Here is a picture of Pennsy and me at the Bound Brook train station on Saturday, 8-9-08.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Train Watching at Bound Brook Station
Everyone at The Big Little Railroad Shop loves trains. Even Pennsy goes railfanning!
Here is a picture of Pennsy and me at the Bound Brook train station on Saturday, 8-9-08.
Here is a picture of Pennsy and me at the Bound Brook train station on Saturday, 8-9-08.
Bayonne Update
The following thread was recently posted on yahoogroups.com
To: CRRNJ@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 8:30 pm
Subject: [CRRNJ] Bayonne Update...
As an update, #4 Main was ripped out this week in preperation for the Light Rail extension down to W 8th St.
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2008 9:20 PM
Is the traffic still too heavy out of the yard??
Is one of the local oil refineries shutting down soon?
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2008 6:06 AM
The dirt traffic is still heavy but we lost Three other customers. Exxon is officially closed now, Rapid Plastics moved to Edison (down to Raritan Center???) and Oxydental closed up in Secaucus/Jersey City along the Northern Branch.
To: CRRNJ@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 8:30 pm
Subject: [CRRNJ] Bayonne Update...
As an update, #4 Main was ripped out this week in preperation for the Light Rail extension down to W 8th St.
Sent: Thursday, August 07, 2008 9:20 PM
Is the traffic still too heavy out of the yard??
Is one of the local oil refineries shutting down soon?
Sent: Saturday, August 09, 2008 6:06 AM
The dirt traffic is still heavy but we lost Three other customers. Exxon is officially closed now, Rapid Plastics moved to Edison (down to Raritan Center???) and Oxydental closed up in Secaucus/Jersey City along the Northern Branch.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Sunday's sporadic sightings...
(Train sightings on 8-3-08.)
Along the Lehigh Line found me seeing only a few trains. Mind you, I’m not complaining since low humidity, sunny skies and a nice breeze made this a nice day to be trackside and a welcome change from the oppressive heat and humidity NJ has had. In time sequence, those trains through Manville were as follows:
CSX 702 @ 7:30- CSX 5485 and CSX 5261 powered this short train of empty municipal waste containers heading back for refills.
NS 21M @ 7:40- would have NS 9140, NS 2646, UP 4438 and NS ???? for motive power.
CSX local, symbol unknown, @ 8:56- NS 3022 and PRR 3001 (GP40-2, ex-CR 3278, ex-RDG 3674) headed east with no cars in tow.
NS 64J @ 9:00- with NS 9366 and NS 9922 in charge, more empty waste containers were headed east for refills.
CSX MA2 @ 9:05- CSX 4426 and PRR 5286 (GP38-2, ex-CR 8085) would also head east with no cars in tow.
At Three Bridges (NJ): NS 24V intermodal @ 12:22- had NS 9790 and BNSF 4497 for motive power on a relatively short COFC train.
Along the Lehigh Line found me seeing only a few trains. Mind you, I’m not complaining since low humidity, sunny skies and a nice breeze made this a nice day to be trackside and a welcome change from the oppressive heat and humidity NJ has had. In time sequence, those trains through Manville were as follows:
CSX 702 @ 7:30- CSX 5485 and CSX 5261 powered this short train of empty municipal waste containers heading back for refills.
NS 21M @ 7:40- would have NS 9140, NS 2646, UP 4438 and NS ???? for motive power.
CSX local, symbol unknown, @ 8:56- NS 3022 and PRR 3001 (GP40-2, ex-CR 3278, ex-RDG 3674) headed east with no cars in tow.
NS 64J @ 9:00- with NS 9366 and NS 9922 in charge, more empty waste containers were headed east for refills.
CSX MA2 @ 9:05- CSX 4426 and PRR 5286 (GP38-2, ex-CR 8085) would also head east with no cars in tow.
At Three Bridges (NJ): NS 24V intermodal @ 12:22- had NS 9790 and BNSF 4497 for motive power on a relatively short COFC train.
Delaware-Lackawanna business increasing
On 8/7/08 we received an email with the following numbers about the Delaware-Lackawana Railroad's interchange with Norfolk Southern:
- last week they interchanged 60 freight cars
- last Friday's train was 25 cars
I don't know what the interchange traffic has been so far this year, but I am told that this is an increase.
From the Delarare-Lackawana Railroad web site:
Operates 87 miles of trackage running out of the Lackawanna Valley from a connection with CP Rail at Scranton, Pennsylvania through the Pocono Mountains to the Delaware Water Gap and a connection with Norfolk Southern at Portland, Pennsylvania. Two major lines also run out of Scranton servicing the industrial base in the Lackawanna Valley.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Another teen killed by a train in Somerset county
Following article is from the Star-Ledger dated 7-25-08. We are very sorry for yet another teenager's death by train in our area, and we extend our condolences to the family and friends of Jason Walton. Now, we ask everyone to think carefully: is there a problem with trains or teens?
Hillsborough shocked by death of teen
He was hit by a freight train near his house
Friday, July 25, 2008
BY CATHY BUGMAN
Star-Ledger Staff
He ran five miles that day. Then he went to the gym to lift weights.
Jason Walton's day started routinely enough Tuesday, but it ended tragically when he was hit and killed by a freight train near his Hillsborough home, authorities said.
The 18-year-old high school track star -- who recorded one of the best performances in the 800-meter run in the history of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association this past spring -- was hit near Beekman Lane, police said.
Walton's body was found on the tracks of Norfolk-Southern railroad, which runs behind his home on Peterson Road.
Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest said authorities are investigating to help determine whether Walton's death will be ruled an accident, homicide or suicide.
"We're investigating all the facts and circumstances," Forrest said. "We're waiting on a final autopsy and for more information from the railroad."
Specifically, he said investigators are looking to review possible video from the train taken before the teen was struck at 5:48 p.m.
The Hillsborough school district posted an announcement on its website and offered counseling to anyone from the system who might need it. Counselors were available yesterday and will be again today, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Walton, who was going into his senior year, placed second in the national indoor championship and seventh in the national outdoor championship for the 800-meter race. He initially showed little interest in athletics.
When he began as a freshman at Hillsborough High School, friends and family said, he was encouraged by his parents to pursue a sport and chose track because it was the shortest season and would allow him to pursue another interest close to his heart: Paintballing.
He quickly established himself as a force to contend with on the track. His blazing speed set records -- he ran the 11th-fastest time ever in New Jersey and tied the Somerset County record for the 800 meters -- and attracted the type of media attention he openly confessed he would rather do without.
"Everyone knew he was the best on the team," said fellow teammate Rob Marley, 18. "After a race, reporters came to Jason first. But Jason would never talk about himself. He only said to reporters: 'I like the way Alex Brown came in on the last stretch or that Kevin Brower ran really well.'"
Marley, other friends and his coach yesterday fondly recalled how Walton's "selflessness" and "resolute spirit" inspired them, too.
"He was fast, very determined and completely fearless," said Rich Refi, cross-country winter and spring track coach at Hillsborough High. "Watching him run was poetry in motion."
Coaches from universities across the nation watched him, too. A stream of letters and phone calls from athletic departments at Yale, Harvard and Princeton came into his home. They sought to recruit him to their school with enticing scholarship opportunities, said his father, Ernest.
How something so tragic happened to their son is unfathomable to his father and his mother, Linda.
"We've asked ourselves a million times," his father said of how or why his son was hit. "We don't know the answer."
He and his wife accepted condolences from a steady stream of visitors who dropped by their home yesterday.
Besides his parents, Walton is survived by a sister, Heather.
A funeral service is set for Monday at 10 a.m. at Hillsborough Funeral Home, 796 Route 206 in Hillsborough.
Visitation will be Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Jason Walton Track Scholarship c/o Hillsborough Funeral Home.
Hillsborough shocked by death of teen
He was hit by a freight train near his house
Friday, July 25, 2008
BY CATHY BUGMAN
Star-Ledger Staff
He ran five miles that day. Then he went to the gym to lift weights.
Jason Walton's day started routinely enough Tuesday, but it ended tragically when he was hit and killed by a freight train near his Hillsborough home, authorities said.
The 18-year-old high school track star -- who recorded one of the best performances in the 800-meter run in the history of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association this past spring -- was hit near Beekman Lane, police said.
Walton's body was found on the tracks of Norfolk-Southern railroad, which runs behind his home on Peterson Road.
Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest said authorities are investigating to help determine whether Walton's death will be ruled an accident, homicide or suicide.
"We're investigating all the facts and circumstances," Forrest said. "We're waiting on a final autopsy and for more information from the railroad."
Specifically, he said investigators are looking to review possible video from the train taken before the teen was struck at 5:48 p.m.
The Hillsborough school district posted an announcement on its website and offered counseling to anyone from the system who might need it. Counselors were available yesterday and will be again today, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Walton, who was going into his senior year, placed second in the national indoor championship and seventh in the national outdoor championship for the 800-meter race. He initially showed little interest in athletics.
When he began as a freshman at Hillsborough High School, friends and family said, he was encouraged by his parents to pursue a sport and chose track because it was the shortest season and would allow him to pursue another interest close to his heart: Paintballing.
He quickly established himself as a force to contend with on the track. His blazing speed set records -- he ran the 11th-fastest time ever in New Jersey and tied the Somerset County record for the 800 meters -- and attracted the type of media attention he openly confessed he would rather do without.
"Everyone knew he was the best on the team," said fellow teammate Rob Marley, 18. "After a race, reporters came to Jason first. But Jason would never talk about himself. He only said to reporters: 'I like the way Alex Brown came in on the last stretch or that Kevin Brower ran really well.'"
Marley, other friends and his coach yesterday fondly recalled how Walton's "selflessness" and "resolute spirit" inspired them, too.
"He was fast, very determined and completely fearless," said Rich Refi, cross-country winter and spring track coach at Hillsborough High. "Watching him run was poetry in motion."
Coaches from universities across the nation watched him, too. A stream of letters and phone calls from athletic departments at Yale, Harvard and Princeton came into his home. They sought to recruit him to their school with enticing scholarship opportunities, said his father, Ernest.
How something so tragic happened to their son is unfathomable to his father and his mother, Linda.
"We've asked ourselves a million times," his father said of how or why his son was hit. "We don't know the answer."
He and his wife accepted condolences from a steady stream of visitors who dropped by their home yesterday.
Besides his parents, Walton is survived by a sister, Heather.
A funeral service is set for Monday at 10 a.m. at Hillsborough Funeral Home, 796 Route 206 in Hillsborough.
Visitation will be Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. in the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Jason Walton Track Scholarship c/o Hillsborough Funeral Home.
Operation Lifesaver death in Virginia
Following article is from the From the Roanoke Times dated 7-18-08.
Passengers of safety train not aware of death
Police say Loyd Martin committed suicide 12 hours before the excursion left Roanoke.
The 90 or so public officials and others aboard a rail-safety excursion out of Roanoke on Wednesday received all the latest casualty statistics on drivers who ignore grade-crossing warnings and pedestrians who trespass on the tracks -- except for one.
Twelve hours before the special train left for a trip to Lynchburg and back, it ran over and killed Loyd Martin, 63, on its way through a downtown rail yard to the staging point from which the excursion was to begin.
The incident, in which railroad authorities said Martin entered railroad property illegally and lay down on the tracks, illustrated a trespassing problem that the excursion is intended to address.
But no one in charge mentioned the death -- which has since been ruled a suicide -- when the safety train disembarked Wednesday morning, leaving the passengers who had come for lessons on high-risk behavior around trains unaware of the latest incident.
Melvin Jones, executive director of Operation Lifesaver in Virginia, said he gave his usual presentation about railroad dangers and safety steps for the public. He gave death and injury data for the first few months of 2008.
But Jones said he skipped over the Tuesday night death because he didn't have enough information to classify it as a suicide -- which is not recorded in federal statistics -- or an accidental death, which is.
"It's a tragedy any way," he said. "Even the Operation Lifesaver train itself can become a part of someone's tragedy if that individual puts themselves in harm's way. And that's sad, that's very sad."
A locomotive engineer was slowly moving the three-car Operation Lifesaver train into position Tuesday night behind the O. Winston Link Museum when he saw a man on the tracks, Norfolk Southern spokesman Robin Chapman said.
But the engineer could not stop the train until after it struck the man, Chapman said. The crew found him underneath the train about 10 p.m., according to Chapman.
Martin died from multiple blunt force injuries and the Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death a suicide. His family said he lived in Salem, while Roanoke police said he had no fixed address.
As is routine, Norfolk Southern Corp. implemented accident protocols. After police were called; they eventually tracked down Martin's family.
The team that was to take the train out for the educational ride was briefed Wednesday morning. But that's where the flow of official information apparently stopped.
Del. Charles Poindexter, a state lawmaker from Rocky Mount, said he took the trip to learn more about the rail system, which state leaders want to see enhanced. He said he heard other passengers talking about a rail-related fatality but did not hear that the incident involved the train he was on.
But, "it wouldn't have made any difference to me," he said.
Either way, the message that hit home is the same.
"Even with the safest crew and the safest train ... incidents can happen," Poindexter said.
Operation Lifesaver is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing collisions, deaths and injuries where roads cross train tracks and elsewhere on railroad property. The program is backed by railroads, highway safety groups and government agencies.
During an Operation Lifesaver ride, passengers watch television monitors showing what the crew sees out the windshield of the cab while the train is moving.
As rare as it sounds, an Operation Lifesaver train being involved in a casualty incident is not without precedent.
"It has happened before," said Marmie Edwards, a spokeswoman for the national office of Operation Lifesaver in Alexandria. Her agency does not keep track of how many such Operation Lifesaver-related incidents have occurred, however.
In 2005, a North Carolina Operation Lifesaver train collided with a tractor-trailer that didn't yield to the train at a crossing near Cove City, N.C., The Associated Press reported. Three of 100 passengers and the truck driver were hurt, the report said. The excursion was canceled.
It is unclear how Martin spent his last day alive.
His brother, Bill Martin of Collinsville, said Martin was a veteran drawing federal benefits and undergoing treatment at the Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He had lived most of his life in the Martinsville area. He was unmarried, and had no children.
When he was found he had $300 in his pocket, a watch and headphones, Bill Martin said.
"You can't stop someone from suicide when they make up their mind," Martin said.
Passengers of safety train not aware of death
Police say Loyd Martin committed suicide 12 hours before the excursion left Roanoke.
The 90 or so public officials and others aboard a rail-safety excursion out of Roanoke on Wednesday received all the latest casualty statistics on drivers who ignore grade-crossing warnings and pedestrians who trespass on the tracks -- except for one.
Twelve hours before the special train left for a trip to Lynchburg and back, it ran over and killed Loyd Martin, 63, on its way through a downtown rail yard to the staging point from which the excursion was to begin.
The incident, in which railroad authorities said Martin entered railroad property illegally and lay down on the tracks, illustrated a trespassing problem that the excursion is intended to address.
But no one in charge mentioned the death -- which has since been ruled a suicide -- when the safety train disembarked Wednesday morning, leaving the passengers who had come for lessons on high-risk behavior around trains unaware of the latest incident.
Melvin Jones, executive director of Operation Lifesaver in Virginia, said he gave his usual presentation about railroad dangers and safety steps for the public. He gave death and injury data for the first few months of 2008.
But Jones said he skipped over the Tuesday night death because he didn't have enough information to classify it as a suicide -- which is not recorded in federal statistics -- or an accidental death, which is.
"It's a tragedy any way," he said. "Even the Operation Lifesaver train itself can become a part of someone's tragedy if that individual puts themselves in harm's way. And that's sad, that's very sad."
A locomotive engineer was slowly moving the three-car Operation Lifesaver train into position Tuesday night behind the O. Winston Link Museum when he saw a man on the tracks, Norfolk Southern spokesman Robin Chapman said.
But the engineer could not stop the train until after it struck the man, Chapman said. The crew found him underneath the train about 10 p.m., according to Chapman.
Martin died from multiple blunt force injuries and the Medical Examiner's Office ruled his death a suicide. His family said he lived in Salem, while Roanoke police said he had no fixed address.
As is routine, Norfolk Southern Corp. implemented accident protocols. After police were called; they eventually tracked down Martin's family.
The team that was to take the train out for the educational ride was briefed Wednesday morning. But that's where the flow of official information apparently stopped.
Del. Charles Poindexter, a state lawmaker from Rocky Mount, said he took the trip to learn more about the rail system, which state leaders want to see enhanced. He said he heard other passengers talking about a rail-related fatality but did not hear that the incident involved the train he was on.
But, "it wouldn't have made any difference to me," he said.
Either way, the message that hit home is the same.
"Even with the safest crew and the safest train ... incidents can happen," Poindexter said.
Operation Lifesaver is a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing collisions, deaths and injuries where roads cross train tracks and elsewhere on railroad property. The program is backed by railroads, highway safety groups and government agencies.
During an Operation Lifesaver ride, passengers watch television monitors showing what the crew sees out the windshield of the cab while the train is moving.
As rare as it sounds, an Operation Lifesaver train being involved in a casualty incident is not without precedent.
"It has happened before," said Marmie Edwards, a spokeswoman for the national office of Operation Lifesaver in Alexandria. Her agency does not keep track of how many such Operation Lifesaver-related incidents have occurred, however.
In 2005, a North Carolina Operation Lifesaver train collided with a tractor-trailer that didn't yield to the train at a crossing near Cove City, N.C., The Associated Press reported. Three of 100 passengers and the truck driver were hurt, the report said. The excursion was canceled.
It is unclear how Martin spent his last day alive.
His brother, Bill Martin of Collinsville, said Martin was a veteran drawing federal benefits and undergoing treatment at the Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He had lived most of his life in the Martinsville area. He was unmarried, and had no children.
When he was found he had $300 in his pocket, a watch and headphones, Bill Martin said.
"You can't stop someone from suicide when they make up their mind," Martin said.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
DCC-sound Patent Challenge Update
Found the following item on the NMRA web site.
The deadline for Real Rail Effects, Ltd. (RRE) to respond to an NMRA patent challenge has passed, with no response from RRE.
RRE was granted a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) based upon a claim that the technology for using sound with DCC was invented by RRE. The NMRA, with the technical and financial support of a number of DCC manufacturers and hobbyists around the world, filed a challenge to the RRE patent.
The NMRA filed the challenge because we believe that the claims in the RRE patent application were not supported by the facts. The NMRA was aware that prior art and other evidence existed which negated RRE’s patent.
The NMRA felt that, should it remain in force, the RRE patent posed a threat to modelers and manufacturers of DCC equipment because it would both increase the costs to modelers and unfairly restrict manufacturers who provide decoders with sound. Therefore, the NMRA coordinated an industry- and hobby-wide effort to have the patent overturned. The NMRA submitted evidence from a number of sources raising substantial questions about the validity of the patent.
On February 11, 2008, the USPTO issued a ruling granting the NMRA's patent re-examination request. The examiner stated in the ruling that there was a substantial likelihood that a reasonable examiner would consider the prior art important in determining the patentability of the application of RRE.
After the examiner at the USPTO determined that the position of the NMRA had merit and compelled a new analysis of the patent, RRE had two months to respond to the re-examination request. The deadline for a response has come and gone, and RRE made no reply. The NMRA is now very hopeful that a favorable decision will be announced and that the position of the NMRA and its supporters will be vindicated.
The NMRA considers this a clear triumph for the modeler and the model railroad industry. We are proud to have led the challenge team that has made this victory possible.
www.NMRA.org
Contact:
Robert J. Amsler, Jr.
General Counsel, National Model Railroad Association, Inc.
514 Dover Place
Saint Louis, Missouri 63111-2338
(314) 353-9131 (Telephone)
(314) 754-2688 (Facsimile)
nmralegal@charter.net
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2008
NMRA Patent Challenge Update: Real Rail Effects fails to respond
to NMRA DCC-sound patent challenge
June 6, 2008
NMRA Patent Challenge Update: Real Rail Effects fails to respond
to NMRA DCC-sound patent challenge
The deadline for Real Rail Effects, Ltd. (RRE) to respond to an NMRA patent challenge has passed, with no response from RRE.
RRE was granted a patent by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) based upon a claim that the technology for using sound with DCC was invented by RRE. The NMRA, with the technical and financial support of a number of DCC manufacturers and hobbyists around the world, filed a challenge to the RRE patent.
The NMRA filed the challenge because we believe that the claims in the RRE patent application were not supported by the facts. The NMRA was aware that prior art and other evidence existed which negated RRE’s patent.
The NMRA felt that, should it remain in force, the RRE patent posed a threat to modelers and manufacturers of DCC equipment because it would both increase the costs to modelers and unfairly restrict manufacturers who provide decoders with sound. Therefore, the NMRA coordinated an industry- and hobby-wide effort to have the patent overturned. The NMRA submitted evidence from a number of sources raising substantial questions about the validity of the patent.
On February 11, 2008, the USPTO issued a ruling granting the NMRA's patent re-examination request. The examiner stated in the ruling that there was a substantial likelihood that a reasonable examiner would consider the prior art important in determining the patentability of the application of RRE.
After the examiner at the USPTO determined that the position of the NMRA had merit and compelled a new analysis of the patent, RRE had two months to respond to the re-examination request. The deadline for a response has come and gone, and RRE made no reply. The NMRA is now very hopeful that a favorable decision will be announced and that the position of the NMRA and its supporters will be vindicated.
The NMRA considers this a clear triumph for the modeler and the model railroad industry. We are proud to have led the challenge team that has made this victory possible.
www.NMRA.org
Contact:
Robert J. Amsler, Jr.
General Counsel, National Model Railroad Association, Inc.
514 Dover Place
Saint Louis, Missouri 63111-2338
(314) 353-9131 (Telephone)
(314) 754-2688 (Facsimile)
nmralegal@charter.net
###
Friday, August 01, 2008
Weekly Rail Carloading Report - Week 30, 2008
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 30 of 2008. Take a look.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. 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.
Two terrific trios...
(Train sightings on 7-26-08.)
of motive power were the highlights of this Saturday morning along the Lehigh Line near Manville (NJ). In time sequence, the trains observed passing my location were as follows:
NS 11J @ 7:29- NS 9877 was in charge of forty-seven autoracks, measuring in at 4,500 feet. It consisted of one load and forty-six empties.
CSX 702 @ 7:58- would have CSX 4847, CSX 489, CSX 8626, CSX 8408 and CSX 5326 bringing empty municipal waste containers east.
NS 212 @ 8:20- would head down track 1 with NS 8372, NS 9158 and NS 2591 for motive power. Once 212 cleared Port Reading Jct., NS 21M headed east behind NS 9455, NS 8698 and NS 9340 with what seemed as a longer than normal intermodal train. Some of the TOFCs seen on board were names not seen previously such as Keystone Trucking. Could this be an effect from high diesel prices on the trucking industry?
CSX Q439 @ 8:41- was the first interesting trio of power. Behind CSX 4802 was HLCX 6451 (SD40-2, ex-SCL 2053) and CSX 1130 (MP15AC).
NS 24V @ 9:10- next came another interesting trio consisting of PRR 5408 (SD50, ex-CR 6714), BNSF 5427 in an H2 paint scheme and BNSF 846 wearing a fairly clean H3 paint scheme.
All in all, not a bad morning to be trackside...
of motive power were the highlights of this Saturday morning along the Lehigh Line near Manville (NJ). In time sequence, the trains observed passing my location were as follows:
NS 11J @ 7:29- NS 9877 was in charge of forty-seven autoracks, measuring in at 4,500 feet. It consisted of one load and forty-six empties.
CSX 702 @ 7:58- would have CSX 4847, CSX 489, CSX 8626, CSX 8408 and CSX 5326 bringing empty municipal waste containers east.
NS 212 @ 8:20- would head down track 1 with NS 8372, NS 9158 and NS 2591 for motive power. Once 212 cleared Port Reading Jct., NS 21M headed east behind NS 9455, NS 8698 and NS 9340 with what seemed as a longer than normal intermodal train. Some of the TOFCs seen on board were names not seen previously such as Keystone Trucking. Could this be an effect from high diesel prices on the trucking industry?
CSX Q439 @ 8:41- was the first interesting trio of power. Behind CSX 4802 was HLCX 6451 (SD40-2, ex-SCL 2053) and CSX 1130 (MP15AC).
NS 24V @ 9:10- next came another interesting trio consisting of PRR 5408 (SD50, ex-CR 6714), BNSF 5427 in an H2 paint scheme and BNSF 846 wearing a fairly clean H3 paint scheme.
All in all, not a bad morning to be trackside...
NTSB Determination Concerning 2006 Train Accident is Faulty, Says Norfolk Southern
Received the following via a forwarded email. The original email was apparently sent to NS stockholders on 7/25/08. For background info on the original NTSB report see our blog posting dated 5/22/08 and titled NTSB Report on NS derailment in 2006.
July 25, 2008
NTSB Determination Concerning 2006 Train Accident is Faulty, Says Norfolk Southern
NORFOLK, VA. -- Norfolk Southern Railway Company said it strongly disagrees with the National Transportation Safety Board's determination of probable cause contained in its Accident Report released today for the New Brighton, Pa., derailment. The NTSB said that the Oct. 20, 2006, derailment was caused by an "inadequate rail inspection and maintenance program."
According to Norfolk Southern, its rail inspection and maintenance program complies with all applicable regulations, and even the NTSB concedes that Norfolk Southern tested more frequently than required by Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulation.
Norfolk Southern will file a formal petition for reconsideration and modification that will rely, in part, on newly available inspection data supplied to the NTSB last month, but not addressed in the Accident Report. Norfolk Southern's petition will defend the adequacy of its rail inspection and maintenance program and will seek to correct the record before the NTSB and any misconceptions on the part of the NTSB about that program and its consistency with the regulations.
"We take strong exception to any contention that we failed to perform a continuous search of our rail for internal defects or that our inspection and maintenance program is inadequate. In fact, many of our procedures exceed FRA standards," said Tim Drake, NS vice president engineering.
"Norfolk Southern used the best available track inspection technology and procedures at the time and used an expert rail defect detection contractor to inspect its rails at a frequency that exceeds FRA requirements. It is highly unlikely that any changes to NS' technology and procedures could have uncovered the flaw that caused the derailment," Drake added.
The New Brighton accident resulted in an ethanol spill and fire on a nearby river. There were no injuries. The train's crew and mechanical condition were not factors, and the railroad's emergency response system was deemed effective and appropriate.
"Norfolk Southern has the lowest track-caused accident rate among all Class 1 railroads," Drake said. "Any suggestion that we short-cut track safety goes against the facts and is counter to our policy and practice."
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, serving every major container port in the eastern United States and providing superior connections to western rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is North America's largest rail carrier of metals and automotive products.
###
Norfolk Southern contacts:
(Media) Frank Brown, 757-629-2710 (fsbrown@nscorp.com)
(Investors) Leanne Marilley, 757-629-2861 (leanne.marilley@nscorp.com)
-------------------------------
Norfolk Southern Corporation
http://www.nscorp.com
July 25, 2008
NTSB Determination Concerning 2006 Train Accident is Faulty, Says Norfolk Southern
NORFOLK, VA. -- Norfolk Southern Railway Company said it strongly disagrees with the National Transportation Safety Board's determination of probable cause contained in its Accident Report released today for the New Brighton, Pa., derailment. The NTSB said that the Oct. 20, 2006, derailment was caused by an "inadequate rail inspection and maintenance program."
According to Norfolk Southern, its rail inspection and maintenance program complies with all applicable regulations, and even the NTSB concedes that Norfolk Southern tested more frequently than required by Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulation.
Norfolk Southern will file a formal petition for reconsideration and modification that will rely, in part, on newly available inspection data supplied to the NTSB last month, but not addressed in the Accident Report. Norfolk Southern's petition will defend the adequacy of its rail inspection and maintenance program and will seek to correct the record before the NTSB and any misconceptions on the part of the NTSB about that program and its consistency with the regulations.
"We take strong exception to any contention that we failed to perform a continuous search of our rail for internal defects or that our inspection and maintenance program is inadequate. In fact, many of our procedures exceed FRA standards," said Tim Drake, NS vice president engineering.
"Norfolk Southern used the best available track inspection technology and procedures at the time and used an expert rail defect detection contractor to inspect its rails at a frequency that exceeds FRA requirements. It is highly unlikely that any changes to NS' technology and procedures could have uncovered the flaw that caused the derailment," Drake added.
The New Brighton accident resulted in an ethanol spill and fire on a nearby river. There were no injuries. The train's crew and mechanical condition were not factors, and the railroad's emergency response system was deemed effective and appropriate.
"Norfolk Southern has the lowest track-caused accident rate among all Class 1 railroads," Drake said. "Any suggestion that we short-cut track safety goes against the facts and is counter to our policy and practice."
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, serving every major container port in the eastern United States and providing superior connections to western rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is North America's largest rail carrier of metals and automotive products.
###
Norfolk Southern contacts:
(Media) Frank Brown, 757-629-2710 (fsbrown@nscorp.com)
(Investors) Leanne Marilley, 757-629-2861 (leanne.marilley@nscorp.com)
-------------------------------
Norfolk Southern Corporation
http://www.nscorp.com
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thomas Night at the Somerset Patriots
Monday, 7/21/08, was Thomas the Tank Engine night at the Somerset Patriots baseball game. We were there with a Thomas layout along with Sir Topham Hatt and Mr. Conductor.
As part of this event we raffeled off a Thomas the Tank Engine set, and the lucky winner was Evelyn Reese, pictured here with her mother.
U.S. to announce fire settlement with Union Pacific
Received the following article via email. This article appeared in the Sacramento Bee newspaper on 7/22/08.
In a landmark case, the federal government will announce a $102 million settlement today with the Union Pacific Railroad Co. over a forest fire that devastated a massive national forest area near the Feather River Canyon eight years ago.
It is the largest settlement ever in a lawsuit over the origin of a forest fire case, thanks in no small part to a groundbreaking order by a federal judge. The judge ruled UP must pay for the loss of public scenery and recreation and habitat and wildlife, rather than merely the costs of the lost timber and firefighting resources used to douse the blaze.
Federal officials would not discuss details of the settlement, which is to be announced today in Sacramento. But U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott said it is the largest civil settlement ever in the Eastern District of California, which is based in Sacramento and extends from the Oregon border to the Tehachapi Mountains.
"I consider this to be the most significant civil case in the history of the district," Scott said.
The largest previous settlement in a wildfire origin case was $14 million, and until today the biggest civil settlement in the district was $54 million paid by Tenant Healthcare Corp. in its role as owner of the Redding Medical Center.
Today's settlement stems from the Storrie fire, which broke out Aug. 17, 2000, while a UP section crew was repairing track in the Plumas National Forest.
The fire burned for three weeks and eventually required 2,600 firefighters to extinguish it.
More than 52,000 acres were burned in the Plumas and Lassen National forests – an area larger than San Francisco.
The fire burned so fiercely that vast stretches of the landscape have yet to begin recovering, and the settlement agreement calls for most of the money – $80 million – to go directly to foresters in the Plumas and Lassen forests to pay for rehabilitation of the area.
Federal officials also are expected to announce that the success in settling this case convinced authorities in Washington, D.C., to create three new "fire litigation teams" to pursue such cases throughout the West.
One will be based in Sacramento because the Eastern District includes 16 million acres of national forest system land, 8.3 percent of the country's total. The others will be in Los Angeles and Utah.
The federal government sued UP over the fire in 2006, claiming $200 million in damage had been done by the blaze.
Union Pacific is the largest railroad in North America, operating in the western two-thirds of the United States. Its 2007 operating income was $3.4 billion, and its net income was $1.86 billion.
The government's lawsuit over the fire's origin turned into a rout, and one of the reasons was the wildly divergent stories the five section crew members told in sworn pretrial testimony about how they put the fire out.
They were repairing track in a rugged area of the Feather River Canyon just north of Storrie, a Plumas County hamlet that is one of eight places in the nation with a population of 5. The repair work involved using a high-speed rail saw to cut the track, and then using a grinder to smooth the cut. The saw shoots out sparks – small, hot pieces of rail and saw blade – and tests show the sparks can travel as far as 39 feet.
While the cut was in progress, sparks started a fire in a bed of dry leaves. Two of the crew members testified they dumped water on it; two others testified they didn't dump water on it. Two of them testified they stomped on it; the three others testified they didn't stomp on it.
One testified they patted it with their hands; another said they did not pat it with their hands; yet another said they spread it around with their hands.
A train went through the area about 15 minutes after the crew departed, fanning the smoldering ash and embers.
"If the results were not so tragic, UP crew members' varying descriptions of their attempts to put out the fire would be somewhat comical," Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Newman, the government's lead lawyer in the case, observed in court papers.
At the end of January, the railroad conceded its liability and the reasonableness of the government's suppression tactics.
U.S. District Judge Frank C. Damrell Jr. ruled that "this court must consider, as many courts have, the unique character of the land at issue."
Over the railroad's objections, the judge found the government could seek damages for injuries other than to timber, including harm to the soil; destruction of trees too young for harvest; and destruction of wildlife, habitat and the area's grandeur, as well as denial of its use for recreation.
He also ruled the government could seek its reforestation costs, noting "much of the devastated areas involved old growth forests, designated wilderness and trees that were hundreds of years old."
Government experts estimate the Storrie fire burned more than 1,600 acres of spotted owl habitat, 12,000 acres of carnivore habitat, 9,000 acres of old growth forests – affecting bald eagles, goshawks and pine martens – and impacted amphibians and fish with silt runoffs into streams.
"We believe that when this fire occurred, our employees took reasonable precautions to put it out," UP spokeswoman Zoe Richmond said Monday. "Unfortunately, we had a situation that was pretty much extraordinary and unanticipated, and that caused the fire to flare up again."
Thursday, July 24, 2008
NJT's Raritan Valley Line scenes...
(train sightings 0n 7/19/08 and 7/20/08)
Saturday evening (7/19), a peculiar sound caught my attention coming from the Raritan Valley Line. It definitely was a train traveling very slowly but in what direction and why? After all, NJT passenger service terminates at Raritan on weekends. Curiousity got the best of me and I decided to brave the briars and poison ivy and see what a train was doing west of Raritan at 6:17 on a Saturday evening. Sliding down a dirt slope, my question was soon answered. It was a NJT ballast train. Evidently it was spreading ballast somewhere west of the Raritan station and was heading back on to the siding near CP BRAD.
On Sunday afternoon, driving over the Readington Road grade crossing in Branchburg (MP 40 on the RVL), I spotted a piece of NJT MOW equipment, or so I thought that is what it was. Turns out it is a jet engine snow blower. Perhaps NJT has read the Farmer's Almanac and thinks we will be in for a rough winter? That might account why they are getting the snow fighting equipment ready to do battle with the elements now? The thought of winter approaching sends a chill down my back! Brrrrr......
Saturday evening (7/19), a peculiar sound caught my attention coming from the Raritan Valley Line. It definitely was a train traveling very slowly but in what direction and why? After all, NJT passenger service terminates at Raritan on weekends. Curiousity got the best of me and I decided to brave the briars and poison ivy and see what a train was doing west of Raritan at 6:17 on a Saturday evening. Sliding down a dirt slope, my question was soon answered. It was a NJT ballast train. Evidently it was spreading ballast somewhere west of the Raritan station and was heading back on to the siding near CP BRAD.
On Sunday afternoon, driving over the Readington Road grade crossing in Branchburg (MP 40 on the RVL), I spotted a piece of NJT MOW equipment, or so I thought that is what it was. Turns out it is a jet engine snow blower. Perhaps NJT has read the Farmer's Almanac and thinks we will be in for a rough winter? That might account why they are getting the snow fighting equipment ready to do battle with the elements now? The thought of winter approaching sends a chill down my back! Brrrrr......
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Reading & Northern Excursion 7/13/2008
Received the following email from Kermit Geary, Jr. Photos and captions are his.
After having to work as a Conductor on our railroad...the Stourbridge RR (Honesdale, PA) on Saturday, spent Sunday following the R&N's excursion from Tunkhannock to Jim Thorpe, PA. The weather was changeable, some sun, some clouds, and some rain. Signal trouble delayed the return trip which meant the shot at M&H was taken minutes before the skies opened up on us!! Otherwise, the trip seemed to run well and was very well patronized.
SE content: Loco is ex GM&N 425, GM&O 581, Louisiana Eastern 4
Kermit Geary, JR
Conductor, Stourbridge RR
SE content: Loco is ex GM&N 425, GM&O 581, Louisiana Eastern 4
Kermit Geary, JR
Conductor, Stourbridge RR
R&N 425 at M&H Jct, Lehigh River Gorge, PA
Pittston (Coxton) Yard Office, Pittston, PA
Solomon's Gap
Lehigh River Bridge, White Haven, PA
Friday, July 18, 2008
US Freight Rail Congestion a Concern
Received the following news article via email. The article is from the Associated Press, dated 30 May 2008; and it appeared in several newspapers around the country. Here are some things to think about: Do the railroads want the taxpayers to subsidize their expansion of capacity? Why should we? Why can't the railroads raise the capital themselves?
(Also see our posting below titled Weekly Rail Carloading Report.)
US freight rail congestion a concern - Associated Press 30 May
CHICAGO — Railway executive Matthew Rose stood before fellow industry leaders, pointing to a map meant to tell the future of the U.S. rail freight network. It was drenched in red—east to west, north to south.
The blotches illustrated areas where, by 2035, traffic jams could be so severe trains would grind to a halt for days with nowhere to go.
"For those of you who've ever seen a good rail meltdown, this is what it looks like," Rose, CEO of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., said as the crowded hall shifted uncomfortably in their chairs. "It's literally chaos in the supply chain."
While the nation's attention is focused on air travel congestion and the high cost of fuel for highway driving, a crisis is developing under the radar for another form of transportation—the freight trains used to deliver many of the goods that keep the U.S. economy humming.
The nation's 140,000-mile network of rails devoted to carrying everything from cars to grain by freight is already groaning under the strain of congestion, with trains forced to stand aside for hours because of one-track rail lines.
And it's probably going to get worse over the next two decades, according to an analysis of government and industry projections by The Associated Press and interviews with experts on rail freight.
The damage to the U.S. economy could climb into the billions of dollars. Higher shipping costs would raise prices for everything from lumber to grain. One analyst said the rail crunch could add thousands of dollars to the price of a car.
"It's not rocket science to see we have a calamity coming down the road," said Paul Bingham, a transportation analyst at research firm Global Insight.
Congestion around the country has remained chronic, even as the ailing economy has led to a 3 percent dip in freight train traffic in the first few months of this year compared with last year. And a new U.S. Chamber of Commerce report warns demand for freight trains is expected to double over the next 25 years.
The problem is that there's no room.
"Even if the estimates are half wrong, we can't put even 25 percent more freight in the system right now without serious implications," said Randy Mullett, an analyst for the nonprofit Transportation Research Board.
Already, delays hamper the existing rail freight network. A lone train stopped in Chicago can force other trains to stop or slow as far away as Los Angeles or Baltimore.
"It's a ripple effect," said Scott Haas, a vice president for United Parcel Service, which uses 3,000 freight cars every day, more than any other U.S. business. "Everything in my system backs up."
Atlanta-based UPS hasn't determined the total cost of freight route congestion, but says that just five minutes of daily delays for each of its drivers amounts to $100 million in company losses a year.
Other modes of transport can't take up the slack: Trucking faces its own congestion problems, a shortage of drivers and high fuel prices. Ships and barges can't reach large parts of the country. Airplanes couldn't begin to carry the millions of tons of coal, waste, chemicals, grain and cars hauled by trains. And hauling freight by rail remains far more fuel-efficient than trucking.
Many politicians are joining rail executives in sounding the alarm.
"The amount of money we're investing nationally is pathetic," Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said during a recent congressional hearing on congested freight routes. "We're heading toward fourth-world infrastructure."
Others suggest the railroads are being alarmist.
Kenneth Kremar, another Global Insight analyst, said talk of a looming crisis serves industry interests as rail companies jockey for more money from Congress. He said investment in larger, high-tech train cars and computer systems that better pace trains should help avert logjams.
"It's illogical to assume nothing will be done," he said. "Railroads have an inherent interest in doing something. The market will respond. There's no reason think they're headed for the abyss."
Amtrak, which shares the rails with freight trains, is also feeling the pinch. Its long-distance trains were on time just 42 percent of the time last year, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Transportation's inspector general.
The problem on the shared tracks has worsened in recent years as freight traffic has soared. Passenger trains move much faster than most freight trains, and in many areas there is only a single track, forcing trains to pull over onto side tracks and wait while trains coming in the other direction pass.
A solution won't come cheap.
The Chamber says expanding capacity on the more than 150-year-old U.S. rail system would cost $148 billion over 30 years. Private rail companies would have to pay most of it, with federal and state tax dollars covering much of the rest.
Any solution will have to include Chicago, which handles about 40 percent of all U.S. rail freight on 180,000 trains a year.
Expanding capacity here will cost $1.5 billion over six years, a coalition of officials and rail executives estimates. David Burns, an independent railroad engineering consultant based in the Chicago area, put the cost closer to $4 billion.
Bottlenecks crop up in other parts of the country, too.
Long stretches of busy Union Pacific Corp. lines in Southern California and the Southwest, vital routes for agricultural goods and Asian trading, have just a single track.
And Baltimore's long but low Howard Street rail tunnel, connecting mid-Atlantic states to the Midwest, has just one track and can't accommodate freight-train cars used elsewhere that carry twice the load, with one container stacked on top of another.
But the big choke point is Chicago, where it can take up to two days for trains to wind through the city.
Nearly all the major routes of the weblike rail freight system comes through one or more of the nearly 80 rail yards here. It's why a single delayed train here can force those thousands of miles away to stop or slow down.
The problem is that the Chicago hub was designed in the mid-1800s, when the area was a comparative backwater of 30,000 people. Now, 10 million residents sprawl into formerly rural areas where trains once rolled along unencumbered.
The 500 freight trains moving through Chicago each day also have to share tracks with—and yield to, according to protocol—700 daily commuter trains. In contrast, commuter trains in New York City don't share lines with freight.
Proposed solutions include building new overpasses to keep trains moving at track intersections. Elsewhere, single-line tracks could be expanded to double or triple. And some advocates want to restore tracks that fell out of use in the 20th century.
Jacksonville, Fla.-based CSX announced plans this month to spend $300 million on upgrades to allow trains with double-stacked freight cars to run from the East Coast to the Midwest.
That would mean raising clearance on bridges and tunnels on lines through the Appalachian Mountains. CSX would like the federal and state governments to kick in $400 million more.
While the move would help congestion, it's not a cure-all. Double-stacked cars can't carry heavy, densely packed commodities, like coal, wheat and liquid chemicals, because of weight limits on tracks and because the heavy loads would make the trains dangerously unstable.
Expanding capacity to route trains around clogged cities may not sit well with suburban and exurban towns.
And then there's Amtrak. It already operates on tracks owned by the big railroads, which will be increasingly reluctant to make concessions to passenger trains.
But Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said it was only right that Amtrak also benefit from capacity upgrades. The service was formed in 1970 when Congress agreed to let railroads unload passenger service they said was dragging them down. In exchange, the railroads were required to give Amtrak priority on their tracks.
It may be impossible to keep both sides happy.
"There are areas, especially where there's just a single track, where Amtrak takes as much as 30 percent out of the capacity of freight rail. That's huge when you're in a capacity crunch," said Mullett, the analyst. "There will be hard public policy decisions, and that would include Amtrak."
(Also see our posting below titled Weekly Rail Carloading Report.)
US freight rail congestion a concern - Associated Press 30 May
CHICAGO — Railway executive Matthew Rose stood before fellow industry leaders, pointing to a map meant to tell the future of the U.S. rail freight network. It was drenched in red—east to west, north to south.
The blotches illustrated areas where, by 2035, traffic jams could be so severe trains would grind to a halt for days with nowhere to go.
"For those of you who've ever seen a good rail meltdown, this is what it looks like," Rose, CEO of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., said as the crowded hall shifted uncomfortably in their chairs. "It's literally chaos in the supply chain."
While the nation's attention is focused on air travel congestion and the high cost of fuel for highway driving, a crisis is developing under the radar for another form of transportation—the freight trains used to deliver many of the goods that keep the U.S. economy humming.
The nation's 140,000-mile network of rails devoted to carrying everything from cars to grain by freight is already groaning under the strain of congestion, with trains forced to stand aside for hours because of one-track rail lines.
And it's probably going to get worse over the next two decades, according to an analysis of government and industry projections by The Associated Press and interviews with experts on rail freight.
The damage to the U.S. economy could climb into the billions of dollars. Higher shipping costs would raise prices for everything from lumber to grain. One analyst said the rail crunch could add thousands of dollars to the price of a car.
"It's not rocket science to see we have a calamity coming down the road," said Paul Bingham, a transportation analyst at research firm Global Insight.
Congestion around the country has remained chronic, even as the ailing economy has led to a 3 percent dip in freight train traffic in the first few months of this year compared with last year. And a new U.S. Chamber of Commerce report warns demand for freight trains is expected to double over the next 25 years.
The problem is that there's no room.
"Even if the estimates are half wrong, we can't put even 25 percent more freight in the system right now without serious implications," said Randy Mullett, an analyst for the nonprofit Transportation Research Board.
Already, delays hamper the existing rail freight network. A lone train stopped in Chicago can force other trains to stop or slow as far away as Los Angeles or Baltimore.
"It's a ripple effect," said Scott Haas, a vice president for United Parcel Service, which uses 3,000 freight cars every day, more than any other U.S. business. "Everything in my system backs up."
Atlanta-based UPS hasn't determined the total cost of freight route congestion, but says that just five minutes of daily delays for each of its drivers amounts to $100 million in company losses a year.
Other modes of transport can't take up the slack: Trucking faces its own congestion problems, a shortage of drivers and high fuel prices. Ships and barges can't reach large parts of the country. Airplanes couldn't begin to carry the millions of tons of coal, waste, chemicals, grain and cars hauled by trains. And hauling freight by rail remains far more fuel-efficient than trucking.
Many politicians are joining rail executives in sounding the alarm.
"The amount of money we're investing nationally is pathetic," Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said during a recent congressional hearing on congested freight routes. "We're heading toward fourth-world infrastructure."
Others suggest the railroads are being alarmist.
Kenneth Kremar, another Global Insight analyst, said talk of a looming crisis serves industry interests as rail companies jockey for more money from Congress. He said investment in larger, high-tech train cars and computer systems that better pace trains should help avert logjams.
"It's illogical to assume nothing will be done," he said. "Railroads have an inherent interest in doing something. The market will respond. There's no reason think they're headed for the abyss."
Amtrak, which shares the rails with freight trains, is also feeling the pinch. Its long-distance trains were on time just 42 percent of the time last year, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Transportation's inspector general.
The problem on the shared tracks has worsened in recent years as freight traffic has soared. Passenger trains move much faster than most freight trains, and in many areas there is only a single track, forcing trains to pull over onto side tracks and wait while trains coming in the other direction pass.
A solution won't come cheap.
The Chamber says expanding capacity on the more than 150-year-old U.S. rail system would cost $148 billion over 30 years. Private rail companies would have to pay most of it, with federal and state tax dollars covering much of the rest.
Any solution will have to include Chicago, which handles about 40 percent of all U.S. rail freight on 180,000 trains a year.
Expanding capacity here will cost $1.5 billion over six years, a coalition of officials and rail executives estimates. David Burns, an independent railroad engineering consultant based in the Chicago area, put the cost closer to $4 billion.
Bottlenecks crop up in other parts of the country, too.
Long stretches of busy Union Pacific Corp. lines in Southern California and the Southwest, vital routes for agricultural goods and Asian trading, have just a single track.
And Baltimore's long but low Howard Street rail tunnel, connecting mid-Atlantic states to the Midwest, has just one track and can't accommodate freight-train cars used elsewhere that carry twice the load, with one container stacked on top of another.
But the big choke point is Chicago, where it can take up to two days for trains to wind through the city.
Nearly all the major routes of the weblike rail freight system comes through one or more of the nearly 80 rail yards here. It's why a single delayed train here can force those thousands of miles away to stop or slow down.
The problem is that the Chicago hub was designed in the mid-1800s, when the area was a comparative backwater of 30,000 people. Now, 10 million residents sprawl into formerly rural areas where trains once rolled along unencumbered.
The 500 freight trains moving through Chicago each day also have to share tracks with—and yield to, according to protocol—700 daily commuter trains. In contrast, commuter trains in New York City don't share lines with freight.
Proposed solutions include building new overpasses to keep trains moving at track intersections. Elsewhere, single-line tracks could be expanded to double or triple. And some advocates want to restore tracks that fell out of use in the 20th century.
Jacksonville, Fla.-based CSX announced plans this month to spend $300 million on upgrades to allow trains with double-stacked freight cars to run from the East Coast to the Midwest.
That would mean raising clearance on bridges and tunnels on lines through the Appalachian Mountains. CSX would like the federal and state governments to kick in $400 million more.
While the move would help congestion, it's not a cure-all. Double-stacked cars can't carry heavy, densely packed commodities, like coal, wheat and liquid chemicals, because of weight limits on tracks and because the heavy loads would make the trains dangerously unstable.
Expanding capacity to route trains around clogged cities may not sit well with suburban and exurban towns.
And then there's Amtrak. It already operates on tracks owned by the big railroads, which will be increasingly reluctant to make concessions to passenger trains.
But Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari said it was only right that Amtrak also benefit from capacity upgrades. The service was formed in 1970 when Congress agreed to let railroads unload passenger service they said was dragging them down. In exchange, the railroads were required to give Amtrak priority on their tracks.
It may be impossible to keep both sides happy.
"There are areas, especially where there's just a single track, where Amtrak takes as much as 30 percent out of the capacity of freight rail. That's huge when you're in a capacity crunch," said Mullett, the analyst. "There will be hard public policy decisions, and that would include Amtrak."
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Some CSX yellow and NS black...
(train sightings on 7-12-08)
on this Saturday (7/12) morning would find a good mix of NS and CSX passing by my vantage point in Manville. By time sequence, the trains spotted were as follows:
CSX @ 7:40- unknown symbol on this eastbound intermodal. This was a pleasant surprise since I can't recall the last time I saw a CSX intermodal this early on a Saturday morning. Motive power was CSX 5393 and CSX 7735.
CSX @ 8:02- unknown symbol once again on this empty garbage container train. Power would be CSX 5482, CSX 8199 and CSX 8208.
CSX @ 8:20- unknown symbol for the 111 cars of mixed freight that was taken east by CSX 5009 and CSX 248. About eighty cars back was a white Dupont caboose, a white Dupont boxcar and a white Dupont tank car with the marking "CAER". had no idea as to what the purpose of these three cars is.
CSX 301 @ 8:31- would have CEFX 3105 (SD40-2, ex-CN 5160) and CSX 7548 bringing 84 cars of mixed freight south over the Trenton Line. A photo of CEFX 3105 is included for the modeler's reference.
CSX @ 8:51- CSX 5309 and CSX 7871 bringing 42 cars south with loaded fifty-nine cubic yards containers of garbage-PU!
NS 21M @ 9:02- would have NS 9724, NS 2667 and UP 4244 for power.
NS 11J @ 9:15- seventy-two autoracks, measuring in at an estimated 6,800 feet, were taken west by NS 9340 and NS 9703.
NS 24V @ 10:00- had NS 7537 as its leader followed by NS 6708.
NS 214 @ 10:35- went the back way via the Port Reading Secondary. Motive power consisted of NS 9357, NS 9871 and NS 9462.
on this Saturday (7/12) morning would find a good mix of NS and CSX passing by my vantage point in Manville. By time sequence, the trains spotted were as follows:
CSX @ 7:40- unknown symbol on this eastbound intermodal. This was a pleasant surprise since I can't recall the last time I saw a CSX intermodal this early on a Saturday morning. Motive power was CSX 5393 and CSX 7735.
CSX @ 8:02- unknown symbol once again on this empty garbage container train. Power would be CSX 5482, CSX 8199 and CSX 8208.
CSX @ 8:20- unknown symbol for the 111 cars of mixed freight that was taken east by CSX 5009 and CSX 248. About eighty cars back was a white Dupont caboose, a white Dupont boxcar and a white Dupont tank car with the marking "CAER". had no idea as to what the purpose of these three cars is.
CSX 301 @ 8:31- would have CEFX 3105 (SD40-2, ex-CN 5160) and CSX 7548 bringing 84 cars of mixed freight south over the Trenton Line. A photo of CEFX 3105 is included for the modeler's reference.
CSX @ 8:51- CSX 5309 and CSX 7871 bringing 42 cars south with loaded fifty-nine cubic yards containers of garbage-PU!
NS 21M @ 9:02- would have NS 9724, NS 2667 and UP 4244 for power.
NS 11J @ 9:15- seventy-two autoracks, measuring in at an estimated 6,800 feet, were taken west by NS 9340 and NS 9703.
NS 24V @ 10:00- had NS 7537 as its leader followed by NS 6708.
NS 214 @ 10:35- went the back way via the Port Reading Secondary. Motive power consisted of NS 9357, NS 9871 and NS 9462.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Weekly Rail Carloading Report - Week 27, 2008
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 27 of 2008. Take a look.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. 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.
In the chart above you will note that Total Rail Traffic for 2008 (blue line) is running behind that for 2007 (green line). There is a table on the web site referenced above that breaks down the total traffic by commodity groups, and this table shows that some groups are up this year and some groups are down. Here is that breakdown.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. 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.
In the chart above you will note that Total Rail Traffic for 2008 (blue line) is running behind that for 2007 (green line). There is a table on the web site referenced above that breaks down the total traffic by commodity groups, and this table shows that some groups are up this year and some groups are down. Here is that breakdown.
Major Commodity Groups – 2008 YTD vs. 2007 YTD
- Total (1.1%)
- Grain 15.5%
- Chemicals 2.3%
- Food 1.6%
- Forest (11.3%)
- Metals (2.3%)
- Coal 3.0%
- Autos (14.6%)
- Intermodal (3.1%)
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
It was a morning...
(train sightings on 7/3/08)
full of nice trackside surprises, some catching me off guard, on this Thursday morning along the Lehigh Line in Manville (NJ). The trains passing by my vantage point were as follows:
NS 18G @ 7:49- had in its power consist NS 9493, NS 8329, NS 3850 and NS 100. Those last two units caught me off guard as I wasn’t able to get any shots of either one (DARN!). NS 3850 was the six axle genset locomotive (model: 3GS21CDB) that has been making its way slowly east. NS 100 was a model RP20BD.
CP 38T @ 8:10- another nice surprise was the appearance of CP 38T. Motive power would be CP 8854 and CP 8774.
NS 212 @ 8:26- would have PRR 8441 (ex-CR 6268) as its leader followed by NS 2641 and NS 9578.
NS 214 @ 8:40- had UP 4417, NS 9312 and NS 2698 for power.
NS 21M @ 8:42- after holding for NS 212 and 214, 21M was on its way west behind NS 9431, NS 8955 and NS 9743.
NS 11J @ 9:07- fifty-eight empty autoracks would be headed west behind NS 9794 and NS 8888.
Not a bad way to start this July 4th holiday weekend off with a bang! Hope your holiday is both relaxing and safe.
full of nice trackside surprises, some catching me off guard, on this Thursday morning along the Lehigh Line in Manville (NJ). The trains passing by my vantage point were as follows:
NS 18G @ 7:49- had in its power consist NS 9493, NS 8329, NS 3850 and NS 100. Those last two units caught me off guard as I wasn’t able to get any shots of either one (DARN!). NS 3850 was the six axle genset locomotive (model: 3GS21CDB) that has been making its way slowly east. NS 100 was a model RP20BD.
CP 38T @ 8:10- another nice surprise was the appearance of CP 38T. Motive power would be CP 8854 and CP 8774.
NS 212 @ 8:26- would have PRR 8441 (ex-CR 6268) as its leader followed by NS 2641 and NS 9578.
NS 214 @ 8:40- had UP 4417, NS 9312 and NS 2698 for power.
NS 21M @ 8:42- after holding for NS 212 and 214, 21M was on its way west behind NS 9431, NS 8955 and NS 9743.
NS 11J @ 9:07- fifty-eight empty autoracks would be headed west behind NS 9794 and NS 8888.
Not a bad way to start this July 4th holiday weekend off with a bang! Hope your holiday is both relaxing and safe.
Weekly Rail Carloading Report - Week 26, 2008
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 24 of 2008. Take a look.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. There are more graphs and tables on the web site showing data by railroad and by commodity.
http://railfax.transmatch.com/
Here is an example of the information available on this web site. This graph shows Total Traffic for 2007-2008 vs. 2006-2007. 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.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Beneath a shady train...
(Train sightings on 6-28-08.)
on this hot and humid Saturday morning, this is what passed by my vantage point in Manville.
7:23-CSX 703 Thirty-nine cars of NY trash was being taken to southern landfills by CSX 5392 and CSX 8094.
7:37-NS 18N NS 9210 and NS 9271 were in charge of sixty-five loaded autoracks coming east.
7:45-NS 21M would have NS 9250, the "Operation Lifesaver" unit, as its leader along with NS 2669 and PRR 8441 (ex-CR 6268, renumbered April 26, 1999).
9:00-NS 212 would have an "open door policy" on its leader, NS 9461, perhaps to get a flow of some cooler air circulating through the cab. NS 7555 and NS 9359 would be the other two units in this trio of power.
9:05-NS 11J NS 2514 and NS 9484 were in charge of fifty-two autoracks, measuring in around 5,000 feet long.
Falling into the heard about but eventually coming down the tracks were NS 24V and NS 214.
Have to say that for the hour and a half I was there, the Lehigh Line was buzzing with activity.
on this hot and humid Saturday morning, this is what passed by my vantage point in Manville.
7:23-CSX 703 Thirty-nine cars of NY trash was being taken to southern landfills by CSX 5392 and CSX 8094.
7:37-NS 18N NS 9210 and NS 9271 were in charge of sixty-five loaded autoracks coming east.
7:45-NS 21M would have NS 9250, the "Operation Lifesaver" unit, as its leader along with NS 2669 and PRR 8441 (ex-CR 6268, renumbered April 26, 1999).
9:00-NS 212 would have an "open door policy" on its leader, NS 9461, perhaps to get a flow of some cooler air circulating through the cab. NS 7555 and NS 9359 would be the other two units in this trio of power.
9:05-NS 11J NS 2514 and NS 9484 were in charge of fifty-two autoracks, measuring in around 5,000 feet long.
Falling into the heard about but eventually coming down the tracks were NS 24V and NS 214.
Have to say that for the hour and a half I was there, the Lehigh Line was buzzing with activity.
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