Majeure for Coal Customers, including customers with contracts or other agreements with Norfolk Southern, is lifted as of 3:00 PM, Tuesday, January 05, 2010. Operations at Lambert’s Point were restored but unloading remained hampered by weather conditions. With operation restored, Norfolk Southern is working to clear the current backlog of shipments.

Also see our postings on Dec. 20 and Dec. 29.

Norfolk Southern Quarterly Earnings Conference Call

Received the following via email.

Norfolk Southern Quarterly Earnings Conference Call

We cordially invite you to join us on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010, at 4:30 p.m. ET to review our fourth-quarter 2009 results. We will issue earnings results shortly after market close on Jan. 27.

For those interested in participating, we will broadcast via teleconference that will be available by dialing 877-869-3847 several minutes prior to the start of the call. At the conclusion, you may listen to an audio replay, which will be available until Feb. 3, 2010. The replay number is 877-660-6853, using PIN 2861, and access code 338689.

In conjunction with the call, a live webcast will be accessible and presentation materials will be posted on the company's Web site at www.nscorp.com under the Investors section. Following the earnings call, an Internet replay of the presentation will be archived on the company's Web site. In addition, the replay will be available for download to a portable audio player or computer as a MP3 - or podcast - file. Both the replay and MP3 file can be found at www.nscorp.com in the Investors section.

For electronic notification of future earnings events, we invite you to subscribe to NSInvest, Norfolk Southern's e-mail distribution list for news releases on earnings and issues pertaining to the financial performance of Norfolk Southern. To subscribe, please follow directions on our website under the Investors section.

Sincerely,

Leanne D. Marilley

Director Investor Relations
Norfolk Southern Corporation

UPDATE – Force Majeure on Coal Shipments Continues in Effect

The Force Majeure that went into effect at 6:00 PM, December 18, 2009 for Coal Customers, including customers with contracts or other agreements with Norfolk Southern, remains in effect. While service has been restored following winter storm conditions, damage to the Lambert’s Point facility on December 26, 2009 combined with a belt tear on December 27, 2009 have rendered both ship loaders temporarily inoperable. Norfolk Southern is working to restore dumping operations as soon as possible, and will provide notice to all parties when service has returned to normal.

More Holiday Greetings

Received the following via email

Holiday Greetings

Received the following via email

Norfolk Southern-Inclimate Weather Affects Operations.

Received the following through email:

Winter Storm Impacting Mid-Atlantic Operations

A winter storm has brought heavy snow, wind, and power outages to many areas in the Mid-Atlantic region and is now moving into the Northeast and is impacting service in these areas. Customers with shipments moving through these areas should expect delays of up to 48 hours. Local service will also be affected in some of the heaviest hit areas, including western North Carolina, western Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and eastern Pennsylvania.

Norfolk Southern is working to restore normal service in these areas as quickly as possible. Customers with questions regarding specific shipments should contact their Customer Service Representative.

Customer Service - 800 635.5768

Central Yard Operations representatives are also available to answer any questions regarding local service (set/pull) in the affected area.

Central Yard Operations - 800 898.4296

More from the Forbidden Zones

Received the following pictures and captions from Kermit Geary, Jr. These pictures were taken in the vicinity of Oak Island, NJ in early December, 2009. Because of his job, he can get pictures from places that are off-limits to the rest of us, hence the Forbidden Zones.

NS 5616 & CSXT 1317 at Oak Island, NJ

Newark Liberty International Airport 7 at Newark, NJ

NJT 4027 at Newark, NJ

NS 1703 at Oak Island, NJ

More Pics of NJT Raritan Valley Line Santa Train

Below are 2 more pictures of the NJT Santa Train on the Raritan Valley line sent to us by one of our customers. These were taken at the Somerville station, which is undergoing renovation, on Saturday morning, 12-12-09.

For a change of pace...

(Train sightings on 12-12-09.)

...decided to chase after NJT's "Santa Claus Train" on the Raritan Valley Line instead of going trackside along the Lehigh Line on a sunny and cold Saturday morning. With NJT's GP40 seldom seen on the RVL, this was a good time to get some images of the two excursions. The first scene was taken in Raritan after all the passengers were on board. Judging by the size of the crowd, I would speculate that there was a good turnout at Raritan for this first run in comparision to previous years. The second scene was taken as the train approached Whitehouse traveling under a good head of steam on its first run of the day.

Motive power consisted of NJT 4218 and 4219. NJT 4218's history is that it was rebuilt from CR 3199 (GP40) and rebuilt as NJT 4218 (GP40PH-2B). NJT's 4219's hertiage can be traced back to its days as CSX/SBD 6822 and being rebuilt from NJT 4148 (GP40PH-2) and rebuilt as NJT 4219 (GP40PH-2B).

What was nice was getting this opportunity to do some photography when there are not that many chances to do this along the RVL. On weekends, service ceases on NJT's RVL in Raritan and weekdays are definitely out due to my job.

Weekly Rail Carloading Report - Week 48, 2009

There is an interesting report available on the web that is "A Weekly Report of North American Rail Freight Traffic by Major Railroad and Commodity." It is currently showing data for week 48 of 2009.

http://railfax.transmatch.com/

Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2008-2009 vs. 2007-2008. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.

Special note: This graph seems to be behind. The line for 2009 extends only half way across the 4th quarter. By week 48 it should be 70% of the way across the 4th quarter. I have no information on this apparent discrepency. For an explanation, please contact the Railfax people.

Note: This web site has new tables and graphs every Thursday, late afternoon. So, if I am late or miss a week with this blog posting, you can check for new data on Thursdays.

Norfolk Southern launches improved investor relations site

Received the following via email.

December 3, 2009

Norfolk Southern launches improved investor relations site

NORFOLK, VA. - Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) today launched a more comprehensive and user-friendly investors section on its Web site. To visit the site, go to www.nscorp.com and select the "Investors" tab.

Additional information and improvements to navigation make it easier to access news releases, earnings presentations, analyst coverage, transcripts, webcasts, podcasts, and other materials pertaining to the financial performance of Norfolk Southern.

A new financial "tear sheet" provides an at-a-glance overview of key facts and figures, including stock performance, headlines and events, and SEC filings. The site now also includes ownership information, e-proxy voting capability, dividend history, an interactive event calendar, and RSS feeds relating to quarterly earnings presentations.

NS launched www.nscorp.com, including its investors section, in 1996. Today, www.nscorp.com hosts more than 14,000 visitors daily.

Norfolk Southern Corporation is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 21,000 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 and industrial products.

Norfolk Southern contacts

Media Frank Brown 757-629-2710 fsbrown@nscorp.com
Investors Leanne Marilley 757-629-2861 leanne.marilley@nscorp.com

New Jersey Trains and Toys for Tots

There will be 2 different Toys for Tots events this Sunday, 12-13-09, sponsered by New Jersey railroad groups. We have received the following announcements.

New Jersey shortline operator Raritan Central Railway will be sponsoring Toys For Tots

New Jersey shortline operator Raritan Central Railway will be sponsoring a Toys For Tots event this Sunday, December 13th beginning at 12 Noon. RCRY provides local freight service within the Raritan Center complex (home of the Edison,NJ Greenberg Show). As the centerpiece of the event, the railroad will be providing one of its fully painted locomotives, either the former B&M GP9 or one of the ex-CSX B23-7's, accompanied by a bay window caboose borrowed from Norfolk Southern The consist will be parked adjacent to the intersection of Raritan Center Parkway and Campus Drive. We expect Santa and his elves will be joining the festivities.


Toys for Tots Train - Maywood Station

The Maywood Station Museum at 269 Maywood Avenue,
Maywood, NJ will be open this Sunday, December 13
from 9am to 10:30am while the U. S. Marines and the
special Toys for Tots Train is scheduled at the station
collecting unwrapped toys.

For more information, please visit www.maywoodstation.com

Thank you,
The Maywood Station Historical Committee

A good HO car to scratch build...

Received the following via email. Pictures taken on 12-6-09.
(Click on any picture to see it enlarged; then use your browser's BACK button to return to the blog.)

...was this cable carrying car I discovered parked on a siding at Lansdown Junction (NJ) on the Lehigh Line. It is used by Michels Mid America, a company based in Wisconsin. They use it when laying cable along the right-of-way. From what I saw, it seems to be fairly easy to build and would make for an interesting addition for any HO train layout. Here are a few views of this car.

Norfolk Southern joins U.S. Green Building Council

Received the following via email.

December 8, 2009

Norfolk Southern joins U.S. Green Building Council

Railroad is industry leader in promoting energy efficiency and sustainability

NORFOLK, VA. - Norfolk Southern has joined the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a non-profit, membership-based organization committed to a prosperous and sustainable future for the nation through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings.

Through its latest public-private partnership initiative, the Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Program, NS will capitalize on the inherent efficiencies of rail transportation to substantially reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the Crescent Corridor program, NS has committed to submitting buildings from three of its proposed intermodal terminals in Birmingham, Ala., Greencastle, Pa., and Memphis, Tenn., for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certification.

Norfolk Southern is USGBC's first Class I railroad member.

"Railroads are the most environmentally friendly means of moving the goods that move the economy," said NS CEO Wick Moorman. "Norfolk Southern's goal is to lead the industry in emissions reduction, efficient energy use, and environmentally focused public-private partnerships."

"LEED certified buildings are environmentally responsible and healthier places to live or work," Governor Ed Rendell said. "Pennsylvania has been in the forefront of developing high-performance buildings - second only to California in the number of LEED certified projects. Our Energy Independence Strategy will help us do even more for our environment. This component of Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor Program adds further value to this smart and environmentally friendly infrastructure investment."

"Now as America and the world begin making a historic transition to a green economy, we look to make Alabama a leader in science and technology." said Governor Bob Riley. "Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor Program is one such project that will connect Alabama to the global markets, promote economic development, and protect the environment. Alabama will continue to be an active partner in these collaborations that foster an environment of progress, competitiveness, and innovation. "

"We need to continue building on existing clean energy policies in Tennessee and support broader clean energy efforts," Governor Phil Bredesen said. "Tennessee is truly positioned to be a leader in the development of regional and national energy solutions that can provide economic and environmental benefits to our citizens. Norfolk Southern's Crescent Corridor Program will provide a clean, environmentally friendly future for Tennessee and the nation, while further enhancing our competitiveness and spurring economic growth."

"By becoming a member company of the U.S. Green Building Council, Norfolk Southern is demonstrating its commitment to our shared goal of a more sustainably-built environment," said Chris Smith, USGBC's chief operating officer.

The LEED certification system rewards current best practices and provides an outline for buildings to use less energy, water, and natural resources while improving the indoor environment - with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. The process for obtaining LEED certification is based on accumulating points in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality. NS actively has been incorporating LEED standards into its building and planning designs and is committed to achieving these standards.

Norfolk Southern also is implementing sustainable operations throughout its facilities, including the use of the state-of-the-art low emission cranes and tractors that will reduce the particulate emissions by 90 percent and nitrogen oxide emissions by 45 percent. NS is experimenting with new methods to reduce truck idling, and implementing improved strategies for reducing electricity usage at all of its facilities as well.

Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation's premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 21,000 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 and industrial products.

Norfolk Southern contacts
Media Rudy Husband 610-567-3377 rudy.husband@nscorp.com
Investors Leanne Marilley 757-629-2861 leanne.marilley@nscorp.com

SNOW!!!!!!!!!

Received the following via email from Kermit Geary, Jr. Text, photos, and captions are his.

Greetings:

Hope everyone survived the Thanksgiving Holiday (November, for our Canadia/en friends). Had a small dinner with my parents and then a good trip to Cumberland, MD with Adam Christman & his girlfriend Anna. (Check CSX6000 on youtube for some of the results).

Happened to be back in the Lehigh Valley area for the first measureable snow event of the season...one of the few times I will make an effort to shoot NS...what goes better with Black than white snow?!?!?!?

Hope you enjoy these images taken today...12-6-2009...as much as I enjoyed taking them!!

NS 2665 westbound at Kline's Lane, Emmaus, PA

NS 5290 & train H-76 at Bethlehem, PA

NS 6608 with TR# 35G at Allentown, PA

NS 9709 with TR# 262 at Emmaus, PA

NS Christmas and New Year Holiday Operations

Received the following via email.

Monday, 12-07-09

Christmas Holiday Operations

In observance of the Christmas Holiday, Norfolk Southern will curtail (non-intermodal) freight operations beginning 7:00 AM on Thursday, December 24, 2009. Full operations will resume at 7:00 AM, Saturday, December 26, 2009. Interline gateways will remain open for traffic delivered from connecting carriers and passenger trains will continue to operate through the Holiday.

New Year Holiday Operations

In observance of the New Year Holiday, Norfolk Southern will curtail (non-intermodal) freight operations beginning 7:00 AM, Thursday, December 31, 2009. Full operations will resume at 7:00 AM, Saturday, January 2, 2010. Interline gateways will remain open for traffic delivered from connecting carriers and passenger trains will continue to operate through the Holiday.

Customers with critical shipments, particularly unit trains, where customer operations will continue through either of these holidays, should contact their Customer Service or Marketing Representative regarding service requirements.

Where local service (set/pull) will be required through the holiday period or for questions regarding specific shipments, customers are encouraged to contact their Central Yard Operations or Customer Service representative.

Customer Service - 800 635.5768
Central Yard Operations - 800 898.4296

2009 Santa Train on New Jersey Transit Raritan Valley Line

This year’s trips (morning and afternoon) will be held Saturday, December 12, 2009.

Join Santa, Mrs. Claus, and their elves for a train ride through the country. This trip features Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus along with a few of Santa's helpers. There are sing-a-longs, candy canes and coloring books for the kids. In addition, each car on the train features a drawing for a trainset; that's ten train sets per trip! Santa pays a visit to each car and is more than happy to pose for pictures with the kids.

The train operates west from Westfield to Highbridge, NJ and back, a two hour trip.

The morning train will originate from Raritan at 8:30 AM and go to Westfield where it will depart at 9:00 AM for the trip to High Bridge. You may board this train at either Raritan or Westfield. This train will then return to Westfield, stopping at Raritan along the way back.

The afternoon trip will depart Westfield at 1:00 PM, travel to High Bridge and return to Westfield. The second trip does not stop at Raritan.

This year, tickets are only $13.00 for adults and $11.00 for children age 1 to 12. Children under 1 are FREE.

We have tickets for these trips. Stop in the Big Little Railroad Shop now before these trips sell-out. Cash or personal check made out to the Jersey Central Railroad Historical Society. Sorry, no credit cards for train tickets.

For more information visit the following web site:

http://www.jcrhs.org/santa.html

Black Friday 2009 - Christmas Shopping at the Big Little Railroad Shop

Avoid the crowds at the malls by coming to the Big Little Railroad Shop in downtown Somerville on "Black Friday." We have all sorts of wonderful model railroad items from full sets to individual cars, locomotives, track, buildings, scenery supplies, etc. If you don't know exactly what to get your modeler, we have gift certificates. We also carry books, videos, and calendars. We have items in all the popular scales: G, O, HO, and N. And, if we don't have what you want in stock, we probably can order it for you.

In addition to a full line of model railroading "stuff," The Big Little Railroad Shop is now carrying plastic model kits for airplanes, ships, automobiles, and military vehicles. We also carry Ninco slot cars.

We are located at 63 West Main Street in Somerville, NJ. Phone: 908-685-8892.

Visit our web site at: http://www.biglittle.com/

For your holiday shopping convenience we are open the following hours through Christmas:

Tuesday - Wednesday 11AM - 7PM

Thursday - Friday 11AM -8PM

Saturday 11AM - 5PM

Sunday 12noon - 4PM

Weekly Rail Carloading Report - Week 45, 2009

There is an interesting report available on the web that is "A Weekly Report of North American Rail Freight Traffic by Major Railroad and Commodity." It is currently showing data for week 45 of 2009.

http://railfax.transmatch.com/

Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2008-2009 vs. 2007-2008. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.

Note: This web site has new tables and graphs every Thursday, late afternoon. So, if I am late or miss a week with this blog posting, you can check for new data on Thursdays.

Job Perks

Received the following via email from Kermit Geary, Jr. Text, photos, and captions are his.

Subject: Job Perks (aka the reason I work at Sperry)

The side benefits of working for Sperry is that you get access to places that would be impossible to gain legally! (It sure isn't the money that keeps me here!!!) And the object of these mailings is to make photos of these sites available to the viewing public...aka you! Here are a few from today as we tested the CR-SA's Del-Aire Branch in Philadelphia, PA and the Thorofare Runner in Morrisville, PA.

NJT 4415 & train at Morrisville, PA

Septa 9014 at North Philadelphia, PA

Tyburn RR 390 at Morrisville, PA

Amtrak 2013 at North Philadelphia, PA

A trashy day in November

Received the following from Kermit Geary, Jr. Text, photos and captions are his.

Enroute to the ConRail Shared Assets test in Camden, NJ, I stopped for the weekend in Allentown PA...The first frost train show was a bust as usual...unless you are a Lionel & its knockoffs fan...altho it was good to visit with some of the dealers and a lot of the patrons.

Sunday lived up to its name by providing some sun in the Lehigh Valley. A westbound trash train with 2 SD-40-2's (ex CR) and a Portland Coal train provided some action before moving to West Trenton, NJ....and another trash train...whew!@!

NS 3389 at Bethlehem, PA

NS 2672 & train at Steel City, PA

CSXT 879 & train at West Trenton, NJ

Indian Summer in New York State

Received the following via email from Kermit Geary, Jr. Text, photos, and captions are his.

Spent a RARE SUNNY weekend in November with two close friends railfanning the Rochester - Syracuse New York region. Caught some unusual power lash-ups as well as some shortline action. The trailing unit in the 8810 lashup is a Nashville Star Commuter loco # 120. The Finger Lakes provided a freight and a passenger train in Solvay, NY ...opted to follow the freight for a while.

CSXT 8810 & train at Minoa, NY

Finger Lakes 2304 & train at Camillus, NY

Finger Lakes 2304 & train leaving Solvay, NY

CSXT 8547 - 8590 leaving Syracuse, NY

Afternoon Delights

Received the following from Kermit Geary, Jr. Text, photos, and captions are his.

The last day of testing on the WNYP found us in Driftwood, PA the same time as the DFT was. Some shots of it departing for Olean, NY at about 1230hrs.

Heading home to the Allentown area this weekend, then starting a test on ConRail-Shared Assets in Camden, NJ on Monday, before taking a week off for Thanksgiving. Hope all is well with everyone.

WNYP RRPX 43 and DFT depart North Driftwood, PA (2)

WNYP RRPX 43 and DFT depart North Driftwood, PA (8)

WNYP RRPX 43 and DFT depart North Driftwood, PA (11)

Weekly Rail Carloading Report - Week 44, 2009

There is an interesting report available on the web that is "A Weekly Report of North American Rail Freight Traffic by Major Railroad and Commodity." It is currently showing data for week 44 of 2009.

http://railfax.transmatch.com/

Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2008-2009 vs. 2007-2008. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.

Note: This web site has new tables and graphs every Thursday. So, if I am late or miss a week with this blog posting, you can check for new data on Thursdays.

Eight trains in three hours!

(Train sightings on 11-8-09.)

that would be my final tally of seen on Sunday morning along various locations of the Lehigh Line. This day started out with noticing that NS 18G was holding at Flemington Jct as I drove along Route 31. Much to my surprise, NS 214 was also on the siding right behind 18G. About 8:05, westbound 19G had the "pedal to the metal" as it sped along. Twenty minutes later, NS 21M would also head west on the main. After it passed, 18G was given the green to proceed and did so at 8:28. Fifteen minutes later, NS 214 would also continue its journey east.

It had been a long time since I stopped at Pattenburg Tunnel and today would be a good day to see what changes had occurred since my last visit there over a year ago. During my relatively short visit, three more trains would pass by. 11J would bring empty autoracks west. Shortly there after, an NS 68Q and intermodal 22V came east. I was told there was one more train to come east and that was another intermodal, NS 212. I decided that it would be nice to photograph this train at the "S" curve at Stanton Station.

Eight trains in three hours on a warm sunny November, what more could I ask for except my Pick-3 lottery number to come in on Sunday night. Stay tuned to see if that happens. In the meantime, hope you enjoy the two images from Sunday morning.

NS 22V at Pattenburg tunnel on 11-8-09

NS 212 at Stanton Station on 11-8-09