SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 1957 Downloaded from http://PRR.Railfan.net Original document from the collection of Rob Schoenberg ©2010 - Commercial reproduction or distribution prohibited The New Freight Rates The Interstate Commerce Commission released its long-awaited final decision for increased freight rates (Ex Parte 206) on August 6, 1957. The higher rates went into effect on August 26. The maximum increase authorized over the rates in effect, not at the time of the decision but before December 28, 1956, is 14 percent within Eastern terri- tory. On traffic moving between the East and the West, the maximum increase is 12 percent; and between the East and the South, it is 9 percent (except for traffic moving on class rates, which was granted a 12 percent increase throughout the Nation). Agricultural commodi- ties like grain, livestock, meat, lard, vegetable oil, and shortening were given only a 9 percent increase in all territories. On coal and coke the increase was generally 15 cents per ton, but only 8 cents per ton on lake cargo coal destined to Lake Michigan and Lake Superior, 8 cents on Tidewater coal to New England, and 10 cents on export coal and coke. Several other commodities were limited to maximum increases ranging from only 2 cents per 100 pounds (40 cents per ton) on phosphate rock and salt, up to 12 cents per 100 pounds on edible nuts. Included in this category are potash, sugar, lumber, millwork, and fresh fruits and vegetables. In all, the increases authorized will average for the PRR about 10 percent above the rates in effect before December 28, 1956, and only about 4.5 percent above the rates in effect since December 28. The 4.5 percent granted is quite a contrast from the average of more than 11 percent requested to place us in a stronger position to secure funds for modernization. We are frankly disappointed in the inadequacy of this decision to give us the funds needed for capital improvements as well as expand- ing our maintenance programs. More than ever it is up to each one of us to assist our Company to give the kind of service needed to hold existing business, to gain new traffic, and thereby to provide ? funds for improvements and increased- .security for our jobs. Vice President-Freight Sales & Services Downloaded from http://PRR.Railfan.net Original document from the collection of Rob Schoenberg ©2010 - Commercial reproduction or distribution prohibited n Sunday, August 4, 1957, the big of Pittsburgh. Southwestern and Buckeye Regions- 0 change-over took place. At freight The giant yard means a major step in freight bound for points east of Conway yards all over the System, new patterns the PRR's march toward better service. goes "mixed" into Conway and is classi- for classifying freight cars went into It means a speedi~g-upof East-West fied there. This is now the story for all effect. Scores of blue-ribbon freight trains freight by margins ranging ilp to a full East-West freight except perishables, live- changed to new schedules and routings. day. It also will produce, indirectly, im- stock, and parts of the TrucTrain and LCL New freight trains came into being. provements in terminal operations in traffic, which are classified at other points. This all added up to the most far- many parts of the System. At Conway the cars roll over humps reaching revision of the PRR's traffic This comes about because of Conway's equipped with the latest devices of rail- flow in recent history. new role as the key classification yard of road science for assuring fast, safe, accu- The story behind it is summed up in the PRR. rate classification. The cars glide down one word: Conway. From all over the East-from the Sea- into the eastbound or westbound classifi- On that warm, drowsy Sunday, after hoard and from the Lake terminals- cation yards which, together, can hold more than four years of construction and freight for points west of Pittsburgh now 6,500 cars at a time-largest capacity in an outlay of almost $35 million, new Con- pours into Conway, entering in mixed America. Makeup engines, like busy sheep way Yard was ready for large-scale opera- fashion and coming out in properly classi- dogs, herd the cars together, aided by a tion. On that day, the bulk of the PRR's fied and blocked trains. Similarly, from track arrangement that permits five trains East-West freight began funneling through the West-from Chicago and the rest of to be made up at one time in each classifi- the four-mile-long, ultramodern yard the Northwestern Region, and from St. cation yard. And out of the two ends of along the Ohio River, 22 miles northwest Louis, Cincinnati, and the rest of the Conway roll the trains, an average of one Downloaded from http://PRR.Railfan.net Original document from the collection of Rob Schoenberg ©2010 - Commercial reproduction or distribution prohibited Yardmaster Leonard Whitehouse watches operations from his 70-foot tower. Comparison of America's retarder-operated yards shows Conway is first in classification track capacity and humping capacity, and second only to Enola in total operating capacity every half hour. (The above change applies only to non- lar way, from increased "sailings" of cars. Conway Yard, because of its size, its perishable~;Rose Lake still sends perish- For example, freight from the Chicago layout, and its mechanical and electronic ables direct to Enola.) area bound for Buffalo and beyond for- gadgets, has attracted the attention of the Freight from the Eastern Seaboard merly moved on one train a day. Now entire railroad world (visitors have come bound for Bedford Yard, 10 miles south three trains from the Chicago area-CS-6, from 14 countries). But more significant oi Cleveland, formerly went all the way CS-8, and GRE-2-pick up Buffalo freight than these physical features is the manner into Cleveland, was classified at Kinsman in addition to their regular consist of in which Conway has enabled the PRR Street Yard, then was taken back down to Eastern freight, and take it "mixed" to to upgrade its freight operation, with Bedford. Now Conway makes up a sepa- Conway for classification. These trains are beneficial effects felt widely over the Sys- rate Bedford block which is delivered spaced around the clock; if a shipper tem. Here are a few examples, as outlined there directly by the road train. That misses one, he doesn't have to wait long by Wendell C. Allen, manager of trans- means a saving of hours in delivery time for the next. From Conway, two trains a portation engineering: to auto plants and other consignees. day, CBF-1 and CBF-3-the latter a new Rose Lake Yard, at East St. Louis, All yards receiving freight from Con- train-speed the freight north to Buffalo. formerly made up separate blocks of cars way will be aided by a new system of Enola continues to be the main classifi- for Pittsburgh, Altoona, and Enola. Now double-checking consists, aimed at catch- cation yard of the eastern segment of the Rose Lake puts all these cars in a single ing any last-minute errors. This should Railroad, and its operations will be strik- block and sends them to Conway. This sharply decrease the number of no-bill ingly improved by the new freight pro- simplifies Rose Lake's operation, enabling careand improve relations with shippers. gram. Since Conway will do the classify- it to do a better job with its other freight. Shippers will benefit also, in a spectacu- ing of cars bound for the West, the tracks 2 Downloaded from http://PRR.Railfan.net Original document from the collection of Rob Schoenberg ©2010 - Commercial reproduction or distribution prohibited As train enters yard, Car Inspectors R. B. DeDominicis and K. E. Sergeant are ready Hump Conductor F. F. Kovacs pushes but- for it. Promptness by car inspectors is vital to Conway's tightly-scheduled operation tons to route cars to classification tracks Cars go over the westbound hump, which The westbound classification yard, with 45 tracks, and the eastbound (shown), with can operate on either one of two tracks 54 tracks, some more than a mile long, provide ample room for Conway's assigned job Enola formerly used for this purpose can last-minute decisions on whether to shunt tion be expanded to find out what a big, now be used to make more "refined" their cars from one city to another, .de- modern yard could do to help not only classifications-that is smaller break- pending on the ups and downs of market Pittsburgh and the Central Region, but downs-of traffic moving between the prices. Now that Enola can "specialize" the whole System. Eastern Seaboard and points east of Con- in perishables, it will be able to do an An eight-man committee, headed by C. way, including Pittsburgh and much of improved job with this sensitive traffic. D. ("Dixie") Merrill, now a System the Northern Region. This improved "A number of other benefits-present methods engineer, went to work in 1951. classification will aid those points in or potential--could be cited," Mr. Allen "We studied many possible sites for a cen- faster handling of the incoming cars. says. "These results are a tribute to the tral yard, and the farther we looked, the Furthermore, the week-end accumula- foresight and imagination of the men who better Conway seemed to us," Mr. Merrill tions of traffic that used to crowd Enola's conceived the Conway project." says.