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APRIL 6, 1998 |
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EASTERN RAILROAD NEWS
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Conrail's Office Car Special (OCS) will be dispatched again for a trip that will take the train to West Palm Beach, Florida (Yes Florida!). The trip will operate via CSX and over the former RF&P main. The RF&P cab signal equipment was successfully tested today. With the RF&P cab signals functional, the pair of E8A's will be in the lead over the former RF&P! We will post the schedules in the next few days. - Kevin Burkholder
MOUNTAIN MAYHEM
Conrail welders sparked a fire this morning that turned into a major mountain fire! The original distress call from the welders was for fire equipment at the "Brick Yard" for a brush fire. Within minutes, the fire had spread up the hillside and into the mountain. The blaze closed #2 and #3 track west of Alto, until the fire was brought under control. Aerial water drops were also performed to assist in controlling the fire. - Kevin Burkholder
GONDOLA UPDATE
Conrail has answered a cry for the high demand of gondola's for steel shipments. New gondolas are arriving in all black paint with white lettering (pseudo-NS) and are entering service in steel shipment service. Hollidaysburg has also taken on a project to refurbish gondolas. These gon's are emerging stenciled for "Coil Steel Service Only" and are carrying road numbers in the 608*** -series. - Kevin Burkholder
Well folks, sad as it seems this is the end. This is the last edition that will be able to list units still in the road for their original owners. CN became a two builder road on April 2nd when their last M420W was withdrawn. They still however have 2 HR616s and 16 M420Ws leased out to shortlines, but these now show on Canacs Books. -Gary Zuters
CP began the process of recalling all of its MLWs to St Luc for the pending sale on April 11th, but a power shortage (what else is new for CP!) resulted in a few of them getting loose for one last trip.
First, on to the summary:
Mon Mar 30 - nil
Tue Mar 31 - nil
Wed Apr 1
- nil
Thu Apr 2
- nil
Fri Apr
3 - nil
Sat Apr 4
- nil
Sun Apr 5
- Lambton Transfer 4201-HATX518-6043-1100 TY 1135
Smiths Falls (FA) had three RS18us assigned for the week along with an HLCX ex Amtrak GP40 1838-1850-1853. These were withdrawn to St Luc on April 5th, to be replaced by an 8200 GP9u and an additional HLCX unit.
St Luc With the impending closure of the shops, no repair work was being done, as all the employees of the shop were losing their jobs anyway, they refused to repair any MLWs. The lines of units out back grew to three tracks.
The transfers started
the week with the normal MLW contingents:
Delson job - 1865-1839
Lacolle job - 1860
Wharf job - 1854-1851-4210 until April 2nd then - 4210-8212-8235 as the
1800 were pulled off to be sold.
Then the 4210 failed on April 3, replaced with 8235-4711-8212.
The D&H rounded up all their MLWs from yard service, and sent them north on 555-04 behind 5546-1812-1839-1865-1858-1845-1838. All were shut down on arrival at St Luc.
The lucky few that got out for one last trip on Saturday April 4th were on 509 with 5429 still in UP yellow-1824-4219-1835, and 923 with 5568-1837-1828-1853-4238. Both sets made it through to Windsor, under fitting cloudy skies.All will return on Monday, probably on 926, but tha will be on the next and last summary, along with dispositions. - Gary Zuters
Please check this location daily, as new information will be posted, as it becomes available. If you have news to report or information regarding railroads in the Eastern United States, please send e-mail to Kevin Burkholder at KBurkholder@psghs.edu |