DOCSLIB.ORG

North Dakota Across on the Hi-Line

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
North Dakota Across on the Hi-Line North Dakota across on the hi-line On a snowy March afternoon in 2008, I drove five hours from northern MichigantoColumbus,atownof4,500ontheCrawfishRiverinsouth-central Wisconsin.BytheluckofitslocationonCanadianPacifictracks,thislittle townisservedbytheEmpireBuilder,thelong-haultrainthatrunsbetween ChicagoandthecitiesofPortlandandSeattle.Ibookedaroomette—anecon- omysleeperonthesecondlevelofthedouble-deckerSuperlinercar.AfterI settledin,theattendantstuckhisheadin,“Youknowhowallthisworks?” Idid,butIhadbeenpreparedtolistentoanorientationofsorts.Instead,he justlookedatmeexpectantly,soIjustnodded. “Good,”hesaid,appearingrelieved.“Letmeknowifyouneedanything.” Nodemonstrationoftheaircontrolsintheroom,nothingabouttheloca- tionoftheicebucket,thefreejuiceandcoffee,andnoexplanationofdinner reservationsorwinetasting—alltheperksoftravelingfirstclass.Overthenext twodays,hewasaroundbutnotreallyfriendlyorhelpful.AllIcansayis,he wasn’tthebestAmtrakattendantIencounteredinmytravels—ortheworst. Theconductorcamebyandpunchedmyticket,notingmyfirstdestina- tion—Essex,Montana. “StayingattheIzaak?”hesaid. “Foracoupleofdays,thenI’montoSeattle.” “Youaskierorrailfan?” “Skiermainly.” AswepassedthefrozenlakesoftheWisconsinDells,Iarrangedtheessen- tials—notebooks, radio, binoculars, MP3 player, a novel, and a road atlas. I pouredacoffeefromthecommunalurndownthehallandtookaMilwaukee Sentinelfromastackofnewspapers.NowIwasontraintime.Athousandmiles tositbackandrelax. Afternoonturnedtoevening;darknessfellquicklyoverthebarewoodsand snowy fields.At La Crosse, we went over the Mississippi River and headed northontheMinnesotaside. Ialwaystakelatedinnerreservations.Then,ifthecompanyisgood,Icansip anotherglassofwineorlingeroveracoffee,chattingwithmytablemates.The staffdoesn’tneedthetable,sotheydon’ttrytorushyouoff. WOAT final pgs.indd 27 1/5/10 3:56 PM 28 pacific northwest Diningcarspracticecommunityseating.Noonesitsalone,andwhomyou breakbreadwithistheluckofthedraw.Thisnight,theattendantbroughtover alumbering,middle-agedmanwithacookie-dustermustache.Hereacheda meatyhandacrossthetable,“Hi,I’mMort.” MortBerkowitz’sNewYorkaccentwasunmistakable.Hedidn’tlookatthe menu,butorderedaglassofredwineandtheflatironsteak—rare.Theflatiron isthemostexpensiveitemonthemenu,andsincemealsareincludedinthe priceofasleeper,thoseintheknowalwaysgoforthebest.Ihadasteak,too. Mort was on a two-week business trip. He had boarded the Lake Shore LimitedatPennStationandwasonhiswaytoSeattleforbusiness,andthen ontoL.A.aboardtheCoastStarlight.Hiswifewouldflyinforafewdays,but Mortwascomingbackacrossthecountryaloneonthetrain.Hewasaveteran, havingcrossedtheRockiesfourtimesontheCaliforniaZephyrandonceon aCanadiantrain. “Ilovethetrain,”hesaid“Hereyouhavethetimetokibitzwithstrangers.I meetpeopleIneverwouldinthecity.” BerkowitzhasanofficeonTimesSquarewherehemanufacturespolitical buttons. He was going west to meet with vendors and using train time to conjureupnewbuttonideas. HeslippedoneacrossthetablewithapictureofagrinningChelseaClinton saying,“Don’tTellMamma.I’mvotingforObama.”TherewasoneofMcCain asMethuselahandabuttondepictingGeorgeW.Bushwiththecaption“The Flaw intheWhiteConspiracyTheory.”When we exchanged business cards Mortpulledouttwo—onesaid“YourRepublicanCampaignHeadquarters” andtheother,“YourDemocraticCampaignHeadquarters.” “I’mreallyaDemocrat,butwhenitcomestobuttons,I’manequaloppor- tunist.I’llmakeandsellthemtowhoeverispaying.” WecomparednotesonAmtrak.Helamentedthedeclineinfoodservice, thesubstitutionofplasticplatesfordinnerchina,themovetoeliminatedining carsandobservationloungecarswiththenewCrossCountryDiner,akind ofcombinationcarthatdoesn’toffermuchspacetositbackandsocializewith otherpassengers. “AcrossAmtrak,thelevelofserviceisreallyuneven.Itdependsonthedispo- sitionoftheonboardservicechiefofthattrain,”heexplained.“Ifthatpersonis people-oriented,youhaveagreatexperience.Butjustasoftenyoucanendup withasurlyAmtrakwaiterwhoisn’tverypleasant.” Sleepingcarpassengerstendtogetbettertreatmentbuttheypayapremium. Dependingonthetimeofyearandtheroute,roomettescanrunbetween$100 and$500extra.Likeairlineseats,thefewerleft,thehighertheprice. WOAT final pgs.indd 28 1/5/10 3:56 PM North Dakota 29 Ihadspentmanyanightsleepinginthecoachesinmyadultlifeandwould dosoagaininthecomingmonths,butnotonthischillywinterevening.I returnedtomysleeper,putonpajamas,wrappedmyselfintheblankets,andleft thecurtainsopentotheland. Before dawn, I took my laptop and stagger-stepped my way through the rockingcoaches.Thepassengersresembledalitterofpuppiessnuggledtogether forwarmth.Amothersnoredwithherlittlegirlagainstherchest,boththeir mouths agape. Beneath blankets and winter coats, young women sprawled acrosstheirboyfriend’slaps,theirarmsandlegsjuttingintotheaisles. Atmid-coachsatastraight-backedheavy-setfellowinbiboveralls.Heheld nobookormagazine,worenoearphones,hadnodistractionofanykind.The windowswerestillblackwiththenight.Hispalmsonhisknees,helooked forwardinathousand-yardstare.Heseemedtobewaitingoutthistrainride. Maybehewasafarmeroratruckdriverwhosebackhurt,orhewasaccus- tomedtohisownbedandjustwantedtogethome.Inoddedtohimbuthe lookedrightthroughme. Intheemptylounge,Isippedcoffee,wrote,andwatchedthedaycomeon. Therewasnosun,noredlineonthehorizon,justadiffusebrightening,asif anartisthadusedano.2penciltoshadeintheskyanddifferentiateitfrom thesnowyprairie.WewerecrossingtheRedRivervalley,whichisnotavalley atall,butthebottomofancientLakeAgassiz.Tenthousandyearsagowhen icesheetsmelted,AgassizsprawledwiderthanalltheGreatLakescombined. Today,itsdryandfertilebedissomeoftheflattestlandanywhereinAmerica,a placewhereyoucanexperiencethecurvatureoftheearthbywatching,asyou approachatown,theslowrisingofgrainelevatorsfromthehorizon.Itwasall geometry—theskyhemispheric,visibleoutbothwindows.Roadsscoredinto theland,andshelterbelts—eachtreelovinglyplanted—runningofftovanish- ingpoints.Somewhereoutthere,Icouldbelieve,wastheedgeoftheworld. The loungeeventually filledwith passengers buying juice and sweet rolls atthecafé.Iwentuptothediningcarforasit-downbreakfast.Dining-car stewardsbemoanthedeclineindressanddecorumofpassengers.Intheheyday oftrains,peoplewashedup,shaved,brushedtheirteeth,didtheirhair,andput oncleanshirtsbeforecomingdownforameal.Afewstilldo,butalotoffolks stumblein,stillwipingsleepfromtheireyes.SoIwasn’tsurprisedtoseea youngcouplecomeintobreakfastwearingmatchingflannelpajamabottoms decorated with cupids and love hearts. She carried a baby and her nursing blousewashalfunbuttoned.Hesportedabuzzcut,asleevelessSemperFidelis T-shirt,andmuscled,tattooedarms. Atbreakfast,IsatwithGaryandLindaWagenbachofNorthfield,Minnesota, WOAT final pgs.indd 29 1/5/10 3:56 PM 30 pacific northwest whowereontheirwaytoWashingtontovisitason.She’saretiredcollege administrator;Gary’sabiologyprofessoronsabbatical. Their family-sized bedroom in the lower level of the sleeping car had windowsonbothsides,andthey’dspentthehourbeforebreakfastwatching forbirds.Fromthediningcarwindowswecouldseeallaroundustuftsofgrass andbrushstickingoutoffrozenprairiepotholes,whichwouldbelushwith snowmeltinspring.Butevennowtherewerebirdsontheseplains,andasthe trainrushedalongtheyshotfromtheirhidingplaceslikesomanyBBsfroma scattergun. “Partridge?”askedLinda. “Hungarian,Ithink,”repliedGary. Wepassedvastsnow-coveredfieldswhosefurrowsformedarippledtexture beneaththesnowcover.Alongfencerowssatpilesofrocksandfieldstone,a harvestnodoubtofmanyyearsofspringplowing. Athinbespectacledmanwithwhitehairandathickmustachecurvingdown tohisupperlipslippedintotheseatnexttomine.TrygveOlsontoldushehad boardedthetrainatFargoandwasgoingtoIdaho. “Doyouknowifthisisdurumwheatcountry?”Garyasked. Olsennodded,“Yesitis.Backinthevalley,itwasredwheat,butnothere. It’sdrier.” “Areyouafarmer?”Iask. No, an art professor at Minnesota State–Moorhead on spring break. He andhiswifeplannedtogetoffaround2:00a.m.whenthetrainstoppedat Sandpoint,Idaho,hangaroundthestationforacoupleofhours,andthencatch theeastboundbackhome.Lastyear,OlsonrodethetraintotheMississippi Deltaandstayedjustadaybeforereturning. “Trainsareawayformetorefocus.Iliketozoneoutonthelandscape,”he said. Gary observed that train trips induce a type of resting wakefulness.“It’s likecampinginthewoods,”headded.“There’snotalottodoandthat’sthe wholepoint.Mealsareabigevent.Youspendmostofthetimelookingoutthe window.It’shypnotic.” OlsondrawseditorialcartoonsfortheFargo Forum,andwaswellversedon NorthDakotapoliticsandeconomics.Overomeletsandrailroadtoast(French toast,actually),wetalkedabouttheoilboomintheBadlands,whichwasbeing overrun with drilling rigs and transient roughnecks.The previous fall some NorthDakotafarmersranlowondieselfuelandcouldn’tbringinalltheir grain,sothestatewasplanningtobuildarefinerynearBismarcktoprocess itsowncrude.Inthislandofpopulism,grangehalls,andfarmercooperatives, WOAT final pgs.indd 30 1/5/10 3:56 PM North Dakota 31 wherethereissuspicionofbigbusiness,WallStreet,andtheChicagoBoardof Trade,itwasnotasurprisingmove.NorthDakotastilloperatesitsownbank, theonlystate-owneddepositoryinthenation. ItwasouthereonthePlainsandonthefarmsteadsoftheMidwestthata populistbacklashagainstAmericanrailroadstookholdmorethanacentury ago. In the closing decades of the nineteenth century—what MarkTwain dubbed“theGildedAge”ofrobberbaronsandbankingmagnates—therail- roadindustrywasthemostpowerfulforceinthecountry,moreformidable thangovernment,whichsetnorulesforbusinessbehaviorduringthisperiod oflaissez-fairecapitalism.Railroadsandfinanciersactedbadlybecausethere wasnoonetostopthem. Organizedonamilitarymodelandbasedonmartialdiscipline,nineteenth- centuryrailroadcompaniestooknoprisoners.Manyofthetopofficershad
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Signal Bridge
    THE SIGNAL BRIDGE Volume 18 NEWSLETTER OF THE MOUNTAIN EMPIRE MODEL RAILROADERS CLUB Number 5B MAY 2011 BONUS PAGES Published for the Education and Information of Its Membership NORFOLK & WESTERN/SOUTHERN RAILWAY DEPOT BRISTOL TENNESSEE/VIRGINIA CLUB OFFICERS LOCATION HOURS President: Secretary: Newsletter Editor: ETSU Campus, Business Meetings are held the Fred Alsop Donald Ramey Ted Bleck-Doran: George L. Carter 3rd Tuesday of each month. Railroad Museum Meetings start at 7:00 PM at Vice-President: Treasurer: Webmaster: ETSU Campus, Johnson City, TN. John Carter Duane Swank John Edwards Brown Hall Science Bldg, Room 312, Open House for viewing every Saturday from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. Work Nights each Thursday from 5:00 pm until ?? APRIL 2011 THE SIGNAL BRIDGE Page 2 APRIL 2011 THE SIGNAL BRIDGE Page 3 APRIL 2011 THE SIGNAL BRIDGE II scheme. The "stripe" style paint schemes would be used on AMTRAK PAINT SCHEMES Amtrak for many more years. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Phase II Amtrak paint schemes or "Phases" (referred to by Amtrak), are a series of livery applied to the outside of their rolling stock in the United States. The livery phases appeared as different designs, with a majority using a red, white, and blue (the colors of the American flag) format, except for promotional trains, state partnership routes, and the Acela "splotches" phase. The first Amtrak Phases started to emerge around 1972, shortly after Amtrak's formation. Phase paint schemes Phase I F40PH in Phase II Livery Phase II was one of the first paint schemes of Amtrak to use entirely the "stripe" style.
    [Show full text]
  • Taskload Report Outline
    U.S. Department of Transportation Safety Evaluation of High-Speed Rail Bogie Federal Railroad Concepts Administration Office of Research and Development Washington, DC 20590 DOT/FRA/ORD-13/42 Final Report October 2013 NOTICE This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the Department of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States Government assumes no liability for its contents or use thereof. Any opinions, findings and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the United States Government, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the United States Government. The United States Government assumes no liability for the content or use of the material contained in this document. NOTICE The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the objective of this report. REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188), Washington, DC 20503.
    [Show full text]
  • Amtrak P42 Empire Builder
    Amtrak P42 Empire Builder © Copyright RailSimulator.com 2013, all rights reserved Release Version 1.0 Train Simulator – P42DC Empire Builder 1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................. ...333 1.1 P42 .........................................................................................................................3 1.2 Design & Specification ................................................................................................3 2 ROLLING STOCK ................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................... 444 2.1 P42DC Amtrak Phase V ...............................................................................................4 2.2 P42DC Amtrak Phase III ..............................................................................................4 3 DRIVING THE P42DC ................................................................................................................................................................................... ........................... 555 3.1 Cab Controls .............................................................................................................5 3.2 Cab Control and Information Displays
    [Show full text]
  • New Haven Line Capacity and Speed Analysis
    CTrail Strategies New Haven Line Capacity and Speed Analysis Final Report June 2021 | Page of 30 CTrail Strategies Table of Contents Executive Summary........................................................................................................................ 1 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 2 2. Existing Conditions: Infrastructure, Facilities, Equipment and Services (Task 1)............... 2 2.1. Capacity and Speed are Constrained by Legacy Infrastructure .................................... 3 2.2. Track Geometry and Slow Orders Contribute to Reduced Speeds ............................... 4 2.3. State-of-Good-Repair & Normal Replacement Improvements Impact Speed .............. 6 2.4. Aging Diesel-Hauled Fleet Limits Capacity ..................................................................... 6 2.5. Service Can Be Optimized to Improve Trip Times .......................................................... 7 2.6. Operating Costs and Revenue ........................................................................................ 8 3. Capacity of the NHL (Task 2)................................................................................................. 8 4. Market Assessment (Task 3) ............................................................................................... 10 4.1. Model Selection and High-Level Validation................................................................... 10 4.2. Market Analysis..............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix B.Doc
    B BACKGROUND MATERIAL SECTION 2 – PLAN ADMINISTRATION GUIDELINES 2.1 Governance It is assumed for the purposes of this System Plan that the ownership of commuter rail assets throughout the State of Minnesota would be in the public interest. In other words, the citizen taxpayers of the state would own the system – specifically those commuter rail assets that are separable from the freight rail facilities, systems, equipment and/or rights-of-way that are owned by the relevant freight railroads. There are several considerations that validate the assumption of public ownership: • The public sector is the logical administrator and overseer of public transportation services provided over rights-of-way owned and operated by multiple freight rail carriers. • Public policy dictates that commuter rail service be provided within the framework of a regional and potentially statewide, publicly funded multi- modal transportation system. • The public sector is the appropriate and responsible choice as manager of the expenditure of public funding required to plan, design, construct, operate and maintain such a system. • The provision of commuter rail service is not viable without substantial public sector financing, which would not likely be available under the auspices of private ownership. The commuter rail service sponsor is the public entity or combination of entities that serves as the public’s principal agent for or overseer of such service. As such, a sponsor serves at a minimum as the lead administrator or contracting entity for all services to be provided. All commuter rail services operated throughout the nation are owned by the public sector and sponsored by one or more public agencies through a variety of intergovernmental agreements.
    [Show full text]
  • American Diesel
    Sound Sound Suggested Image Features Code Type Uses Perfect for Alco Ping and pop of Alco 4-stroke diesel. Alco diesel 3- diesels such the ALCO Multi-chime and Single Chime chime horn White Pass MLW available. DL535E. GE Dash 8, turbocharged 7FDL16 Any Modern GE Dash 8 GE Dash 8 prime mover with Nathan K3H horn. Diesel GE Dash 9, turbocharged 7FDL16 Perfect for Aristcraft Dash 9 GE Dash 9 prime mover with Nathan K5LA horn. Dash 9 EMD E series diesel. Dual 12 cylinder For LGB E8 diesels E8 EMD E diesel 567B prime movers with individual also fine in F series start up and shut down. locos. EMD F series diesel, 16 cylinder 567B For F3, F7 or E F3 EMD F diesel with single chime horn. series diesels EMD F series diesel, 16 cylbder 567B For F3, F7 or E F7 EMD F diesel with Leslie S3L horn. series diesels USA Trains 44 GE 44 Single Chime Trumpet. Light dual Tonner or other GE 44 tonner Tonner diesel sound. light, dual 2-stroke diesel. The workhorse of Amtrak passenger service, with the unmistakable Nathan Perfect for the LGB GENESIS GE GENESIS K5LA horn. Driven by the GE 7FDL16, Genesis AMD-103. this is a modern diesel electric marvel that you feel as well as hear. EMD GP 7 or 9 EMD 2 stroke Diesel; 16 cylinder 567C GP9 EMD GP9 locomotives as well with Leslie S3L horn. as the NW2 EMD GP30 EMD GP30 diesel, 16 cylinder 567D3 Perfect for USA GP30 Turbocharged nd Trains GP30 Diesel with 2 generation horn EMD GP38 diesel, 16 cylinder 645E All modern EMD GP38 EMD GP38 with roots blower and Nathan K3LA diesels including horn.
    [Show full text]
  • High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail
    FD/Construction and/or Track 4 OMB No. 2130-0583 Project Name: TX- Crossing Signal Timing, BNSF Fort Worth Sub Date of Submission: 8/24/09 Version Number: v1 High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) Program Application Form Track 1a–Final Design (FD)/Construction & Track 4–FY 2009 Appropriations Projects Welcome to the Track 1a Final Design (FD)/Construction and Track 4 Application for the Federal Railroad Administration’s High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) Program. Applicants for Track 1a FD/Construction and/or Track 4 are required to submit this Application Form and Supporting Materials (forms and documents) as outlined in Section G of this application and in the HSIPR Guidance. We appreciate your interest in the program and look forward to reviewing your application. If you have questions about the HSIPR program or this application, please contact us at [email protected]. Instructions: • Please complete the HSIPR Application electronically. See Section G for a complete list of the required application materials. • In the space provided at the top of each section, please indicate the project name, date of submission (mm/dd/yy) and the application version number. The distinct Track 1a and/or Track 4 project name should be less than 40 characters and follow the following format: State abbreviation-route or corridor name-project title (e.g., HI-Fast Corridor-Track Work IV). • For each question, enter the appropriate information in the designated gray box. If a question is not applicable to your FD/Construction Project, please indicate “N/A.” • Narrative questions should be answered concisely within the limitations indicated.
    [Show full text]
  • Canadian Locomotive Shops
    Revised November 3rd, 2009 www.canadianrailwayobservations.com CANADIAN NATIONAL CN Locomotives retired since last issue: (Last retirement was September 21st) CN GP9RM 4143 on July 1st (a late report). CN 4143 is currently SUS in Moncton, NB with a badly bent frame, and is not likely to move again. This following a roll-over in a derailment while on a local way freight this summer. CN announced in mid-October they have placed orders for 70 new locomotives with GE Transportation (Erie, PA), and Electro-Motive Diesel (EMCC London). CN will acquire 35 ES44DC 4,400-horsepower locomotives (nos. 2310-2344) from GE beginning in fourth-quarter 2010 and 35 SD70M-2 4,350-horsepower units (nos. 8915-8949) from EMD starting in January 2011. These 35 SD70M-2‘s are a portion of CN‘s option for 50 units, and are in addition to the 40 already being constructed on their previous EMD order. These latest motive-power orders are part of CN's multi- year locomotive-renewal program aimed at increasing fuel efficiency, improving service reliability and reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. The new units are designed to cut fuel usage up to 20% and reduce air emissions compared with their older units. The new GE and EMD locomotives will be equipped with distributed power (DPU) capability, which have proven to be very efficient. On September 12th, CN SD75I 5717 was involved in a derailment near Chibougamau, QC on a CN Internal Shortline in Northern Quebec. The lead unit on Train L56321-11, CN C44-9W 2528, did not derail but the trailing unit 5717 came of the rails and was further damaged when several cars on its own train rolled into it.
    [Show full text]
  • Winter 2021 ESPA Newsletter
    W I N T E R 2 0 2 1 V O L . 4 6 N O . 1 ESPA Working For A Balanced EXPRESS Public Transportation News From The Network For New Yorkers www.esparail.org Empire State Passengers Association The 19th Register NOW For The US Secretary 2021 NYS Rail Advocates Of 'Virtual' Transportation Annual Meeting Pete Saturday, March 13, 2021 T Buttigieg O D S U 11:00am - 3:00pm Statements Made By 'Mayor Pete' Full Details At www.esparail.org During His Senate Confirmation Hearing... “As you know, I’m probably only the second biggest passenger rail enthusiast in this particular administration" "I enjoy long train trips as well as short ones and I think that Americans ought to enjoy the highest standard of passenger rail service." In This Issue... r o n NYC's Moynihan Train Hall Opens r e v o G e h t f MTA Orders New Dual-Mode o e c i f Locomotives f O New Moynihan Train Hall Main Concourse MN & LIRR Complete PTC Installation Moynihan Train Hall Opens - Benjamin Turon With a ribbon-cutting ceremony on December 31st, 2020 led by ESPA Engages An Executive Director Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, the 255,000-square-foot new Moynihan Train Hall (a westward expansion of New York City's Pennsylvania Station into the 100-year-old James A. Farley Amtrak Funding Advances Building), was opened for passengers on New Year’s Day. Moynihan Train Hall is named for former U.S. Senator Daniel On-Line Membership Join, Renewal & Patrick Moynihan, who in the 1990s proposed and advocated for Donation Portal New Available the surplus space in the historic Farley Post Office to be used to expand Pennsylvania Station, previously confined underneath the And Much More..
    [Show full text]
  • Western Rail Locomotive Roster 5954 Current As of October 2018
    LEGACY OF QUALITY TODAY Herzog is one of the country’s largest & most respected private rail and heavy/highway construction organizations in the industry Herzog Technologies, Inc. 2011 becomes the newest member of the Herzog family 2004 Herzog Caribbean, Ltd. is formed and construction begins in the Turks & Caicos Islands Herzog Transit Services, Inc. 1993 is formed 1992 Herzog Services, Inc. is formed & Ultrasonic Rail Testing begins Herzog serves as the prime 1979 FRQWUDFWRURQLWVȨUVWWUDQVLWMRE 1978 Herzog Railroad Services, Inc. stakes its claim in the MOW services business Herzog expands into the railroad 1972 construction & rehabilitation business Herzog Contracting is founded 1969 by Bill Herzog as an asphalt paving contractor Contact us for more information! www.herzog.com Meet a locomotive dealer, rebuilder, and broker p. 44 www.TrainsMag.com • January 2019 Going AWOL for steam p. 56 Oregon hot spot p . 60 Snowplow action! Fighting snow through the years p. 68 Amtrak’s money mystery Long distance vs. corridor trains p. 50 Ogden: Forgotten genius of the transcontinental railroad p. 28 No. 1 in a series: The other transcons, Great Northern p. 36 BONUS PLUS ONLINE Farewell to New Haven’s classic look p. 24 CONTENT CODE PG. 5 Hunter Harrison’s ultimate revenge p. 16 SMARTER RAIL STARTS HERE Always Innovating to Bring Your Rail Operations Into the Future www.wi-tronix.com 631 E Boughton Rd #240 +1 888 WITRONIX [email protected] Bolingbrook, IL 60440 FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to 2019 and our new look Jim Wrinn This is a special year in railroad history, and we’ve got [email protected] @TrainsMagazine great stories, photos, and video to enrich your experience @trains_magazine between a guide to a short line and a hot spot TWO DVDS FOR 150 YEARS you should know.
    [Show full text]
  • The Bulletin THIRD AVENUE BUILT ITS LAST TROLLEY CAR
    ERA BULLETIN - MARCH, 2015 The Bulletin Electric Railroaders’ Association, Incorporated Vol. 58, No. 3 March, 2015 The Bulletin THIRD AVENUE BUILT ITS LAST TROLLEY CAR Published by the Electric 75 YEARS AGO Railroaders’ Association, Incorporated, PO Box 3323, New York, New In the 1930s, Third Avenue just barely nue on or about December , 1936. Most of York 10163-3323. made a profit, but was able to solve the ur- the remaining 300s were placed in service on ban transit problem by building inexpensive Third and Amsterdam Avenue or Broadway light rail vehicles that were easy to maintain. from mid-1936 to mid-1937, after which they For general inquiries, contact us at bulletin@ This modernization program, which began in were transferred to Yonkers or the Bronx. As erausa.org. ERA’s 1930, continued for nearly a decade. soon as the company completed production website is The 100s described in the previous issue of the 300s, it started building the Huffliners, www.erausa.org. were placed in service on the busy Broadway the only center-exit cars it ever operated. Editorial Staff: Line. The first car appeared on November Aluminum cars 551-600 and alloy steel cars Editor-in-Chief: 21, 1934 and 83 new cars were operating 601-625, which included 1,000 pounds of Bernard Linder there on December 30, 1935. Most of the aluminum parts, were placed in service on Tri-State News and Broadway convertibles replaced the Third the busy Broadway Line between September, Commuter Rail Editor: and Amsterdam Avenue, Broadway- 1937 and February, 1939. When all the Ronald Yee th th North American and World Amsterdam Avenue and 125 Street, 125 Huffliners were in service, the Manhattan News Editor: Street Crosstown convertibles, which were cars were transferred again.
    [Show full text]
  • North South Rail Link Context Review
    NORTH SOUTH RAIL LINK FEASIBILITY REASSESSMENT Context Review Technical Memorandum January 18, 2018 1 Purpose of Document and Summary This document identifies the major changes in the North South Rail Link’s (NSRL) context since the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) was completed in 2003. It examines changes in engineering, technology, development, demographics and ridership that could have an effect on the NSRL’s feasibility, and lays out Design Criteria, Study Objectives and Guiding Principles to shape the development of new alternatives and service plans for the NSRL. The reassessment of the major components of the 2003 NSRL DEIR has revealed the following significant changes: Advances in tunneling technology since 2003 mean that Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) are now able to bore larger tunnel diameters and reduce the extent of mitigation needed to building foundations to avoid settlement damage FRA-compliant locomotives and electric multiple units are considered necessary for use across the network Modern signaling systems can allow for a greater number of trains to travel through the tunnel (subject to constraints on the rest of the commuter rail network) Flood resilience is an increased concern for NSRL portals and stations, and should be incorporated into any proposed design Significant development along the proposed NSRL alignment since 2003 has resulted in some conflicts which will need to be mitigated Commuter rail ridership has declined since 2009, and the most recent figures (National Transit Database from 2015) are only half of what was projected in the DEIR Population and employment in the region, while growing, are also progressing slower than DEIR forecasts Full-page maps and figures are included at the end of the memo, as well as a list of definitions.
    [Show full text]