Trainsmag.Com • November 2016 New Boss P

OLDEST U.S.-BUILT LOCOMOTIVE IN EXISTENCE? p. 38 Amtrak’s www.TrainsMag.com • November 2016 new boss p. 6 Burning Cajon Pass p. 12 THE magazine of railroading MERGERS AHEAD A complex decision just got even crazier p. 24

Inside Florida’s

new passenger KCS and UP units lift a westbound train railroad p. 46 across the Rockies on the Moffat Route.

PLUS BONUS ONLINE MAP: Grade-crossing accidents p. 36 CONTENT CODE PG. 3 Ultimate railfan trip of 1968 p. 54 ™

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FEATURES COVER STORY >> 24 Transcon mergers 34 Boon or boondoggle Train time for the rail industry? at Summit Bill Stephens A Portland & Western Railroad Toledo Hauler reaches level track with six units and 39 loaded cars Robert W. Scott 36 38 44 Map of the Month: ‘Mississippi’ West end Grade-crossing revealing will-o’-the-wisps accidents, 2015 Is this 0-4-0 the oldest Orbs of light morph into A state-by-state look at conventional American ghost-like locomotives on data for incidents, locomotive? a foggy morning in an Ohio injuries, and fatalities Jim Wrinn freight yard Rick Johnson Robert S. Butler 46 54 58 Rewriting the Trip with a capital T In My Own Words: playbook An epic railfan trip from New They don’t train Privately funded Brightline York to Chicago in 1968 them like they service aims to change included a cab ride, a steam used to passenger rail starting in 2017 engine, an all-access pass to a Two experienced railroaders Bob Johnston tower, and more move a train out of a tunnel Kenneth L. Hojnacki Charles H. Geletzke Jr.

<< ON THE COVER Kansas City Southern and Union NEWS Paciﬁc units lead a westbound empty oil train on the Moffat Route 5 News & Photos near Tolland, Colo., on Sept. 5, 2015. Photo by John Crisanti 10 Don Phillips 16 Fred W. Frailey 6 Amtrak’s new boss 18 Locomotive 12 Burning Cajon Pass 20 Technology 24 Mergers ahead: A 22 Passenger complex decision just got even crazier 36 Map: Grade-crossing DEPARTMENTS accidents 4 From the Editor 38 Oldest U.S.-built 60 Preservation locomotive in 62 Hot Spots existence? 64 Ask TRAINS 46 Inside Florida’s new 70 Gallery passenger railroad 54 Ultimate railfan trip of 1968

TRAINS Magazine (issn 0041-0934, usps 529-850) is published monthly by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI, 53187-1612. Periodicals postage paid at Waukesha, Wis., and at additional offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to TRAINS, P.O. Box 62320, Tampa, FL 33662-2320. Canada Publication Mail Agreement #40010760. FROM THE EDITOR

EDITOR Jim Wrinn

ART DIRECTOR homas G. Danneman

PRODUCTION EDITOR Angela Pusztai-Pasternak JIM WRINN ASSOCIATE EDITOR David Lassen ASSOCIATE EDITOR Steve Sweeney

ASSISTANT EDITOR Brian Schmidt A WP feather in UP’s Donner cap EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Diane Laska-Swanke SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Scott Krall he irst thing on anyone’s mind when talk turns to SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Drew Halverson LEAD ILLUSTRATOR Rick Johnson mergers (pages 24-33) is duplicate routes. Mergers are PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Sue Hollinger-Yustus LIBRARIAN homas Hofmann

COLUMNISTS supposed to eliminate them, but it takes years (Seaboard’s Fred W. Frailey, Don Phillips

CORRESPONDENTS S-line and A-line in Virginia), and in some cases, months Roy Blanchard, Michael W. Blaszak, Al DiCenso, Hayley Enoch, Justin Franz, Steve Glischinski, Chase Gunnoe, Chris Guss, Scott A. Hartley, (Southern Paciic’s Tennessee Pass) for this to happen. Bob Johnston, David Lester, David Lustig, Bill Stephens CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR Bill Metzger And sometimes it never happens. plenty of snow in normal winters. CUSTOMER SERVICE Case in point: On a recent trip to Cali- But I can understand UP’s reasoning for phone: (800) 533-6644 fornia, I witnessed a busy Union Paciic-run keeping both. If one is swamped with traic, Outside the U.S. and Canada: (813) 910-3616 Customer Service: [email protected] Feather River Canyon route — the signature the other provides a safety valve. If one is Digital: [email protected] of the much-beloved Western Paciic that shut down for maintenance or repairs, the Back Issues: [email protected] ADVERTISING SALES folded into UP in 1982 — and the next day other route has track time. Additionally, rail- phone: (888) 558-1544, ext. 625 an equally busy Donner Pass route — roaders are conservative when it comes to email: [email protected] Southern Paciic’s revered crossing of the making big decisions like this. Too many EDITORIAL phone: (262) 796-8776 Sierras that came into UP’s shield in 1996. duplicate routes got abandoned or cast of to email: [email protected] I’d been told that the Feather River Can- regionals and short lines in the 1980s and fax: (262) 798-6468 P.O. Box 1612 yon was as dead as could be east of famous 1990s that railroad managers wish they had Waukesha, WI 53187-1612

Keddie Wye (where BNSF shared trackage back in the irst 15 years of the 2000s. SELLING TRAINS MAGAZINE OR PRODUCTS IN YOUR STORE: ends), but westbound automobile and mani- Mergers are strange. Just when you think phone: 800-558-1544, press 3 Outside U.S. and Canada: 262-796-8776, ext. 818 fest trains I saw and observations from you’ve got them igured out, they come email: [email protected] locals told me otherwise: Some days are along and surprise you, and routes you just website: www.Retailers.Kalmbach.com quiet and others see up to eight freights. knew would disappear, linger on and on. TRAINS HOME PAGE Running both east-west main lines www.TrainsMag.com means a lot of extra miles to maintain in dif- KALMBACH PUBLISHING CO. icult territory: he Feather River Canyon is PRESIDENT Charles R. Crot prone to rockslides (track inspection vehi- VICE PRESIDENT, CONTENT Stephen C. George cles precede freight trains, checking for EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Diane M. Bacha slides), and Donner is hilly and curvy with [email protected] SENIOR VP, SALES & MARKETING Daniel R. Lance VICE PRESIDENT, CONSUMER MARKETING Nicole McGuire

CORPORATE ART DIRECTOR Maureen M. Schimmel

ART AND PRODUCTION MANAGER Michael Soliday

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SINGLE-COPY SPECIALIST Kim Redmond

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FOUNDER A.C. Kalmbach, 1910-1981

Subscription rate: single copy: $6.99; U.S. 1 year (12 issues) $42.95; 2 years (24 issues) $79.95; 3 years (36 issues) $114.95. Canadian: Add $12.00 postage per year. All other international subscrip- tions: Add $15.00 postage per year. Payable in U.S. funds, drawn on a U.S. bank (Canadian price includes GST) BN 12271 3209 RT. ©2016 Kalmbach Publishing Co. Any publication, reproduction, or use without express permission in writing of any text, illustration, or photo- graphic content in any manner is prohibited except for inclusion of brief quotations when credit is given. Title registered as trademark. TRAINS assumes no responsibility for the safe return of unsolicited photos, art- work, or manuscripts. Acceptable photos are paid for upon publication. Photos to be returned must include return postage. Feature articles are paid for upon acceptance. For information about submitting photos or articles, see Contributor Guidelines at www.TrainsMag.com. Printed in U.S.A. All rights reserved. Member, Alliance for Audited Media.

In California, where Union Paciﬁc has parallel east-west main lines, an eastbound UP stack train climbs the Donner Pass route at Yuba Gap, Calif., on July 23, 2016. TRAINS: Jim Wrinn

4 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 NEWS lane at endof the lastyear. to solely Detroit-Kansas the service City ern’s pruning of Triple Crown RoadRailer 27 isdue to asingle event: Norfolk South- trailers handled U.S. inthe through August hat up set months of badcomparisons. breather inJuly, and inAugust. peaked spiked inMarch, remained took a high, pause inJuly and inOctober, apeak traic ing monthly intermodal volume with a Instead of usualannual the pattern of ris- cord. year was,inaword, also Last weird. 2015’sbecause intermodal igures are- set problem: hisyear’s numbers are lackluster and forecasting irm. ana-based freight transportation research consultant and at partner an Indi- FTR, or silver bullet,” Gross, asenior says Larry storm. a perfect tion between road and rail, and you’ve got ing industry, hasheated which up competi- prices and plenty of capacity truck- inthe gish consumer Toss spending. inlow fuel unusually retail high inventories, and slug- down trade, inglobal astrong U.S. dollar, ofslew challenges. include hese aslow- ternational and domestic traic facing a through endof the August, in- with both on running fumes. be Railroading’s growth engine tradeslowdowna global and challengers truck-based continueRailroads investments to support container despite traffic hopes for intermodal growth Cooling economy douses hot Railroads. American of Association the from data avera for abackdrop is Indiana in meet train intermodal Southern A Norfolk Fi Carloads and/or intermodal units (in thousands) U Average weekly rail carload g 2 280 260 2 2 27 And mostof 29-percent the decline in Yet of part problem the isnot really a “here’s not asingle smoking gun— Intermodal wasdown 3percent ures are for U.S. o 4 50 30 ni 0 0 ted Feb.

Apr. States 20 p

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Aug. l u volume to them.” count on tight highway capacity to force ability to control,” Gross can’t says. “hey lies outside what railroads the have the destinyheel: “he of domestic the sector revealsless, this intermodal’s Achilles’ prices coming in the rise year. Neverthe- dynamic to change, however, asfuel trucking industry. Executives that expect to low prices fuel and extracapacity inthe to for trucks domestic moves, largely due fallen over past20months. the that railroads’ share of import traic has other causes may Gross be, says it’s clear plains some of decline. the Whatever the ble to diversion. truck But that only ex- are ports more Coast land inEast suscepti- expanded Panama Canal. Containers that that predates June the opening of the atrend ports, Coast to East ports Coast isduethis to ashitof traic from West cent. “hat’s abig gap,” Gross says. of Some ternational intermodal volume fell 3.3per- wereports up 2.5percent, yet railroads’ in- decline incoalrevenue. sustained andthe likely permanent ing on intermodal growth to help ofset troubling, iscount- industry the because over-year intermodal volume decline is intermodal traic year. this But year- the able to maintain price increases for

Oct. ni Railroads also have also Railroads lostmarket share hrough irst the halfof year, the im- For railroads mostpart, the have been T RAINS Dec. ts : Steve Sweeney; Illustration: Rick Johnson Feb. Apr.

Jun. 0 1 5 Aug. Oct.

ge weekly weekly ge Dec. Feb. 20 1

Apr. 6 Jun. moves via highways. to capture more traic that currently guess, Gross says —and enable railroads to some degree —how much isanyone’s investments.gy hiswilltighten capacity technolo-rather than make necessary the some owner-operators to park trucks their may rule road. promptthe hee-logbook count for vastmajority the of on rigs the and smalltrucking companies that ac- opposed by independent the operators electronic a regulation logbooks, that’s 2017, truckers required willbe to keep inDecember windfall in2018.Beginning prepare for apotential intermodal willhelp railroads the intermodal service completed to be expected in2018. Avenue Tunnel inWashington, D.C., is biggest of projects, these Virginia new the and he ports terminals. Coast and East tween its Chambersburg, Pa., terminal be- double-stack toobstacles full service tive, CSXisworking to clear remaining outside Pittsburgh. isbuildingalso intermodal anew terminal open inRocky Mount, N.C.,in2020.CSX Carolina Connector terminal planned to aims to replicate it with $270million the Northwest OhioIntermodal Terminal and density to warrant intermodal service.” tionally wouldn’t have generated enough er- and medium-sized markets that tradi- approach hasallowed small- CSXto serve spokeswoman Melanie says. “his Cost density lanes with ahub-and-spoke model,” of acorridoreiciency strategy for high- candidatesgood for intermodal conversion. that9 million East inthe are truckloads railroad’sthe efort to capture some of the compete with It’s trucks. acornerstone of haul at intermodal which can successfully tion aims to reduce average the length of will launch over nextyear. the intermodal new routesseveral that BNSF road options, BNSF says. It’s irst the of rable to single-driver, inspeed over-the- previous rail transit timesand are compa- Dallas-Fort Worth are two days faster than linking Portland, Ore., and Seattle with Northwest and Texas viaDenver. Trains new, Paciic the between faster service intermodal volumes. ter compete with Gross trucks, suggests. tinker levels to with bet- price and service lanes, cooperateserved on joint moves, and picture? inunder- Ofer more service Laying groundwork the for expanded As part of its National Gateway initia- It hasproven concept this with the “CSX’s unique strategy combines the longer the Over CSXTransporta- term, In September, BNSF Railway launched Railroads are, of course, to boost trying What can railroads doto change this — Bill Stephens www.TrainsMag.com

NEWS&PHOTOS

Amtrak picks Charles ‘Wick’ Moorman for top spot

Wick Moorman has led Amtrak for more than a month. hough rose through the company’s ranks during a Moorman declined all rail media interviews as of press time, the 40-year career capped by a massive publicity retired Norfolk Southern chairman and CEO earned high praise campaign involving an entire leet of from oicials at railroad organizations and railroaders. locomotives painted in heritage liveries. Amtrak board of directors Chairman Anthony Coscia Moorman also served as a vocal defender of announced Moorman’s appointment Aug. 19. He replaces Joe the freight railroad in a failed takeover at- Boardman, who retired Sept. 1 ater eight years with Amtrak. tempt by Canadian Paciic this year. Wick “It’s the answer to my prayers!” former Amtrak President “he position we’ve taken is that if we can Moorman David Gunn tells Trains. “I was afraid [Amtrak’s board] was become a best-in-class service provider, that going to choose some kind of turnaround artist that didn’t know requires best-in-class management that will attract resources the back or front of a train.” At Norfolk Southern, Moorman to the company,” Coscia says of Moorman. — Trains staf

Amtrak, Alstom announce $2.45 billion deal Agreement sets the stage for ‘Avelia Liberty’ trainsets on the Northeast Corridor

There’s work to do. Amtrak and Al- stom inked one of the highest dollar-value contracts for high-speed passenger equipment in North American history in Au- gust. Now Alstom must hire extra workers for its upstate New York shops, get supply contracts in place, and get tooling for parts moving if it is to meet a 2021 delivery start date for its Avelia Liberty trainsets for the Northeast Corridor. he 28 trainsets are the core purchases coming out of a $2.45 billion Railroad Re- habilitation and Improvement Financing loan from the U.S. Department of Trans- portation to Amtrak. “We’re making the most signiicant investment in passenger rail that’s ever been An artist’s conception of what Alstom Avelia Liberty trainsets might look like in made in this country,” says Amtrak Chair- operation between Washington and Boston on the Northeast Corridor. Alstom man Anthony Coscia at an Aug. 25 announcement ceremony in Wilmington, tives, located at each end of the trainset, directors, and long-time railroad Del. “We will bring together a train system provide an extra bufer of protection. A supporter Vice President Joe Biden. that will be a clear example for the entire news release says the trainsets will be ex- “[Coscia] said that this was a loan, it country, to build a national network that pected to meet the latest Federal Railroad was not a git,” Biden says. “It should be a will create the kind of mobility that Ameri- Administration safety guidelines including git! Why in this country are we so bone- cans are looking for.” a crash energy management system. he headed to not understand the essential According to the passenger railroad, term indicates that the trainsets may be value of a rail system that’s modern the new trainsets will initially operate at built to international standards that require throughout the whole country? Why do speeds up to 160 mph along the Washing- trains to crumple around a secured passen- we argue about it? ton-New York-Boston Northeast Corridor. ger compartment in an accident, in a way “What does not make sense?” hey will be capable of speeds up to 186 similar to modern automobiles. Older U.S. Biden says Amtrak is also an essential mph. Along with the trainsets, Amtrak will crash standards required passenger cars to part of national security. When the North- invest $170 million for improvements at remain relatively intact in accidents, mak- east Corridor closed for one day ater the Washington Union Station and New York ing them heavier than international ones. Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he says, it Moynihan Station, $90 million for track he companies say that Alstom will cost the economy $150 million. upgrades to allow the new trains to run at hire an additional 400 workers between its “Ater 9/11 you’d need seven more 186 mph, and $80 million for safety im- Hornell and Rochester, N.Y., shops to lanes on Interstate 95 to accommodate the provements. he precise price tag for the build the trainsets. he railroad supplier traic if Amtrak shut down,” Biden says. trains was unavailable. says parts will come in from more than Future technology may ind more ei- Amtrak also says the trainsets are ex- 350 suppliers in more than 30 states. cient ways to move people. “In the mean- pected to use the base design of Alstom he Wilmington ceremonies also drew time you can’t make this country work with- high speed trainsets already in production now-retired Amtrak President Joe Board- out rail,” Biden says. “hat’s why this $2.45 in France, including the TGV. Locomo- man, members of Amtrak’s board of billion is so important.” — R.G. Edmonson

6 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 NEVER a Ron’s Books Shipping www.ronsbooks.com Charge P.O. BOX 714, HARRISON, NY 10528 • [email protected] within (914)967-7541 11AM to 10PM EST FAX (914)967-7492 24HR the U.S.* ‘Ski Train’ slaloms Baltimore & Ohio Railroad’s Pittsburgh Division - Arcadia ...... 22.50 Big Hooks Vol 2 ...... 36.75 Black Mountain Railway ...... 52.75 to life as ‘Winter Black River & Western Railroad - Arcadia ...... 21.50 BNSF Locomotive Directory 2015-2016 ...... 32.75 Boston & Albany Railroad - Worcester, MA to Albany, NY ...... 53.75 Park Express’ California’s Capitol Corridor - Amtrak- Arcadia ...... 22.50 California’s Lumber Shortline Railroads ...... 30.75 Colorado & Southern Clear Creek District Memories & Then Some .55.75 Conrail Shared Assets Operations in Color ...... 48.75 Eastern Oregon Shortline Railroads ...... 30.75 Ski resort shoulders most of the Electric Interurbans & the American People ...... 45.75 Elevated Railways of Manhattan ...... 55.75 financial burden with Colorado EMD SD70 Class Volume 1 or 2 each ...... 36.75 Erie and Erie Lackawanna in Orange County, NY ...... 30.75 Erie Western in Color ...... 48.75 Express, Mail & Merchandise Service ...... 20.75 THE DANUBE The much-loved and talked about Ski Forging the “Bee Line” Railroad 1848-1889 Rise & Fall of Hoosier Partisans .40.75 Franklin County Narrow Gauge The Next Stop is Kingsfield ...... 50.75 Train is returning to Colorado slopes soon Ghost Rails Vol 13 Coal Runners ...... 60.00 with a new name: Winter Park Express. Illinois Central Through Passenger Service in Color ...... 48.75 EXPRESS Illinois Division of the Santa Fe Railway ...... 60.75 At an Aug. 25 news conference, oicials Key System Articulated Cars ...... 27.75 Lehigh & Susquehanna - Jersey Central’s Pennsylvania Operations Vol 1 . .22.75 THE SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL from Amtrak, Winter Park Resort, the Col- Life of James Everell Henry - New Hampshire Logging ...... 19.50 ® Little Saw Mill Run Railroad - Pennsylvania ...... 36.75 RAILWAY TRAVELERS orado Rail Passenger Association, and Metro-North in Color ...... 48.75 Metroliners - Trains that Changed the Course of American Rail Travel . . .55.75 Union Paciic say that they’ve collaborated New River Train in Color ...... 48.75 to return the popular train with Denver & New York Central Power in Color Vol 1 or 2 each ...... 48.75 SICILIAN ODYSSEY Pennsylvania Main Line RR Stations - Philadelphia to Harrisburg . . .21.50 Rio Grande Western roots to weekends- Pennsylvania Railroad Eastern Region Trackside ...... 48.75 BY EUROPE’S MOST Rails Across the River - Rail Car Ferry - Prescott, ON to Ogdensburg, NY . .29.50 only seasonal service. Railway Prototype Cyclopedia Vol 30 28.50; Vol 31/32 ...... 57.00 COMFORTABLE TRAIN Santa Cruz Trains Railroads of the Santa Cruz Mountains ...... 27.75 Oicials say that the Winter Park ski Santa Fe and Grain Story ...... 40.75 Santa Fe Diesel Locomotive Development ...... 70.75 12 DAYS • SEPT. 14-15,2O17 resort will shoulder more than half of the Shortlines of the Intermountain West ...... 65.75 $3.5 million in infrastructure improve- Smoke Over Steamtown ...... 32.75 Venice-Cremona-Verona Southern Pacific Freight Car Painting & Lettering Guide ...... 75.50 ments with a nearly $1.8 million invest- Southern Pacific Power in Color Vol 1 ...... 48.75 Bologna-Bari-Palermo-Taormina Steam & Diesel Era in Wheeling, West Virginia ...... 40.75 ment. Other organizations contributing to Steel Mill Railroads in Color Vol 7 ...... 48.75 Streetcars of Washington DC ...... 22.50 See Herculaneum, Pompeii, Mt. Etna the upgrades include the Colorado De- Summit County’s (CO) Narrow Gauge Railroads - Arcadia ...... 21.50 Tacoma - The Fateful Fourth - America’s Worst Transit Disaster . . .27.75 partment of Transportation, $1.5 million; Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo in Color ...... 48.75 the cities of Denver and Winter Park, Tracks to the Trenches: Canadian Ry Troops in the Great War (1914-18) . .36.75 www.irtsociety.com Wisconsin Central in Color ...... 48.75 $100,000 each; and Colorado Rail Passen- *$25.00 minimum order for free shipping. Under $25 add $4. Send $3 for (8OO) 478-4881 Q (5O2) 897-1725 latest list. All orders U.S. funds only. NY &CT res. add sales tax. Print name, ger Association, $1,000. address and phone. Credit card users add card number, CVC code & expi- 2424 FRANKFORT AVE.,STE.2 ration date. Allow 4 weeks delivery. All foreign orders sent airmail and billed Beginning Jan. 7 through March 26, accordingly. Checks payable to Ron’s Books. Inquiries must LOUISVILLE, KY 4O2O6, USA 2017, a Superliner-equipped, Amtrak-op- include SASE. Prices subject to change. WE BUY COLLECTIONS. erated Winter Park Express will depart at 7 a.m. from Denver Union Station each weekend day for the 2-hour trip to a newly constructed, Americans with Disabili- ties Act-compliant platform directly below the ski slopes at the resort village. he return trip departs at 4:30 p.m., and arrival back in Denver is set for 6:40 p.m. One-way fares range from $39 to $59 with children aged 2 to 12 able to ride at half-price. Details and additional information is available at www.Amtrak.com. he train will precede the daily westbound California Zephyr out of the Mile High City and follow it back from Winter Flexible Fueling Solutions for your Railroad Park. — Bob Johnston PROVIDING TOTAL END TO END SOLUTIONS >> KNOW MORE ABOUT ... Service and Operations Support The new Winter Park Express: Redesign of Liquid Handling Systems • The Denver & Rio Grande Western Equipment Speciﬁcation and Supply operated ski train service out of Den- Project Management ver between 1940 to 1988. It continued under other operators in varying National Energy Equipment dramatically improved fuel reconciliation to forms until 2009. better than +/-½% for a North American Class 1 railroad. • The route to Winter Park includes railfan must-sees, including the Big Ten Curve and Moffat Tunnel. • March 2015 Ski Train specials from Denver sold out in hours. • The current train sold 3,300 tickets on its ﬁrst day. For Service Inquiries - email us at [email protected]

www.TrainsMag.com 7 7232)7+(/,1(5$,/52$'%22.6 *UHDW3KRWRJUDSKV N&P QWHUWDLQLQJ,QIRUPDWLYH :LGHVHOHFWLRQPRGHVWSULFLQJ2UGHUWRGD\ 708-366-1973 Heimburger House Publishing Company 7236 W. Madison St., Forest Park, IL 60130 [email protected] Cincinnati joins 'HDOHULQTXLULHVZHOFRPH Find us at www.heimburgerhouse.com ranks of cities with streetcars railroadbooks.biz ORDERS: U.S. (800) 554-7463 has 1,800 plus new titles, BUSINESS & 3.6-mile loop opened Sept. 9 all at discount! INTERNATIONAL: Domestic shipping FREE over $50.00 +01 (812) 391-2664 northeast of downtown E-mail for free printable International SEND: PDF list. Service. $2.00 for paper book list. [email protected] Book Search. Cincinnati is now the latest U.S. city to www.railroadbooks.biz PO Box 4, Bloomington, IN, 47402-0004 U.S.A. revive its own once-thriving history of streetcars with the modern-day equivalent. City and rail oicials spent much of Au- gust applying the inal touches to the 3.6- Railroad Collisions mile loop system in Cincinnati’s historic A Deadly Story of Mismanaged Risk Over-the-Rhine neighborhood located By George Swimmer northeast of downtown. An examination of the mismanagement he new streetcar service will connect and misinformation that endanger uptown with downtown, serving a total of lives throughout America’s sprawling 18 stations south from a public market to rail system. near the stadium that is home of the Cincin- Available in paperback from Amazon and as an e-book from Kindle nati Reds Major League Baseball team. he amazon.com/author/georgeswimmer $148 million project is the result of public- private partnerships, including grants from the Federal Transit Administration, a transportation infrastructure grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, city funds, and private contributions. he system is equipped with ive streetcars manufactured by CAF USA at its Elmi- ra, N.Y., plant. he low-loor streetcars are similar to the vehicles in service on the Kan- sas City, Mo., streetcar route that opened earlier this year. Maintenance crews will service and store the streetcar leet at a 12,000-square-foot shop located on the north end of the route. Cincinnati Metro and the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority will man- Two New DVD/Blu-ray Releases! age the new system, while Transdev, an operator of public transit systems, will handle operations and maintenance. K5DLOZD\ he irst streetcar in the new leet is $ORQJWKHROG 0LOZDXNHH5RDG numbered 1175. When streetcar service was discontinued in the city in the early 1950s, the last car to be retired was numbered 1174. — Chase Gunnoe Exciting CP train action on the rails of the former Milwaukee Road in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Includes freights, locals, switching and unit trains. Plus Amtrak, great scenery, towns and historic depots! 9ROXPH2QH²0LQQHVRWD 9ROXPH7ZR²:LVFRQVLQ 101 min. each • Color • Rail Map • Narration On/Off SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER! Vol.1 Vol.2 BOTH VOL. 1&2 DVD 2QO\ $ 95 ONLY $51.90 BLU-RAY 28 EACH WI add 5.5% sales tax | Reg. $29.95 ea. | Exp. 12/31/16 PLUS SHIPPING: USA 1 TITLE $6 • 2 TITLES $8 • 3+ FREE CANADA 1 TITLE $10.50 • 2 TITLES $16.50 • 3+ $9.50 New CAF USA streetcars were testing PLETS EXPRESS along Cincinnati’s 3.6-mile loop in August. P.O. BOX 217 • Altoona, WI 54720 • 715-833-8899 The line opened Sept. 9. Chase Gunnoe www.pletsexpress.com

8 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 >> NEWS BRIEFS Railroad regulator changes web address

The Surface Transportation Board is solidifying its independence with a change to its website address. Effec- tive at the close of business on Sept. 9, the agency’s website address changed to www.stb.gov replacing its older, www.stb.dot.gov, address. According to the agency, the website address change is to re- inforce the agency’s status as an independent federal agency.

In a late August ceremony, Japan’s U.S. Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan signed a cooperative agreement that helps the country and the state with trade. It also offers money for research into whether a Baltimore-to- Washington, D.C., magnetic levitation railroad would be possible. The Japa- nese money will help Maryland meet a 20-percent match requirement built into a November 2015 grant from the Federal Railroad Adminis- tration for the maglev study. The U.S. government provided $27.8 million for engineering and planning work.

Metra has taken delivery of the last two electric Highliner passenger cars in a 160-car order from 2010. Sumi- tomo Corp. of America and Nippon Sharyo built the 160 cars under a $585 million contract from the commuter railroad. The new cars feature larger windows, reversible seat backs, improved lighting, non-skid ﬂoors and an improved public address system. The Highliners are used on the railroad’s former Illinois Central Electric District between downtown Chicago and the city’s southern suburbs.

R.J. Corman Railroad Group LLC’s board of trustees appointed Fred Mudge as interim president and CEO of the Kentucky company in August. Mudge, who is already Corman’s board chairman, will serve in the top position until the board of trustees selects the best individual to ﬁll the role permanently. Mudge has served with R.J. Corman for 17 years. The railroad says his experience with internal company operations and ex- ternal customer relationships make him well qualiﬁed to serve as president during the transition.

www.TrainsMag.com 9 COMMENTARY BY DON PHILLIPS Amtrak begins the road to recovery With Wick Moorman, its best choice for CEO, will this be a new golden age?

“Shock” was my irst reaction when I learned that Wick those who have them. He has said there are three possible reac- Moorman would be the new president of Amtrak. “Wow” was tions to ideas: Yes, let’s study that, and no. Any time the answer is the next reaction. Ater years of stagnation, Amtrak may be no, or becomes no, he spends time praising the person who had entering a new golden age. the idea, encouraging them to come up with more ideas. One of It is far too early to make such statements, of course. Much his hardest lessons, he has said, is to remain quiet when others are time will go by before Moorman, who retired as chairman of discussing possible changes. Norfolk Southern in October 2015, gets his feet on the ground at Moorman hinted at his goals at Amtrak. Perhaps it was more Amtrak headquarters. than a hint. “At Norfolk Southern, our team Before we go farther, let’s deal with why MOORMAN DOESN’T fostered change by placing a solid emphasis Moorman changed his mind ater saying he on performance across all aspects of our didn’t want the job, especially ater he told DISCOURAGE IDEAS AND business, which helped develop a stronger his wife they would live a quiet life in the safety and service culture throughout the country. My facetious answer was that she GENERALLY PRAISES company,” he said in a statement announc- grew so tired of him sitting around the THOSE WHO HAVE THEM. ing his hiring. “I look forward to advancing house drinking wine and watching TV that those same goals at Amtrak and helping to she told him to go ind something to do. build a plan for future growth.” No, that wasn’t it. he truth is they came to a meeting of the “Future growth” will be diicult. he obstacles will be formida- minds ater he realized that railroading was in his blood. Ater all, ble. His irst task will be to sweet talk freight railroad CEOs into he’s only 64 years old. allowing growth, something he can probably do. But all the What luck that he changed his mind. Ater years of poor Am- world’s sweet talk won’t do any good if he doesn’t have new loco- trak management when most people at Washington headquarters motives and passenger cars, and that will be costly. He will have a kept their heads down, Moorman will be a pleasant breath of short honeymoon period to persuade Congress to provide lots of fresh air. I don’t know if it would be possible to upset him with money. At least the Northeast Corridor now has new electric any idea. Moorman doesn’t discourage ideas and generally praises locomotives. But all of Amtrak’s passenger cars and diesel loco-

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10 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 motives are close to being worn out. Amtrak needs at least two daily trains on all long-distance routes, plus more and longer trains on the Northeast Corridor. he cost will be tremendous. A bit more about the man: In 1989, at age 35, Moorman took a buyout, let the railroad and enrolled in Harvard Business School. here was no guarantee he could ever return to the railroad. David Goode, then NS CEO, said, “It wasn’t a hard decision to make to have Wick come back home.” Moorman’s “native intelli- gence” and “just plain love” of the rail industry made the decision easy, Goode said in a 2013 interview with Progressive Railroading magazine. “Wick is the whole package,” he added. “He under- stands and loves the business, and he has a great way with people.” Moorman is a railfan. He admits it openly. He loves passenger trains and steam locomotives. Solely because of Moorman, Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 No. 611 was brought back to life in 2015, and it has been running around the railroad a few times each year. he fact that he loves passenger trains will serve him well at Amtrak. Moor- man loves to get out on the property and talk with the troops. Wick Moorman, then chairman of Norfolk Southern, turns the ﬁrst If Moorman has a weakness, it is that he tends to want other nut in the restoration of N&W Class J No. 611 in a Spencer, N.C., people on the railroad to get the credit. He is happy to sit in the ceremony. Moorman is Amtrak’s new president. Bob Johnston background and applaud. hat won’t work at Amtrak for several reasons. First, everyone wants to talk to the top guy, especially man told me he would be happy to work with Moorman. members of Congress. Second, he will need to provide cover for I will be writing more about Moorman in the years ahead. If I oicers who are doing tough jobs and don’t have time to argue disagree with him, I’ll say so. He will be happy to argue with me. with politicians. Neither of us will take it personally. I’m looking forward to this. 2 In the meantime, I — and I assume several others — have ad- vised Moorman who are the true Amtrak talents. My irst list was short but powerful; three top talents who were either pushed out Don Phillips, a reporter for more than or let in disgust over the last couple of years. One of them was on four decades, writes this exclusive column for my list of who should be the new president of Amtrak before TRAINS. Email him at: [email protected] Moorman changed his mind and said he wanted the job. hat

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www.TrainsMag.com 11 NEWS&PHOTOS

1 An intermodal train halts before ﬂames in Cajon Pass on Aug. 16. Much of the area remains closed to tourists. Associated Press Cajon Pass off-limits after fire US Forest Service officials ask railfans to respect wild-area recovery; Hill 582 escaped damage

Enthusiasts eager to make a pilgrimage to one of Califor- completely out and there were still hot spots within the ire area nia’s most iconic railroad destinations may want to think again that could reignite. Miller also said that when the ire is out, ater the U.S. Forest Service announced that access on Cajon Pass there is still danger from mudslides and debris lows from heavy will be restricted for up to a year. rains or sudden rain bursts. he closure comes just weeks ater the Blue Cut Fire scorched For now, forest service oicers ask railfans to stay on paved more than 37,000 acres of the San Bernardino National Forest. roads, speciically State Route 138, Cajon Boulevard, and he wildire — one of dozens that has burned drought-stricken Swarthout Canyon Road. While railfans will still be able to take in California lands this summer — halted rail traic on both Union the action from the blacktop, forest service road closures mean Paciic and BNSF Railway, even destroying a bridge on Union most iconic locations on Cajon Pass will be of limits, including Paciic’s route. Sullivan’s Curve and Hill 582, which escaped damage but is sur- “he ire burned through an rounded by scorched earth. area that is very popular with Miller says that while the railfans,” says San Bernardino current closure is expected to National Forest Public Infor- last at least a year, it is possible mation Oicer John Miller. “A that land managers could open lot of people’s favorite locations access up sooner. Miller says the have burned.” best idea is to call the local rang- Miller tells Trains that all er station to learn about the cur- Forest Service roads within the rent conditions or by visiting the 37,000-acre burn area are of- San Bernardino National Forest’s limits to the public while land website at www.fs.usda.gov/ managers assess the damage, a main/sbnf/home. process that could take up to a “We’re asking railfans to year. Miller said in September bear with us,” Miller says. that although ireighters con- 2 Amtrak’s Southwest Chief rerouted on Union Paciﬁc lines into “Know before you go and call tained the blaze, it was not separately charred Soledad Canyon. Three photos, Elrond Lawrence ahead.” — Justin Franz

12 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 To Palmdale, Calif.

15 To Barstow, Calif.

San Bernardino National Forest 138

Hill 582 Summit 138 Blue Cut Fire 3 Union Paciﬁc BNSF Railway Cajon

Sullivan’s Curve

4 Swarthout Canyon Road

Blue Cut 1 Photographer’s approximate location and direction Origin of ﬁre Blue Cut Fire 15 Cajon Boulevard August 2016 Cajon Boulevard

2 Blue Cut Fire Los Angeles compared to ﬁre

To 215 Los Angeles Colton, 15 Calif. N N To San Bernardino, Calif.

3 A BNSF intermodal train heads east through a scorched 4 Looking into the heart of the disaster, Blue Cut. Two BNSF Sullivan’s Curve. Much of the area was completely burned. trains pass on the lower level while a UP train heads east above.

www.TrainsMag.com 13 NEWS&PHOTOS Regional railroad loses independence Genesee & Wyoming set to fold New England’s Providence & Worcester into its portfolio

Northeastern regional railroad Provi- said that it expected the acquisition to be he announcement seemed to have dence & Worcester is expected to become completed in the fourth quarter of 2016, taken railroad employees and industry ob- part of Genesee & Wyoming’s constantly subject to approval of P&W stockholders servers by surprise. P&W oicials have expanding worldwide railroad footprint and the Surface Transportation Board. long expressed pride in the company’s by the end of 2016. Providence & Worcester stockholders hard-fought court and regulatory victory P&W serves customers over 516 route- will vote on G&W’s ofer at a special meet- in 1973 to resume independent operation miles in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, ing. Genesee & Wyoming’s $25 per share of its original 44-mile railroad from Penn Connecticut, and New York, and has a ofered price for P&W stock was more Central ater 85 years as a property leased diverse traic base, including aggregates, than 50 percent higher than P&W’s closing and operated by larger railroads. Robert intermodal containers, chemicals, automo- price prior to the purchase announcement. H. Eder, who was elected P&W president biles, ethanol, and steel (see “Reinvention,” Since then, the quoted price for P&W in 1966, led that battle, and at age 84 con- April 2016). stock jumped and has hovered slightly be- tinues to serve as Chairman and CEO of It owns branches of New Haven and low G&W’s ofered amount. the railroad today. Boston & Maine heritage and has trackage P&W’s routes overlay two nearby Gen- or overhead rights on Amtrak’s Northeast esee & Wyoming properties. Corridor, Metro-North, Housatonic Rail- “he acquisition of P&W is an excel- road, and CSX Transportation. Genesee & lent strategic it with G&W’s contiguous Wyoming, which began as a short line in railroads, the New England Central and western New York in 1899, now owns 121 the Connecticut Southern,” says Jack railroads around the globe, including 114 Hellmann, G&W’s president and CEO. in North America. It plans to make Provi- “Our acquisition of the P&W will ulti- dence & Worcester the 18th railroad in its mately enhance the eiciency and cus- Northeast Region, managed from tomer service of rail in New England.” Rochester, N.Y. Genesee & Wyoming expects that On Aug. 15, the two companies an- P&W will generate approximately $35 nounced that P&W’s directors had agreed million of revenue in its irst year of to sell their railroad to the G&W, which A Providence & Worcester train works operation as a G&W entity, which is in will pay $25 for each share of P&W stock, a through Branford, Conn., on the line with P&W’s own 2015 revenues. — total of approximately $126 million. G&W Northeast Corridor. Scott A. Hartley Scott A. Hartley Money for transit at stake in November Personalities aside, residents across the country get to vote on transit proposals; here are four to watch

Despite the Presidential race stealing WHERE: SAN FRANCISCO throughout the area. Among the improve- nearly all of the headlines this election WHAT: Bond to repair BART’s aging ments would be the construction of addi- season, there are a number of rail-related infrastructure and vehicles tional north-to-south rail links. he rail issues that will appear on ballots across the INVESTMENT: $3.5 billion system now mostly runs east to west. country this November. Here’s a rundown SUMMARY: he Bay Area Rapid Transit of some of the biggest. system is now 44 years old and much WHERE: WAKE COUNTY, N.C. of the infrastructure and equipment is WHAT: Raise sales tax to pay for new WHERE: SEATTLE reaching the end of its useful life, commuter rail service WHAT: Vote on whether to approve a plan BART oicials say. Among the projects INVESTMENT: $2.3 billion to expand light rail service around Seattle the bond would address is the replace- SUMMARY: More than 23,000 people INVESTMENT: $53.8 billion ment of 90 miles of track, repairs to leak- move to the Raleigh, N.C., area every year. SUMMARY: he Sound Transit hree ballot ing tunnels, and failing power transmis- Transportation oicials say the region measure was forwarded to voters by the sion equipment. needs to plan now for continued growth. agency’s board in June. he plan would In June, the Wake County Board of Com- build a total of 62 miles of light rail serving WHERE: LOS ANGELES COUNTY, missioners decided on a ballot initiative new stations, with extensions to Everett and CALIF. that would raise the local sales tax by a Redmond. It would also help open exten- WHAT: Expand rail network throughout half-cent to cover a $2.3 billion transit plan sions to Ballard, West Seattle, and Tacoma Los Angeles County and surrounding area that would include a commuter rail line. three years ahead of schedule, along with INVESTMENT: $860 million annually he proposed line would run on 37 miles other bus projects in the city. Oicials be- SUMMARY: LA transit oicials hope voters of existing trackage and serve Durham, lieve that if passed, the ballot measure would approve a half-cent sales tax increase that Raleigh, and Garner, making ive to eight quintuple the agency’s daily ridership to would generate $860 million annually to trips each way, in the morning and at nearly 695,000 riders by 2040. improve roads and public transit service night. — Justin Franz

14 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 An Excellent New Book! >> NEWS BRIEFS The McCloud River Railroads NS introduces third E\-HII0RRUH ‘mane’ paint scheme $GHWDLOHGKLVWRU\RIWKHUDLOURDGEXLOWIRU0F&ORXGFRXQWU\ORJ On Sept. 1, Norfolk Southern released JLQJWRZLWKURVWHUVVHUYLFHKLVWRU\DQGWKRURXJK the latest version of its prototype SKRWRFRYHUDJHSDJHVSKRWRVPDSV GUDZLQJV “mane” paint schemes: a horse’s Price: $70 mane with a Tuscan Red stripe behind California residents add $5.60 sales tax. the cab. According to the railroad, )UHHVKLSSLQJGRPHVWLFLQGLYLGXDORUGHUVIRUHLJQ &DQDGD the scheme is known as the Roanoke prototype. The locomotive wearing Order direct: 11508 Green Rd., Wilton, CA 95693 the new colors is NS AC44C6M SIGNATURE PRESS 9LVD 0DVWHUFDUGRUGHUV No. 4002. GE built the locomotive as www.signaturepress.com DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED standard cab Dash 9-40C No. 8789. NS’s East End Shop in Roanoke, Va., rebuilt the locomotive, and workers in NS’s Juniata Shops in Altoona repaint- 2017 Color Calendars ed the engine. Norfolk Southern

Union Paciﬁc says its recently rebuilt and recommissioned steam locomotive, 4-8-4 No. 844, will travel east from its home base in Cheyenne, Wyo., to Memphis, Tenn., in October. $14.95 Single Copy Price MCMILLAN PUBLICATIONS, INC. “We are excited for the upcoming (Colorado residents add 4-1/2% tax) 9968 West 70th Place journey from Cheyenne to Memphis Special Offer: order additional calendars and Arvada, Colorado 80004-1622 with the UP 844, as well as the UP save! Buy two for $26.90; three for $38.10; www.mcmillanpublications.com four or more: $11.95 each 1982 Missouri Paciﬁc heritage diesel Toll Free Sales: (800) 344-1106 locomotive,” says Ed Dickens, UP’s Shipping: U.S.: $6.00; add $1.00 for each additional Information: (303) 456-4564 senior manager of heritage opera- Canada: $11.00; $2.00 for each additional 24-Hour Fax: (303) 456-2049 tions in a statement to TRAINS. “The International: $20.00; $4.00 for each additional [email protected] Steam Team is hard at work planning the trip, focusing on top safety and operational considerations. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.” We’re on track for all TRAINS obtained a letter Progress Rail sent to customers in August an- your rail insurance needs. nouncing that it would stop using the Electro-Motive name in its corporate structure. EMD and Electro-Motive will still appear on locomotive and engines as branding, the letter says. The name swap is part of a rebrand- ing effort by the company. The letter also highlights the changes:

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www.TrainsMag.com 15 COMMENTARY BY FRED W. FRAILEY Moments I’d rather forget Chasing stories for Trains has entailed some embarrassing experiences

Hershey, Neb., lies 10 miles west of Union Paciic’s big North of CBNP and gather information that would be spread through- Platte, Neb., yards. Every time I pass Hershey, as I did the other out the package of stories, including my own lead article, which day, I leave U.S. Highway 30, cross the tracks, and continue on to Kevin titled “Colossus of Roads.” Hershey Super Foods. here, I stop and peer respectfully at the he trip across Nebraska goes exceedingly well. Needless to say, little dumpster behind the grocery store. Yes, the dumpster. I’m I enjoy myself thoroughly aboard CBNP, getting to know engineer convinced it was there, on May 10, 1995, that I threw away my Dennis O’Connor and conductor Phil Tamisiea. Also in the lead notes for one of the most important stories I ever wrote for this unit is John Bromley, head of UP public relations and a prince of a magazine. Unfortunately, I’ve had more than fellow who would become my dear friend. one humbling experience. Confession being SO BACK WE GO TO THE GROCERY. By the time we stop in North Platte, it’s good for the soul, I’m going to share a few of 4 o’clock and my reporter’s notebook is full them with you. I CLIMB INTO THE DUMPSTER. of facts and quotes. “Super Railroad!” shouted the cover of So what do people with names like Frail- the November 1995 issue, its feature sec- IT’S NOT THERE, ey, Ingles, Lustig, and McGonigal do ater a tion devoted entirely to the 287 miles of OR AT LEAST I CANNOT FIND IT. day of riding and chasing trains? hey chase Union Paciic that lies between Council more trains, is what. Honored to be with Blufs, Iowa, and North Platte. he brain- writers of their caliber, I pile in and of we storm of Kevin P. Keefe, the editor of that era, it involved a dozen go in two cars. he irst stop is Hershey Super Foods to get sot writers and photographers. he cool thing about this package of drinks and snacks. While we’re at it, we clear the car of a day’s stories: We explained this segment of Union Paciic (and by im- worth of trash and throw it in the dumpster. It’s while we return plication, all of contemporary railroading) through the prism of from watching coal trains on the South Morrill Subdivision that I one day’s journey of a lowly manifest freight train, CBNP (Coun- reach to my hip pocket for my notebook and discover it empty. cil Blufs-North Platte). he date chosen for this group efort was Where’s the notebook? We stop and search every inch of the car’s May 10, the anniversary of the completion of the First Transcon- interior. Nothing. Could it have fallen out at one of the places we tinental Railroad. My part in all this was to ride the locomotive got out to watch trains? Possibly, but there’s little light let, and I’m

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16 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 convinced I threw it away in Hershey with the trash. So back we go to the grocery. I climb into the dumpster. It’s not there, or at least I cannot ind it. All 287 miles back to Omaha the next day I sit in the back seat while David Lustig tells nonstop funny stories to Keefe, who is driving. But I’m in a total funk. he end of the tale is this: I confess my boo-boo to Bromley, who rewards me with a 2-inch-thick recitation of every passing time of every train at every control point during the hours of our trip. From that and slides I took of every train we met, I recon- struct events of that day. And I re-interview O’Connor and Tamisiea. Ultimately, the story gets written. Now fast-forward to spring 2003. I’m writing a proile of Kan- sas City Southern and ask to see the line between Shreveport, La., and Meridian, Miss., now called the Meridian Speedway. Editor The Hershey, Neb., water tower (left) stands not far from the Mark W. Hemphill and I ly to Meridian and are met by Jerry dumpster columnist Fred W. Frailey dove into looking for a notebook Heavin, senior vice president-operations. A KCS business car is chock-full of data for a TRAINS feature story. Two photos, Fred W. Frailey attached to the end of hotshot I-ATDA (Atlanta-Dallas) and of we go. Ater dinner that evening, served by two attendants, Jerry asks hour, our wish is granted. We see the relection of a headlight, if we’d like to join him on the rear platform, and we wind through from a train in a siding. At the sight of the conductor standing be- Vicksburg, Miss., and over the Mississippi River. he view is spec- side the locomotive, we scream in unison several times, “Stop this tacular in early evening. Soon a light rain begins to fall. Time to go train!” A minute later, the brakes take hold. Once stopped, I walk inside, we agree. But we cannot, because the door leading to the forward along the tracks and begin throwing ballast at the com- car’s interior is locked — from the inside. partment occupied by the attendants. Pretty soon a light comes on, We bang and bang on the door, to no avail, because the atten- the shades come up, and they understand our predicament. dants have gone to bed at the other end of the car. Jerry gets onto Some time or other, poor Jerry Heavin had to explain away the his stomach and tries to reach and turn the angle cock, which pane of glass I cobwebbed. I wonder what he said? 2 would apply brakes to the train. he valve is tantalizingly out of reach. When might we stop next, I ask Jerry. Shreveport, he replies, in about 4 hours. It’s raining harder now, and we’re all chilled. Fred W. Frailey is author of “Twilight of the Great Our only hope is that we’ll meet a train and transmit our SOS Trains.” Reach him at [email protected]. by voice. Ater what seems an eternity, but was probably only an

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www.TrainsMag.com 17 LOCOMOTIVE

Getting all gassed up Railroads are quietly testing natural gas as a fuel while they enjoy cheap diesel prices

Is liqueﬁed natural gas still the fuel of the future? Everybody thought it was until the price of diesel fuel dropped, decreasing interest in this alternative. While prices skyrocketed to almost $5 a gallon in 2008, prices have been declining since then, with a substantial decrease over the past two years. From November 2014 to August 2016 the cost of on-road diesel fuel has dropped approximately 44 percent, with some railroads seeing average fuel prices below $2 per gallon in 2015 (Union Florida East Coast ES44C4 No. 800 tests with a tender and General Electric NextFuel Paciic says its average fuel price was $1.84 demonstrator No. 3000 near St. Augustine, Fla., on June 21, 2016. Meanwhile, Union per gallon in 2015). Paciﬁc mated two SD70ACes to tender No. 101 at Electro-Motive Diesel’s plant in A lack of safety and technical standards La Grange, Ill., in 2015. Top, Eric Hendrickson; Sean Graham-White have also limited progress, especially on the tender front. Several railroads use One railroad that has been aggressively from Jacksonville to Miami in June. Refuel- 10,000-gallon containers until larger ten- pursuing natural gas is Florida East Coast. ing tenders takes place at Fortress Invest- ders capable of holding approximately Over the past two years, all 24 ES44C4s the ment Group’s Hialeah facility, which is adja- 30,000 gallons are ready, but these tenders railroad had on order have been delivered, cent to FEC’s own Hialeah Yard in Miami. A need Association of American Railroads’ arriving with provisions for GE’s NextFuel new facility is proposed for Port Canaveral, approval for interchange before that can natural gas system. Recently, FEC has been Fla., and both facilities are owned by For- happen. To date, Chart Industries, which returning its new units to GE’s Lawrence tress, FEC’s parent company. modiied existing natural gas tenders built Park, Pa., shops to have the natural gas kits Indiana Harbor Belt is poised to have the decades ago, still holds onto a single installed. he railroad operated its irst natu- second largest roster of natural gas 30,000-gallon tender it built on spec. Sever- ral gas test equipment in December 2015 locomotives when its conversion of 21 al railroads such as UP and BNSF Railway with a single FEC ES44C4, No. 800, a FEC SW1500s is completed over the next have legacy 30,000-gallon tenders from fuel tender, and GE’s NextFuel demonstra- several years. he Chicago-area switching previous testing programs; Chart upgraded tor, ES44AC No. 3000. Testing expanded to railroad awarded the conversion job to these, but no new tenders have been pur- trains operating from Jacksonville, Fla., to R.J. Corman Railpower. Corman will chased while the industry waits for regula- New Smyrna Beach, Fla., early in 2016 with remove each unit’s prime mover and replace tory approval of the tender designs. the range extended to the entire main line it with two C18-OF dual fuel engines and

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Following his first two out- install 11 lightweight compressed natural Norfolk Southern continues work on its standing Milwaukee Road MIILWAUKEE ROAD passenger train titles, noted PASSENGER TRAIINS gas fuel cylinders. he fuel capacity will give compressed natural gas set using a modiied author, John F. Strauss, Jr., - Volume Three - Chicago - Milwaukee - Kansas City - Omaha - Sioux Falls presents his third book. This Upper Michigan & Madison-Rapid City plus Commuter Trains each locomotive a minimum six-day operat- GP38-2, No. 5053, and tender, GP38AC title features passenger oper- ing range in dual fuel mode. Indiana Harbor No. 2847. Work was completed on the set ations in the mid-west: Chicago-Milwaukee-Kansas Belt expects the irst two converted locomo- late last year and the locomotive spent part City - Omaha-Sioux Falls - tives, Nos. 1502 and 1506, to be delivered by of 2016 at Southwest Research Institute in Upper Michigan, plus November. IHB plans to eventually convert San Antonio, Texas, for emissions testing. Madison-Rapid City. Featured are actual passenger con- its entire roster to dual-fuel compressed nat- Canadian National and Canadian Pacif- sists, passenger terminal ural gas locomotives. ic have made little testing progress. arrival-departure schedules and much more. Each photo BNSF Railway, an early adopter of the Ater returning the UP tender borrowed is very comprehensively cap- John F. Strauss, Jr. new technology, continues mainline testing for the initial CN trials (which consisted of tioned. = Coming Soon = Milwaukee Road Passenger Trains Volume Three 5995 with liqueied natural gas. Its EMD test set a pair of SD40-2s equipped with Energy If ordered direct we offer FREE SHIPPING (U.S. only) is in coal service between the Powder River Conversions Inc. conversion kits, the same California residents add 525 sales tax Basin and the Midwest, using a single technology deployed in Burlington North- 30,000-gallon tender and two SD70ACes. ern trials in the 1990s), CN’s second round UP continues to make progress on a low- of trials used a series of 10,000-gallon ten- pressure liqueied natural gas test set. ders built by Westport and a pair of SD70ACes Nos. 8777 and 8778 were mated SD70M-2s, but the program has been quiet. with tender No. 101 at EMD’s La Grange While CN’s testing was rather straight- plant in 2015. Also there at the same time forward, Canadian Paciic’s approach was was EMDX test SD70ACe No 1202, which unique among modern railroads. In asso- has a high-pressure, direct-injected gas sys- ciation with BrightRail Energy Inc., CP tem installed. his technology has been converted an intermodal container well around for years, but the focus has been on car with an engine and generator powered Shortlines of the Intermountain West 240 pages 6995 the low-pressure systems. High-pressure by a compressed natural gas fuel supply. Illinois Central Gulf 1972-1988—144 all color pages 5995 Remember Four Ways West always gives you more systems use a high percentage natural gas, he generator creates power onboard the Don’t miss all the Action — Order Today! up to 95 percent, but if it fails, the unit can well car and supplies it to the SD40-2s only limp back home on diesel. Low-pres- mated to it. he power from the well car sure systems, like UP’s, use approximately and SD40-2 are blended on the locomotive 14618 VALLEY VIEW AVE - LA MIRADA, CA 90638-4351 60-80 percent natural gas and automatically and sent to the traction motors. Outside of Visa and MasterCard accepted Phone Orders: 714-521-4259 (7 - 6 Pacific) convert to 100 percent diesel if the natural limited testing near the St. Paul, Minn., email orders: [email protected] gas system fails or the gas supply runs out. yard, the project appears dormant. Visit Our Website: www.fourwayswest.com = DEALER INQUIRES ALWAYS WELCOME =

www.TrainsMag.com 19 TECHNOLOGY BY HAYLEY ENOCH Signaling stability CSX is testing fuel cells as backup power sources to replace generators for wayside equipment

Bungalow

Temperatures Proton stay below exchange 250 degrees membrane Fahrenheit

The unit runs or cycles every two to four weeks to stay ready Gaseous hydrogen Proton exchange membrane supply fuel cells are one of two types CSX Transportation tests in yards and on main lines on its network. Two photos, CSX

Crews that repair damaged in North Baltimore, Ohio, to HOW DO THEY WORK? stations and hardware stores (or railroad infrastructure tradi- back up signals, communica- Fuel cells used on CSX do trackside switch heaters) and tionally resort to gasoline or tion equipment, defect detec- not run down as batteries do, can remain ready indeinitely. diesel generators to keep signals tors, and fence monitors. because they are illed with ei- hese fuel cells yield electricity, lit and powered switches work- he railroad says installing ther hydrogen or a liqueied pe- carbon dioxide, and water. ing during outages. these fuel cells as backup power troleum gas, such as propane. he railroad estimates that Emerging high tech and en- is less complicated than deploy- Hydrogen-using proton ex- both fuel cell types have a vironmentally friendly options ing trucks and generators to an change membrane-type fuel 15-to-20-year service life. are beginning to provide alter- area afected by a natural disas- cells generate electricity by tak- One big diference is the natives that give wayside equip- ter. he company says fuel cells ing the energy released from operating temperature. Hydro- ment access to temporary back- last longer, are more reliable, making water out of stored gas- gen fuel cells stay warm at less up electricity when its power and are more eicient than tra- eous hydrogen and oxygen from than 250 degrees Fahrenheit, grid connections are cut. One ditional generators. surrounding air. hey require but their propane cousins alternative now on U.S. rights- “We are continuing to deliveries from hydrogen suppli- function between 900 and of-way are fuel cells. monitor the performance and ers and need to operate briely 1,800 degrees. CSX Transportation has in- results from these existing sys- every two to four weeks, a CSX BNSF Railway worked on an stalled approximately 200 fuel tems and anticipate deploying researcher says in a 2014 pre- experimental fuel cell-powered cells across its network in the more systems in the future,” sentation. Solid oxide fuel cells, locomotive in the 2000s, but it is eastern United States, including CSX representative Melanie meanwhile, use propane that is unclear which other railroads at its massive intermodal yard Cost says. commercially available at gas also test them in wayside use.

20 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 Security tests are more than hot air Federal, New York officials partner to check the potential for gas attacks in the subway system

Gas test results from the New system. he mixture included York City subway system will mostly maltodextrin sugar or take months to decipher. Yes, silica particles tagged with gas tests. And, no, they have small amounts of synthetic nothing to do with random DNA and brightening agents subway smells. that helped researchers see the Tests in May revolved particles as they wated by. around the design of the sub- Donald Bansleben, the pro- way system. Subway cars oper- gram manager of the Chemical ate in tunnels within relatively and Biological Defense Divi- tight spaces, so when a train sion of the U.S. Department of moves, the air gets pushed Homeland Security, says the around as well. he system was May test was only that. designed more than a hundred “he results of this study years ago to provide a way to will provide us with a greater ventilate the subterranean tubes understanding of airlow char- New York City Transit’s Grand Central-Times Square shuttle at with above ground shats giv- acteristics, informing the re- 42nd Street Station, featuring R-62 equipment and an original part ing the air somewhere to go. search and development of of the subway system, was included in May gas tests. Joseph M. Calisi Federal scientists say they next-generation systems that tested the subway with a non- continue to ensure the safety way riders and how to respond Square, and Penn Station. he toxic gas to carry an atomized and security of the general pub- if one happens. he Depart- tests are the latest in a series mixture that may have been lic,” Bansleben says. ment of Homeland Security that began in 1966. Back then, picked up in as many as 12,000 hese tests perform a critical Science and Technology Direc- military scientists released gen- air samples. Analyzing these measurement of what could torate’s test in 55 New York uine bacteria cultures, exposing samples will help researchers happen in the event of a gas subway stations earlier this year an estimated 1 million people. ind out how air moves in the attack on millions of daily sub- included Grand Central, Times — Joseph M. Calisi

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www.TrainsMag.com 21 PASSENGER BY BOB JOHNSTON Redefining ‘on time’ Schedules need adjustment after Surface Transportation Board ruling

The westbound Empire Builder crosses BNSF Railway’s Gassman Coulee Bridge west of Minot, N.D., in 2013. This segment of the route, into Havre, Mont., has tardiness problems, but the train is able to recover at later stops. Two photos, Bob Johnston

Adding recovery time, or padding, at of the “all-station 15-minute” rule as the de- consecutive quarters. Amtrak had peti- major intermediate stations on a passen- ciding factor for the change. tioned the STB for damages from Canadi- ger train’s route — and especially at the his overturns an initial STB sugges- an National, having documented such in- end of the run — has always been a way tion, which would have set diferent stan- stances with the railroad’s handling of two to improve schedule reliability when dards based on how far a train travels. For Chicago-Carbondale, Ill., round trips. unpredictable operating conditions might Chicago-bound passengers at Galesburg, hat case is still pending. lead to delays. Ill., that would have meant a half-hour late Other than inconvenience to passen- Now the Surface Transportation Board Southwest Chief from Los Angeles is “on gers, whether trains are late becomes an has ruled that trains will be considered time,” while the Carl Sandburg, originating issue only if relations between Amtrak and on time only if actual departures are no lat- at Quincy, Ill., would be considered late if it its hosts become so strained that the STB is er than 15 minutes beyond the scheduled is behind schedule by a similar amount. asked to step in. Signiicantly, that never time at each station. he STB’s reasoning is he agency jumped into a void let by a happened in the last three years when simple: with statutes in place guaranteeing court decision that said Amtrak did not BNSF Railway’s handling of the Chicago- that passenger trains have priority, and have the right to set on-time performance Seattle/Portland, Ore., Empire Builder cost schedules developed jointly between Am- metrics in conjunction with the Federal Amtrak millions in lost revenue and plum- trak and the railroads to account for contin- Railroad Administration. Nevertheless, meting patronage as a result of tardiness gencies, everyone boarding at any station the board had to rule whether a host rail- averaging 4 to 6 hours on every trip. has what it calls an “expectation of punctu- road was ignoring passenger-train prefer- Mutually agreed-upon schedules take ality,” regardless of where a train originates. ence by intentionally making trains late into account track capacity and conditions, It cites extensive public arguments in favor more than 80 percent of the time for two anticipated freight or passenger train interference, fueling requirements, and the need for longer dwell times at certain stations. ‘Empire Builder’ July mid-route timekeeping his is necessary to establish a basis for de- Number of days during the month that westbound train No. 7 was more termining if a railroad is entitled to incen- than 15 minutes late: tive payments for keeping a train on time 2016 2015 2014* Departing Chicago 3 8 13 or subtractions when delays occur. Departing St. Paul 5 22 24 An internal BNSF document from 2012 Departing Minot, N.D. 2 28 24 shows 74 minutes of westbound Empire Departing Havre, Mont. 31 31 31 Builder “recovery base” spread in four Departing Whiteﬁsh, Mont. 9 31 30 batches between St. Paul and Seattle (Cana- Departing Spokane, Wash. 6 26 25 dian Paciic handles the train out of Chica- Arriving Seattle 7 20 25 go). Demarcations occur at Minot, N.D.; *Schedule lengthened by an hour and a half during 2014. Trains not operating at a given station are shown as “late” Shelby, Mont.; and Spokane, Wash. — stops Source: TRAINS research where crews also change.

22 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 As the table on page 22 suggests, more Algoma restart than an hour of recovery time did little to mitigate the efects of bulging oil-patch in trouble traic jamming BNSF’s Hi Line while slow orders tied to track construction thorough- Sault Ste. Marie-Hearst, Ont., ly congealed the railroad. With some work continuing in 2016, every westbound service won’t get grant Builder was over 15 minutes late leaving Havre, Mont. However, the table does not Canadian passenger trains serving show that the train arrived into Minot, Track work east of Minot at Churchs routes inaccessible by road have survived N.D., more than a half-hour early on 22 Ferry, N.D., caused Builder delays in through government grants to VIA Rail occasions, a tribute to reconstruction and 2013, but improved reliability today. Canada’s budget. An exception, until a $2 re-signaling of the Devils Lake Subdivision. million (U.S.) annual subsidy ended ater Restringing schedules to redistribute in spite of maintenance windows and 2014, was triweekly service to settlements recovery time for each Amtrak train to service interruptions on his “three-speed and backwoods cabins between Sault Ste. everyone’s satisfaction is a monumental railroad: Amtrak, intermodal oferings, Marie and Hearst, Ont. hat money went to task. But it is not necessarily an adversarial and everything else.” Canadian National, which operated sum- one, especially with a knowledgeable rail- Regarding the value of incentives, Rose mer-only service out of Sault Ste. Marie that roader like Wick Moorman now running says, “he diference between a bad year began with predecessor Algoma Central. the passenger show. and a really good year on time is tens of Now the Trudeau administration says it “If I were approaching it [from Amtrak’s millions of dollars, so we igure we might will not provide a $4.2 million grant over perspective],” BNSF Railway Executive as well set up our operations to run three years, promised by the Harper govern- Chairman Matt Rose tells Trains on an in- Amtrak on time.” ment before the 2015 election, since “none spection trip across Kansas with Amtrak he thorniest problems in devising of the communities are considered to have a President Joe Boardman in August, “I schedules that accurately reward good signiicant population of year-round resi- would try to igure out who I had the best handling involve what happens when one dents,” Transport Canada spokesman Daniel relationship with, try to establish a prece- host hands of an Amtrak train late to an- Savoie tells Trains. He said the government dent, then try to make that a blueprint for other railroad, thereby creating an “out of views only Franz and Oba, Ont., as “settle- the industry. But I really don’t know.” slot” situation that penalizes the second ments,” and they have VIA service. But that Rose contends that BNSF’s investments carrier. hose issues and others will have doesn’t account for needs of other people in capacity have given trains recoverability to be dealt with. who reside where roads don’t go.

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www.TrainsMag.com 23 TRANSCON

Boon or boondoggle for the rail industry? by Bill Stephens MERGERS

Union Paciﬁc proudly places its merger history on display. Here, three of its locomotives honoring fallen ﬂags power an eastbound train at La Fox, Ill., on Sept. 26, 2007. Howard Ande Trains gather at St. Albans, W.Va., in March 1989. The Chessie merger enabled the railroad to eliminate redundant facilities. J. Erik Landrum

ou’re a railroad CEO. Your he regulatory process is fraught with Mergers allow railroads to expand single- headquarters may be in Cal- risk. he Surface Transportation Board’s line service, which cuts transit time and im- gary, Fort Worth, Jacksonville, merger review rules, which were strength- proves consistency. Bigger networks also in- Kansas City, Montreal, Norfolk, ened in 2001, are daunting. hey’re also un- crease railroads’ market reach and can help or Omaha. Regardless, the view tested. Plus, the U.S. Department of Justice them capture business from trucks. from your desk is the same: Your oten takes a dim view of mergers. Combine these beneits, and it means railroad, no matter how vast or Shippers remember the service problems railroads can earn more, make capacity im- where it’s based, cannot haul every that accompanied previous mergers: he UP provements that further improve service, shipment from Point A to Point B. meltdown ater acquiring Southern Paciic, and then gain additional traic. his cycle is he railroad map makes sure of the chaos ater Conrail. hey don’t want to what drives railroads’ urge to merge. that. You’ve got to hand of traic go through that again. hey also don’t want “It’s a network business, and the larger in Chicago, or somewhere along additional consolidation in an industry the network the more valuable you are to the Mississippi River, or at gateways along dominated by just six major players. customers,” Rob Krebs, the retired CEO of the U.S. borders with Canada or Mexico. Politicians are sensitive to job losses, BNSF, tells Trains. Building a transconti- Truckers, of course, can hitch up a load which inevitably accompany mergers. So nental system makes sense for railroads, and go wherever they please. Yet the North they raise objections. Ditto for rail labor their shareholders, and employees, Krebs American railroad network has been frozen unions, who understandably have never says. “Customers, too,” he adds. “Costs will in time since 1999, when CSX Transporta- seen a rail merger that they liked. go down, they’ll get better service, and tion and Norfolk Southern carved up Con- And trackside communities want major rates won’t go up as much.” he BNSF rail and closed out the go-go megamerger — and expensive — concessions, from noise merger, he points out, was achieved with days of the 1990s. Since then there’s been a abatement to replacing grade crossings with relatively little disruption, and the service, Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern transaction overpasses. When CN acquired the EJ&E, safety, and inancial improvements all here and a Wisconsin Central or Elgin, Jo- the cost of mitigation projects amounted to exceeded projections. liet & Eastern deal there. But those are mere nearly half the price of the transaction. Just Canadian Paciic CEO E. Hunter doodles on the map. imagine the tab for a megamerger. Harrison — who came away empty-hand- he big systems remain unchanged — In this environment, how can a rail ed in pursuit of NS and CSX over the past and duopolies are the rule. BNSF Railway merger move forward? How can and Union Paciic dominate the West. CSX you combine two great systems “IT’S A NETWORK and NS control the East. Canadian National for the irst time in nearly a gen- BUSINESS, AND THE and Canadian Paciic compete in Canada, eration? And do you need to? with incursions into the U.S. And Kansas LARGER THE NETWORK City Southern is still the odd man out, nei- THE CASE FOR MERGER THE MORE VALUABLE ther a major system nor a regional railroad. Railroads have always touted YOU ARE TO So, as the CEO, you look out your win- mergers because they promise dow. And you wonder: How can I extend greater eiciency and reduce CUSTOMERS.” the reach of my railroad? here are obsta- costs by eliminating duplicate ROB KREBS, cles everywhere you look. routes, facilities, and functions. RETIRED BNSF RAILWAY CEO

26 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 Norfolk Southern train No. 227 heads north near Culpeper, Va., on the railroad’s Crescent Corridor in April 2007. The corridor would not have been possible without the 1999 acquisition of parts of Conrail, which extended NS’s haul into southeastern Pennsylvania. Alex Mayes two years — is the industry’s most vocal merger proponent. He insists that railroads need to provide seamless service from coast to coast in order to gain market share. “he real competition is the highway, and we are going to be able to extract our share of the highway,” Harri- son told an investor conference in May. he Holy Grail of railroading — uniting an Eastern and Western U.S. railroad — remains an elusive goal. But it would be a game-changer. And never mind which railroads pair up. How you combine the systems — BNSF with NS, UP with CSX, or vice versa — doesn’t matter because they all it together well. “You’d have two strong transcontinental systems, just as much competition, and better service,” Krebs says. Merger advocates say transcontinental systems are essential if railroads are to grow. Three GP38s lead a northbound Burlington Northern freight in Atmore, Ala., in March “Some of the strength that the rail industry 1984. The Frisco’s 1980 merger with BN extended its reach in the Southeast. Rick Morgan has developed over the last 10 to 12 years is fading a little bit,” Harrison said in an inter- Charlotte, N.C.; and Greencastle, Pa. view with Trains. Indeed, traic has yet to “In my time, the railroad ‘black hole’ was return to the peak levels of 2006. So where north-south,” McClellan says. “For the NS, do you go if you’re that railroad CEO? Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and New England might as well have been the DEVELOPING NEW MARKETS moon.” Conrail ignored the short haul be- “It appears that the industry is in zero- tween the NS interchange at Hagerstown, growth mode at best. So at some point new Md., and Northeastern terminals. markets must be created,” says Jim McClel- Single-line service changed that. Cres- lan, a retired NS executive who was in- cent Corridor traic has grown faster than volved in the creation of Conrail, the merg- the rest of NS’s intermodal network. Last er of Norfolk & Western and Southern year, when NS’s domestic intermodal vol- Railway, as well as the Conrail breakup. ume was down 3 percent, the Crescent he industry’s last major merger — the Corridor grew 4 percent. Conrail split — created eicient routes that A transcontinental merger would do neither NS nor Conrail could have cobbled the same thing for the country’s midsec- together independently. he prime example tion. “he trans-Mississippi market is a is the Crescent Corridor, which features 30 similar opportunity — not just for new new intermodal lanes linking the Southeast traic but to create new, more eicient Mergers, including the 1972 creation of and Northeast, supported by new terminals routes,” McClellan says. Chessie System, led to the reduction of in Birmingham, Ala.; Memphis, Tenn.; Intermodal traic would particularly surplus real estate. Thomas Della Porta

www.TrainsMag.com 27 INTERMODAL’S “DONUT HOLE” Length of haul Domestic intermodal in miles share, Q1 2016 0-500 6% 501-750 14% 751-1,000 26% 1,001-1,500 9% 1,501-2,000 5% 2,001-2,500 31% 2,500+ 10%

“People have recognized that we have some problems in Chicago with infrastructure,” Harrison says. “I don’t think that’s going away.” He hasn’t heard anyone come up with a way to ix Chicago absent a merger. CP’s contention that its takeover of NS would ease congestion and create capacity in Chicago had operating oicials from other railroads baed. he traic lows were too small to bring meaningful change. But it’s an entirely diferent story if Eastern and Western railroads combined. “A transcontinental merger would go a long way toward ixing Chicago,” Krebs says, citing the huge traic lows. Other gateways also would improve. Or they might vanish as their role as middlemen goes away. In 1970, Krebs was terminal superintendent for the Cotton Belt in East St. Louis, Ill., which was parent Southern Pacif- A Canadian National crew swaps trains at Wallace Yard in Freeport, Ill., on Feb. 15, ic’s primary Eastern gateway. “It was a 2014. Railroads already realize greater operating efﬁciencies by running through the nightmare,” Krebs recalls of 20-hour shits, Chicago gateway without changing motive power. Steve Smedley a phone glued in each ear, battling connecting railroads, and trying to get traic beneit. “It’s one of the few places where a and the incentive problem goes away,” through Valley Junction Yard. Two decades transcontinental merger would be useful,” Gross says. Filling the donut hole would later, Krebs found himself in East St. Louis says Larry Gross, a senior consultant at mean more than a million additional loads and decided to visit Valley Junction.“I was FTR, a transportation research irm. annually. “It’s a pretty big number,” Gross devastated,” he says. “It was a ghost yard.” When you look at domestic intermodal says of his back-of-the-envelope math. Mergers had rendered it obsolete. “Once traic by length of haul, some igures pop Matt Rose, the executive chairman of you become merged, you ind ways to build out. About a quarter of this traic falls in BNSF, tells Trains that this so-called run-through trains, move equipment faster, the 750- to 1,000-mile range. And about a watershed traic is an opportunity today’s bypass crowded yards,” Krebs says. third is in the 2,000- to 2,500-mile range. railroads can’t tap. Suppose, Rose says, Still, there’s more to the thorny Chicago he space in between — the 1,000- to that there’s a load of Amazon shipments problem than the Class I railroads. Metra 2,000-mile hauls Gross dubs “the donut that wants to move from the mid-Ohio commuter trains conlict with freight traic, hole” — is where the opportunity lies. Valley to Minneapolis. “It can easily be particularly on the west side. And that’s Only 14 percent of domestic intermodal done with single-line service,” Rose says. something no merger will ix. “Certainly moves fall into this category. It’s no coinci- “It will never be done with interline ser- Chicago is going to have to be addressed dence that the dominant lengths of haul vice through Chicago.” over the long term,” Rose says. match the current railroad map. he shorter hauls are in the East, longer hauls A FIX FOR CHICAGO? RAILROAD OPPOSITION in the West and Canada. A quarter of North American rail traic Despite the potential beneits of a major Hauls of 1,000 to 2,000 miles — a dis- crawls through Chicago, where all six of the merger, the oicial industry consensus can tance that favors rail — are only half of big systems converge. Railroads what they should be because of railroads’ have increased cooperation and “IT APPEARS THAT gateway and interchange problem, Gross coordination in the Windy City THE INDUSTRY IS IN contends. Handing of traic in Chicago over the past decade. hey’ve ZERO-GROWTH MODE adds complexity. And consider traic that also ixed a few chronic bottle- could move from Minneapolis to Atlanta. necks. Yet when traic surges, AT BEST. SO AT SOME At roughly 400 miles, Minneapolis to bad weather hits — or worse, a POINT NEW MARKETS Chicago is simply too short to attract the combination of both, as seen in MUST BE CREATED.” attention of BNSF or CP. winter 2013-14 — then Chicago “If you had a transcontinental system, grinds to a halt. Delays ripple JIM MCCLELLAN, then the interchange problem goes away throughout the rail network. RETIRED NS EXECUTIVE

28 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 THE MERGER THAT WASN’T: Krebs sought for weeks to get the ear of U.S. Rep. Bud Shuster, a Republican from BNSF AND CN IN 2000 Pennsylvania and chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. When Krebs finally collared Shuster, he says he got ignored. The campaign was brilliantly executed. The STB held a hearing on the idea in March 2000. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, asked for a pause to develop a comprehensive approach to review merger proposals. The opposing Class I railroads argued for a five-year moratorium. Ten days later, opponents got their wish. The STB imposed a 15-month halt to any merger proceeding while it developed new criteria for approving them. If it appeared the whole thing was orchestrated by STB Chairman BNSF and Norfolk Southern locomotives lead a Pasco, Wash.-to-Galesburg, Ill., freight Linda Morgan at the behest of Union Pacific and over Montana Rail Link near Noxon, Mont., on Feb. 8, 2014. TRAINS: Tom Danneman its allies, well, maybe it was. The Surface Transportation Board is as politicized as any The proposed merger of Burlington In Omaha, Union Pacific CEO Richard other agency of government and funded by Northern Santa Fe and Canadian National Davidson assembled his inner circle. He got Congress, a clear plurality of whose members railroads, unveiled in December 1999, was an earful. UP would be put at a distinct were unfriendly to the merger. And the bitter pill not the one that BNSF chief Robert Krebs competitive disadvantage with its historic Krebs had to swallow was that his biggest wanted. Rather, it was the one he thought competitor BNSF if the other railroad hooked customer, United Parcel Service, whose every he could get. up with Canadian National, locking up the whim BNSF bent over backward to satisfy, Earlier in 1999, Krebs had flown to stronger of the two Canadian companies. But announced its opposition as well. Norfolk, Va., to beseech David Goode, his nobody knew how to stop the juggernaut. BNSF and CN sued in federal court to upend counterpart at Norfolk Southern, to partner “Well, it sounds like stopping this thing is the moratorium but were rebuffed. On July 20, with BNSF to form a truly national network, impossible,” Davidson said. “So how are we 2000, without ever having the chance to file touching almost every part of the U.S. Goode, going to do it?” Michael Hemmer, then UP’s merger documents with the STB, they called off focused on combining NS with big parts of the outside merger lawyer and eventual vice the merger. Subsequently, the STB adopted former Conrail, was preoccupied and president of law, later called Davidson’s new rules that significantly raised the bar to uninterested. But Paul Tellier, chairman of challenge to the troops his boss’s finest hour. mergers of Class I railroads. Canadian National, was anxious to break out of It was Hemmer, musing one afternoon in A decade and a half later, when Canadian Canada and into the larger U.S. market. his office with an underling, who had the Pacific pursued NS in an unfriendly attempt at Initial reaction was, at best, tepid. Shippers simple inspiration that would soon blow up the merger, some of the same tactics were had no tolerance for another big merger, merger: If BNSF+CN is all but certain to pass employed to ensure it never happened. No, the believing they led to months of chaos. Investors muster under current law, then change the law! law wasn’t changed, because it is now plenty fled, as rail share prices fell, on average, by 25 With that, the battle was truly joined. UP tough. What was the same as before was the percent in a few months. The late Robert L. gathered other Class I railroads in a jointly organized carpet-bombing of CP’s bid to marry Banks, a pioneering railroad consultant, was orchestrated (and legal) plan to incite Norfolk Southern. Other railroads lobbied prophetic: “It’s going to be rough sailing. opposition among shippers and demand new shippers and government to say publicly that it There’ll be opponents coming from many rules. UP’s Washington, D.C., office joined was a bad idea. Canadian Pacific, which had a different quarters, here and in Canada.” Yet the those of other railroads to descend like minimal presence in the U.S. capital, was BNSF+CN deal, an end-to-end marriage, locusts upon office holders and government caught totally off guard. Frustrated and seemed to satisfy existing legal requirements. agencies. So successful was this effort that friendless, it gave up. — Fred W. Frailey be summed up like this: No way, no how, Harrison cries foul over this opposi- factor in the other parts of the equation: and certainly not now. tion, noting that the four U.S. systems pre- fewer railroads, the efects on competition, Listen to what chief executives said viously touted mergers and credited them and whether a merger would be good for while CP’s battle for NS was under way. for their success. “I thought that was unfair the economy. With the rail network run- Lance Fritz, UP: “We don’t want Class I rail- on their part. hey get their merger done, ning well, and railroads inancially strong, road mergers to happen. We’ll do every- it’s a beautiful thing,” Harrison says. hen Ruest says it’s tough to make a compelling thing in our power to make them not hap- others want to merge “and they come out case for consolidation. pen.” Michael Ward, CSX: “I really think the vehemently opposed.” BNSF takes a similar stance. Rose says Class I railroads have great opportunities to CN remained relatively quiet as CP-NS mergers would improve service and cut create shareholder value without mergers. I unfolded, and a company spokesman de- transit times, but he hasn’t heard shippers think mergers could actually be destructive clined to comment on mergers. But its say they see reasons for the industry to be- of shareholder value.” Jim Squires, NS: marketing chief, Jean-Jacques Ruest, was come just two go-everywhere systems. “Even if the merger were approved, the STB asked about the railway’s position at a con- Eventually, Rose says, the marketplace may would likely require a wide range of signii- ference in May. On paper — and in a vacu- demand faster, more consistent delivery cant, onerous conditions that would under- um — railroad mergers may make sense, than today’s railroads can provide without cut the value of the transaction.” Ruest says. But that view changes once you single-line service. But not now.

www.TrainsMag.com 29 CN spent $114 million on mitigation projects, like these sound walls at Matteson, Ill., for its 2009 acquisition of EJ&E. TRAINS: Brian Schmidt

Whatever railroads may say publicly, signiicant size, and a couple that weren’t, Are the regulatory obstacles insur- internally they do their merger home- have been extremely disruptive for a period mountable? “My opinion is, today, yes,” work. “All of us do economic studies of of time. Is it impossible to execute one? Of Moorman says. “he conditions regulators potential mergers,” former NS CEO Wick course not. But it’s very diicult.” would impose would, in all likelihood, de- Moorman said in a June 2016 interview. Far and away the two biggest obstacles stroy the fundamental economics.” CSX, “Everyone looks at this on a regular basis.” to mergers, most executives say, are the reg- NS, and UP agree. (hey declined Trains’ heir analyses show that mergers aren’t ulatory risks and shipper opposition. interview requests for this story.) what they used to be. CP, of course, has a diferent take. What Ward says the mergers of the 1980s and REGULATORY HURDLES would a winning combination look like? “I 1990s eliminated duplicate routes and facili- he service problems that followed the think it would look a lot like our NS propos- ties. “Today, mergers would be end-to-end, mergers of the 1990s — plus the ill-timed al,” Harrison says. CP ofered reciprocal but there just aren’t many synergies to be BNSF-CN merger proposal of 1999 — switching and more freedom to choose in- had,” he told Trains earlier this year. prompted the STB to revisit its merger re- terchange gateways, which have long been “What you perceive of as traditional view rules. he tougher rules place the bur- on shippers’ wish lists. synergies ... are there, but not as compel- den of proof on merging railroads. hey Proposing limited open access was a hot- ling as what they used to be when you got must show the merger is in the public inter- button issue. “It’s a term that scares people to rid of shops and duplicate trackage,” est and enhances competition. he railroads death and I don’t know why,” Harrison says. Moorman says. “You wouldn’t run a trans- also have to consider whether the merger “Competition is good, in my book.” continental railroad with one locomotive would spark the inal round of consolida- In terminals, any shipper unhappy with backshop, for example.” tion. he board has wide latitude Indeed, CP found only $495 million in to impose conditions on a merg- “A WELL-EXECUTED direct NS merger synergies, plus $200 mil- er — such as various forms of LARGE RAILROAD lion in tax reductions from being based in open access — as well as mitiga- MERGER IS AN Canada. he rest of the $1.8 billion in value tion for afected communities. creation came from pre-merger improve- Not a single major merger OXYMORON.” ments made with Harrison running NS. application has been iled since WICK MOORMAN, Mergers also present a pitfall: Early on, the rules were introduced. And RETIRED NS CEO the big ones tend to go wrong. “A well-exe- any application would be dead cuted large railroad merger is an oxymo- on arrival, says independent rail ron,” Moorman says. “Every rail merger of analyst Anthony B. Hatch.

30 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 MERGERS SINCE 1980

1980 – Burlington Northern acquires St. Louis-San Francisco 1981 1982 – Union Pacific acquires Missouri Pacific and Western Pacific – Norfolk & Western and Southern Railway merge to form Norfolk Southern 1983 – Grand Trunk Western acquires Detroit, Toledo & Ironton 1984 1985 1986 – Chessie System and Seaboard System merge to form CSX Transportation – Soo Line acquires Milwaukee Road All eyes were on the industry in early 2016 when CP sought merger with NS. Here the – Proposed Southern Pacific Santa Fe railroads’ power teams up on an intermodal train in Toledo, Ohio. Michael D. Harding merger rejected by regulators 1987 the combined system’s service or price says. “More and more of the business is 1988 – Union Pacific acquires would have been able to ask a competing intermodal, which is open already. I would Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad to step in. CP’s proposal even went have been willing to take a risk on at least 1989 – Rio Grande acquires Southern Pacific; beyond what shippers have sought. In July partial open access.” keeps SP name 2011, the National Industrial Transporta- Regardless, it’s unlikely that regulators 1990 – Canadian Pacific acquires Soo Line tion League petitioned the STB to revise would approve a major merger today, for- 1991 – CSX acquires Richmond, Fredericksburg competitive switching rules. he proposal mer STB commissioners Francis Mulvey & Potomac would, under certain circumstances, allow and Charles Nottingham argued in a pa- – Canadian Pacific acquires captive shippers served by only one Class I per they wrote for NS in December. “We Delaware & Hudson to seek service from a second railroad. he strongly believe that the STB would be 1992 – CSX acquires Pittsburg & Lake Erie STB in July generally sided with shippers disinclined to allow railroads to merge 1993 and began a new rulemaking process for re- down to just two transcontinental carriers, 1994 ciprocal switching. especially in the current climate where all 1995 – Union Pacific acquires he Association of American Railroads of the large railroads are inancially Chicago & North Western calls this the “mother lode of bad ideas,” healthy, investing substantially in infra- – Burlington Northern and Santa Fe saying it could afect up to 7.5 million structure, and providing generally good merge to form BNSF Railway shipments annually and cost railroads bil- service,” they wrote. he last thing regula- 1996 – Illinois Central acquires spin-off lions of dollars. Railroads say mandatory tors want to do is disturb a good situation Chicago, Central & Pacific competitive switching would degrade ser- for all stakeholders. – Canadian National integrates Grand Trunk vice by increasing congestion and adding Western into network complexity to busy terminals. And they MITIGATION CONCERNS – Union Pacific acquires Southern Pacific say the proposal would boost the need for Mergers and acquisitions put railroads 1997 investment in terminals while reducing the under the regulatory microscope. As part of 1998 incentive to invest. the process, communities get the unprece- 1999 – CSX and Norfolk Southern acquire Conrail “We don’t see this as an onerous option dented opportunity to weigh in on rail- – Canadian National acquires Illinois Central ... because we are in charge of our fate roads’ impact on their neighborhoods. If 2000 – BNSF and Canadian National call off here,” James Clements, CP’s vice president merging railroads can’t reach mitigation proposed merger under regulatory scrutiny of strategic planning and transportation deals with communities, regulators can im- 2001 – Canadian National acquires services, told analysts in December 2015. pose conditions. hese can include opera- Wisconsin Central “If we do a good job ... then we’re not go- tional restrictions, such as the number, 2002 ing to be faced with the other carrier com- length, and speed of trains. hey also can 2003 ing across our networks.” include footing the bill for things like sound 2004 – Canadian National acquires BC Rail he combined CP-NS also would have barriers and road-rail grade separations. – Canadian National acquires Duluth, ended so-called bottleneck pricing by al- Environmental mitigation costs are no Missabe & Iron Range lowing shippers to choose where their ship- longer rounding errors. Case in point: CN’s 2005 ments could connect with other railroads, acquisition of the EJ&E, which linked its 2006 essentially creating new routing options. former Wisconsin Central, Illinois Central, 2007 Today, railroads don’t have to quote rates and Grand Trunk Western routes, and 2008 – Canadian Pacific acquires Dakota, for all gateways. hey typically quote move- formed a congestion-free belt around Chica- Minnesota & Eastern and Iowa, ments over the longest haul, thus providing go. CN spent $300 million to acquire the Chicago & Eastern the most revenue. EJ&E in 2009, but it spent $114 million 2009 – Canadian National acquires Elgin, Krebs says CP took the right approach more — an amount equal to nearly 40 per- Joliet & Eastern on open access. “My view is we’re going to cent of the purchase price — on mitigation. 2010 run the best railroad, with the best costs, so CN spent $62.8 million for mitigation 2011 we don’t care if there’s open access,” Krebs stemming from agreements with 26 of the 2012 – Genesee & Wyoming acquires RailAmerica 2013

www.TrainsMag.com 31 UP No. 1004, a former Cotton Belt GP60 with a UP shield, leads a southbound local out of Watsonville Junction, Calif., on Feb. 4, 2015. Framing the local are lines of idling UP power, including several former Southern Paciﬁc GP40-2s at right. Elrond Lawrence

33 communities along the EJ&E, spokes- of merger reviews, he says. little value to it or other coal producers. man Mark Hallman says. CN voluntarily For a Class I railroad merger to win ap- Even intermodal customers UPS and FedEx assumed 108 separate mitigation conditions proval, the combining roads will have to get — who can shit their business — fretted and did not object to 73 additional STB- shippers on their side. hat’s a tall order. about service, pricing, and the potential mandated conditions. Some shippers aren’t thrilled with the status negative impact on consumers. he STB also ordered CN to pay $49.1 quo — much less further consolidation. Harrison insists that CP had the support million to cover most of the costs for two Roughly 70 percent of shippers oppose of shippers — and that once shippers un- highway grade-separation projects. CN any Class I rail merger, according to a Feb- derstood what was in the merger for them fought this, arguing the STB exceeded its au- ruary 2016 survey by investment banking they would have lined up behind a deal. “If thority. But the railroad was stuck with the irm Stephens Inc. he results mirror those you had taken a vote, they would have been tab when it lost a federal court case in 2011. from a December 2015 survey by another for it,” Harrison tells Trains. CN expects to pay an additional $1.9 million investment irm, Cowen & Co., which found Nonetheless, Harrison says the rocky in 2017 related to the grade separations. that 71 percent of shippers opposed CP-NS. integration of previous mergers still haunts What does this mean for Class I merg- CP wrapped the NS merger proposal shippers. “heir view of mergers was not so ers, which would afect far more communi- with a nice big bow for shippers. Yet many much about what it would do for the future ties? “he price of doing them is going to be shippers and their trade groups still opposed but the ghosts of the past,” he says. a lot higher,” Krebs says. CP-NS and seem likely to ight any rail “I used to get spanked for something my merger. In letters to the STB, large shippers sister did,” Harrison adds. “hat’s kind of POLITICS AND SHIPPERS dismissed CP’s attempts to improve compe- what we’ve been through.” he regulatory environment is inter- tition. Automakers were particularly skepti- Hatch says that unless shippers want rail twined with politics, making it more dii- cal. “Further consolidation will substantially consolidation to enhance service or expand cult to get a major merger through Wash- enhance the already signiicant commercial capacity, the beneits of merger are out- ington. “hey make a lot of sense from a leverage of the rail industry, reduce service weighed by the regulatory, inancial, politi- business standpoint,” Krebs says. “he ques- options for shippers, and increase rates,” cal, and mitigation risks. tion is are they politically doable now. I’m wrote Mitch Bainwol and John Bozzella, not sure that they are. Big has become bad.” who head the automakers’ trade groups. MERGER CATALYSTS he CP-NS proposal ofered a glimpse of hey doubted that an end to bottleneck CP-NS showed that there’s little appetite the current political climate. he STB re- pricing would work when the ceived 49 letters from members of Congress rail system is reduced to two “I USED TO GET — including the entire delegations of sever- railroads. hey also rejected SPANKED FOR al states — as well as missives from state reciprocal switching. “Terminal SOMETHING MY and local oicials. No politicians backed the access rights are devalued when merger proposal. they come at the cost of greater SISTER DID. THAT’S “It shows you the power, to some degree, consolidation,” Bainwol and KIND OF WHAT WE’VE of lobbyists in our country. It’s too bad,” Bozzella wrote. BEEN THROUGH.” Harrison tells Trains. Congress established Consol Energy, a major coal the STB as an independent agency, reaf- shipper, told regulators that E. HUNTER HARRISON, irmed its role last year, and should stay out transcontinental service was of CANADIAN PACIFIC CEO

32 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 Two Canadian Paciﬁc freights, one with power from regionals acquired in 2008, at right, pass at Homer, Minn., in October 2013 on former Milwaukee Road trackage. CP acquired the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern and Iowa, Chicago & Eastern in 2008. Matt Krause for merger today. But if there’s one thing next three decades. Add that to Chicago the revenue side, railroads can’t raise rates that proponents and skeptics of major congestion. hen factor in community faster than inlation forever without driving mergers agree upon, it’s this: he entire opposition to increased rail traic — and away traic or inviting a regulatory re- picture changes if railroads run into the new infrastructure required to handle it. sponse. “Railroads have to get more vol- capacity constraints or inancial trouble. he outcome? Deteriorating service, loss of ume. hat’s the only lever that’s let,” Gross Aside from chronic issues in Chicago, traic, increased costs, and lower revenue. contends. But that’s diicult without seam- railroad executives don’t see capacity prob- And politicians, regulators, shippers, and less service. “Ultimately, you may end up lems looming on the horizon — particular- the public all demanding solutions. being forced into that merger scenario,” he ly amid this year’s traic downturn. hey “We know it’s going to happen. It’s just a says, and then have to live under a diferent also don’t predict inancial distress in the matter of when,” Harrison said while pitch- regulatory system. short term, despite the serious and sus- ing the NS proposal. “We need to learn how A national freight rail duopoly has been tained decline in coal traic. “It’s not so dire to take the existing infrastructure and move a fact of life in Canada for nearly a century. that I believe it’s going to bring any railroad more over it. And so I think it’s very critical Whether or how CN and CP would join to the point where the only way we can be to customers, to railroads, to the economy, with the U.S. big systems in a inal wave of viable is to merge,” Moorman says. “It won’t the whole circle, that we see something consolidation remains to be seen. But could be easy, but is it that bad?” change. Our response is consolidation.” the U.S. follow Canada’s example? Rose sees a third potential merger cata- here’s also an argument that we’re see- “Canada has had two systems for a long lyst: Unfavorable regulatory changes, ing the twilight of the rail renaissance that time. I don’t see what the diference would should they occur, could shackle railroads, dawned with the Staggers Act of 1980, be if there were two transcontinental sys- tilt the balance in favor of highways, and which freed the industry from overburden- tems in the U.S.,” Krebs says. prompt consolidation. some regulation. Since then, railroads have “Clearly it makes the case that this Harrison looks at long-term trends and combined, cut costs dramatically, improved could be done in the appropriate way and concludes that mergers are the only way the service, and become much more proitable, you could certainly have two systems,” industry can thrive. he status quo is a reci- thanks to pricing discipline. Harrison says. He predicts two railroads pe for trouble, he argues. Take projections he problem? On the cost side, most of will ile a transcontinental merger applica- that traic will grow by 40 percent over the the low-hanging fruit has been picked. On tion within ive years. 2

www.TrainsMag.com 33 Train time at Summit Robert W. Scott Robert W. between Nashville and and Nashville between 2.58-percent eastbound grade. A curving route A curving grade. eastbound route 2.58-percent the 1.9- cover to 5 miles is required over just of distance mile straight horseshoe curves. two includes A and Summit in 2014 inds this day November usual damp at track level reaching Hauler eastbound Toledo still 39 loaded cars its six units, with Summit — the grade. down stretched in Ore- Situated at the relatively low pass low at the relatively Situated gon’s Coast Range is the station site at Summit Summit at Coast site is the Range station gon’s Branch. Toledo Southern Paciic the former on Toledo Railroad & Western Portland Today’s the Oregon between this route on runs Hauler carrying wood Toledo, and Albany of towns he site Toledo. mill at the large from products stif but a short of the top lies at Summit at

www.TrainsMag.com 35 MAP OF THE MONTH Grade-crossing accidents, 2015 A state-by-state look at Federal Railroad Administration data for incidents, injuries, and fatalities

WASHINGTON

NORTH DAKOTA MONTANA

OREGON IDAHO

SOUTH DAKOTA

WYOMING

NEBRASKA NEVADA

UTAH COLORADO CALIFORNIA KANSAS

OKLAHOMA

ARIZONA NEW MEXICO

ALASKA

TEXAS

© 2016 Kalmbach Publishing Co. TRAINS: Rick Johnson. Rank by state (number of incidents) State Crossings Incidents Injuries Fatalities State Crossings Incidents Injuries Fatalities State Crossings Incidents Injuries Fatalities 1 Texas 13,835 224 98 19 16 Kansas 7,849 41 15 3 30 Idaho 2,349 12 2 3 2 California 9,118 148 42 31 17 South Carolina 3,889 40 20 7 30 Massachusetts 1,401 12 7 1 3 Illinois 11,598 141 84 21 18 Minnesota 6,739 39 18 4 30 West Virginia 3,308 12 5 0 4 Indiana 7,567 118 42 12 18 Tennessee 4,587 39 8 3 31 New Mexico 1,212 11 2 1 5 Georgia 7,499 98 46 9 19 Oklahoma 5,022 38 17 1 31 South Dakota 2,921 11 5 0 6 Alabama 4,519 90 34 5 20 Washington 4,752 37 9 4 31 Utah 1,253 11 6 3 7 Ohio 8,465 83 36 12 21 Wisconsin 6,293 35 12 2 32 Delaware 391 6 2 0 8 Florida 5,008 78 40 10 22 New York 5,298 34 62 8 33 Maine 1,656 4 4 0 8 Louisiana 4,978 78 37 13 23 Mississippi 4,284 31 17 1 33 Wyoming 1,085 4 1 0 9 North Carolina 7,051 67 99 8 24 Nebraska 4,964 27 9 2 34 Nevada 537 2 0 0 10 Kentucky 4,599 57 32 6 25 New Jersey 2,062 26 17 5 35 Alaska 276 1 0 0 11 Pennsylvania 6,024 56 24 5 26 Arizona 1,153 21 7 0 35 Connecticut 626 1 0 0 12 Iowa 6,867 50 10 2 27 Colorado 2,746 20 7 2 35 District of Columbia 26 1 2 0 12 Michigan 7,053 50 11 3 27 Oregon 3,904 20 3 5 35 New Hampshire 562 1 0 0 13 Missouri 5,684 49 21 8 28 Maryland 1,256 16 6 1 35 Rhode Island 118 1 1 0 14 Arkansas 3,976 47 23 4 29 Montana 3,097 15 2 5 35 Vermont 861 1 0 0 15 Virginia 4,412 42 20 5 29 North Dakota 4,706 15 25 3

36 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 MAINE

MINNESOTA

N.H. MICHIGAN VT.

MASSACHUSETTS

WISCONSIN NEW YORK CONN.

RHODE ISLAND

MD. NEW JERSEY PA.

DISTRICT OF IOWA OHIO COLUMBIA WEST ILLINOIS INDIANA VIRGINIA DELAWARE

VIRGINIA MISSOURI KENTUCKY

TENNESSEE 50

SOUTH CAROLINA NORTH CAROLINA ARKANSAS

MISSISSIPPI ALABAMA GEORGIA 0

LOUISIANA Incidents Injuries Fatalities

FLORIDA

0.025 15,000 Incidents per crossing Median incidents per crossing No. of crossings 0.020 12,000

0.015 9,000

0.010 6,000

0.005 3,000

0.000 0

Ohio

Iowa

Utah

Texas

Idaho

Maine

Alaska

Illinois

Florida

Kansas

Oregon

Nevada

Indiana

Virginia

Arizona

Georgia

Missouri

Vermont

Montana

Alabama

Michigan

Colorado

Wyoming

Delaware

Arkansas

Kentucky

New York New

Maryland

Nebraska

Louisiana

California

Wisconsin

Oklahoma

Minnesota

Tennessee

Mississippi

New Jersey New

Washington

New Mexico New

Connecticut

Rhode Island Rhode

West Virginia West

Pennsylvania

North Dakota North

South Dakota South

North Carolina North

South Carolina South

Massachusetts

New Hampshire New District of Columbia of District

www.TrainsMag.com 37 Is this 0-4-0 the oldest conventional American locomotive? by Jim Wrinn Disassembled and naked, Mississippi, most likely the oldest horizontal-boilered American-built locomotive left, rests in a Knoxville, Tenn., shop in April 2016. Looking on are Pete Claussen, left, and Scott Ogle. TRAINS: Jim Wrinn Pete Claussen inspects Mississippi in storage in April. To the right is the tender, and in the foreground is the smokestack. The engine’s extra-wide ﬁredoor and two steam domes are prominent in this image made at Knoxville, Tenn., the locomotive’s new home.

TRAINS: Jim Wrinn

oday, somewhere in America, an engineer will press the start button on a brand-new ET44AC and for the irst T time crank up the latest locomotive to run in the U.S. Some 200 tons of motive power will roar into life. Builder General Electric and the railroad company use this 4,400-hp monster to pull incredible tonnage and know every detail of its manufacture. Its operations will literally be moni- tored minute by minute, second by second. It will become the latest of more than 35,000 locomotives at work in the country in 2016. Tens of thousands of locomotives before, at the dawning of American locomotive production in the 1830s, are machines that are the exact opposite: Tiny, frail steam locomotives, the irst of their kind, barely smaller than an SUV, exerting little more power than This is the locomotive after J.A. Hoskins restored it and presented it to the Illinois Central in the horses and mules they supplanted, and 1893. Hoskins, believed to have worked with the engine during the Civil War, is in the cab. IC whose production history and daily use is

40 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 little known. Except for John White’s mas- terful 1972 book, “American Locomotives, An Engineering History, 1830-1880” little Where the oldest was, 1836-2016 scholarly work has been published about these irst American locomotives, the elders of railroading, the tribe from whom all others have descended, the founders. Now, new research has identiied what Donated to Chicago Museum may be the oldest conventional (horizontal of Science & Industry, 1932 boiler) American-made locomotive, the Displayed at Museum of Displayed at Chicago Science & Industry, 1938-2015 Centennial Exposition, 1933-1934 Built, New York City, 1836 Mississippi, an 0-4-0 of 1836 vintage, that new owner Pete Claussen likes to say has Returned to the IC in 1925 and Displayed at the 1893 World taken to Burnside yard at Chicago Columbian Exposition in Chicago been hidden in plain sight for more than 75 years at one of the nation’s most prominent institutions, Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. Ater buying the Mississippi at Displayed at the 1904 auction in 2015, Claussen moved the loco- St. Louis World’s Fair Stayed at B&0 roundhouse at Martinsburg, W.Va., from 1904 to 1925 motive to Knoxville, Tenn., where his Gulf Shipped from St Louis & Ohio Railways’ shortline group is head- to Warrenton, 1873 quartered. Long a vigorous proponent of historic preservation and a past chairman of Sold to the Grand Gulf and Port Gibson Railroad, 1844. Reportedly used as power Sold to Gulf & Ohio Railways, the Smithsonian National Museum of for rail monitor, siege of Vicksburg, 1863 Knoxville, Tenn., 2015 American History board and a member of its national board, and with three steam lo- Displayed at Louisiana State comotives (two 2-8-0s and a 4-4-0) — two Fair, Shreveport, 1935 of them operable — already in his collec- Arrived Mississippi Valley & Ship Island Sold to J.A. Hoskins for sawmill tion, Claussen wanted to give a home to Railroad, Warrenton, Miss., 1873 railroad, Brookhaven, Miss., 1880 what he thought was an early British-made Donated to Illinois Central, Delivered, Natchez, Miss., 1836 Brookhaven, Miss., 1893 locomotive, one with a rich southeastern Not to scale history, and one that last ran in 1925. © 2016 Kalmbach Publishing Co. What he got was completely unexpected. TRAINS: Rick Johnson Unraveling a complicated mystery Earlier this year, Claussen provided Trains an exclusive interview about Mississippi, its revised history, its acquisition, iron irebox. nobody ever knew what the thickness was, and its potential future. He announced the Nonetheless, in 1893 it was described by and that contributed to the speculation and acquisition and his indings at a gathering of a British historian as a British import, built misinformation about its origins. he loco- transportation historians in September, and in 1834 by Braithwaite, Milner & Co. of motive is clearly American, from the histori- his own detailed story will appear in the London and shipped to Dunham & Co. of cal side, the design and construction side, spring-summer 2017 issue of the Railway & New York for assembly there. Further study and the material side,” Claussen says. Locomotive Historical Society’s quarterly showed that there is no record of Dunham He believes the new locomotive cost publication, Railroad History. & Co. or any other locomotive builder of the $2,000 to build and started its career on a “We did not know what we were getting period — including Baldwin, West Point 2-mile line that eventually grew to 26 miles. when we bought it,” Claussen says of the Foundry, Norris, Camden & Amboy, Locks Claussen says the engine then went to work locomotive. “But we had lots of questions and Canals — using English kits or even any for a second railroad in Mississippi, and may about where it had come from.” he loco- English parts for their locomotives. have been a part of a major national conlict, motive represents a signiicant link in the Various historians, notably Smithsonian the American Civil War. evolution of American locomotive design, transportation curator Jack White, raised During the siege of Vicksburg in 1863, a says Scott Ogle, chief mechanical oicer- questions about Mississippi’s lineage, hy- light artillery company under the command steam for the Knoxville & Holston River pothesizing that she was a surviving of Capt. J.A. Hoskins of Brookhaven, Miss., Railroad, G&O’s short line in its headquar- Dunham engine. Even an authoritative used the locomotive at Grand Gulf. Hoskins ters city, and its tourist railroad, the hree English source, the secretary of the Newco- created one of the irst rail monitors — an Rivers Rambler. men Society, the prestigious UK-based or- iron-clad boxcar with an artillery gun inside. Claussen did much of the investigation ganization dedicated to the history of engi- According to local legend, the Mississippi himself and enlisted researchers in the state neering and technology, said in a letter to pushed the sheathed gun to its shelling loca- of Mississippi, where the engine had Claussen: “... we have no records to associ- tion and then pulled it back to safety before worked. Historians had long questioned ate it with Braithwaite, Milner & Co. And it could come under ire. Mississippi’s origins since it doesn’t look at what details we can see do not support that Moving on once again, another railroad, all like a typical English locomotive of the irm’s manufacture.” the Mississippi Valley & Ship Island Rail- period, which, like the John Bull, had a he conirming “aha” came when the road bought the engine in 1872, where the haystack boiler, outside plate frame, and a boiler was ultrasounded in Tennessee, re- engine ran, derailed, and was abandoned for copper irebox. Mississippi has a Stevenson- vealing that it was made of ive-sixteenths six years, before its sale to its old friend, J.A. type boiler, inside bar frame and a wrought inch thick wrought iron. he English never Hoskins, who was now running a sawmill at used iron less than three-eighths of an inch Brookhaven, Miss. Hoskins rebuilt the loco- >> One Mississippi in thickness. “Until we did the ultrasound, motive and used it in the construction of the To see a video interview with Pete Claussen and learn more about Mississippi, go to www.TrainsMag.com www.TrainsMag.com 41 Would you put a ﬁre in it?

In the early 1960s, the Louisville & Nashville updated the General of Civil War Great Locomotive Chase fame to steam as part of war centennial observances. The effort included cleverly disguised injectors and air brakes. L&N

Everyone who has ever cared for a historic steam locomotive in engine got a thorough overhaul, thanks to the L&N, which tried to baby the emotional, managerial, or fiduciary sense (and in some cases, all three the engine by moving it from one display and operation site to the other or combinations of two at once), has raised the obvious question: Should by using a flatcar, says retired spokesman Charles Castner, who hired we steam it? Operating, of course, is the best way to explain steam to a on just as the engine was starting its tour. Castner rode the engine’s new generation and to make it real to everyone who can witness the last trip, Sept. 20, 1966, on Illinois Central rails near Gilbertsville, Ky., power, the sounds, the smells, and the feelings. Or is it? After all, everyone for the Southern Governors’ Conference. At the end of the event, the who has rebuilt, operated, or been in charge of an operating steam engine ran 35 and 40 mph back to Paducah, Ky., where it tied up. “We locomotive has asked this question at least once, whether he or she high-tailed it and flew,” Castner says. The locomotive, as it was when it admits it: Should we be doing this with what is now a one-of-a-kind artifact? was steamed 50 years ago, is preserved today at the Museum of Civil The debate has been going on for decades and almost certainly will War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Ga., where its daring chase continue, whether the power is the oldest or even the latest built in the story began. late 1940s and early 1950s. To run or not to run: Look for that question to be asked as museums The new owner of the 1836 0-4-0 Mississippi planned to steam the need more “wow” to get the public’s attention. — Jim Wrinn engine, but decided otherwise. Pete Claussen says the boiler shell was thinned in places that would have necessitated patches and welding that would have resulted in an unacceptable amount of alteration to a historic piece. So it will remain an artifact. Others have been cautious but found ways to run. The 1831 British- built 2-4-0 John Bull, exhibited at the Smithsonian since 1885, has only operated on four occasions in the last 123 years: A cross-country trip in 1893 to the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1927 for the Baltimore & Ohio’s Fair of the Iron Horse centennial celebration, and lastly on a test run in 1980, and again on short moves for its 150th birthday in 1981. At the end of the last run Smithsonian transportation curator John H. White Jr. noticed a leaking tube and doubted that the Bull would ever steam again. “The poor thing shouldn’t be run,” he said. Other historic locomotives have been called on to do more in the modern preservation era. Louisville & Nashville pulled 1855 4-4-0 No. 3, the General, out of Chattanooga (Tenn.) Union Station to repair, update, and steam for Civil War centennial celebrations, 1962-1965. The co-star of the Great Locomotive Chase, which hadn’t steamed since 1914, was converted to burn diesel fuel, injectors were added, and an air pump and brakes were discreetly installed to bring the engine up to standards In 1981, the Smithsonian fired up and ran the British-built John for a tour that included 9,000 operational miles in its first year. The Bull to celebrate that locomotive’s 150th birthday. George Forero Jr.

42 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 2-mile Hoskins & Hamilton Railroad, connecting the mill and the Illinois Central. IC bought the railroad in 1882 and contract- ed with the two men to extend the railroad east, which they failed to do. hat resulted in the IC iling a lawsuit in 1888, a judgment in IC’s favor, and a foreclosure. hrough it all, the Mississippi remained at the mill. Into the Illinois Central’s hands Possibly as a goodwill gesture, Hoskins gave the locomotive to the IC for display at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Before doing so, he performed a major cosmetic overhaul, adding a roof and rebuilding the tender with the lettering “Natchez & Hamburg R.R. 1836-7, & 8.” Photos made of the locomotive ater this rebuild, with Hoskins in the engineer’s seat, are believed to be the oldest of the locomotive. Claussen believes this is where Mississippi’s story became blurred. Baltimore & Ohio 0-4-0T No. 1 John Quincy Adams, with an upright boiler, was built in Maj. J.G. Pangborn of the Baltimore & Mount Clare shops in 1835 and is on display at Carillon Park in Dayton, Ohio. David P. Oroszi Ohio Railroad headed up the transportation section of the exposition. he B&O provided locomotives along with other borrowed engines, including the Mississippi. For background, the B&O turned to English railroad historian Clement E. Stretton, who wrongly identiied the locomotive as British, a label it would carry for the next 125 years. Upon examination in Tennessee, the 19,600-pound locomotive is yielding fasci- nating details. Most startling: It contains no welds. All of the repairs are of a mechanical nature. A second steam dome, believed to have been installed post-construction to improve the engine’s performance, was screwed into place. he Knoxville team used a selie stick to perform an interior inspection of the boiler, which includes a wide ire- door (for wood slabs) and rigid grates. Claussen wonders how much of the original locomotive remains. Its Stephenson valve gear is an add-on, and the boiler tubes, of course, have been replaced more than once. he boiler is interesting, as it contains two steam domes, one original, and one an add-on. Inside the original steam dome is a collection pipe attached at the bottom to the Reassembled and primered, Mississippi looked like this in late summer 2016. The Gulf & original dry pipe. It also has four wrought Ohio crew plans to ﬁnish a cosmetic restoration and display the locomotive. G&O: Kris Wysong iron straps riveted to the side of the dome at the top and to the crown sheet at the bot- he Mississippi, with its story revealed, home for the oldest of the old and his three tom. he irebox opening is slightly of cen- can now take its place among admired loco- other steam locomotives, 1890 Southern ter to the right. It has three tri-cocks, with a motives of antiquity in America, including Railway 2-8-0 No. 154, 1925 Washington & fourth hole illed in. he backhead has been the John Bull, a 2-4-0, the oldest locomotive Lincolnton 2-8-0 No. 203, and 1922 San An- modiied and seven holes illed in, including on American soil and a British product that tonio & Aransas Pass Railway 4-4-0 No. 60. one where the throttle once was. dates back to 1831; it is enshrined inside the “We have to do something to put them he boiler shell is only 26 inches in di- Smithsonian Institution in Washington, on display. I imagine a roundhouse setting,” ameter and instead of a telescoping design, D.C. In Dayton, Ohio, is Baltimore & Ohio’s he says. Life has been long and misunder- it has a small course in the middle inserted John Quincy Adams, an 0-4-0T on display in stood for Mississippi, and it deserves a prop- into larger courses on either side. he loco- Carillon Park. It is a year older than Missis- er retirement in a place where the engine motive had valve gear under the boiler that sippi, but has an upright boiler. can be itself as America’s oldest conventional was connected to cylinders located inside And what of Mississippi’s future? steam locomotive, an ancestral great-great- the smokebox, a common practice in the Claussen says he would like to complete a great grandparent to all those locomotives U.S. and England. cosmetic restoration and build a permanent that pull our nation’s trains today. 2

www.TrainsMag.com 43

West end will-o’-the-wisps

A check of U.S. Naval Observatory data indicated As I was taking pictures, I noticed another blob of light moving that I could expect to catch the crescent moon rising right through the yard. It, too, gradually revealed itself to be a headlight down the bore of one of my favorite stretches of track. So attached to the lead of a pair of locomotives. They, however, did 5 a.m. on an otherwise clear Saturday morning found me trackside not escape the yard fog’s embrace and came to a halt at its west- with a problem — thick patchy ground fog. Since there was no ern edge. Nothing moved and there was no sound, save the quiet hope for catching the moonrise under those conditions, I decided thrumming of the prime movers and the click of my camera shutter. to try my luck about 20 miles away in Willard, Ohio. A minute or two passed and then, like a ghost being called back It was still dark when I arrived at the west end of the CSX Trans- from the world of men, the distant pair of switchers quietly reversed portation yard. The crescent moon had risen higher and was blaz- direction, moved back into the folds of the fog, shed their diesel ing forth in the sky above. The yard proper was shrouded in sodium switcher appearance, and became, once again, a moving blob of vapor-lighted ground fog, but my position on the west end was light that faded from view. The instant they disappeared, the units clear. As the sky to the east began the transition to the deep blue near me began to drift back down toward the yard. They, too, and orange of the coming dawn, I could see a blob of light moving returned to the fog’s embrace, reverted to their will-o’-the-wisp through the yard fog in my general direction. It grew in size and status, and then vanished. brightness and gradually morphed into a pair of ghost-like locomo- The silence was total and the vista returned to what it had been: tives. The orbs of light reminded me of the will-o’-the-wisps phenom- glistening polished rail, distant illuminated ground fog, a colorful enon, mysterious lights that form naturally above wetlands, which predawn sky, and the brilliant crescent moon, the callboy that had startled and intrigued travelers centuries ago. ﬁrst summoned me trackside at that early hour. — Robert S. Butler

www.TrainsMag.com 45 An illustration depicts a Brightline train arriving at the distinctively designed station at West Palm Beach. All Aboard Florida

ou don’t just start run- But hey, that’s a good thing! during a March session in a ey being sought to put into a ning passenger trains. Just ask Gene Skoropowski, se- Miami conference room with project, which would then have Not if the stations are nior vice president, railroad op- other managers. “he beauty of private beneit.” gone, capacity was erations, for All Aboard Flori- this project is that the private Skoropowski is a passenger slimmed down to mostly da’s “Brightline” service. sector makes the decisions — train veteran whose resumé in- single track 50 years ago, “We’re in the luxurious posi- what works economically for cludes calling the shots as man- and there aren’t any cars, tion of being able to write our business purposes. It’s a very aging director of Amtrak’s Sac- locomotives, or people to own criteria from the begin- diferent avenue when there is ramento-San Jose, Calif., operate them. ning,” he explains to Trains not this big wad of public mon- Capitol Corridor. He also con- Rewritingg the

Privately funded ‘Brightline’ service aims to change passenger rail starting in 2017

Story and photos by Bob Johnston

sulted on previous Florida high dent Mike Reininger and Flori- self, rather than contracting out Yet the goal from the begin- speed rail projects [see “Not So da East Coast Industries Presi- to third-party operators. he ning was to take advantage of Fast,” page 52]. He and others dent and CEO Vince Signorello management team was assem- the railroad’s engineering, con- have signed on because they see made a key decision in early bled in mid-2015 with the idea struction, and operations ex- a once-in-a-lifetime opportuni- 2015: the subsidiary could best that the self-contained organi- pertise to create a physical ty to create a new product with- control its product by running zation would be separate from plant that anticipates signiicant out being tethered to a “we al- the trains, designing the pas- Florida East Coast Railway, its growth for the recently branded ways do it this way” mentality. senger experience, and control- sister company under Fortress Brightline speedsters, as well as All Aboard Florida Presi- ling the station environment it- Investment Group LLC. FEC business in everything

www.TrainsMag.com 47 A bridge plate mechanism will from lumbering rock trains to business plan to attract invest- Mike Lefevre, “of course [Chief extend below the doorway in intermodal lyers. ment and much-needed cash Mechanical Oicer] Tom Rut- the foreground on Brightline “We are committed to low: real estate [see “Miami’s kowski here gets in the room cars, as seen on this stainless building infrastructure that will Valuable Legacy,” page 51]. and says, ‘What I remember steel shell at Siemens’ allow us to run our service and Florida East Coast Industries from New Jersey Transit is that Sacramento, Calif., plant. the FEC to run its service while estimates over 4 million square the drain pipe was never big allowing for future expansion feet of transit-oriented develop- enough.’ Gene [Skoropowski] Here we have people who do of both businesses,” Skoropow- ment will mushroom around says ‘People got cramped in the worry about those details to ski says. he partnership mini- new stations now under con- aisle on the Capitol Corridor,’ collectively come up with mizes the otherwise adversarial struction at Miami, Fort Lau- so we’ve just got to make those something unique.” relationship between a host derdale, and West Palm Beach. aisles bigger!” railroad and Amtrak or other his includes oice towers, con- Rutkowski, a 22-year operator that festers elsewhere. dominiums, parking garages, veteran of NJ Transit, says, Passenger cars Joint-capacity modeling is restaurants, and other retail es- “All Aboard Florida is an Nowhere do ideas translate already working to determine tablishments. Some land acqui- organization that worries into reality more forcefully schedules for up to 18 daily sition has been required at each about branding and the cus- than in the collaborative efort Brightline round trips between location, but construction of tomer experience [as the between All Aboard Florida’s Miami and West Palm Beach those facilities and accompany- equipment and stations are be- staf and Siemens Mobility, as by mid-June 2017. here is spe- ing buildings is well under way. ing designed], something you evidenced by a June Trains cial emphasis on making room don’t ind in commuter orga- tour of the locomotive and for mostly unscheduled shuttles nizations or Amtrak, which passenger-car builder’s Sacra- between FEC’s Hialeah Yard Details are king are transportation-, mechani- mento complex. and the Port of Miami. Both Reininger and Skoro- cal-, and engineer-oriented. Starting with a frame similar he railroad must also meet powski are trained architects to its carbon steel European 141 Federal Railroad Adminis- (“We are notorious nitpickers,” Railjet counterpart, Siemens is tration protocols to certify the Skoropowski says), so it’s not building a stainless steel car 87 passenger carrier as a separate surprising that the manage- feet long and 10 feet wide at operating entity. Toward that ment team they assembled to platform level. It expands out- end, it is testing an Alstom pos- design and operate every aspect ward above that by 6 inches on itive train control overlay to its of the new service shares a each side, the same envelope re- existing cab signal-equipped passion for mining its experi- quired for trains to it through locomotives, and conducting ences to get things right. Northeast Corridor tunnels. tests on rules and the route’s “If you give guys who have (his detail caught the attention physical characteristics for All worked a long time in the Aboard Florida managers. industry a chance to draw up All Aboard Florida President FEC also holds the key ele- their dream trains,” says Man- Mike Reininger in the cab of the ment in All Aboard Florida’s ager of Operations Planning company’s ﬁrst locomotive.

48 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 Siemens’ Michael Cahill and All Aboard Florida’s Gene Skoropowski at Sacramento. of Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman on a May visit.) Because stainless and carbon steel fabrication processes don’t easily mix, Siemens built a separate 125,000-square-foot shop for assembly of roofs, side and end walls, and underframes. A semi-automated machine utiliz- es 55,000 spot welds during an 18-hour sequence to attach the stainless skin to frames, creating a smooth-sided car. Assembly takes eight weeks, and the facility is designed to produce four cars per month. “he design of the coach uses as many long proiles as possible,” explains Siemens Rolling Stock President Michael Cahill. “It helps in manufacturing and complying with the 800,000 pounds of buf strength Federal Railroad Administra- tion requirement.” On the day FEC locomotives bring Atlantic Coast Line’s “East Coast Champion” into FEC’s Miami station in August of the tour, one of the coaches 1950 (top). An illustration shows Brightline’s Miami Central Station, which is going up at the same passed an FRA-compliant hy- site. Eventually, it will also host Tri-Rail commuter trains. Top, James G. La Vake; All Aboard Florida. draulic cylinder compression test, which mandates that a car platforms to provide roll-on ac- traic to pass through stations. loor level. “On an airplane, can’t have any lasting deforma- cess not only for wheelchair- (Bypass tracks have been built they put you in a special wheel- tion ater that force is applied. bound travelers, but also for for that scenario.) chair and they leave,” Skoro- Initially, 20 cars are being ubiquitous rolling suitcases and • 32-inch-wide aisles and powski says. “hat’s not us.” built to launch the service next strollers. hey are designed car-to-car end doors. his al- • Wide seats. In the premi- June. Another 50 are to follow with a minimal-height outer lip lows true on-board accessibili- um Select class, which features by 2018 for the extension to and can support 900 pounds. ty, not a segregated separate two seats on one side of the Orlando. Conigured accord- As a result, station platforms area for people with disabilities. aisle and one on the other, the ing to seating and trainset po- can be situated up to 12 inches It also accommodates wide seats are 21 inches wide, while sition [see table, below right], away from the train, allowing suitcases. Airline aisle width in the Smart class with two-by- all have groundbreaking inno- all but high and wide freight minimums are 15 inches at two seating, they are 18.3 inch- vations built by American manufacturers that All Aboard Florida and Siemens engineer- Brightline passenger cars ing strategists jointly produced Seating Seat width ater three years of design Type conﬁg. (inches) Capacity Initial order Total order Position in trainset meetings. hese include: Smart 2-2 18.3 66 10 30 mid-train • Self-contained bridge Smart-end* 2-2 18.3 58 5 10 end of train plates on each car. hese “gap Select-end 2-1 21 50 5 10 end of train Select 2-1 21 50 0 10 mid-train illers,” created by Bode North Food & Bev. ------0 10 mid-train America of Spartanburg, S.C., Seat pitch is 39 inches and aisle width is 32 inches for both Select and Smart seating. “End” cars are designed to run next to the locomotive, so extend at stops to high-level have no end passage doors *Contains baggage compartment

www.TrainsMag.com 49 ply chain of American manufacturers with which to execute the “dream” ideas that the All Aboard Florida All Aboard Florida team has Brightline’s route come up with. For instance, Brightline service to begin in 2017 Future service for vestibule doors it tapped Tri-Rail/Amtrak IMI Precision Engineering of Brightline stations Littleton, Colo., which has Tri-Rail stations Other cities (no Brightline stops planned) 50,000 such systems installed Orlando Orlando globally. Since All Aboard International Florida is privately funded, An interior mock-up in a Bright- Airport FEC to Jacksonville Siemens did not have to com- line shell shows the wide New track (includes Cocoa ply with federally mandated “Select” (business) class seat. 12 miles of single track) “Buy America” provisions for FLORIDA public projects. But the fact trainset is hardly necessary for that the shells, labor, and com- the four-car launch versions, 0 Scale 50 miles ponents comply gives the com- the procedure solves the crash © 2016 Kalmbach Publishing Co., TRAINS: Rick Johnson pany a signiicant leg up on energy management problem Sebastian competitors for other orders. and ensures there will never be N an air-conditioning failure in the sultry Florida climate Locomotives should head-end power fail. Fort Pierce Siemens is also supplying he only variation from lo- its 4,400-hp Charger locomo- comotives built for state-sup- St. Lucie River Single-track tive, the same 125-mph-ca- ported trains are the Brightline Stuart lift bridge pable unit that California units’ coupler-covering stream- Loxahatchee River Lift bridge (second and Washington are ac- lined shroud and diferent posi- Jupiter track to be added) quiring; Illinois is also tive train control equipment. CSX/Amtrak to Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville Brightline buying for regional One is assigned to each end of Mangonia Park running repair facility passenger service on the trainsets in push-pull oper- West Palm Beach Lake Worth behalf of other Midwest- ation, so they can aford to Boynton Beach ern states. Equipped with sport a sleek look and don’t re- Delray Beach Boca Raton Cummins Tier 4 emissions- quire head-end power connec- Deerﬁeld Beach Pompano Beach compliant QSK95 diesel en- tions. he nose is to be adorned Fort Lauderdale gines, Brightline’s irst Char- with relective yellow decals to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Brightline stations under Fort Lauderdale gers will be the eighth and match the yellow side panel International Airport Lift bridge (2 tracks) construction in early Hollywood ninth out of the plant. Two once the locomotives are Metrorail Transfer Station March 2016. Top: West North Miami early locomotives went to the placed into service. Miami International Airport Palm Beach. Center: Planned Tri-Rail Transportation Technology Miami connection for service Fort Lauderdale. Bottom: to Miami Central Center’s test track near Pueblo, Miami Central (from the Colo., in June for several Brightline’s brand adjacent Metrorail months of shakedown and Splashy colors are an inte- platform). passengers performance runs, so the Flor- gral part of the passenger expe- don’t have to ida locomotives can beneit rience, from the time a traveler place cords across from any changes that are enters a station and boards a anyone’s lap. deemed necessary. train to the way it screams • Windows at ev- Even though running a lo- through bustling trackside ery seat. Windows are ar- comotive at each end of a communities like Deerield and ranged so that no passenger es between the arm rests — gets stuck looking at a post in- widths comparable to airline stead of the scenery, virtually seats. To maintain the 32-inch- impossible to avoid on Amtrak wide aisle, a special cantilevered or commuter trains. bracket had to be attached to Initially, Select passengers the side wall. Kustom Seating will be served food and bever- Unlimited of Bellwood, Ill., ages at their seats and Smart- manufactures the seats. class coach passengers will • 39-inch pitch. he dis- have cart service for the hour- tance between both Select- and long trip between Miami and Smart-class seats exceeds most West Palm Beach, but when domestic airline irst- and service expands to Orlando, a business-class seating dimen- yet-to-be-designed lounge car sions. he Brightline cars also will be added. have various table conigura- Siemens’ extensive light rail A Brightline car shell takes shape at Siemens’ Sacramento factory tions in both classes and multi- business has clearly allowed it in June. Frames, sides, ends, roofs, and underframes are ple USB and electric outlets so to develop a dependable sup- assembled from different work stations at the complex.

50 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 Delray Beach. With the help of architect David Rockwell, to the sea in the track Seaboard Air Line decades, a number of whose design group has worked infamous 1935 Labor (which later became elements combined to on everything from hotel interi- Miami’s Day Hurricane, by then Seaboard Coast Line make Brightline’s Miami ors to Broadway sets for shows the FEC had begun and CSX into the Central Station the like “Kinky Boots” and “On the fielding a robust Amtrak era); a state- city’s foremost transit- Twentieth Century,” the Bright- valuable passenger service that mandated Jacksonville- oriented development line identity was introduced last morphed after World North Miami stub train anchor: the subsequent November with illustrations War II into a streamliner ended in 1968. Later, creation of a nearby showing trainsets in ive difer- legacy fleet over “Florida’s only FEC sold its rail corridor hospital complex, a ent colors: red, orange, green, double-track route,” as south of downtown to transit hub joining blue, and pink. Like the loco- a 1955 timetable provide the seeds for Metrorail and motives’ yellow decals, these are proclaimed. Miami’s Metrorail heavy Metromover (a free to be applied to each of the ive Henry M. Flagler’s A 1963 strike in rail system while downtown people initial four-car trainsets and ex- Florida East Coast response to the FEC’s retaining valuable land mover), and a hot real- panded to the rest of the leet led the Florida implementation of at the former station estate market. Without when the seven-car Orlando- development charge all reduced crew-size work site for trackage to the Henry Flagler’s vision service versions appear. the way from rules exiled through Port of Miami. and land, it wouldn’t he “bright” color theme is Jacksonville, Fla., to trains to and from the After the property have been possible. also relected in lighting at sta- Key West, reached north over to the single- sat dormant for many — Bob Johnston tions, though the overarching shortly before his death theme at each is carried out in 1912. Virtually all with imposing V-shaped con- settlements south of crete columns. he reason for St. Augustine owe their this is practical: the 70-foot- existence to the FEC, high structures can be cast lat but none more than the on the ground and raised into one created around the place as they are completed, railroad’s swath through rather than being custom cast what became downtown standing upright. Publicist Miami. Though the Key AnneMarie Mathews has used West extension such raisings as promotable eventually succumbed newsworthy events, which help keep the company in the local Office and residential media with its steady progress development is toward launch. already under he V-shaped architectural construction around theme carries through to the Miami Central Station. station platform canopy sup- ports. Most impressive is the crown jewel, Miami Central, where three rows of columns support ive tracks, three for Brightline trains and two for future Tri-Rail service that will be extended to the downtown venue once it is completed. Passengers enter this hub adjacent to the Government Center Metrorail station and new commercial and residential high-rises at street level, where they may choose to check baggage. Only ticketed passengers are allowed to proceed to the waiting area, then via escalator or elevator up to trainside when it is time to board. Checked luggage is placed on destination-speciic carts rather than transloaded. Service plan “We see ourselves as more A cutaway view shows how Brightline’s Miami Central Station accommodates street-level entrances of a hospitality business than a and concourses, with trains above. Two illustrations, All Aboard Florida

www.TrainsMag.com 51 investment for 30 years, 2011, claiming contract Former American Tracks: 1 to 2 Not so when Republican Gov. overruns of $3 billion Airlines CEO Robert Florida East Coast-super- Jeb Bush vetoed the would ultimately cost Crandall, a member of vised track gangs have been deal in 1999. taxpayers, even though Citizens Against Rail busy for the last year, rebuild- fast The following year, eight private consortia Expansion, told a League ing highway crossings and re- Floridians approved a were competing to of Women Voters turning single-track sections to constitutional assume all revenue and meeting that Brightline a two-track alignment. amendment to create a construction risk to get trains “would decimate” “We have been able to take high speed rail network, a foothold on a future the town of Stuart and advantage of the underlying Prior attempts to but with no speciﬁed Orlando-Miami extension. “people who walk across hard pan that was there 50 build a network of funding. A “starter” route Gene Skoropowski and the tracks now will be in years ago when most second- fast, frequent proposed by the newly others with All Aboard danger,” according to track sections were removed,” passenger trains in created Florida High Florida were involved in Palm Beach Post explains Adrian Share, All Florida have showed Speed Rail Authority the Overland and blogger Sally Swartz. Aboard Florida’s executive vice promise, but each would have linked Tampa stimulus endeavors, so Wealthy boat owners are president of rail infrastructure. publicly backed project and Orlando. That plan they understand Florida’s said to be concerned When that $13 million track ultimately ﬁzzled when died with repeal of the political landscape. about more frequent project is inished, nearby resi- politicians pulled the amendment in 2004, All Aboard Florida drawbridge closures. But dents will have a continuous plug. The 200-mph again led by Gov. Bush, critics, mostly in the the railroad has 66-mile quiet zone, because the Tampa-Orlando-Miami who characterized it as Treasure Coast north of committed to adjust railroad was able to leverage its Florida Overland Express a “$25 billion mistake.” West Palm Beach, have schedules to minimize own mobilization, construction proposed under The Tampa-Orlando persuaded Martin and closures, and is following management, and engineering Democratic Gov. Lawton project was revived with Indian River county Federal Railroad work, along with about $1 mil- Chiles in 1995 had an $2.4 billion of 2009 politicians to allocate Administration sealed lion of locally contributed high- operating agreement in federal stimulus money, $5.1 million in public corridor guidelines for way money. place, contingent on a but Gov. Rick Scott funds toward lawsuits 110-mph operation. Once that work is complet- $70 million annual state turned back the grant in against the venture. — Bob Johnston ed in 2017, crews will turn their attention to doing the same thing north of West Palm Beach. Towns have the option of making improvements necessary to qualify for horn-less highway crossings, but the railroad is committed to turning the route into a 110-mph sealed corridor with quad gates and a vehicle presence detection system that notiies engineers if a crossing is blocked. Meanwhile, a running repair facility recently completed on FEC-owned land north of downtown West Palm Beach will serve as the initial maintenance base. Once the cars and locomotives arrive on the property, all will be tested together along with FEC’s version of PTC on a 10-mile test-bed section south of town. A unique V-shaped theme, carried through all of the design elements in Fort Lauderdale, will be shared by all three new stations. A parking facility is being built to the left. All Aboard Florida What’s next transportation business that clusive options will include says. Part of that equation is to In March, Reininger em- moves people,” says Reininger, proprietary Brightline shuttles implement hourly service on phasized, “We don’t need a who once worked for he Walt from areas like Miami Beach “memory schedules” — with dollar from anyone” to begin Disney Co. and had a hand in and local colleges and an on- trains arriving at the same time Miami-West Palm Beach ser- the development of Denver call service, which will provide each hour at each station. vice next June. It’s not clear Union Station. Yet developers door-to-door delivery at both he June 2017 Miami-West what the total build-out to Or- of the new service are deter- ends of the train trip. Palm Beach ramp-up will break lando will actually cost; oi- mined to break down barriers “Our goal is to take the angst in with less than a dozen round cials declined to break out the that have deterred prospective out of not only ‘what do I do trips in the irst couple of weeks. price tags on the Siemens-built customers elsewhere. when I get to the station’ but Frequency will then increase to cars and locomotives, while al- Fares have not been re- also the parking situation, which 18 round trips on weekdays and lowing that the new rolling leased, but some of the all-in- we will control,” Skoropowski 16 on weekends. stock represents the most sig-

52 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 Yellow decals will be applied to niicant part of the company’s trains?’ Fast forward to today ly as terminals are completed the nose of this Charger investment to date. However, and we can show the physical and test trains begin running. locomotive. With locomotives company managers are still at- reality: elevated walkways are It’s easy for anyone watch- at each end of trainsets, no tempting to solidify a capital rising at stations, cars and lo- ing all the activity in South visible couplers or head-end structure through the sale of comotives are rolling out of Florida to be skeptical. And power connections are needed. $1.75 billion in private activity the Siemens factory, and they why not? Passenger trains bonds or other inancing op- can see we are thinking about don’t make money, right, so onerous alternatives of I-95 tions before construction com- the milestones we need to what’s diferent here? and airport security lines. Most mences north of West Palm reach each week before we To twist around the title of of all, this experiment has a Beach. When the bond market welcome our irst paid guest.” a 1969 Peggy Lee song, “hat’s cadre of dedicated managers became turbulent in 2015, “We Reininger is convinced that the not all there is.” With its built- and staf fully committed to re- had the lexibility to not do a inancing landscape has in real estate component at sta- inventing their product for the deal that wasn’t in our best in- changed signiicantly, especial- tions, and minimal construc- beneit of travelers, not the de- terest,” Reininger tells Trains. tion interference from the mands of a crusty, moribund Bad timing wasn’t the only existing FEC north-south organization. impediment. “Four years ago right-of-way along the Beach As Reininger puts it, “he when we started talking about Line Expressway to its publicly product we ofer will evolve up this, it was all concepts and in- inanced Orlando International until the minute when we serve tentions,” Reininger says. Airport terminal, this new start the irst customer, and (based “Even the most supportive [in- has few of the obstacles that on the response) it will contin- vestors] asked, ‘What about confront even higher-speed ue to evolve ater that.” contracts, what about the upgrades of existing passenger With this group of profes- routes. And it aims to link sionals at the controls, it’s a A Brightline car shell teeming population centers in good bet All Aboard Florida undergoes a compression test a relatively painless 3 hours, will add a new chapter to the at Siemens on June 7, 2016. compared to well-known passenger playbook. 2

www.TrainsMag.com 53 TRIP WITH TA CAPITAL An epic railfan trip from New York to Chicago in 1968 included a cab ride, a steam engine, an all-access pass to a tower, and more

Story and photos by Kenneth L. Hojnacki

ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS, John Tomandl, lived in the Chicago On Wednesday, July 24, I boarded in Syracuse, N.Y., and suburbs and invited me to come out for a fantrip behind ex-Reading caught what sleep I could in the coach seat. Arriving in Bufalo, Co. T-1 No. 2102 on the Grand Trunk Western from Chicago to N.Y., at 2:40 a.m., not only did I need to change trains but I was South Bend, Ind., in July 1968. he only way to get there from my instructed to see the chief dispatcher to sign my release and ob- upstate New York home, in my estimation, was by train. I booked tain my cab pass for my ride out of Detroit. Wandering through my ticket on Penn Central from Syracuse to Bufalo on No. 61, then those dark, cavernous halls in the Bufalo Central Terminal, I across Canada, through Detroit, to Chicago on No. 17. A few years was illed with awe of that magniicent concourse and trepidation earlier, we had made the acquaintance of Lawrence Baggerly, then at not being able to ind the holder of my pass in time to make New York Central division superintendent in Rochester, N.Y. I wrote my next connection. he dimly lit concourse was eerily quiet, to him hoping he would intercede on my behalf for a cab ride some- with few people waiting for No. 17’s 3:15 a.m. departure and few- where along the route. he letter arrived a day before my trip and er people to ask for directions to the chief dispatcher’s oice. said that he had arranged with the superintendents in Detroit and Luckily, I did ind him and I was on the train and again slept in Jackson, Mich., and Chicago, to permit me to ride the cab of train my coach seat until morning light. No. 17 from Detroit to Chicago. Before we arrived in Detroit, I notiied the conductor that I

54 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 Grand Trunk Western GP9 No. 4539 on the eastbound Maple Leaf would be leaving my suitcase in the coach while I headed to the threads the railfans mobbing the ex-Reading Co. T-1 No. 2102 at head end for the rest of the trip. I’m not sure he fully appreciated Valparaiso, Ind., in July 1968. the excitement in my voice. Mounting the ladder to the cab, I presented my credentials to the engineer, who then announced that an trucks and a washout that occurred two weeks previous, west of oicial was also scheduled to ride. When the oicial arrived, he Ann Arbor, Mich. We had a rolling inspection at BO Tower in Ka- never conirmed whether this was a routine trip for him or if he lamazoo, Mich., where a GP7 and a wooden caboose were switch- was there to watch me. In any event, we took turns standing against ing. here were beautiful stations on the line, like Grass Lake, Battle the electrical cabinet as there were seats for only three people. Creek, and Niles, and the coaling towers were still standing near While the engineer and a workman attempted to ix the horn Kalamazoo and Michigan City, Ind. Train No. 354 was on the sid- cord, another was cleaning our windshield, no doubt to help with ing at Mattawan, Mich., waiting to meet us, with lots of other trains my photography. hen of we went. At Town Line Tower, we re- and switchers along the way. In Michigan City, we passed the Pull- ceived train orders on the ly. man-Standard shops where I saw side-rod GE switcher No. 5. (I he engineers and iremen, who changed at Jackson and Niles, would meet her sister, No. 4, 20 years later when I joined the North Mich., had a great time telling stories about trains hitting gasoline Freedom, Wis.-based Mid-Continent Railway Museum’s operating

www.TrainsMag.com 55 What appears to be Rock Island AB6 A Milwaukee Road job, led by F7 No. 109C I boarded Erie Lackawanna train No. 15, No. 750 makes its way out of LaSalle and trailing A-B-A units, crosses the the Owl, at Hornell about 9 a.m., after Street Station, leading a commuter train. diamonds at Blue Island. spending a long night sleeping in the depot.

crew. It remains one of the active locomotives.) he excursion train departed, and from it we saw Penn Central As we got closer to Chicago, we began to see trains and loco- and Chicago & Eastern Illinois passenger trains, a C&EI freight, motives of other railroads — Elgin, Joliet & Eastern and Chesa- and locomotives of other railroads along the way. Everything peake & Ohio in Gary, Ind.; Great Northern Baldwin S12 No. 27 seemed ine until we got to Valparaiso, Ind. We pulled into a siding near Inland Steel; Northern Paciic F3A No. 6003A, which would and the local ire department watered the engine. Everyone was be traded in to GE the following year; and a Pennsy switcher. out along the tracks to watch — no crowd control back then, peo- Penn Central shared LaSalle Street Station with the Rock Island, ple were all over the main line. We sat there for what seemed like 2 and a number of old cab units, including E6 No. 630, E8 No. 650, hours, with GTW’s eastbound Maple Leaf and freights crawling and what looked like AB6 No. 750 were seen on the way into and through the crowd. Finally, the word came — a lubrication line out of the station on commuter trains. had been pinched during the preceding night’s incident. We would John and I had decided to do some railfanning on Saturday and need to turn back to Chicago, our excursion over. To say we were ride the 2102 trip on Sunday, so we proceeded to John’s favorite disappointed was an understatement. We were provided one runby spot, Blue Island Tower, south of Chicago. John knew the operator, at slow speed, then it was limping back to Dearborn. Our excur- so we had free run of the tower and information on incoming sion train arrived back in Chicago in the evening as the sun set, trains. Indiana Harbor Belt NW2 No. 8725 and another similar and all of the passengers slowly iled by the ailing 4-8-4 as we unit headed across the Calumet Sag Channel bridge and crossed walked toward the station. the Grand Trunk Western main line, followed closely by a Milwau- he next day, while John worked, he had told me the Santa Fe kee Road job headed by F7 No. 109C with additional A-B-A units ran not far from his home in Oak Lawn, Ill., and gave me direc- trailing. hen Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal SW900 tions to walk there. On the way, I stopped to watch a Belt Railway No. 9426 and transfer caboose C1896 trundled by, and lots of Rock of Chicago Geep switch at the Argo Corn Starch plant. In those Island commuter trains were visible on the overpass to the south. days before GPS devices, however, I took a wrong turn and ended Of to the north, a whistle sounded the arrival of Reading 2102 up in Argo Yard on the Soo Line. Despite not seeing a Santa Fe moving right along on Saturday’s excursion. We took our shots of train, I was treated to Indiana Harbor Belt SW1500s Nos. 9204 and the 2102 from the tower, then headed of for other pursuits. A visit 9201 on a transfer job, and then a Soo Line train came through to Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry introduced me to with my irst view of the white-and-red paint scheme on GP30 New York Central No. 999 and Santa Fe 4-8-4 No. 2903 (now at the No. 705, GP35 No. 730, and F3B No. 2200C, looking pretty sharp, Illinois Railway Museum). All were outside, along with the Burling- all clean and shiny. hen B&OCT SW9 No. 9604 came through ton Zephyr, and facing Lake Michigan. Access to the Zephyr’s interi- with a short cut of cars. or wasn’t possible other than looking through the doors in one vesti- Further into the yard, there was a long row of units on a dead bule so we contented ourselves with seats in the locomotive cabs. line, including several Santa Fe RSD5s, a Union Paciic RS2 and he next morning, we arrived at Dearborn Station to learn that Penn Central Baldwin DS4-4-1000 No. 7963, still lettered for during the previous night’s arrival, the 2102 was slightly damaged Pennsy. I was going for a closer look when some unsavory looking while passing through a switch. No one thought it was a big deal. characters appeared from behind the locomotives and started yell-

MY EPIC TRIP FROM NY TO CHICAGO, 1968 ONTARIO PC Syracuse ILL. Kalamazoo Cab ride, Buffalo Chicago PC Jackson here to Chicago! Trip begins Michigan Mattawan Detroit Warsaw and ends here Argo City PC Transfer to PC Blue Island Gary Niles MICHIGAN for trip home South Bend E NEW YORK Slept on stairs, Hammond GTW R I waiting for train E EL Valparaiso K E Hornell Nickel Plate L A steam on display INDIANA EL PENNSYLVANIA OHIO EL Erie Lackawanna GTW Grand Trunk Western EL N PC Penn Central 0 Scale 100 miles Youngstown © 2016 Kalmbach Publishing Co., TRAINS: Rick Johnson Marion

56 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 My ﬁrst view of the white-and-red Soo Line paint scheme on ing at me, so I decided to seek out safer environs and invited my- GP30 No. 705, GP35 No. 730, and F3B No. 2200C looked self into Argo Tower where the understanding operator allowed pretty sharp passing Argo Tower in 1968. me to spend a couple of hours watching the parade outside his window. Penn Central and B&OCT sent some trains through, then I irst tried to sleep on the stairs to the second loor of the depot the same Soo units returned for an encore. where the dispatchers were located, but stair treads do little for On another day, we caught a short Milwaukee Road passenger back comfort. Eventually, I found the crew room with a big table train at Northbrook, Ill., with a ribbed-side combine, a smooth- and some chairs. I sat down, lowered my head to the tabletop, and side coach, and a ribbed-side baggage car trailing the lone E unit. was out like a light until daylight. If any crewmen came in while I To make up for the loss of a full trip behind 2102, I decided to was out, I never knew, and they kindly let me sleep. switch my return ticket so I could ride the Erie Lackawanna’s over- he Owl, train 15, was a mere shadow of its former self when it night Lake Cities back home. I purchased a ticket to Hornell, N.Y., arrived around 9 a.m. with ex-Erie E8 No. 823, a baggage car, and and then from Hornell to Bufalo on the Owl, an overnight mail one coach. I boarded the coach, and when we let for Bufalo, there train. From Bufalo, I would use the remainder of my original Penn were 10 people on the train: the engineer, ireman, conductor, train- Central ticket to ride the PC back to Syracuse. he EL was a class man, a baggageman, the maintenance-of-way supervisor for the sec- act and dinner in the diner provided a wonderful pork-chop entrée. tion, three other passengers, and me. I spent a good deal of time in As I looked out the window, I saw Nickel Plate Road 2-8-2 No. 624 the rear vestibule with the supervisor, looking back at where we had at Hammond, Ind., but no other trains shared the tracks that day. been. I remember crossing the high trestle over the Letchworth At Youngstown, Ohio, I got of and watched the switcher tie oice Gorge and making a stop in Warsaw, N.Y., but there was no other car No. 2 onto the rear of our train as the light faded, while a lag- train activity until we arrived at the East Bufalo yard in Bufalo. he man used kerosene lanterns to lag the crossing. hen we were of train stopped at the Babcock Street yard oice and I had just a few into the night and in the wee hours of the following morning, I was minutes to catch a shot of EL U33Cs Nos. 3306 and class loco 3301, awakened and told I had reached my destination: Hornell. U25B No. 2517, C&O GP35 No. 3525 and GP30 No. 3028, and an Hornell had been a big railroad town, with the old locomotive unidentiied Norfolk & Western unit. GP9 No. 1262 in its old Erie shops close by the large, red-brick, two-story depot. he large, dim- black-and-yellow scheme kept company with N&W ex-Wabash F7s ly lit Hornell waiting room was quiet and empty. I dropped down Nos. 3725, 3666, and 3671, all in a blue-and-gray paint scheme, a on a bench, put my Erie Lackawanna foam pillow under my head, sign of the recent inclusion of the Erie Lackawanna into the N&W and went back to sleep. A short while later, I heard the westbound holding company Dereco. here was one taxi waiting for passengers Lake Cities pull in. he conductor came into the depot and woke desperate enough to take this train to bring them to their destina- me up, asking if I was waiting for that train. I told him no, I was tion, so I shared a taxi that eventually brought me to Bufalo Central waiting for the Owl, and he gave me a strange look. He let and I Terminal and my train for home. heard the train start to move, and then the brakes went on. he rear I had time to grab a shot of PC steam heat car XH-7, still let- trainman came running in to see if I was missing my train, and tered New York Central, which was providing steam for the few re- when I responded to him in the negative, he stormed of, waving a maining passenger trains calling here. I don’t remember the ride to wild highball, and the train disappeared into the night. Syracuse on PC or how I got from there to my home in Auburn. Just as I settled down again on the bench, the agent came in EL discontinued the Owl on May 23, 1969, and the Lake Cities in and told me I had to leave, he was locking up the depot. I ex- January 1970. No. 2102 is under restoration at the Reading Blue plained that I was waiting for the Owl and asked him where I Mountain & Northern in Pennsylvania, but this trip still ranks as could go, but he had no suggestions, just not in the waiting room. one of my most memorable fantrip adventures. 2

www.TrainsMag.com 57 IN MY OWN WORDS

Westbound Canadian National train 387, en route to Toledo, Ohio, leaves St. Clair Tunnel, between Sarnia and Port Huron, on Aug. 13, 2010. They don’t train them like they used to Two experienced railroaders move a train out of a tunnel in Ontario

Story and photos by Charles H. Geletzke Jr.

On Pearl Harbor Day 2003, my con- on duty for No. 383, reporting at 2:30 a.m., mal. hen, we waited for our train to arrive. ductor, Larry Williams, and I were sitting and would take the train to Lang Yard in We were alone in the room and were proba- in the book-in room at Tunnel Yard in Port Toledo, Ohio, and then taxi back to Flat bly discussing plans for the upcoming holi- Huron, Mich., on Canadian National’s for- Rock. We obtained an advanced consist for days or maybe the signiicance of this day mer Grand Trunk Western Railroad, wait- our train, read the bulletins, and secured 62 years ago. Ater all, Larry had been a tin ing for our train to arrive. We were regular- the proper clearance for our trip to Toledo. can sailor in Vietnam, and I had been one ly assigned to train No. 384/383, working Our paperwork told us that we were going of Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children. seven days a week. his trip began at 6:30 to have four units, CN SD75I No. 5652 in Ater waiting about 45 minutes, the a.m. the previous day at Flat Rock, Mich., the lead, with CN SD40-2 No. 5320, Wis- Sarnia trainmaster, Teresa Edwards, came and we took train No. 384 to Sarnia, consin Central SD40-3 No. 6948, and CN charging into the room while pulling on Ontario. We tied-up at 6:07 p.m. and taxied SD70I No. 5615, which equaled 14,300 hp. her coat and mittens. She announced to us to the hotel in Port Huron for rest. he consist stated we’d have 120 loads and that No. 383 had “gotten a knuckle and was Ater spending only 8 hours and 27 10 empties, totaling 16,977 tons, and be in two pieces in the tunnel [the St. Clair minutes in the hotel, we were ordered back 10,080 feet long, slightly longer than nor- Tunnel linking Sarnia with Port Huron].

58 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 And that’s not the worst part,” she pro- in this era of little hands-on training. head out the window and stared at the claimed. “My husband is the conductor!” Suddenly, Trainmaster Edwards called ground, trying to detect motion. Slowly, al- Not showing much sympathy, Larry again on the radio. She said that the young most imperceptible, we began to move. I chimed in. “Aw, he’s got nothing to worry CN engineer was unable to pull the train increased the throttle a little more. about; he wasn’t running the train!” out of the tunnel. He was justly afraid that I heard the chirp on the telemetry re- And out the door she went. he might once again pull the train in two, ceiver indicating that the rear car was mov- We began to speculate on possible causing more delay. She asked if I would get ing. I gave it a little more throttle and soon causes. he temperature was about 24 de- two more units from the yard, tie-on the was in Notch 8. hat train of lumber and grees Fahrenheit with a clear sky, and the train, and try pulling it out of the tunnel. paper out of the Maritimes, aluminum and wind at about 4 mph, gusting to 12 mph, I asked Larry where the lead unit was nickel ingots from Sudbury, and every haz- which was not much of a factor. hey ater the train was put back together and ardous chemical produced in Southern On- might ind that the knuckle was previously calculated that as the train now stood it had tario was on the move. I looked across the cracked or broken, deferring the blame. But .859 horsepower/ton. I looked at Larry and cab at Larry and saw a big grin on his face. more than likely, the road foreman would said. “I think we can pull it out as it is!” his was what we loved about railroading. be called from home to download the unit’s Larry looked at me, rolled his eyes, and As we slowly crept by the trainmaster’s event recorder to establish culpability; 90 asked. “Are you sure?” vehicle sitting at the 16th Street crossing at percent of the time it was engineer error. “Larry, how many years have we been the top of the grade, Larry and I noticed the he St. Clair Tunnel is a momentum working together?” dropped jaws and wide-eyed expressions on tunnel constructed beneath the St. Clair Larry then told Trainmaster Edwards to the faces of Trainmaster Edwards and the River, and with most trains, if you enter at come and get us and that we would pull the inbound crew. the proper speed and begin to stretch out train out of the tunnel just the way it was. While Larry and I took the train to the the train just as it begins to decelerate, the She too asked. “Do you really think west end of the yard to clear U.S. Customs, train’s momentum will push you right in that you can?” Larry responded, “Let us Trainmaster Edwards took the Sarnia crew and out. However, we do have some artists give it a try.” to the yard oice. Ater stopping the train at of true throttle experimentation. Maybe he With that, she picked us up and drove Tappan, we once again saw the white CN tried to go through at full throttle; tried to us to the train. As was normal, we ex- SUV approaching. he vehicle stopped next use the air or the dynamic brake; started to changed pleasantries with the Canadian to my side of the cab, and she waved us over throttle out too soon or too late, causing crew, inquired about anything that might to her vehicle. Larry and I walked over, and excessive slack action; or combined all of hinder our progress, and any other prob- Trainmaster Edwards rolled down the driv- these techniques. Time would tell, but lems that they may have encountered while er’s side window and asked, “I want to Larry and I agreed that the odds were that en route from Toronto. We then climbed know how you two were able to pull that the engineer would be found at fault. aboard the train. I performed my usual train out of the tunnel when the Canadian Suddenly our discussion was interrupt- walk-through inspection of all four units. engineer could not?” ed by a call on the radio. “Conductor on Over the years, I’ve corrected a number of Larry and I looked at one another, and outbound CN train No. 383, this is the Port problems on units that I have received from then I answered. “You want to know what Huron trainmaster calling. Over.” (Canadi- inbound engineers. his morning, I took we used to repair that knuckle and get this an crews and oicials always begin their no exceptions to anything. hen, Larry and train out of the tunnel? I’ll tell you (as I radio transmissions in the exact opposite I discussed our strategy. spoke I dofed my frayed black Kromer cap manner to which Americans do.) At this point, the air was cut-in on the with its faded red, white, and blue button Larry grabbed his radio handset and re- train, but the brakes were still applied. As I proclaiming Brotherhood of Locomotive sponded. “his is the conductor on out- sat in my seat, I could see the trainmaster’s Engineers) ... gray hair!” bound CN train No. 383 answering. Over.” SUV with the inbound crew inside moni- Trainmaster Edwards then told Larry toring our performance. I needed to put on CHARLES H. GELETZKE JR. retired from that neither her husband nor she was able a good show. CN in 2011. He is the author of “When to install the new knuckle in the defective I turned on the sanders, bailed of the Deadhead Counted as Rest and Other Rail- car. She asked if Larry would assist. independent brake, and allowed the units road Stories.” He lives in Temperance, Mich. Larry agreed and asked if she would to roll back against the train. My goal was drive to the yard oice and pick him up as to make sure that there was sand under as the train separation was about a mile away, many wheels as possible. I then put the just outside of the west tunnel portal. throttle in Notch 1 and released the auto- In a few minutes, Trainmaster Edwards matic brake valve. In this era with an entire arrived. From the time the two arrived at train of ABD and ABDW brakes, I knew the scene of the delay, Larry had the new that the brakes on the entire train would be knuckle replaced in less than one minute. released in about 17 seconds. Trainmaster Edwards returned Larry to Now was the critical part of the equa- the yard oice while the Sarnia crew tied tion. Fortunately, because the tail end of the the train back together and prepared to pull train was still hanging out the east end of it out of the tunnel and up to the west end the tunnel, I still had communication with of Tunnel Yard at Tappan interlocking my marker almost 2 miles away in Canada. where we would change crews. I watched as the air pressure began to in- Larry came into the yard oice and illed crease on the rear end and simultaneously me in. He guessed that neither Edwards the numbers on my air low indicator de- family member had ever changed a knuckle creased. As this occurred, I increased throt- before and didn’t know how to properly po- tle position and amperage going to the Canadian National westbound and sition the lock-lit to insert the knuckle. We traction motors, being careful not to allow eastbound trains meet at Tunnel Yard in agreed that this was probably not their fault the wheels of the units to slip. I stuck my Port Huron, Mich., on May 13, 2011.

www.TrainsMag.com 59 PRESERVATION BY KEVIN P. KEEFE New home for a Nickel Plate jewel Fort Wayne, Ind., organization envisions a roundhouse to house 2-8-4 No. 765

Artist’s concept of Headwaters Junction, new home for Nickel Plate Road No. 765 in Fort Wayne, Ind. Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society

Fresh from years of successful mainline for the group’s big 1944 Lima-built Berkshire. pot used by a local recreation outitter. excursions, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical “he 765 was preserved by the city of Steininger says negotiations are underway to Society is pursuing a bold plan for a new home Fort Wayne to recognize how a successful buy and raze the Pepsi plant. for its star, Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 765. railroad elevation project in the 1950s in- And then there’s a twist on the project. he society has a grand vision for Head- spired a half-century’s worth of progress,” Lynch’s reference to Fort Wayne’s historic ele- waters Junction, a historical and recreational says Kelly Lynch, society vice president. “To- vation project recalls Nickel Plate’s massive park to be built north of downtown Fort day, the engine has become an international 1955 relocation of its main line through Wayne along the St. Marys River. A round- attraction and can be the centerpiece in a downtown, liting it from grade level to a se- house and shop would serve as the new base new era of development.” ries of bridges and ills, including a new pas- Headwaters Junction is planned as a $14- senger station. At the dedication, the railroad to $18-million project, to be constructed in sent 2-8-4 No. 767 to break the ceremonial three phases and designed to draw approxi- ribbon, completing the dream known locally mately 120,000 visitors annually. he railroad as “Elevate the Nickel Plate.” historical society assembled a blue-chip Years later, the city requested No. 767 for group of local business and non-proit lead- display at Lawton Park. However, railroad ers for fundraising. “Our board is excited at management determined that the Berkshire the possibilities that Headwaters Junction in the best condition for preservation was represents for future riverfront development. 765, a favorite with crews operating between We are aggressively pursuing ways to make Fort Wayne and Chicago. So with a simple this a reality,” says Don Steininger, a develop- switch of paint, number boards, and num- er and project chairman. ber plate, the 765 quietly became No. 767. Initial concept illustrations show a It was installed in the park in May 1963. mixed-use destination that also includes a he substitute number remained until the 1940s-inspired restaurant, a rail-theme park, society got the engine in 1974 and began resto- and a small-gauge tourist railroad linking the ration. In a nod to that history, the society re- park to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. numbered the 2-8-4 as 767 for the rest of 2016, Lynch says the society hopes to make including September trips on Cuyahoga Valley Headwaters its operating base, relegating its Scenic Railroad. he new look includes a 767 existing New Haven, Ind., complex to long- number plate, lighted number boards, and No. 765 wears sister No. 767’s markings term storage, maintenance, and repairs. magnetic numbers. he crew also returned a this fall to remember the engine that made he project site is the location of a Pepsi Mars light to the smokebox, matching 1950s its preservation possible. Greg McDonnell distributor and an ex-New York Central de- Nickel Plate Road practice.

60 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 SERVAT RE IO P N

Cosmopolitan side of Colorado steam W TRAINS’ $10,000

A R

In 1973 Don Drawer bought No. 111 2016 D preservation award and moved it to the U.S., but plans to steam it never materialized, and the engine TRAINS is accepting proposals was sold for display in Breckenridge, Colo. through Oct. 28 for its annual $10,000 In 2007, History Colorado bought preservation award. The grant will go No. 111, and assigned it to the Georgetown to a nonprofit educational group in the Loop. he mechanical staf in Silver Plume, U.S. or Canada for the restoration or Colo., began restoration in 2013. he three- repair of a locomotive, rolling stock, or Former International Railways of Central year task culminated in No. 111’s return — a structure; or for archives. Priority America 2-8-0 No. 111 steams again at the irst time the engine hauled a train goes to projects of regional or national Georgetown Loop Railroad. Nick Hovey under its own power in almost 50 years. significance, for which the grant will As an example of Baldwin’s foreign mar- make a significant impact, and that will Colorado steam railroading has a de- ket, No. 111’s restoration has historic signii- be spent by Dec. 31, 2017. Projects served reputation for timelessness, and an cance. hroughout the irm’s existence, the nearing completion are preferred. enviable concentration of steam locomotives foreign market formed a small but reliable Proposals should be no more than 200 trundling on in deiance of passing time. niche. Baldwin produced and exported lo- words, and include a basic project Most are deeply rooted in local history, but comotives to distant destinations such as budget and up to five images. there are surprises in the Rockies, as well. Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Applications should be sent by email to International Railways of Central Ameri- Russia. Only Beyer, Peacock & Co., the [email protected] or mailed ca No. 111, which returned to service at the manufacturer which supplied locomotives to TRAINS Preservation Award, P.O. Box Georgetown Loop in August, is one such for the nations that formerly composed the 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187. Editor Jim outlier. he Baldwin 2-8-0’s history forms a British Empire, reached the same level of in- Wrinn will announce the winner Nov. 12 stark contrast to abundant K-28s and K-36s ternational distribution. at the Association of Tourist Railroads and their near-century of service in Colora- No. 111 is not the only Baldwin repatri- & Railway Museums’s annual meeting do: It was built for export to Guatemala in ate in the state — Colorado Railroad Muse- in Savannah, Ga., and on TRAINS “News 1926, and spent four decades running there. um has a similar locomotive on display, and Wire.” The winner will be profiled in the Fortunately for No. 111, the end came as a 2-8-0 that served in Mexico sits in Black January 2017 issue. Colorado tourist railroads began to coalesce. Hawk, Colo. — Hayley Enoch

TRAINS magazine and Special Interest Tours present HERITAGE TRAINS OF INDIA

15 days, 14 nights Feb. 2-16, 2017 Steam train to Rewari Steam Centre • National Rail Museum in New Delhi • Himalayan Mountaineering Institute Private steam charter on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway • Ride the “Toy Train” via Batasia Loop and stop at Ghum, highest station in India • Taj Mahal Palaces and tombs in Delhi and Jaipur • Amer fort in Jaipur Tiger Hill excursion • Tibetan Refugee Crafts Center • Narrow gauge rail bus to Shimla 5-star accommodations, private chartered ground transport, two meals daily DETAILS, RESERVATIONS: [email protected] www.SpecialInterestTours.com • 727-330-7738

www.TrainsMag.com 61 HOT SPOTS BY NOLAN WALLENKAMP CN’s Matteson connection New railfan park ofers an elevated view of Illinois mainline action

A southbound CN intermodal train comes off the IC and on to the connection to head east on the former EJ&E.

provides the best views of the Matteson Sub as well as the southeast connection track. In total, CN runs about 50 trains through the area in 24 hours. The trafﬁc includes a mix of intermodal, ethanol, grain, and other unit trains. Manifest trains frequently operate to or from Kirk Yard, located at the eastern end of the former An elevated viewing platform provides the best sight of the action. Here, a CN freight EJ&E main line in Gary, Ind. comes off the former EJ&E and onto the Illinois Central. Three photos, Nolan Wallenkamp Amtrak makes an appearance with its daily City of New Orleans, Illini, and Saluki on the LOCATION: Chicago is still the U.S. Following its acquisition of the EJ&E, CN elevated Illinois Central route. Two trains operate railroad capital. With stations, invested in a $30 million connection that enables north and one train operates south in the interchanges, and yards all over, Chicagoland trains to travel in any direction. Completed in morning, while one train operates north and two offers much for visiting railfans. Canadian 2010, this engineering marvel enables routing trains operate south in the evenings. National and the Village of Matteson, Ill., realized many of CN’s trains on the former EJ&E belt line this tremendous railfan draw and have and around much of the city’s rail congestion. RADIO FREQUENCIES: CN responded by building a railfan park with an Matteson Sub, 160.920; CN Chicago elevated view of the action. Located about 30 TRAIN-WATCHING: There are Sub, 161.190; Metra Electric District, 161.025 miles south of the Loop, Matteson is host to the three key locations to view trains around intersection of two busy Canadian National main the new Matteson connection. FOR YOUR FAMILY: Passing lines, as well as the Metra Electric District The ﬁrst is the new park that lies northeast through Matteson just north of the Metra commuter rail line. of the connection. Opened in 2013, the park station is the Old Plank Road Trail. This 22-mile Until CN purchased the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern provides great views of train action on the paved bike trail connecting Joliet and Chicago in 2009, Matteson consisted of a grade- connection tracks. The 35-foot-high elevated Heights started out as the right-of-way for the separated crossing of the east-to-west-running observation platform has several benches under Michigan Central Railroad in the late 1800s. For former EJ&E Matteson Subdivision and the north- its canopy and is a great place to hang out while more information, go to www.oprt.org. to-south Illinois Central Chicago Subdivision and waiting for the next train. Aside from the the Metra Electric District and one connection. platform, a 500-foot-long boardwalk also offers To Interstate 57 Lincoln Highway unique photo angles. A retired EJ&E caboose Matteson 30

and crossing gate are on display, marking the Main Street To Chicago ILLINOIS park entrance.

Metra Metra Electric District

MATTESON, Ill. MATTESON, N The second location is the Metra Matteson CN Matteson Sub station. With service between Millennium Station CN Chicago Sub Homan Avenue in Downtown Chicago and University Park, the Front Street Metra Electric District is a busy corridor with Old Plank Road Trail several north/south movements every hour, and Metra station fewer on weekends. The station also provides Railfan park the best views of the Chicago Subdivision and is CN To South Bend, Ind. great for afternoon photos of trains traversing To Joliet 0 Scale 1 2 A former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern caboose the connection. ⁄ mile © 2016 Kalmbach Publishing Co. marks the entrance to the boardwalk that The third location is the grade crossing of To Kankakee TRAINS: Rick Johnson CN leads to the elevated viewing platform. the Matteson Sub and Main Street. This spot Not all streets shown.

>> Want to enter our online photo contest? THIS MONTH: 62 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 www.TrainsMag.com/Trackside Pacific Electric from Monte Vista PublishingLLC PE v2 Hollywood-Venice Line LA to Santa Monica Annual rail events Begin in Downtown Los Angeles, north thru the tunnels to set 2017 dates Sunset, Hollywood, Santa Monica Blvds. additional cities, W. It’s never too early to plan your next L.A., Beverly Hills railfan adventure. A number of popular and Brentwood. railfan events already have dates for next Several types of trolleys 600s, 950s, Box & Freight Motors year. Here’s what’s set so far: Full page, black & white photographs, Roster & Action available from fine railroad book stores & hobby shops • Perennial multimedia show and rail- Please call Now Please include roadiana sale Winterail returns March 18, Available $12.00 $27.50 shipping & handling 2017, in Corvallis, Ore. he event, which (970)761-0180 www.montevistapublishing.com ran for more than 30 years in Stockton, 1625 Mid Valley Dr. #1-160, Steamboat Springs, Co. 80487 Calif., is a full day of sights and sounds. mvp at zirkel.us CO. residents please add $2.38 tax ea. • he Madison, Wis.-based Center for Railroad Photography & Art will hold its MORNING SUN BOOKS annual “Conversations About Photogra- Trains These all-color 128-page hardcover books phy” conference at Lake Forest College in Your ad in will be available November 1, 2016 suburban Chicago April 28-30, 2017. Con- reaches the world’s largest audience of versations draws a number of high-proile people passionate about railroading. railroad photographers and authors each year, and it’s a great way to network and To Advertise call: learn how they made their images. 888-558-1544 • Ohio multimedia show and sale Sum- merail will return to the Palace heatre in Mike Yuhas, Marion, Ohio, for the second year on Aug. Sales Rep. ext. 625 CONRAIL SHARED ASSETS OPERATIONS FREE GUIDE! 12, 2017, following a successful opening 600+ TOURIST LINES & MUSEUMS IN COLOR www.TrainsMag.com • May 2016 10 units there this year. Summerail is normally held you need By Arthur J. Erdman Item# 1595 to see p. 18 Michael in Cincinnati, but has moved temporarily Ward

STEAM Q&A p. 12 LOCOMOTIVES ILLINOIS CENTRAL THROUGH ARE HUNGRY while its regular venue, the famed Cincin- FOR GOOD COAL PASSENGER SERVICE IN COLOR p. 48 nati Union Terminal, undergoes a multi- White Pass Everett Railroad & Yukon No. 11 Item# 1596 steams in By Greg Stout passenger Pennsylvania. year renovation. cars: Relics Keep your favorite railroad museum in STEEL MILL RAILROADS mind for special events, too. For example, IN COLOR VOLUME 7 the Lake Shore Railway Museum in North By Stephen M. Timko Item# 1597 East, Pa., hosts an annual “Night at the Order today at price of $59.95 apiece plus $7 shipping Railroad Museum” the third weekend in (add $2 for each add’l book) Canada-$12; foreign-$21, each. June each year. he event, which is sched- All books are shipped via U.S. Mail. uled for June 17-18, 2017, includes a night- NJ (7%) residents add Sales Tax time train-watching session along the Find us on Visa/MC accepted – 9am-5pm Facebook Call (908) 806-6216 town’s busy CSX Transportation and Nor- Morning Sun Books, Inc. folk Southern main lines. Other museums c/o W&C, 1200 CR #523 ~ Flemington, NJ 08822 sponsor recurring events to watch for, such as the Illinois Railway Museum’s summer Digital Reprints Diesel Days event and autumn Museum $19.99 apiece, every page of classic, Showcase Weekend. — Brian Schmidt out-of-print Morning Sun Books! Check our website for more titles and ordering info >> Santa returns MorningSunBooks.com

CSX Transportation’s Santa Train will return to the former Clinchﬁeld route in Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee on Nov. 19, 2016. The train, shown at Haysi, Va., in 2015, distributes gifts to children along the route. Ron Flanary

www.TrainsMag.com 63 ASK TRAINS >> This Month: • Animal-feed trains • Blue bearing caps • Switch heaters

This blue roller bearing cap is a Brenco Class K 61⁄2 x 9 model. These are more common as half of the freight-car ﬂeet is made of heavier cars. Bucyrus Railcar Repair A Cargill unit feed train rolls through Shawnee, Kan., in June 2009. The train consists of covered bathtub gondolas pulled from coal service. Zach Pumphery Why are the roller bearing caps of Qsome freight cars painted blue? — While traveling near Atchison, Kan., I noticed a Nathan Penn, Monmouth, Ill. BNSF Railway train with covered bathtub coal Q In 1988, the Association of American gondolas. What were the covers for, and could they ARailroads sponsored the Heavy Load Research Program to provide guidance to be removed should they be rotary dumped? the railroad industry and its plan to in- — Lyle Sentel, Arthur, Ill. crease the loaded weight of railcars. Increasing the weight of loaded railcars hat was likely a unit train of Cargill ings, reassigned from coal service. hey would increase railroad productivity by ASweet Bran, a brand of cattle feed, are equipped with Shur-Lok brand roll allowing trains to transport more freight and not coal at all. his is a product creat- tarps, similar to ones manufactured for via a decrease in trains, railcars, train ed from the corn wet-milling process use on grain-hauling semitruck trailers, crews, and fuel. By 1991, the railroad in- conducted at plants within the Midwest. to prevent the slurry-like product from dustry started accepting railcars with a he commodity is moved in bulk be- being exposed to the elements and 286,000-pound gross weight in interchange tween the mills and Cargill’s distribution spoiling en route. service. Within 20 years, virtually all unit centers in Dalhart and Bovina, Texas. When the trains arrive at a Texas dis- trains of coal, sand, and rock were running BNSF Railway, Canadian National, tribution center, they are unloaded with on 286,000-pound capacity trucks. and Iowa Interstate operate the trains, a rotary dumper on a loop track in a he blue bearing caps you are spotting which originate at various plants in Iowa. method similar to a coal train for con- identify Brenco Class K 61 ⁄2 x 9 bearings he cars are aluminum Bethgon sumption at area feedlots, and the emp- manufactured for 286,000-pound trucks. Coalporters, usually with a majority ties return north. — Zach Pumphery, hese bearings are a double-row, tapered- sporting Burlington Northern mark- locomotive engineer design, fatigue-resistant unit for heavy haul application, using a low torque seal option that increases fuel eiciency. hese bearings are becoming more prevalent as 50 percent of North Ameri- ca’s rail freight is now moving on 286,000-pound-compatible trucks. — Swing nose frog omas Cathcart, Bucyrus Railcar Repair

The picture on page 42 of the March Q2016 issue shows some interesting trackside equipment. It looks like they Switch heaters could be switch heater propane tanks, Switch points however, I don’t see any switches. — Bruce Bussert, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

A northbound BNSF coal train passes Coal Creek Junction, Wyo., in July 2008. Steve Glischinski >> Questions? Email [email protected] to have your 64 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 question considered for a future issue! Black/White Prints - Lists (with sample): RAILROAD Street car and interurban 19,700 scenes ...... $9.00 IN THE DECEMBER ISSUE Steam and diesel 3,300 scenes ...... $3.00 COMMUNICATIONS Bus and trolley bus 2,150 scenes ...... $3.00 Duplicate Color Slides - Lists (with sample): Is customer service MOTOROLA TWO-WAY RADIOS Street car and interurban 10,700 scenes ...... $6.00 Portable • Mobile • Locomotive • Base Steam and diesel 13,800 scenes ...... $6.00 railroading’s salvation, CP200D, 16F Scan, $410 Bus and trolley bus 2,400 scenes ...... $3.00 its silver bullet? We HT1250, 128F Scan, $615 4DIPMFT1IPUPTt%FQU5. Guarantee 'JODBTUMF%SJWFt#FBWFSDSFFL 0) Best RAILSCAN Prices! MOBILE GAIN ANTENNA Conrail: MHB5800 3db-Gain antenna, The split that works tuned to RR band, mag. mount…$84 SCANNERS 1HZ'9'612:%867,1* BC125A W/Narrowband . . . . . $155 \HDUVRISKRWRFKDUWHUVRQWKH&XPEUHV BC355N W/Narrowband . . . . . $140 7ROWHFZLWKHQJLQH\HDUVDQG Please add $17 for shipping Extreme railroading: :DWFKWKHHQJLQHVEXVWWKURXJKVQRZSOXV Freight on a 4-percent grade ÁDQJHU2-LQDFWLRQ0LQ 6' Railcom RU %OX5D\$GG 6 + 86 XPR7550 Box 38881 • Germantown, TN 38183 *UHJ6FKROO9LGHR3URGXFWLRQV Latest Philly commuter news 901-755-1514 • www.railcom.net 32%R[7%DWDYLD2+ email: [email protected] JUHJVFKROOYLGHRFRP Steam and street running today Photo worth getting soaked for NEW! Premium Oregon hot spot Dot-to-Dot Collection Update on double-tracking: TAKE A TRIP ON Finishing the Transcons ROUTE 66 Historic Route 66 continues to captivate travelers from Chicago to Los Angeles with ON SALE NOV. 8, 2016 its small-town charm, roadside attractions, and sense of whimsy. Our NEW Cruisin’ Route 66 dot-to-dot book includes 30 individual, iconic sites. he propane tanks are indeed for Aswitch heaters (see photo on page Each illustration contains 600 dots for a 64). In fact, each switch has two heaters, challenging — but doable — visual puzzle. one for the switch points and one for the Printed on premium art paper with a swing-nose, or moveable, frog — where perforated edge. the rails converge.

-to-D Propane or natural gas power switch Dot ot C m oll iu ec m t e io r n P heaters and keep the switch points clear • • Cruisin’ during winter storms. hey are especially ROUTE 66 common on busy main lines, like the r e rn Tu Powder River Basin coal line shown. Adam Many installations are dispatcher con-

54 55 Shop for books, 51 58 trolled, which requires a dispatcher to 50 59

56 49 53 52 57 60 have current weather information along 48 110 170

DVDs, downloads, 189 192 193

40 252 the territory. Other installations have 191 198 42 248 202 44 38 251 203 247 197 199 41 249 194 46 43 36 243 208 207 29 31 39 201 45 244 211 33 239 242 200 204 27 37 35 weather-sensing technology that will 195 206 30 232 28 230 205 210 25 238 240 241 245 212 47 228 32 234 209 219 26 34 236 237 246 216 24 226 224 231 213 220 gear and 227 229 233 215 222 218 174 107 235 turn on the burners when snow falls. 214 217 223 225 221 169 183

284 — Brian Schmidt 181 182 other products 171

123 125 113

119 124 115 126 111 121 72 73 69 9 118 116 112 68 12 8 What happened to the Northern 122 13 114 related to your 120 63 6 82 62 QAlberta Railways? 7 22 64 5 — Michael 81 1 117 23 21 • 30 PUZZLES AND SOLUTIONS 65 177 20 18 78 4 2 • HEAVY-WEIGHTED ARTIST PAPER 19 17 77 16 66 Connolly, Minot, N.D. favorite hobby. 3 • PERFORATED PAGES he Northern Alberta Railways Co. Cruisin’ Route 66 Awas incorporated in June 1929 as a By Adam Turner joint venture of Canadian National and #52001 • $12.99 Canadian Paciic. It operated four railroads KalmbachHobbyStore.comVisit previously owned by the province begin- Buy now from your ning July 1, 1929. In 1980, CP sold its share of the rail- local hobby shop! road to CN, and the latter incorporated the smaller road into its Peace River Divi- Shop at sion on Jan. 1, 1981. — Brian Schmidt KalmbachHobbyStore.com

www.TrainsMag.com 65 Classic Trains SPECIAL EDITION NO. 19 Save $1 + FREE SHIPPING* GreatTrains Rediscover the golden age of railroad travel in America’s EAST The golden age busiest region: the East. This special collectors edition of American rail travel takes you back to an era of optimism when luxurious trains transported passengers to the country’s leading cities including Boston, New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

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Our NEW 2017 calendar offers the perfect planning tool Trains across America for train enthusiasts. Printed on premium paper stock with an easy-to-read format, eathisch full-size calendar 2017 features a curated collection of photographs from the pages of Trains magazine. TRAINS ACROSS AMERICA 2017 This beautifully photographed calendar presents a variety of moving trains, including Class I, shortline, and heritage units, in breathtaking scenes across America. NOW A bonus spread features the restoration of Norfolk & AVAILABLE! Western’s No. 611 passenger locomotive. #68185 • $12.99

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NS/Virginian Photo by Samuel Phillips West Texas & Lubbock In this tranquil scene on August 9, 2013, Norfolk Southern Photo by Mike Cleaver train 756 drops downgrade through Lafayette, Virginia, with Virginian heritage unit No. 1069 treading original May Check our entire selection A West Texas & Lubbock train slowly emerges from Virginian Railway tracks. Although motive power has an unexpected sandstorm created by high winds near evolved from the days of electrics, the gorgeous scenery Whiteface, Texas, in November 2013. The short line was along the previously electriﬁed main line has changed Friday Saturday purchased in 2015 by Watco and renamed the Lubbock little through the decades. Issue: September 2014 Thursday & Western. It operates from Lubbock to Whiteface and Tuesday Wednesday from Plainview to Dimmit. It carries chemicals, fertilizer, Monday grain, animal feed, and oil. Sunday 5 6 Issue: September 2015 November 1234 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday of calendars online. 123Friday Saturday 4 11 12 13 789 10 P28958 567 891011 17 18 19 20 66 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 DIRECTORY OF COLORADO Leadville GEORGIA Ringgold LEADVILLE COLORADO & SOUTHERN RINGGOLD RAIL VIEWING PLATFORM 326 East 7th 5282 Evitt Street (behind the Depot, next to Fire Dept) TOURIST LINES May 28 – June 17 1:00pm. June 18 – August 19 10:00am & 2:00pm. August 20 – October 9 weekdays 1:00pm, weekends AND RAIL MUSEUMS 10:00am & 2:00pm. Spectacular trip travels into the high Rocky Mountains, the railroad follows old C&S roadbed Step back in time to experience the golden & 1893 restored depot. Family friendly, pets allowed. age of railroading. North America’s rail- For more info visit our web site. www.leadvillerailroad.com 1-866-386-3936 road museums and tourist lines provide FLORIDA Fort Myers afordable fun for the whole family! Plan SEMINOLE GULF RAILWAY 1-75 exit 136 at Colonial Blvd. your complete vacation with visits to these Murder Mystery Dinner Train he Ringgold Rail Viewing Platform is located on the east side of the single track and Historic Ringgold Depot. leading attractions. For information on ad- From the rail viewing platform, visitors can expect around 20 trains during a 24 hour period. his is the North/ vertising in this section, call Mike Yuhas South CSX W&A (Western & Atlantic) Subdivision. he toll-free at 888-558-1544, Ext 625. platform is an elevated covered platform with benches, lighting and a radio scanner feed to tune into the local CALIFORNIA Clear Lake/Nice railroad chatter. he hotbox detector will help you know CABOOSE BED AND BREAKFAST when a train is approaching. here is a grade crossing at the north side of the park. he park consists of an open 2870 Lakeshore Blvd., Nice Enjoy a comical murder mystery show while our chef Relax in one of 9 refurbished railroad cabooses decorated with grass ield, picnic tables and lighting for evening viewing. unique themes. Park-like setting on the shore of Clear Lake. Jacuzzi prepares your ive course dinner with a choice of 3 entrees. You are also less than a ive minute drive from Historic tubs, A/C, all amenities. he perfect retreat for rail fans. Located he Murder Mystery Dinner Train operates 5 nights a Downtown Ringgold where you can take advantage of our within an easy drive of the Skunk Train, CA RR Museum and other week all year from the Colonial Station (2805 Colonial many local eateries, nature trails, antique shipping and our great rail destinations in wine country. Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33966). Get-Away packages with Ringgold Information Center located at Doc Steve’s Place. hotel stay available with special pricing available only Parking is free. www.featherbedrailroad.com 1-800-966-6322 through Seminole Gulf Railway. www.semgulf.com 800-SEM-GULF (736-4853) www.cityofringgold.com 706-935-2451 CALIFORNIA Santa Cruz ILLINOIS Union SANTA CRUZ & MONTEREY BAY RAILWAY FLORIDA Plant City ROBERT W. WILLAFORD RAILROAD MUSEUM ILLINOIS RAILWAY MUSEUM 102 N. Palmer St. 7000 Olson Road

Located at the “diamond” of the “A” line and “S” line for CSX Railroad h e Pacii c Coast has long used rails for mining and log- In the Historic 1909 Union Station Depot. Visit our fully ging but now passengers can enjoy the serenity of coastal Home of Nebraska Zephyr. Steam, diesel trains, electric restored 1963 Seaboard Caboose and 1942 Whitcomb cars. Send $5.00 for 32 page Guide Book; or #10 SASE for beaches and sunset rides in vintage cars. switch engine. Museum is open Mon thru Wed from 12:00 r%JOJOHDBSTXJUIGSFTISFHJPOBMNFOVT to 4:00 and hurs thru Sat from 10:00 to 4:00. Platform color brochure with schedule & discount coupon. Trains r8JOF5SBJOT is open 24 hours a day, every day for great train viewing. operate Sat: May-Oct, Sun: Apr-Oct, Daily: Memorial r4QFDJBMFWFOUTBOEUIFNFEUSBJOT CSX freight, Tropicana Juice Train, Ethanol, TECO Coal, Day-Labor Day. Museum open Apr-Oct. Lodging: 847-695-7540 and 815-363-6177. www.santacruzrailway.com 888-978-5562 Amtrak are daily arrivals www.willafordrailroadmuseum.com 813-719-6989 www.irm.org 815-923-4000 COLORADO Alamosa GEORGIA Folkston INDIANA Connersville RIO GRANDE SCENIC RAILROAD FOLKSTON FUNNEL WHITEWATER VALLEY RAILROAD 610 State Street 3795 Main Street 5th and Grand

Travel through time on Indiana’s most scenic railroad. Make your Colorado memories on the rails this year! Enjoy 33-mile round trip to Metamora, May through Oct. standard-gauge comfort and new, scenic dome cars as you roll Special events Feb through Dec. Vintage diesels: through dramatic mountain passes, colorful canyons and charming 1951 Lima-Ham 750HP SW, 1954 EMD/Milw. SD10, Colorado towns. Lots of wildlife, bring your camera! Close to Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. Connection with Cumbres Winter Rail Watch 2016 ~ December 3rd 1948 Alco S1. Git Shop. & Toltec available. Season runs May-Oct, special events year-round he “Folkston Funnel” is CSXT’s double track line which www.coloradotrain.com 877-726-RAIL serves as the main artery for railroad traic to & from www.whitewatervalleyrr.org 765-825-2054 Florida. Visitors can watch upwards of 60 trains a day COLORADO Golden pass through this charming, southeast Georgia town. he MASSACHUSETTS Hyannis COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM platform is equipped with wii, scanner, fans & loodlights CAPE COD CENTRAL RAILROAD for night train watching. Diagonally across the street 252 Main Street 17155 W. 44th Avenue is the restored Train Depot, home of the Train Museum, the “Cookie Williams” Model Train Room, the radio exhibit & museum git shop. he Depot has a covered pavilion perfect for cookouts. Open areas are perfect for taking pictures or video. If you love trains, you’ll love Folkston.

www.folkston.com 912-496-2536 GEORGIA Folkston THE INN AT FOLKSTON B&B 3576 Main Street (Formerly 509 West Main Street) Travel to the hidden beauty of the Cape through marshes and dunes alive with sea birds where just around the bend Bed & Breakfast at he Folkston Funnel. A ve minute walk the views o er glimpses of the open sea bay and pictur- to covered train-viewing platform on CSXT’s double-track esque island villages. main line 40 miles N of Jacksonville, FL. Hearty breakfasts, • Brunch and Dinner Trains comfortable feather beds. Train watchers weekday specials! • Beer tasting trains New Webcam with CSX Scanner Audio at TrainWatch.com. • Holiday theme trains www.InnAtFolkston.com Toll Free 888-509-6246 www.capetrain.com 888-797-RAIL here’s something amazing about trains. he familiar whistle has always promised adventure. Experience it again with a visit to the Colorado Railroad Museum, one of the top 10 railroad museums in the United States with one of the largest collections of narrow-gauge When visiting these attractions, equipment. he 15-acre rail yard also features a roundhouse restoration facility and renowned library. Train rides throughout the year. Group rates and programs mention you saw their ad in available. ColoradoRailroadMuseum.org 800-365-6263

www.TrainsMag.com 67 NEBRASKA North Platte PENNSYLVANIA Marysville WEST VIRGINIA Landgraff GOLDEN SPIKE TOWER & VISITOR CENTER Bridgeview Bed & Breakfast ELKHORN INN & THEATER 1249 N Homestead Rd 810 S. Main St. Route 52 (Between Eckman & Kimball) Lately, train watching around he Bridgeview B&B has been extremely exciting with motive power from BNSF, UP, KCS, CP, CN, CSX and Ferromex oten leading, plus add NS heritage units into the mix and you have some amazing lashup possibilities! Trains entering or exiting Enola Yard pass right As seen on HGTV “Building Character” and “reZONED”! by our front porch. From the spacious decks and sitting room, Newly restored “Coal Heritage Trail” Inn on NS Pocahontas you can watch the Susquehanna River, Blue Mountains and railway line in scenic, southern, WV. Railview guest rooms, train action on Rockville Bridge! Plus, visit Hershey, Gettys- balcony and patio cafe. Call about our Railfan weekends. burg, and PA Dutch Country! Comfortable rooms all with 14 guest rooms, claw-foot tubs, ireplace, vintage quilts, art, private baths, A/C, Wii, and a tasty breakfast are included antiques & git shop/museum room. Meals available. Sat with your stay. Take a virtual tour on our website and check TV, VCR, slide-viewer, studio & Wi-Fi internet. On Route us out on Facebook for daily updates, pictures and guest com- 52, 30 minutes from Blueield WV/VA. See our “railfan” ments. pages on our web site. Local phone: 304-862-2031 www.bridgeviewbnb.com 717-957-2438 www.elkhorninnwv.com 800-708-2040 Eight story tower oering a panoramic view of the Union PENNSYLVANIA Stewartstown WYOMING Cheyenne Paciic’s Bailey Yard, the world’s largest classiication yard. STEWARTSTOWN RAILROAD CHEYENNE DEPOT MUSEUM housands of railcars every day! Come and ride on an Authentic American Antiquity – 121 W. 15th St. Cheyenne, WY 82001 Located minutes o of I-80 and Hwy 83 the Stewartstown Railroad. Operating from May through Cheyenne Wyoming is home to the Cheyenne Depot Museum, December, ride on our historic locomotives, cabooses, operating in the historic Union Paciic Cheyenne Depot built in Hours: Open 9am-7pm daily coaches, or even on our motorcars! 1887. Cheyenne is home to the Union Paciic Steam program Twilight Tours (open past sunset) the 3rd Saturday of See the gorgeous southern Pennsylvania countryside. and illed with railroad heritage unlike any other city in the each month Rides start at our historic 1915 station. world. Open year round. Mention this ad and receive $1.00 off. CheyenneDepotMuseum.org 307-638-6338 www.goldenspiketower.com 308-532-9920 www.StewartstownRailRoadCompany.com (717) 746-6052 NEW YORK Saratoga Springs SARATOGA & NORTH CREEK RAILWAY WYOMING Douglas 26 Station Lane DOUGLAS RAILROAD INTERPRETATIVE MUSEUM & VISITOR CENTER For more advertising 121 Browneld Road Douglas information, please call 888-558-1544 Ext. 625

TENNESSEE Knoxville h e Adirondacks o er four seasons of beauty best seen THREE RIVERS RAMBLER along breathtaking waterway vistas in heritage cars with 2560 University Commons Way Douglas Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center, in the historic exceptional service and classic rail dining. FE & MV Railroad passenger Depot, is home to the Railroad • Summer and Fall excursion rides Interpretative Museum. Seven historic railcars, including the #5633 • Snow train to winter resorts Steam Locomotive are on display. Modern day trains can be seen • Holiday theme trains hauling coal from the Powder River Basin to the East. Open year round, 7 days a week, the museum and visitor center are available for viewing. Seasonal hours apply. www.SNCRR.com 877-726-7245 www.jackalope.org 1-877-937-4996 NORTH CAROLINA Thomasville HISTORIC DOWNTOWN THOMASVILLE 44 West Main Street (I-85 Exit 103) Say you saw their ad in Trains magazine! WEST INDIES St. Kitts ST. KITTS SCENIC RAILWAY LIVE TRAIN CAM 24/7 AT www.TVilleNC.com All aboard the hree Rivers Rambler steam Ideally situated on Norfolk Southern’s busy ex-Southern Railway Main Line between Washington and Atlanta, train ride in Knoxville, Tennessee! Join us homasville delights its visitors with some of the best trainwatching in the United States, with over 35 trains daily. on our Vintage Baseball, Hoot ‘N Holler, or homasville Visitor’s Center, a restored 1870 passenger Christmas Lantern Express Trains. depot, oers trackside viewing, free parking and restrooms. Located in the heart of Historic Downtown homasville, For more information, or to purchase within walking distance of restaurants and antique shops. FB: TVilleNC Twitter: @tvillenc [email protected] merchandise, please visit our website. www.TVilleNC.com 1-800-611-9907 www.ThreeRiversRambler.com 865-524-9411 Include St. Kitts in your Eastern Caribbean cruise itinerary. Narrow gauge St. Kitts Scenic Railway Tour circles OREGON Hood River TEXAS Galveston this unspoiled island paradise, 18 miles by train, 12 MOUNT HOOD RAILROAD GALVESTON RAILROAD MUSEUM 110 Railroad Street miles by bus. Twin- level observation cars, fully narrated, Home of the Santa Fe Warbonnets complimentary drinks, a cappella Choir. One of the Great 2602 Santa Fe Place Galveston, TX 77550 Little Railways of the World. Former Headquarters Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe Depot One of the Largest Railroad Museums in www.stkittsscenicrailway.com (869) 465-7263 Southwest. Approx. 5 acres of 50 vintage rail cars, locomotives, freight, passenger. Indoor & Outdoor displays. One of the largest China & Silverware collection. O & H/O model Trains magazine Layouts. Free Parking with Admission. Open seven days a week. www.galvestonrrmuseum.com 409-765-5700 is available in TEXAS Rusk & Palestine TEXAS STATE RAILROAD Journey through the lush green forests of Columbia River PO Box 166 Gorge to the valley’s fertile vineyards and orchards over- DIGITAL! looked by the striking snow capped peak of Mt. Hood. • Excursions to Odelle • Holiday themed rides • Dinner and Brunch trains You can read www.mthoodrr.com 800-872-4661 TRAINS YOUR STATE Your City anytime, Dubbed a “Texas Treasure”, these historic rails travel through rolling hills and piney woods with wildlife sight- anywhere! Advertise your tourist ings while sampling the service of true southern hospitality. • Lunch and dinner trains • Holiday theme trains railroad here! • Full campground facilities For more information, visit:

Contact Mike Yuhas at 888-558-1544 Ext. 625 www.texasstaterr.com 877-726-7245 http://trn.trains.com/digitaleditions

68 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 CLASSIFIEDS WANTED ADVERTISERS ARE YOU GETTING THE BEST PRICE FOR YOUR TRAIN Word Rate: per issue: 1 insertion — $1.57 per word, COLLECTION? Our list of discriminating buyers grows The Advertiser Index is provided as a service to 6 insertions — $1.47 per word, 12 insertions — each day. They want bigger and better train collections to $1.37 per word. $25.00 MINIMUM per ad. Payment TRAINS magazine readers. The magazine is not choose from! We specialize in O Gauge trains- Lionel, MTH, must accompany ad. To receive the discount you responsible for omissions or for typographical K-Line, Williams, Weaver, 3rd Rail, etc. as well as better must order and prepay for all ads at one time. Count errors in names or page numbers. trains in all scales. We also purchase store inventories. all initials, single numbers, groups of numbers, Plus, we can auction your trains with rates starting as low names, address number, street number or name, 7Idea Productions ...... 63 as 15%. We travel extensively all over the US. Give us a city, state, zip, phone numbers each as one word. call today! Send us your list or contact us for more informa- Example: Paul P. Potter, 2102 Paciﬁc St., Waukesha, tion at www.trainz.com/sell Trainz, 2740 Faith Industrial Dr., Activity Book ...... 65 WI 53202 would count as 9 words. Buford, GA 30518, 866-285-5840, [email protected] Fax: All Copy: Set in standard 6 point type. First several 866-935-9504 Aldon Company ...... 17 words only set in bold face. If possible, ads should be sent typewritten and categorized to ensure ORIGINAL SLIDE COLLECTIONS and black & white nega- accuracy. tive collections. Any railroad or railroad subjects. Call Amsted Rail ...... 76 CLOSING DATES: Jan. 2016 issue closes Oct. 21, 908-755-5454. Feb. closes Nov. 23, Mar. closes Dec. 18, Apr. Big E Productions ...... 19 closes Jan. 21, May closes Feb. 25, June closes RAIL SHOWS AND EVENTS Mar. 24, July closes Apr. 27, Aug. closes May 24, Borden Perlman ...... 15 Sept. closes June 22, Oct. closes July 27, Nov. OCTOBER 16, 2016: 25th Annual Chicago Railroadiana and closes Aug. 24, Dec. closes Sept. 22. Model Train Show. Kane County Fairgrounds 525 South C R Scholes ...... 65 For TRAINS’ private records, please furnish: a Randall Road, St. Charles, IL. Sunday, 10:00am-3:00pm telephone number and when using a P.O. Box in Admission: $6.00 (includes tax). Tables $60.00. Information: your ad, a street address. 847-358-1185, [email protected] or www.RRShows.com Calendars ...... 66 Send your ads to: magazine – Classiﬁed Ad- OCTOBER 30, 2016: Burlington Route Historical Society vertising 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612 Cit Rail ...... 11 Annual Railroad Sale & Swap Meet. Days Inn, 101 Sky Waukesha, WI 53187-1612 Toll-free (888) 558-1544 Harbour Drive, Airport Exit 2. 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Located 15 miles NW of Washingtion, D.C. Three site. Plan a visit, The Station Inn IS railfans. 814-886-4757 day early admission pass available on Friday at 12:00pm. Herron Rail Video ...... 63 WISCONSIN, FERRYVILLE - Custom built two-bedroom Information: LSSAE Miller, 3106 N. Rochester St., Arlington, luxury vacation home along scenic Mississippi River and VA 22213. 703-536-2954, E-mail: [email protected]. Web: BNSF Railroad. www.153main.com 608-317-1530. www.gserr.com. Highball Productions ...... 8 WWW.MANASSASJUNCTION.COM Trackside lodging in Lat-Lon LLC ...... 16 luxurious Victorian B&B. View Amtrak Crescent, Norfolk AUCTIONS & Southern and VRE Commuter from dining room or along AMERICA’S PREMIER RAILROAD AUCTIONS: Consign tracks. 10 minute walk to board train at Historic Manassas, McMillan Publications ...... 15 your quality items. One piece to an entire collection. 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REAL ESTATE NY Central System Historical Society ...... 8 COLLECTIBLES FOR SALE Modern brick ranch style family home in desirable Coeur d’Alene, Idaho neighborhood includes finished base- RAILROADIANA FOR SALE: Rare and diverse offering of ment with 12 x 27 HO layout with scenery under construc- Plets Express ...... 8 railroad china, silver, lanterns, globes, brass locks, keys tion. Includes craft workshop. E-mail: [email protected] and miscellaneous for sale. Continuously offering service Tel: 208-620-0781 Railcom ...... 65 plates. George Washington china and unknown top-marked patterns. Send $2 and LSSAE for unique listing to Golden railroadbooks.biz ...... 8 Spike Enterprises, PO Box 985, Land O Lakes, FL 34639. Talking face-to-face with TOP DOLLAR PAID for steam/diesel or electric builder Retlif Testing Laboratories ...... 21 plates. Mr. Slides, PO Box 18625, Cleveland Hts., OH 44118. each reader ... impossible! 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www.TrainsMag.com 69 Gallery Two of a kind

On a gloomy Feb. 12, 2016, Norfolk Southern’s two colorful rebuilt AC44C6M locomotives lead train No. 746 west through Henry, Va., as they make their way across the “Pumpkin Vine” to the Belews Creek Power Station in North Carolina. — Photo by Samuel Phillips PHOTO SPECTACULAR: British Columbia

2016

>> Want more locomotives? METRA MUSCLE! Our Locomotive 2016 Power to keep 150,000 daily Chicagoland commuters on the move annual has a feature From Geeps to EVOs in the City of Angels EXCLUSIVE INSIDE LOOK: Turning FOLDOUT story on the AC44C6M old Dash 9s into new AC locos COVER! >> units shown here! Ontario Southland’s celebrity FP9s Hot steel rolling

A vantage point aboard the vessel Indiana Harbor, docked at its namesake, provides a unique perspective to view ArcelorMittal’s rail operations southeast of Chicago. The night of Aug. 3, 2015, ﬁnds EMD switchers moving trains of glowing molten iron in bottle cars, as well as freshly rolled slab steel on company ﬂatcars. — Photos by David Schauer

72 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 www.TrainsMag.com 73 New England color

On a crisp autumn day in October 2015, Massachusetts Central Railroad GP38-2 No. 1750, wearing a Boston & Maine-inspired paint scheme, leads a freight across the Ware River near South Barre, Mass. — Photo by Justin Franz

Whatever works

Long before “upcycling” became popular, railroad cars were used as buildings and bridges. This former Santa Fe boxcar serves as a pedestrian bridge in Williams, Ariz., as seen in September 2015. — Photo by John Eagan

>> Want more photos? Check out the “Photo of the Day.” 74 Trains NOVEMBER 2016 Go to www.TrainsMag.com Evening interlude

Amtrak AEM-7 No. 934 rests at the Race Street Engine Terminal in Philadelphia on May 30, 1997. Less than 30 years later, Amtrak would say goodbye to the venerable electric workhorses with a farewell excursion in June 2016. — Photo by Gary Pancavage PERFORMANCE-DRIVEN SOLUTIONS FOR WHATEVER TRACK YOU’RE ON.

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