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| MAY 14, 1998 |
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EASTERN RAILROAD NEWS
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Amtrak's Clocker coaches, which live in Philadelphia over the weekend are needed to protect football specials in September, and are thus unavailable to IHE. Inquiries are being made to SEPTA to see if their equipment could be made available to Amtrak, but this may be somewhat of a long shot at this point.
Trips from Hoboken to Port Jervis will defeinitely run in October.-John Harmon
JUDGE NIXES STRIKE EFFORTS
A federal judge has restricted
the ability of railroad unions to go on strike if federal regulators approve
the
proposed Conrail merger
and the workers dislike the terms.
The Surface Transportation Board is expected to rule June 8 on the $10 billion plan by Norfolk Southern and CSX Corp. to buy and carve up Conrail.
The railroads asked U.S. District James Turk to declare that the STB has exclusive jurisdiction over the transaction terms, including changes in labor agreements, and to bar the unions from striking to thwart the merger.
In a ruling released Wednesday, Turk said the unions were enjoined for 12 months from striking in an attempt to block the Conrail merger or to force changes in the transaction.
The unions involved are the: Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, American Train Dispatchers, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, National Conference on Firemen and Oilers and Sheet Metal Workers International.
Spokesmen for Norfolk Southern and several of the labor unions declined to comment on the ruling until their attorneys could review the 37-page order.
Two major unions, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the United Transportation Union, already have lifted their opposition to the proposal to carve up Conrail routes and eliminate 2,000 jobs nationwide.
Edward Wytkind, executive director for the AFL-CIO's Transportation Trades Department, says the labor federation remained opposed to the merger.
SD70/70MAC UPDATE
- The 4141 was finally
released from Altoona after testing and will likely be dispatched on todays
ATPI with the 4140. The next DC SD70 (Norfolk Southern) Conrail 2558
is now on the floor and under construction. The SD70's should be released
for service beginning the first week of June. These units will be
equipped with all of the Conrail features and go to NS after the acquisition.
The SD70MAC's in road service are operating as follows:
| 4130 | Crestline, OH | 5/14/98 | 02:35 ET | COPI-3 |
| 4131 | Marion, IN | 5/13/98 | 18:47 ET | ELIN-2B |
| 4132 | Crestline, OH | 5/14/98 | 02:35 ET | COPI-3 |
| 4133 | Marion, IN | 5/13/98 | 18:47 ET | ELIN-2B |
| 4134 | Cleveland, OH | 5/14/98 | 04:26 ET | BUCO-3 |
| 4135 | Cleveland, OH | 5/14/98 | 04:26 ET | BUCO-3 |
| 4136 | Ashtabula, OH | 5/13/98 | 20:11 ET | SEPI-2 |
| 4137 | Ashtabula, OH | 5/13/98 | 20:11 ET | SEPI-2 |
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Buffalo, NY |
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Buffalo, NY |
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POISED FOR GROWTH
The transportation map of the future "will forever be different because of pivotal events in 1997," David R. Goode, Norfolk Southern chairman, president and chief executive officer, said today during the corporation's annual meeting of stockholders.
"Restoration of balanced rail competition is under way in the Northeast, greater service options are developing for customers, and Norfolk Southern is poised and determined to usher in an era of growth and opportunity," said Goode.
Norfolk Southern employees "rose above the challenges" of planning proposed operations over a large portion of Conrail to post solid results in 1997, he said. Highlights included a three-for-one stock split, record railway operating revenues and income from railway operations, and a best-ever railway operating ratio -- the standard measure of efficiency for the rail industry. "Most important, while achieving these records, Norfolk Southern people also produced their best-ever safety record," said Goode.
With the Conrail transaction, "Norfolk Southern has framed the structure for a surface transportation network with the potential to drive the nation's economy forward," he said.
Yet, Goode cautioned that
the "environmental, social and economic benefits" of the restructuring
could be jeopardized if rail service problems in the West lead to a new
round of economic regulation for the
industry.
"It is incumbent upon us to show the world that we can overcome these service setbacks and move forward together without government intervention," said Goode, who also is chairman of the Association of American Railroads.
In official business, stockholders ratified the appointment of KPMG Peat Marwick as auditors and re-elected four directors: T. Marshall Hahn Jr. of Atlanta, retired chairman and currently honorary chairman of Georgia-Pacific Corporation; L.E. Coleman of Grantham, N.H., retired chairman and chief executive officer of the Lubrizol Corporation; Landon Hilliard, a partner in Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., a private bank in New York City; and Jane Margaret O'Brien, president of St. Mary's College, St. Mary's City, Md.-Norfolk Southern
OPERATION LIFESAVER TO WAUKESHA
On Friday May 15,1998
Wisconsin Central will run an Office Car Special out of Schiller Park,IL
to Waukesha,WI and return on the following schedule:
| Schiller Park, IL | DP | 11:00 CT |
| Waukesha, WI | AR | 12:40 CT |
| Run around train at Waukesha. | ||
| Waukesha, WI | DP | 12:50 CT |
| Schiller Park, IL | AR | 14:30 CT |
Train consist as follows:
Power:
WC GP40 3026 (Facing
west) These are the commerative engines.
WC GP40 3027 (Facing
east)
Consist:
Amtrak 800197 Prarie
Rose
GB&W 901
Algoma Country
SSAM 100
Montana
This consist operated out of Green Bay after the Operation Life Saver Trip of May 13 on T218-13 and will set out at Schiller Park this morning.
After arrival back at
Schiller Park Friday, tthe following consist will be held at Schiller Park
for display at Franklin Park, IL Railroad Days Celebration on Saturday
May 16,1998.
The consist will include
GP40's 3026 and 3027 with cars GB&W 901 and AC 77 Camp Car. Afterward
the engines and two cars from Franklin Park will be sent west to Fond du
Lac promptly for other passenger trips.
SSAM 100 and the Prarie Rose will be send west Friday night to FDL for clean up and service for up coming passenger trips. -Ray Weart
HENDERSON SUB TRACK WORK
Contractors have been at work for about three weeks on a project to extend the Kelly siding south to the overhead bridge at Substation Road. The extended siding will be over 15,000 feet long and provide much needed operating flexibility.
A new siding is to be constructed between Madisonville and Evansville and specifically from the Anaconda Spur south to the town of Sebree. This siding will be about 12,000 feet long.-Chuck Hinrichs
AMTRAK SUPPORT FOR CONRAIL ACQUISITION
CSX Corporation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John W. Snow issued the following statement in response to today's announcement by Amtrak that it will support the proposed control of Conrail Inc. by CSX and Norfolk Southern Corporation:
"We are pleased to have reached an agreement in principle that provides for Amtrak's support for the Conrail acquisition. We look forward to working with Amtrak to preserve the highest level of safety and reliability for commuter, passenger and freight service."
Snow noted that "CSX is not a party to and did not consent to the separate agreement between Norfolk Southern and Amtrak providing for express shipments on Amtrak trains operating over Norfolk Southern lines." -CSX Corporation
MORE APPOINTMENTS IN PREPARATION FOR CONRAIL
ACQUISITION
Carl N. Taylor, executive vice president-operations for CSX Transportation Inc. (CSXT), today announced two key operational appointments.
Emory A. Hill, Jr., general manager-Baltimore Service Lane, has been named general manager for CSXT's Great Lakes Service Lane. The Great Lakes Service Lane, which will be based in Willard, Ohio, with an administrative office in Strongsville, Ohio, is one of four new service lanes to be created as a result of CSX's planned joint acquisition of Conrail.
Service Lanes are an innovative transportation management structure that link field operations with dedicated, centralized, cross-functional teams responsible for activities such as locomotive crew calling, customer service and train dispatching. Service lanes have been credited with improving service and asset utilization by enabling greater coordination of work and resources such as locomotives, crews and rail cars.
As general manager of the Great Lakes Service Lane, Hill will be responsible for directing the activities of more than 2,000 field operations employees over a territory extending from Erie, Penn., west to Chicago, including CSXT's Crestline, Ohio, to Fort Wayne, Ind., rail line. He will report to Gerald T. Gates, vice president-transportation Conrail field operations.
Central to the Great Lakes Service Lane's activities will be the Willard rail terminal, where CSXT is investing nearly $30 million in operational and public safety improvements. The Willard terminal will become CSXT's major east-west freight-car classification yard, where rail cars and entire trains will be assembled for interchange with western railroads.
The Great Lakes Service Lane will bring to nine the number of existing CSXT service lanes, representing more than 80 percent of CSXT's operating network.
Succeeding Hill as general manager of the Baltimore Service Lane will be William P. Meriwether. He will have responsibility for directing the operations of more than 1,400 field employees over a territory extending from Baltimore north to Philadelphia; south to Richmond, Va., and west to Greenwich, Ohio. Meriwether will report to Clarence W. Gooden, vice president- transportation field operations.
"Hill and Meriwether are proven leaders whose depth and breadth of rail operating experience is unparalleled in the industry," Taylor said. "Our highest priority has always been, and will continue to be safety. These appointments are consistent with our plans for ensuring the smooth and safe integration of Conrail into CSXT, with a strong focus on providing reliable customer service."
Since joining CSXT in 1989, Hill has served in numerous transportation positions including terminal superintendent and division superintendent. Prior to joining CSXT, Hill held operating positions with the Norfolk Southern Railroad, and its predecessor Norfolk and Western Railroad. A native of Glade Spring, Va., Hill earned a bachelor's degree in education from East Tennessee State University.
Meriwether joins CSXT with nearly 15 years' experience with the Union Pacific Railroad, where he held several rail operations-related positions. Most recently, he was general superintendent-Harriman Dispatching Center in Omaha, and prior to that, he held superintendent positions in Kansas City, Los Angeles and Little Rock, Ark. Meriwether earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Auburn University, and holds the rank of Lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve. -CSX Corporation
WC UNITS CONTINUE TENNESSEE SERVICE
The leased Wisconsin Central SD45's are continuing to see service in the Nashville to Memphis, TN corridor. One unit, WC 6609 has returned to the WC at Chicago. Conrail SD45-2's are also still wandering around CSXT. Coincidentally, one of the Conrail units is also working the Nashville to Memphis corridor. The 45's are in current road service as follows:
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Nashville, TN |
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Memphis, TN |
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Memphis, TN |
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Memphis, TN |
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Memphis, TN |
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Nashville, TN |
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ROADRAILER SERVICE BEGINS IN MICHIGAN
Amtrak is reintroducing RoadRailerTM service to Grand Rapids, Mich., the site of pioneering operating experiments by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O), which placed bimodal technology in passenger trains for the first time exactly 39 years ago, on May 7, 1959.
The Amtrak Express RoadRailer facility in Grand Rapids will serve as the rail/highway transfer point in the movement of time-sensitive shipments between western Michigan and various points throughout the nationwide Amtrak system. Introduction of the service provides shippers with a fast, dependable and reasonably-priced alternative to the all-highway mode.
By combining the speed of Amtrak passenger trains (operating at speeds up to 79 mph on this route) with the convenience of dock-to-dock shipping in the same trailer, Amtrak RoadRailer units provide fast transit times at costs below typical highway carrier rates.
"The return of RoadRailer service to Grand Rapids is a truly significant event," said Ed Ellis, Amtrak Intercity Vice President, Mail & Express Business Development. Noting that C&O's original experiment with bimodal transportation was in direct response to inroads being made by truckers into the railroads' business back in the early 1950s, Ellis sees a distinct parallel between that situation and today's marketplace.
"In the short time since Amtrak Express has expanded its operations at other locations across the country, a lot of shippers have reversed their thinking in evaluating the benefits of rail versus over-the-road," he said. "This is more than a case of deja vu. The reappearance of the RoadRailers in Grand Rapids clearly represents a benchmark in the growth of cross-country rail express service for the future."
The daily Pere Marquette train, which operates southbound to Chicago every morning and northbound to Grand Rapids every evening, will carry the RoadRailer service between Chicago and Grand Rapids.
Amtrak has a variety of equipment to meet the full range of expedited service requirements needed by customers. In addition to the 291 RoadRailer units, Amtrak has a fleet of 511 higher-speed mail and express cars, operating at speeds up to 90 miles per hour on a nationwide passenger train network.
The rapidly expanding demand for transcontinental Amtrak Express service demonstrates that more and more shippers view it as highly competitive with highway transit times, on-time performance and reliability of truck transportation in most lanes. In the case of solo-driven trucks, for instance, service is typically faster at a more economical cost; and in many lanes Amtrak travel times are actually comparable with two-person teams and offer even greater cost savings while maintaining the highest levels of dependable service. -Amtrak
ROADRAILER HISTORY AND AMTRAK
Although today's Amtrak RoadRailer equipment represents state-of-the-art technology, its development is the result of a long and rich history. In fact, the concept of a dual-purpose rail/truck van was developed by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) as early as 1952.
The original proposal, detailed in an article published by the C&O Historical Society, called for "...a highway trailer with a center sill underframe, a special coupling device for making several of them up into trains, a brake system adaptable to railroad practice, and an arrangement for raising and lowering alternately a pair of flanged railroad wheels and a pair of dual highway wheels."
Testing of the first "Railvans" began in 1955, and C&O's annual report promised, if the tests were successful, the railroad would vigorously promote the concept.
By 1959, C&O had reached an agreement with the then U.S. Post Office Department and the Railway Express Agency (REA) to substitute the innovative Railvans for conventional railroad equipment to handle express and bulk mail. On May 7, 1959, experimental service was inaugurated between Grand Rapids and Traverse City, Mich., a six-day-a-week passenger run covering a distance of 172 miles. Despite mechanical teething problems, these early experiments in bimodal transportation equipment completed 99% of their assigned trips in the first six months of service.
An additional five vans were ready for service in November of 1959 and they were immediately put to work carrying mail shipments between Grand Rapids and Detroit. At the same time, the Traverse City line was extended for a brief time to Petoskey, Mich. This service presumably ended when regular weekday passenger service to Petoskey was discontinued in 1961.
The success of what came to be called "Road Railers" prompted the Post Office and REA to add two new mail and express passenger trains between Grand Rapids and Detroit in June of 1960. With some of the westbound mail destined for Muskegon, Mich., this new operation provided the C&O with the ability to further demonstrate the vehicle's flexibility. Instead of going to Grand Rapids for unloading into a Muskegon-bound truck, the Muskegon mail, in a separate trailer, was taken by tractors hired by the Post Office directly to their Muskegon facility. Thanks to the Road Railers, mail sorted one evening in Detroit was being delivered in time for delivery the next morning in Muskegon.
By 1963, the Post Office was exploring the use of Road Railers for service between Detroit and Chicago. The C&O built 60 vans in 1964, and Chicago-Detroit service was underway by July of that year, replacing mail cars on the Pere Marquette streamliners. By the end of 1964, the C&O's fleet numbered 81 vans.
Unfortunately, 1964 represented the high water mark of the early Road Railer's success as the Post Office began diverting mail from railroads to other modes. Other than the Post Office and the REA, there was no other Road Railer shipping being conducted on anything other than on an experimental basis.
Another issue affecting the immediate future of these early Road Railers was their configuration, which was clearly limited by the technology available at the time. Their 26-foot length and the additional weight of the railroad running gear caused shippers to view them as "low-capacity trailers."
There is little doubt that the C&O's pioneering efforts laid the groundwork for the generation of RoadRailers trailers that have become so popular with Amtrak Express shippers today. Amtrak has 291 RoadRailer units manufactured in several configurations by the Wabash National Corp. of Lafayette, Ind., the current builder of the RoadRailer and the holder of several licenses for their technology.
RoadRailer units no longer carry their railroad wheels with them, a substantial weight savings, and are full-size trailers that appear to be virtually identical to those seen in over-the- road trucking. Amtrak carries the trailers from Philadelphia to Florida and Chicago and from Albany-Rensselaer, N.Y., to Chicago, with Amtrak Express RoadRailers venturing as far west as Minneapolis-St. Paul.
As a new Principal Sponsor at this year's Intermodal Expo in Dallas, Amtrak has a major presence this year, including the display of Amtrak Express equipment, as well as the operation of a shuttle train between the convention center and Dallas Union Station. The show is open only to shippers and logistics trade representatives. -Amtrak
AMTRAK INTRODUCES SCAT
Responding to customer demand for fast, economical, on-site transloading of cross-country intermodal express shipments, Amtrak Express has deployed specially designed Self-Contained Amtrak Transloader (SCAT) units at light-volume markets across the country.
According to Tracy Davis, Director of Services Support, the SCAT units are engineered to function as portable docks for on-site transloading, providing an efficient, low cost, mobile platform for forklifts to transload Amtrak Express rail cars and truck trailers.
"By eliminating the need to transport rail cars to a dock facility for loading or unloading, the SCATs provide a fast and economical solution to transloading shipments moving into and out of smaller markets," Davis said. "The SCATs have proven particularly effective in speeding up overall intermodal transit times by expediting transloading operations at locations where dock facilities are either limited, overtaxed or simply unavailable."
Typically equipped with a dedicated forklift truck, SCAT units are reconditioned 32-foot truck trailers that incorporate a host of unique features, including reinforced flooring, 10-foot wide sliding doors on both sides and an eight-foot wide door at the back of the trailer.
In a typical on-site intermodal transloading application, a SCAT with a forklift inside is towed by conventional truck tractor to the Amtrak station or yard track and positioned so that either a side or back door is aligned with the rail express car door. A truck tractor then positions a highway trailer at either the opposing side door or the back door of the SCAT unit. Forklift transloading operations begin after bridge plates are put down in the open doorways between the SCAT, the rail express car and the highway trailer. -Amtrak
- SHORTLINES
1811 ROLLS ON OWEGO-HARFORD
RS18u 1811 made its first
revenue run north to Harford yesterday with 12 empties. The unit is expected
back with 12 loads today. 1850 is currently sidelined for mechanical repairs
(possibly minor electrical as well-sticky relay). The 1850 will likely
be out of service for 30 to 60 days.
- INDUSTRY NEWS
MONEY ALLOCATED BY PA
On behalf of Pennsylvania
Gov. Tom Ridge, Transportation Secretary Bradley L. Mallory yesterday announced
the release
of more than $1 million to support 11 rail-freight improvement projects
in every region of the state.
"Pennsylvania's short-line and regional railroads are a critical part of our transportation system," Mallory said. "Keeping these railroads in good shape means we're keeping freight moving through the state -- freight that supports businesses, jobs and families."
A short-line or regional railroad acts as a feeder to main rail lines and enables local business and industry to quickly receive and transport goods by train.
"The pending approval of the sale of Conrail to Norfolk Southern Railroad and CSX Transportation could increase the role of short-line railroads," Mallory said. "The rail-freight feeder system to the major carriers must be improved to meet demand. These funds will help ensure that railroads continue to play a key role in Pennsylvania's growing economy."
The 1997-98 Rail Freight Assistance Program funding is used for the construction, maintenance, repair and rehabilitation of rail lines, rail sidings and grade crossings.
Pennsylvania has 5,400 miles of rail track, ranking it fifth in track mileage in the United States. An estimated one-third of all U.S. rail traffic moves through Pennsylvania.
Following is a list of the rail-freight grant recipients:
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| Armco Inc. | Butler | $149,607 |
| Berwick Industrial Development Association | Columbia | $37,050 |
| Bradford Industrial Rail | Bradford & McKean | $130,096 |
| The Buncher Company | Westmoreland | $33,769 |
| Delaware & Hudson Railroad | Lackawanna & Luzerne | $160,000 |
| Franklin County Commissioners | Franklin | $60,000 |
| Pittsburgh, Allegheny McKees Rock Railroad | Allegheny | $86,619 |
| Shamokin Valley Railroad | Northumberland | $63,000 |
| Steelton & Highspire Railroad | Dauphin | $187,500 |
| Tyburn Railroad | Bucks | $45,000 |
| US Steel | Allegheny | $74,100 |
| TOTAL: | $1,026,741 |
We are readying the new site and preparing fo
