was planned well in a small town so there were some things to do to Paducah Chapter pass the time. Then the overnight National Railway Historical Society hours were spent much like the March 2013 Our Column this month was writ- way out. ten by Tammy Wood ,( Bill Wood’s I know there were people to the lounge car looking for that daughter –in-law), featuring her angry and frustrated by the delay, open booth to play games. Eating perspective of their first trip on however it was out of the hands of in the Dining car was fun also, the Amtrak with family: Amtrak and they did a great job of meals although a little pricey were accommodating us. rather good. First Trip on Amtrak The most enjoyable part about the Making friends with other Tammy Wood trip is being able to travel that dis- kids that sat around us was another tance and really spending time vis- great adventure. They played and Our first trip on Amtrak iting and enjoying the scenery of shared snacks most of the trip out was exciting and a great experi- the mountains instead of navigat- and had different games they made ence. As a mother of three boys it ing them for ourselves. It would up with toys they had brought. As seemed like I would need to in- be worth doing again. clude quite a bit of entertainment, we got closer to Glacier they did however even though we did use look out and watch the scenery some of it they seemed to enjoy some, but this soon lost its spark. some creative times and others to We did meet some very nice peo- connect with some new friends on ple on the train and enjoyed learn- the trip. ing about their reason for riding We started the journey at the train. There were scout the station in St. Paul Minnesota at groups, people going from point to 10:00pm on a Saturday evening. point, and fellow travelers much As we waited for the train to arrive like us wanting to experience Am- we did take advantage of some trak and visiting some beautiful card games. When we were able country. to board and get settled into our Upon arriving at our desti- seats, the boys were ready to try nation we learned that the train out sleeping in seats. For the was early, although we were later most part they settled in quickly as that our tickets had indicated. they saw other passengers already Thus making us wonder what all sleeping. The swaying of the train the delays could have been. and their ability to adapt were Needless to say we found out on quite amazing as we rolled out to the way home, that the train has the open plains of northwest Min- varying reasons for delay and one nesota and North Dakota. that apparently was more common Upon awakening we were than one would know being a de- up to exploring our options for railment. breakfast and discovered the We waited a few hours at our pick lounge car’s breakfast items. up spot on the way home before Then the real fun began. The trip boarding. Once we were on board out didn’t really consist of much we found out about the derailment watching of scenery for the boys and the slow start to the trip. The as they were excited to be in the boys adjusted well and we had a train and discovering the ability to pleasant trip back even with the wander to the bathroom as well as delay of almost 12 hours. The stop Bob Johnston NEWS AND VIEWS: continuous rail train operating at Jackson, to home rails at Corinth, MS. PAL: As of February 28th, four of the Summit, near Eastview and Big Clifty Northbound at Fulton they would use newly acquired SD 70s were on the on the northern portion of the rail- the old passenger main line through spur behind the Caller’s Office, an- road; it was pulled by the University Cairo. CN was to receive similar con- other was nearby outside of the Diesel of Louisville locomotive……..PAL cessions elsewhere; but other rail- Shop, and three were seen at Progress CEO, Tony Reck, was recently in the roads such as BNSF (& PAL) ob- Rail in Mayfield. The other eight are hospital for hip surgery, and is recu- jected, and that, and perhaps the econ- somewhere in South Yard, but cannot perating at home (he may be back at omy, seems to have delayed the pro- be seen from the road. The P&L work by now). ject, although considerable money seems to be, “making haste slowly,” VMV: Reports in local news media has been spent to upgrade the West with their “new” engines…….The on February 6th indicated the adding Tenn, as well as interchange tracks in Bluegrass I and the power car were of 25 positions at VMV. It was not Fulton. sent to Frankfort (via Louisville-CSX- clear whether these 25 jobs were the CROSSING PROBLEM: On Feb- R. J. Corman) for the annual General same ones announced in July 2012 or ruary 12, I talked to a CN Signal Assembly Reception on February additional ones. However, Bob Maintainer at the crossing at Central 12th. Also on hand were the R. J. Cor- Pedersen, V.P and General Manager Avenue, and asked him about why the man’s office- reception and other of VMV has said that they are ac- work on the installation of the gates at R.J.C. cars. CSX and NS also partici- tively seeking mechanics and electri- the Pines Road Crossing had abruptly pated but did not furnish cars. Re- cians, and that they are considering stopped last year. He explained that it portedly attendance was good; chapter having a job fair to speed up the proc- bogged down because it was origi- member John Deming was on hand as ess……….Some of the units seen nally planned to close N. 34th St. one of P&L’s hosts, and a delegation around VMV include Quebec & Gati- which ends at the crossing, but the of business and governmental leaders neau SD 38 2006; FURX 3004(one of city refused to do so. Otherwise it from Paducah also at- several green & silver SD40-2s that would be necessary to install a third tended……While circling South Yard have been stored behind the shops for gate which would involve not only the looking for the other SD70s, I noticed at least two years); and several extra expense of the gate, but also that the tracks were full of coal trains. Au- switchers including CP 1271, GMTX of moving high voltage electric lines thorities report that coal business has 71, and NREX 2344. Also seen in that cross Pines Road just west of the been up sharply on the PAL because North Yard was Belt Railroad of Chi- tracks. the low water on the Mississippi cago switcher 532. VMV seems to CASEY’S BIRTHDAY: On March River that has hindered the movement have found a niche in rebuilding 14th, the Casey Jones Home and Rail- of barge traffic, has diverted the coal switchers which have found a home in road Museum in Jackson, TN will through this gate-way…….In the Feb- industries, after having fallen out of celebrate the 150th anniversary of the ruary NEWS AND VIEWS, I re- favor with the larger railroads birth of the famous engineer, John ported seeing an empty CSX coal (including PAL). Luther “Casey” Jones, who was born train on the P&I. Since then I saw MID-AMERICA CORRIDOR: in Missouri, but grew up just down another train of empty CSX hoppers Interest and activity in the Norfolk- the road from Paducah, in Cayce, KY, heading into the terminal at Grand Southern Corridor has been on the from which he derived his nick-name. Rivers pulled by CN engines, and back burner for some time, but on He became famous after the I.C. Can- have other reports of the same, but February 14th, NS ran their first train nonball Express, on which he was haven’t yet found out what it over the CN and the West Tennessee. engineer, rear-ended a stalled freight means….Recently, local news media It was an empty auto-rack train, and at Vaughan, MS on the night of April reported that the old metals plant at was apparently a test with hopefully 30, 1900. Instead of jumping, Casey the Atomic Energy Plant had been more to come. The joint plan first stayed in the cab to slow his train, and razed, and that the contaminated scrap announced by CN and NS in February became immortalized by the Ballard would go out by rail, meaning PAL, 2009, is for NS to run trains over of Casey Jones,” written by his but again, haven’t heard any time CN’s Edgewood Cut-Off, using the friend, roundhouse worker and engine schedule……On February 27th, a pic- P&I bridge, and then at Fulton, take wiper, Wallace Saunders, and later ture was posted on the internet of a the West Tennessee back through sung (and changed) by many other artists. For those interested, we have an interview with chapter member our program for March. a file on Casey and the accident in the and author, Cliff Downey, while rid- museum. The celebration at the mu- ing the City of New Orleans between The new computerized cash register seum in Jackson will be from 9:00 Carbondale and Fulton, and a phone system is now in operation, both for a.m.