This website has been archived from TrainWeb.org/eastpenn to TrainWeb.US/eastpenn.

CONRAIL OCS ON THE ROAD (repeated from yesterday)

Conrail's Office Car Special will be out on the road all this week.  For the complete schedule, either go to the schedule page or click here.

SD70MAC UPDATE

Conrail SD70MAC 4133 has been testing on the mountain between Altoona and Cresson this afternoon.  The unit should be released for service tomorrow.  The 4133 will be paired up with the 4132 (road tested on 3/27) and the pair should head west to Conway tomorrow.  These units will likely head west and join sister units 4130 and 4131 in the INEL/ELIN pool.  -Kevin Burkholder

UP AC60/44AC'S HEADING WEST

Union Pacific will be receiving 36 C60/44ACs (AC6000 Convertibles) this year from General Electric.  The units have begun shipping west over Conrail.  The order was to appear as 7101-7136, instead they are arriving as 7300-7335. -Kevin Burkholder

CONRAIL ROADRAILER UPDATE

We've previously picked out groups of locomotives to show there whereabouts, so this time we are posting all of the RoadRailer trains operating on Conrail.  All motive power is Conrail unless otherwise specified.

RR-242X	Ft. Wayne, IN	06:50 ET	3300/3334
RR-231	Buffalo-Frontier, NY	08:20 ET	3400
RR-261	Rutherford, PA	04:30 ET	5003/5046
RR-265	Rutherford, PA	00:00 ET	5525
RR-282	Toledo-Airline Jct., OH	02:24 ET	5554
RR-261F	Rutherford, PA	04:30 ET	5576/6043

-Special thanks to Willie Brown for the update

EW&S UNITS EMERGE FROM GMLG

The EW&S units are our model JT42CWR, EW&S Class 66 (66001-66250).  They should all be shipped in tarps (standard export practice - probably to protect from salt air).  The 66001 is going out of Albany, although present plans are for the rest to go CN to Halifax (but always subject to change).

There is a hot shot ship every Monday from Halifax which only takes 7 days to cross.  The Jumbo ship from Albany will take 3 weeks, but with intermediate stops.  The units are in WC colors (maroon and [Caterpillar] yellow), but they have the WC "Z" stripe, as compared to a straight stripe on the rest of the EW&S fleet.  GMLG will also build 30 high-speed units (4-axle JT42HW-HS, Class 67's) for the Royal Mail trains (to replace their Class 47's).  These will be built in Spain by our associate GEC-Alsthom in Valencia. The reporting marks are EWS (on large block letters on the side, along with the road number).

66001 was shipped on its own wheels on Sunday March 29, 1998 from GM London directly to the Port of Albany where it was loaded Monday March 30, 1998. The lead CP locomotive was 5602 and a conversion flat car( conversion car required because of different couplers). The locomotives are half the height of an SD40.

This particular locomotive will be off-loaded at Immingham on the east coast of England and then be transported, to Technical Testing Centre at Derby before being accepted. EW&S and Railtrack like their predesscors British Railways are very fussy about their new motive power!-John Krattinger, Bryce Lee

NORFOLK SOUTHERN COMPLETES NORTHAMERICAN SALE

NORFOLK, VA - Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC) yesterday announced the consummation of its previously announced transaction to sell its North American Van Lines (NAVL) subsidiary to an affiliate of the
investment firm of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Inc. (CD&R) for $200 million.

Norfolk Southern Chairman, President and CEO David R. Goode said, "With the completion of this transaction, both NAVL and Norfolk Southern move into new eras. Norfolk Southern will focus all its energies on continued improvements to safe and efficient rail service in the eastern United States, helping to make our merchandise, intermodal and coal customers competitive both at home and in the global marketplace."

Norfolk Southern is a Virginia-based holding company with headquarters in Norfolk. It owns a major freight railroad, Norfolk Southern Railway Company, which operates approximately 14,400 miles of railroad in 20 states, primarily in the Southeast and Midwest and the Province of Ontario. The Corporation also owns Pocahontas Land Corporation, a natural resources company.

NAVL was founded in 1933. Norfolk Southern acquired NAVL from PepsiCo in 1985. -Norfolk Southern

CPR WINS CHRYSLER'S CANADIAN TRAFFIC

CALGARY, March 30 /CNW/ -- Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) captured 100 per cent of Chrysler's Canadian domestic traffic, winning an open-bid competition for distribution of all Chrysler Canada finished vehicles.

``We were able to provide a top-quality product in the marketplace by providing innovative logistics solutions to business challenges facing Chrysler,'' said Marc Brazeau, Chrysler account manager for CPR.

One solution to which Brazeau is referring is CPR's provision of property and assistance in outbound movement of Chrysler's product just 21 days after Chrysler expressed a need for a temporary auto compound, called a mixing centre, 18 months ago.

``The tireless effort CPR's people exhibited in pulling things together enabled the company to be competitive and aggressive in its bid,'' said Robert Hurliman, Manager, Vehicle Logistics, Chrysler Corp.  ``CPR worked toward anticipating and fulfilling our needs, often without us having to say a word.''

From the timely supply of bi-level rail cars for Chrysler's domestic business, to outstanding customer service, to quality damage prevention, CPR's team effort is paying off for the company and its customer.  ``Doing our job well means listening closely to Chrysler's requirements and working efficiently within our organization'' said Greg Anderson, general manager, automotive, for CPR.  ``In a business as competitive as the automotive industry, we're very pleased with the partnership we've formed with Chrysler.''

The contract, initiated Feb. 1, 1998, sees CPR moving vehicles from Chrysler's Windsor, Ont. mixing centre, and from U.S. and Mexico origins via Chicago, Ill. to all Canadian destinations.  At destination, trucks move the vehicles to Chrysler's dealers.-Canadian Pacific

NYRR UPDATE

The railroad is doing very well. The locomotive fleet is being upgraded to handle increased business. General Manager Bruce Crawford informed me that NYRR #59 will be rebuilt with Flexi-coil trucks. NYRR #11 is being worked on and is expected to soon be in operation. As we talked, NYRR #25 rolled out of the engine house and began its day of work.

There was also talk of the possibility of a railfan day sometime later this year.  This information will be released if the railroad decides to host the event.-Bernie Ente

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