Conrail's Office Car Special will be tied down in Toledo, OH today and depart tomorrow as OCS-501. The train is powered by all three E8A's 4022, 4021 and 4020 with six business cars.  You can get to the schedule by clicking on the link at the top of the page. -Kevin Burkholder

CIRCUS TRAIN MOVE

After the May 17 show at the Hartford Civic Center in Connecticut, RBB&B 128th Blue Unit Circus Train will be loaded for departure to Conrail as CIR-301.  CIR-301 will operate via the River Line to the Lehigh, Reading and Harrisuburg Lines to Hershey, PA.  The train is scheduled to arrive for unloading on May 19. You can get to the schedule by clicking on the link at the top of the  page.
 
Upon completion at Hershey on May 25, the train will again be loaded and depart in a reverse routing from which it arrived.  The train will arrive in Albany, NY on May 26. -Kevin Burkholder

SD70MAC UPDATE

The first and last units of the SD70MAC order are continuing in coal service today.  Here is where the SD70MAC's are working.
 

As we told you last week, CPR will be operating several passenger trains in honor of the D&H Railroad's 175th Anniversary, CPR is sending Beaver Logo SD40-2 5647 to assist D&H-painted 7309 on a string of Employee Appreciation Passenger Specials.  CPR will also be using the train to host Norfolk Southern officials next week for a trip to Albany, NY.  The train consist will include four CPR Business Cars, two Green Mountain Railway passenger cars, and four NYS&W business cars.  Two legs of the trip will be operated between Dupont Jct. on the Reading & Northern and Philadelphia-30th Street Amtrak station.  The southbound trip will carry Conrail symbol OCS-701 and the northbound trip will carry OCS-702.  The trips kick off on May 20 and 21 with a run from Binghamton to Philadelphia. Also on the return trip from Philly, the train will be tied down at Scranton for families to enjoy Steamtown on May 23. You can see the full schedule by clicking on the link at the top of the page. -Mike Collins, Kevin Burkholder

INTO POSITION

To insure the availability of the Beaver Logo SD40-2 5647, the unit is currently working on the D&H. 5647 was based out of Taylor Yard at Taylor, PA yesterday in local service with D&H 7303.  The D&H 7309 was in Binghamton off of train 269-15.  -Kevin Burkholder

FIBER OPTIC PROJECT ON TRACK (OR NEXT TO IT!)

Mi-Link, LLC, a joint venture between ChampTEL, LLC and Mi-Tech Communications Inc., in April announced that the construction of a fiber optic communications system between Albany, New York, and Montreal, Quebec is underway. Also, the company reported that the build will occur on the Canadian Pacific (CP) Railway right of way.

``We are thrilled to be building this fiber line on the CP Railway right of way,'' said Trent Trahan, president and CEO of ChampTEL, LLC. ``By partnering with CP Railway, we will be building the fiber line in a secured and well maintained environment. The CP Railway line is the ideal location to build a fiber optic line. It will significantly reduce the likelihood of outside interference or damage to the fiber build,'' he added.

Mi-Link, LLC, intends to sell conduits and/or fibers to other telecommunications providers and companies that require high capacity transmission to and from this important Albany to Montreal corridor. Engineering for the project is complete and construction has begun. The placement of conduit and fiber cable will take approximately six months and is scheduled to be completed by the fourth quarter of 1998.

``For the first time in history, this important corridor will be accessible through the significant power of fiber optics,'' said Trahan. The project provides a unique opportunity for businesses that need to quickly move information. ChampTEL, LLC with its head office in Champlain, New York, is owned by the principal owners and shareholders of the Champlain Telephone Company. Founded in 1903, the Champlain Telephone Company provides telecommunications services in northern New York.

Mi-Tech Communications Inc. is located in Westminster, Colorado, and specializes in the development of fiber optic projects throughout the United States. The company is owned and operated by the principal owners and
shareholders of Michels Pipeline Construction located in Brownsville, Wisconsin. Michels has been in the communications construction business for more than 35 years. -Jim Sandilands

The tower at the west end of Willard Yard on the old B&O line in Willard, Ohio is scheduled to be torn down next month.  Get your pictures now.  It is being removed as part of the double-tracking of this line.  A new 7-track yard will be constructed on the north side of the existing hump yard, as well as relocation of one main track. -Gordon Webster

AND ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

Last night at approximately 22:00 ET, CSX K-951 lost its last car on the ex-B&O main just west of Brunswick, MD.  The incident happened near the Miller's Bend Signal when reportedly one of the bay doors popped open and the car started losing its load,  lifting the car off the rails. -Peter Furnee

WESTERN MONTANA RAILROAD IN WESTERN MARYLAND?
For those that are interested, the commercial (see yesterdays news) for which the 2-8-0 was relettered, was for the Pontiac Montana Mini-van. - Pat Stakem 

PRR E44 READY AT ALTOONA
Pennsylvania E44 4465, formerly Amtrak 504, has emerged from Juniata Shops looking like it was just delivered to the PRR!  Unit is sporting the Brunswick Green paint with pin-stripes.  Unit is lacking number boards and some other minor items but will be released soon for the trip back to Strasburg, PA.