Trains Magazine 2015-09

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT CODE PG. 3 13 BIGGEST BLUNDERS IN RAILROADINGSPSF merger is No. 5; Nos. 9, 10, and 12 will surprise you! p. 46 Sunset Limited’s d...

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CHICAGO UNION STATION, THEN AND NOW www.TrainsMag.com • September 2015

THE magazine of railroading

p. 38

PTC deadline looms p. 6

Watco expands in the West p. 12

13 BIGGEST BLUNDERS IN RAILROADING

SPSF merger is No. 5; Nos. 9, 10, and 12 will surprise you! p. 46

Sunset Limited’s dusk or dawn? p. 30

SPSF-painted SD45 at Cajon Pass, Calif.

PLUS

Bringing back a narrow gauge legend p. 22 MAP: Locomotive and car shops p. 28 Tech: Railroads byte into big data p. 18

BONUS ONLINE CONTENT CODE PG. 3

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vol. 75, no. 9 news and features

FEATURES

COVER STORY >>

Railroading’s biggest blunders 13 flubs, foul-ups, and faux pas that shaped the industry Dan Machalaba

22

28

Restoring a legend of Map of the Month: the American West Locomotive shops 33 years went into steaming in 2015 the 1875 Glenbrook locomotive Chris De Witt and Adam Michalski

See where new units are built and firms perform repairs Bill Metzger

TRAINS Timeline >> Take a look at 75 years of

railroad and TRAINS magazine history, from 1940 to today. Photo by Philip R. Hastings

TRAINS newsletter

30

Gulf Coast revival? Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, the region is poised to bring back a different passenger train Bob Johnston

38

Five decades, one station A photographer’s view of Chicago Union Station spans 50 years John Gruber

58

In My Own Words: Dispensing knuckles at milepost 14

page for our free weekly email newsletter

A C&NW crew’s problem is a trackside teenager’s excitement Ed Clopton

<< ON THE COVER Santa Fe SD45 No. 5401, in the

NEWS

proposed Southern Paciﬁc-Santa Fe merger colors, rolls east at

6 10 14 16 18 20

Cajon Pass, Calif., on Sept. 7, 1985. Photo by Elrond Lawrence

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Hot Spots Reader Gallery >> Share your photos of select

train-watching spots, and check out other readers’ shots, too! Photo by Michael D. Harding

DEPARTMENTS

6 PTC deadline looms 12 Watco expands 18 Tech: Railroads byte into big data 22 Bringing back a legend

28 Map: Locomotive and car shops 30 Sunset Limited 38 Chicago Union Station 46 13 biggest blunders

4 5 62 64 67 72

From the Editor Railway Post Ofﬁce Preservation Hot Spots Ask TRAINS Gallery

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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, Kalmbach Publishing Co., P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. Canada Publication Mail Agreement #40010760.

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FROM THE EDITOR EDITOR

Angela Pusztai-Pasternak

PRODUCTION EDITOR

JIM WRINN

Going back in time in Chicago John Gruber’s Chicago Union Station photo story on pages 38 to 45 surprises and delights me, because it is a rare and wonderful endeavor for a sharp photographer to be able to return to such a magnificent subject a halfcentury later, and because I adore this landmark station.

Jim Wrinn

Thomas G. Danneman

A RT DI RECTOR

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

David Lassen

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

Steve Sweeney

A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R

Brian Schmidt

E D I T O R I A L A S S I S TA N T

Diane Laska-Swanke

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER GRAPHIC DESIGNER L E A D I L L U S T R AT O R

Scott Krall

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LIBRARIAN

COLUMNISTS

Fred W. Frailey, Don Phillips CORRESPONDENTS

Roy Blanchard, Michael W. Blaszak, Justin Franz, Steve Glischinski, Chase Gunnoe, Chris Guss, Scott A. Hartley, Bob Johnston, David Lester, David Lustig C O N T R I B U T I N G I L L U S T R AT O R PUBLISHER

Bill Metzger

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John, the founder of the Center for Railroad Photography & Art and one of the photographers that I grew up admiring in the 1960s (think David P. Morgan’s Locomotive 4501 book, among other significant works for this magazine), gives us the right mix of people, architecture, and trains that make up this vibrant place. In the opening spread, Art Director Tom Danneman blended John’s images of a Burlington Route post office car and a modern shot of passengers disembarking

How times change: Burlington Route baggage and mail in 1964; passengers in 2014. Two photos, John Gruber

4

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

from a train in the station. The two photos by themselves capture a sense of time and place, and I wanted to share them here with you. The images also make me wonder, what will the station scene look like in another 50 years? Or even 100? It will be fascinating to watch it transition over the years and decades ahead. Regarding the station, I get a thrill every time I am there. Most often, I’m riding a Hiawatha train from the north, but occasionally, I’ll arrive via another route. Either way, the constant parade of commuter trains and passenger trains in and out and the hustle of the crews and riders contrast with the building’s feeling of stillness and permanency and excite my senses. Walking into the Great Hall, I am overwhelmed with the vastness of the cavern; it is much the same feeling of smallness I get when I walk onto a beach and stand beside an ocean. Of course, I never miss visiting my favorite staircase made famous in a dramatic scene from the 1987 movie, “The Untouchables.” I always remember my first visit in 1991. Traveling westbound on the Capitol Limited on May 1, Amtrak’s 20th birthday, I arrived fully awake and aware of everything despite a restless night spent on the train. The station was bustling with passengers and with the better part of a morning and afternoon to spend in the Windy City before leaving on the Southwest Chief, I stowed my luggage and wandered its halls. Departing the station on the train later that day was like exiting a comfortable, familiar place — one that I regretted leaving, but one that I knew I would return to again and again and again.

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Subscription rate: single copy: $5.99; 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 subscriptions: 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. Expedited delivery service surcharges: Domestic First Class: $30.00/year; Canadian Air: $30.00/year; International Air: $60.00/year. ©2015 Kalmbach Publishing Co. Any publication, reproduction, or use without express permission in writing of any text, illustration, or photographic 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, artwork, 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.

RAILWAY POST OFFICE What is your favorite feature story?

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Craig Czarsty The article, “Canyon Solitude” [pages 36-45], about Feather River Canyon was one of the best combinations of photography and writing you have published. Rick Covert “Roaming Locomotives” [pages 52-59] was informative and explained about horsepower-hours between railroads and how locomotives can be put to use on host roads. Bob Kennedy The cover feature, “Fixing Chicago” [pages 25-35], has to be one of the best. This has been one of the most important issues facing the railroad industry for decades. Moving any commodity through the Chicago rail network has always been difﬁcult. John Frahm I liked the article about ﬁxing Chicago’s situation. It deals with critical issues in rail logistics and travel.

>> CORRECTIONS May 2015: Page 53: The number of regional railroads that succeeded with intermodal before Indiana Rail Road was incorrect. In addition to Florida East Coast and Pan Am railways, Providence & Worcester Railroad has established credible intermodal operations. June 2015: Page 33: The location of the photo is incorrect in the caption. Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited heads west at Ohio’s Sandusky Bay in November 1990.

Page 36: Union Paciﬁc’s track from Odell to Dwight, Ill., is not the fastest outside of the Northeast Corridor. There are others, including an Amtrak line in western Michigan. Pages 42-43: The location of the two Union Paciﬁc bridges photo, labeled “7,” was shown twice on the map. The bridges are between Beowawe and Carlin, Nev., as on page 42. July 2015: Page 56: The service of the M-10001 trainset was incorrect. The M-10001 was always operated in City of Portland service.

Trains welcomes letters on railroad matters both in and out of the magazine. Send letters to: Trains Railway Post Office, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612; fax (262) 798-6468; email: [email protected]. Letters cannot be acknowledged, and may be edited for clarity and length.

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NEWS&PHOTOS

A westbound BNSF freight passes signals, both new and old, at the Rochelle Railroad Park in May 2015. The new signals are part of an upgrade project initiated by Union Paciﬁc at the joint crossing in the northern Illinois community. Two photos, TR A I NS : Brian Schmidt

Federal PTC deadline looms Railroads, regulators consider their next moves as enforcement is still vague The December 2015 deadline for positive train control implementation is approaching, but many U.S. railroads admit that they will not meet it. According to a recent Association of American Railroads report, only 39 percent of locomotives will be fully equipped, 76 percent of wayside interface units will be installed, 67 percent of base station radios will be installed, and 34 percent of required employees will be trained by the Dec. 31, 2015, deadline. The question of a possible extension of the deadline for the full implementation of PTC is one that Congress, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the rail industry are still grappling with. In a June hearing by the U.S. House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, chaired by Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., representatives from all three groups weighed in on the issue. Appearing before the subcommittee were Sarah Feinberg, acting administrator of the FRA; Charles Mathias, associate bureau chief of the Federal Communications Commission; Frank Lonegro, vice president of service design at CSX Transportation; Donald Orseno, CEO of Metra; and Russell Kerwin, deputy project manager of PTC for Metrolink/AECOM. The FRA is holding fast to its plan to en6

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

force the PTC deadline established in the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Feinberg reiterated in her testimony that “a safe rail system requires full implementation of positive train control. Therefore, the FRA will enforce the Dec. 31, 2015, deadline for implementation, as mandated by Congress.” Feinberg was questioned by committee members about the nature of fines or penalties if the railroads do not meet the deadline, and she said that fines could be assessed “per violation per day.” She also referenced the “Grow America Act” submitted to Congress by the Department of Transportation on March 30, 2015, which would provide funding for a broad range of transportation infrastructure improvements. Feinberg said this legislation proposes that “Congress provide FRA with additional authorities that would address the safety gap that will exist for many railroads between Jan. 1, 2016, and full PTC implementation.” These additional authorities would “allow the FRA to review, approve, and require interim safety measures for individual railroads that may fail to meet the PTC deadline.” Feinberg was also quick to point out in her testimony that “these interim requirements will not serve as an extension of the PTC deadline; rather they are strictly de-

signed to enable FRA to bring railroads into compliance safety.” In addition to allowing a “rollout” of PTC technology on certain segments of a rail line, Feinberg said the FRA recommends that Congress authorize the agency to “require railroad use of alternative safety technologies on specified line segments in lieu of PTC until PTC is fully implemented.” CSX’s Lonegro focused on the details of PTC implementation. He pointed out that between 2009 and 2014, “PTC was CSX’s third largest capital expense behind track maintenance and freight cars.” He added that by the end of 2014, CSX had spent $1.2 billion on PTC, and that the company intends to spend an additional $300 million this year. In his written testimony, as well as in his answers to questions from Subcommittee members, Lonegro also discussed several technical aspects PTC implementation. A key issue Lonegro raised is the conundrum that the railroads could face on Jan. 1, 2016, if the deadline is not extended. As common carriers, CSX and other railroads have a legal obligation to accept freight for transportation; failure to do so is breaking the law. If the current deadline for PTC implementation on segments of line that carry passengers or toxic inhalation hazards, such as chlorine, is not met, the >> Get the latest news updates on TRAINS News Wire. Visit: www.TrainsMag.com

Antennas for PTC rise along the Union Paciﬁc in Brighton, Colo., in June 2015.

railroads will be breaking another law. So, do the railroads go ahead and handle passenger trains and transport hazardous commodities on lines without PTC, or refuse transportation because it is breaking the law? Does the railroad shut down because it cannot operate without breaking at least one of these laws? “As you might expect, many lawyers are considering the potential commercial, operational, and legal implications of these choices,” Lonegro added. Metra CEO Orseno and Metrolink representative Kerwin presented details on the unique requirements of commuter

railroads. Metrolink, serving the Los Angeles metropolitan area, has PTC in revenue service demonstration, a form of testing, on its system of 341 route-miles of Metrolink-owned lines, and intends to be fully compliant by the Dec. 31 deadline. Metra, serving the Chicago area, says that it will not complete implementation of PTC on its 1,200 route-miles until 2019. Orseno and Kerwin both noted that once PTC is implemented, the annual operation and maintenance costs will be in the millions — Metrolink estimates $4-8 million, while Metra estimates $15 million. Charles Mathias, representing the FCC, said that his agency has been working closely with freight and passenger railroads to acquire the radio frequency bands they need to support PTC communication. Mathias said in his written testimony that “The railroads have targeted previously allocated commercial spectrum bands to deploy PTC.” While the FCC has not had “specific statutory direction to clear and reallocate this spectrum for PTC use ... the Commission has encouraged railroads to acquire the targeted commercial spectrum from existing licensees who previously purchased spectrum licenses in FCC auctions,” Mathias said. He went on to say that the FCC has approved these secondary market transactions quickly. Mathias raised the issue of PTC communications pole installation being hampered by the FCC’s adherence to environmental and historic preservation laws. He pointed out there is now a streamlined process for review of pole installations, and that

A UP locomotive shows the PTC antenna setup on top of the cab. Pelle Søeborg

the FCC has the capacity to review 1,400 pole applications every two weeks. Several witnesses said that even though they were happy with the new approval process, getting to the new process delayed PTC projects for more than a year. There is some sentiment outside the industry that the Class I railroads have not worked fast enough to implement PTC. Rail executives rebuff this notion, particularly when it comes from those not involved in the most recent PTC developments. The bottom line is that Congress must decide soon how it will address the December 31 deadline. — David C. Lester

>> Technology comes to an Omaha landmark

A cluster of new satellite dishes is installed and linked up outside the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy station in Omaha, Neb., in late June. The building is soon to be the new home of KETV-TV, the local ABC afﬁliate. The formerly vacant building, which last saw use as a passenger station in 1974, will house the TV station’s studios by the end of 2015. Darrell D. Wendt

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Rarely does a city go “all in” on a transportation solution, but the Denver metro area is doing just that. In 2016, the Regional Transportation District will open five new high-capacity transit projects across the region approved by voters in 2004. Those include three commuter rail lines, one light rail line, and one bus rapid transit route, and add to projects previously completed. The first of the three new commuter rail lines to open will be the 23-mile airport link, officially the “East Rail Line,” between Union Station downtown and Denver International Airport. It will open in “spring 2016,” according to RTD spokeswoman Tina Jaquez. As of July 2015, trains are testing on the airport line. The other FasTracks lines, west to Wheat Ridge and northwest to Westminster, will open later in the year. To supplement the commuter rail system, a new 10.5-mile light rail line is under construction in the southeast suburbs. Roughly following Interstate 225 from an existing station at Nine Mile, the line will run north through Aurora and meet the airport commuter line at Peoria, providing airport patrons in the south suburbs a two-

seat ride without traveling downtown. It is expected to open in late 2016. The bus rapid transit line, opening in January 2016, will supplement the commuter rail route to Westminster, providing additional service and a longer ride to and from Boulder. The commuter rail cars, supplied by Hyundai-Rotem, are manufactured near Philadelphia and delivered to Denver by rail, using a CSX Transportation-BNSF Railway routing, according to FasTracks Capital Programs Assistant General Manager Richard Clarke. As of summer 2015, 28 of the 66 cars on order are on the property. The car shells are manufactured in South Korea and shipped to Philadelphia for fitting and assembly of various components including trucks, brakes, seats, propulsion system, flooring, doors, and windows. Jaquez says, “When the projects in 2016 open, we’ll have about 70 percent of FasTracks finished.” That figure includes the West Line, opened for light rail in 2013. Preliminary work on the next FasTracks route, the North Metro Line to Thornton, is already under way. It is expected to open in 2018. — Brian Schmidt

The right-of-way at Quebec Road, near the former Stapleton Airport east of downtown Denver, is nearly complete in June 2015.

Parts of the system use this alternative construction design to aid drainage in problem areas. Two photos, TR A I NS : Brian Schmidt

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Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

COMMENTARY

BY DON PHILLIPS

Safety board is respected, independent Investigators into Amtrak 188 crash are impressed with engineer, whose memory could be crucial professionals from outside political interference. The board will not The investigation into the Amtrak train No. 188 wreck be rushed into action before it completes an investigation unless it near Philadelphia is moving slowly through the usual process. Bediscovers a dangerous situation that warrants an immediate move. fore I give you new information about the May 12 wreck, which With this background, I’ll tell you a few things about the killed eight people, I must first explain to some readers: Just what is board’s investigation of train 188, including some surprising and the National Transportation Safety Board, and what are its powers? Many of you know about the safety board, but I am shocked that private things I learned on deep background about the board some members of Congress have no idea what it is, and don’t bother staff ’s opinion of Amtrak engineer Brandon Bostian. I can’t hint to find out before they make fools of themselves in a public hearing. who I talked to, but I can tell you why they talked to me. Frankly, most reporters know nothing about transporIt’s perfectly all right to not know the board, but tation, and safety board staff members don’t most people won’t make a fool of themselves. THE AMTRAK ENGINEER have any idea which reporters they can trust. They do research before they open their mouths. They trust me because I covered them for The safety board, first, is independent. No CLEARLY HAS THE RESPECT years when I was with The Washington Post. I one in government or industry can tell the board OF SAFETY BOARD am one of a handful of reporters they trust, bewhat to do or what to say. The board deals with cause I know a lot about all forms of transportransportation safety, and usually makes recomSTAFF MEMBERS. tation. It is a safe and efficient interview. mendations after major train wrecks, airline The Amtrak engineer clearly has the respect crashes, and other transportation disasters. It has of safety board staff members. Bostian, who says he has no memory no power to order anyone to take any action. Nonetheless, the Fedof the wreck, is a diehard railfan and a by-the-book railroader. Board eral Aviation Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, and staff members say they trust him, and even if his memory comes other agencies better listen to the safety board and must have good back and he remembers that he did something badly wrong, he reasons if they can’t or won’t do something the board recommends. should get his job back. Get his job back? That surprised me, at least The board is made up of five political appointees, and its chairman until they pointed out that all the airline pilots who survived crashes supervises approximately 400 professionals. Those professionals are in the last decade got their jobs back even if they made a major misnon-political, and one of the chairman’s main jobs is to protect the

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Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

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take. Why? Because they were willing to answer all questions honestly, and they made a major contribution to future aviation safety. By the way, many pilots and engineers lose their memory in a crash or wreck. Sometimes the memory comes back, sometimes not. They told me something else I didn’t know. A large hole in the windshield of the locomotive wasn’t there when the train left Philadelphia. A locomotive must be switched out and replaced at the next station after a hole is discovered. Therefore, since the engineer mentioned nothing about the hole, it likely happened during his memory loss. The FBI said it wasn’t from a bullet, but much more time will be necessary to determine what did cause it and it is possible investigators may never be able to do so. Board investigators haven’t been sitting around waiting for Bostian’s memory to return. They have been probing other aspects of the wreck. For instance, they have determined there were no problems with the track or roadbed at the wreck site. They have determined that Bostian applied emergency brakes a few seconds before the wreck, adding another element. However, they said they will never question engineers for taking such an action, even if it contributed to the wreck, because such a split-second decision is in line with their training. They do not yet know whether Bostian was using his cell phone, but they do know that his phone was not sending or receiving a signal at or near the time of the accident. The main reason investigators are hoping Bostian’s memory will return is to determine why he was going so fast. Was he briefly lost in the darkness amid all the activity transpiring around him? Did he think he was beyond the curve? Did he hit his head on something and suffer a concussion? Safety Board Chairman Christopher Hart, the only member of the board who can comment on the record at this point in an investigation, called Bostian a “boy scout who loves trains.” This investi-

National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt watches rescue workers searching the wreckage of Amtrak train No. 188 in Philadelphia on May 12. National Transpor tation Safet y Board

gation will continue for months. My next column on the wreck will appear when there is a major event, especially if Bostian’s memory returns. For now, this is a fascinating saga, and I have learned a lot. A postscript to last month’s column: I was incorrect about whether Amtrak officials had gone to the scene of the wreck of train No. 188. Some officials went there early the next day, and the Amtrak press staff was answering numerous calls from home that night. As a result, no one came in to Amtrak’s Union Station headquarters that night. 2

Don Phillips, a reporter for more than four decades, writes this exclusive column for TRAINS. Email him at: [email protected]

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A West Texas & Lubbock train braves a sandstorm near Whiteface, Texas, in November 2013. Mike Cleaver

Watco moves on new acquisitions, special units Company acquires two Iowa Pacific short lines Changes are coming soon to two Southwest short lines. Pittsburg, Kan.based Watco, an operator of 33 shortline railroads, is in the process of adding two more properties to its portfolio. The two railroads, now held by Iowa Pacific Holdings, operate multiple lines in western Texas and eastern New Mexico. The railroads are the Texas New Mexico Railroad, to be renamed the Texas & New Mexico Railway, operating from a Union Pacific connection at Monahans, Texas, to Lovington, N.M., and the West Texas & Lubbock Railway, to be renamed the Lubbock & Western Railway. It operates two segments: the most northern runs from Plainview to Dimmitt, Texas, and the second runs west from Lubbock to Whiteface, Texas, and southwest from Lubbock to Seagraves, Texas. Both segments interchange with BNSF Railway. Iowa Pacific President and CEO Ed Ellis says, “Since 2002 [freight traffic on these properties] has grown exponentially, track speeds have increased, safety incidents have decreased, and new customers have opened facilities all over these railroads.”

Watco painted GP38 No. 3879 orange in June 2015. Michael D. Harding

Stefan Loeb, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Watco, adds, “We see this addition of the two Permian Basin lines as a tremendous growth opportunity for Watco. These two new railroads are a perfect addition to allow us to better serve our Texas customers.” Regulatory approval is expected later in 2015. In 2014, Watco began operations on the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad that provides service to a variety of customers south and west of Asheville, N.C., and connects with Norfolk Southern at Asheville. These recent acquisitions fit nicely with Watco’s growth strategy, according to Loeb. “Our approach to growth is to listen to our customers, and they will show us how to grow and where to go,” he says. He adds that “we believe that we have the most robust crude-by-rail strategy of any short line in the business.” Loeb points out, too, that Watco established the first crude-by-rail terminals in the country — one at the origin point at Stanley, N.D., and one at the destination point of Stroud, Okla. In addition to providing rail transportation service, Watco seeks to provide endto-end supply chain management services to customers. “Our services include car re-

• • • • •

Short lines operated: 33 Switching operations: 28 Route-miles operated: 4,500 Employees: 3,000 Locomotives: 476

pair, loading and unloading cars, and freight brokerage,” Loeb says. “We want to be a one-stop shop for the supply chain needs of our customers.” Loeb adds that Watco recently acquired a management team from BNSF Logistics to form a supply chain management division of Watco: “We know of no one in the shortline industry who offers this range of services.” When asked whether traditional warehousing might one day become part of Watco’s supply chain services, Loeb responds by saying that “we are always open to warehousing as customer needs dictate, and right now we have some warehousing at terminals, but ‘storage in transit’ is the method that seems to work best for our customers.” In this case, a freight car provides a “rolling warehouse” for freight that the customer might not need at the moment, supporting “just-in-time” delivery.

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Along with its focus on the shortline railroad business, Watco also enjoys recognizing its heritage. The Wisconsin & Southern Railroad became a Watco property on Jan. 1, 2012. The railroad recently celebrated its 35th anniversary, and Watco painted one of its engines in a snappy version of the road’s regular paint scheme to honor the anniversary. “This unit was painted in the Watco paint shop in Horicon, (Wis.)” Loeb says. “We felt that it was fitting to honor the many years this line has been in service, and the goose (logo), red, and gray will be with us until someone decides otherwise.” In similar fashion, Watco honored the history of the Ann Arbor Railroad, which it acquired in early 2013, with a heritage scheme. The Ann Arbor runs from Toledo, Ohio, to Osmer, Mich., just north of the city of Ann Arbor. “The Great Lakes Central has a paint shop nearby, and they gave us a nice deal to paint the Ann Arbor unit,” Loeb says. The unit is painted a bright orange, a color scheme the old Ann Arbor adopted under Detroit, Toledo & Ironton ownership in the 1960s. It features “Ann Arbor Railroad” lettering on the long hood. Other units on the Ann Arbor received the standard Watco black and yellow. — David C. Lester

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13

COMMENTARY

BY FRED W. FRAILEY

Railroads face life after coal Their major source of traffic for more than a century is withering be over. Norfolk Southern’s coal loadings peaked in 2008, and by Lehigh Valley. Lackawanna. Reading. Jersey Central. And let’s 2014 had fallen 27 percent, and as noted, the plunge is accelerating not forget the “Old Woman,” the New York, Ontario & Western. in 2015. The story at CSX is much the same — a drop in carloadWhat did they have in common? Why coal, of course. They were ings of 29 percent in that same 2008-14 period. the kings and queens of anthracite. And when the fortunes of this Even at last year’s depressed levels, coal still accounted for 21 perhard, high-carbon substance waned in the 20th century, so did the cent of revenues at NS and 22 percent at CSX. What to do when this futures of these railroads, never to recover. All went bankrupt. Today, you’d almost think bituminous coal is suffering the same business peters out is a serious business challenge. You can cut costs. With fewer trains on their coal routes, it doesn’t make sense to fate. Among the seven Class I railroads, coal’s decline is snowballmaintain them to the same high standard. ing. Through almost all of 2015’s second You’ll need fewer locomotives, so your capital quarter, coal carloadings declined 14 perWHAT TO DO WHEN THIS budget isn’t as great. Trouble is, cost cutting cent from a year earlier. For the most recent doesn’t always get you far. four weeks, it’s 18 percent. And for the latest BUSINESS PETERS OUT IS A So next you cut back. I could imagine, for week, 19 percent. SERIOUS BUSINESS CHALLENGE. example, Norfolk Southern selling its route On individual railroads in late June, the between Roanoke, Va., and Columbus, Ohio, latest weekly coal numbers go like this: plus associated branch lines, to a new regional entity. The regional BNSF Railway, down 9 percent; Canadian National, down 17 perrailroad would share the revenues from remaining coal traffic and cent; CSX Transportation, down 21 percent; Kansas City Southern be guaranteed overhead traffic. After all, this is the NS Heartland and Norfolk Southern, both down 32 percent; and Union Pacific, Corridor, used by double-stack intermodal trains between Norfolk, down 24 percent. Canadian Pacific, which handles mostly export Va., and the Midwest. NS would be shorn of this withering appendcoal for use in steelmaking, was up 11 percent. Coal traffic is up age and the sizable cost of maintaining it. With smaller overhead year to date on only BNSF (3 percent) and CP (4 percent). and a will to survive, a regional railroad could make a go of it. I can’t explain (or explain away) these dismal numbers. They Easier said than done, of course. It would take every speck of could be related to weather, or a weak global economy, and will resolve by the new NS chief executive, Jim Squires, to do so. After improve going forward. But the glory days of coal surely seem to

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Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

all, coal is the soul of the Norfolk & Western side of Norfolk Southern. It’s like cutting off your arm to save your life. His own executives would resist. So maybe Squires will instead look for other underperforming parts of his railroad and sell them. The imperative is that something has to give. CSX faces the same reality. I’m told the former Clinchfield Railroad and the adjoining Big Sandy Subdivision, an important coal corridor, is down to a train or two a day of the black stuff. Maybe it’s sayonara time. Surely there are ways CSX can concentrate its coal traffic on fewer routes, and spin off parts of its network. Like NS, CSX has a huge incentive to cut costs. Both railroads must feel the hot breath of deep-pocketed, activist investors who would come in and make the cuts if they won’t. But unless CSX and Norfolk Southern want to go forward as smaller railroads, Squires and Michael Ward, the CSX chief executive, would be wise to replace that lost business. There are few opportunities. Carload business follows the economic cycle up and down and grain hues to the weather. You’re left with intermodal, which even in this miserable year, is up modestly. It’s been this way forever, it seems — intermodal is the commodity that wants to grow. There’s a catch. Neither railroad looks attractive to intermodal shippers today. Truckers strive to operate with near 100-percent reliability. A railroad that isn’t at least 90-percent reliable with its intermodal deliveries quickly becomes a problem for its trucking partners. So if these railroads expect a sizable increase in intermodal shipments, they’ll need to clean up their routes with the most intermodal business and get rid of impediments to on-time performance. This requires both capital investment and operating discipline. And that gets us to the big question: Will they make those investments and achieve the discipline? So far the news is not good. All the railroads are under pressure to raise their depressed stock

A CSX coal train passes a weathered barn at Rupert, W.Va., on April 11, 2015. Like coal, the barn has seen better days. James Sirmons

prices by boosting dividends and buying back shares. You always hear companies complain that Wall Street looks only at the short term. Well, here it is in real life. Out West, matters are a bit different. Union Pacific doesn’t have a true coal corridor. At North Platte, Neb., Powder River Basin trains join the rest of the crowd and fight for room. Fewer coal trains on UP clear space for the rest of the traffic and ought to result in a more efficient railroad. BNSF does have a sizable coal corridor, stretching from Montana through Wyoming to Nebraska, before traffic begins to disperse. At some point it must decide what to do with a dying line of business. For all railroads, the message from the past should be clear: Adjust or become like the Lehigh Valley and the Old Woman. 2

Fred W. Frailey is author of “Twilight of the Great Trains.” Reach him at [email protected]. This column was adapted from a TrainsMag.com blog.

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LOCOMOTIVE

BY CHRIS GUSS

Meeting the needs of the world Differences in clearance, gauge among challenges manufacturers face in overseas markets

A narrow gauge EMD GT46AC, with the dimensions of a unit for export markets, leads two SD70ACe-BBs in testing at Vespasiano, Brazil, on May 15, 2015. Pedro Rezende

Decades ago, North America was flush with locomotive builders who provided multiple types of locomotives with differing wheel configurations, horsepower choices, and other options. Over time, the number of major builders slimmed to two, Electro-Motive Diesel and General Electric, who each build essentially one primary product for their customers in the North American market: the six-axle A.C. locomotive. These builders enjoy a robust export market, and while domestic options have been reduced, export locomotives still provide variety, with multiple platforms for various customer requirements. Other builders such as MotivePower, National Railway Equipment, and Railserve also cater to the export market on a smaller scale.

The difference between export (left) and domestic carbodies is clear with these parts at a GE plant. Chris Guss

16

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

In the past several years, 10 to 30 percent of domestic locomotive production was destined for overseas customers. And manufacturers typically have dedicated production facilities or licensees that can build orders on other continents. This expands production capabilities and reduces tariffs, along with meeting “buy local” requirements found on certain orders. Each customer has unique standards a builder must meet when pursuing sales. Tight clearances of European railroads, varying track gauges and the scorching deserts of the Middle East all require design engineers to adapt their product. North American railroads employ some of the heaviest and most powerful diesel locomotives used anywhere. With certain exceptions, tonnage hauled per train around the world are much less than North America. The predominance of passenger operations in other countries affects export locomotive design, tending to require shorter maximum train lengths and lighter axle loadings. This is the maximum amount of weight per axle a locomotive can have without exceeding the limits of the physical plant it’s operating on. For perspective, the heaviest locomotives in North America currently are CSX’s fleet of “heavy” GE and EMD locomotives equipped with extra ballast that tip the scales at 432,000 pounds or

32 metric tons per axle. International axle loadings are generally in the 22.5-to-25metric-ton-per-axle range with 14-16 metric tons (and lower) also prevalent. Lighter axle loadings limit the amount of horsepower a locomotive can apply to the rail. Builders will often use lower-horsepower 8- or 12-cylinder engines to save weight and/or employ A1A or B1 trucks. The A1A or B1 trucks have three axles per truck but only use two traction motors on each. This reduces the overall weight by two traction motors while spreading the weight across six axles instead of four. Such units usually carry less fuel and have less range as a result. Track gauge also presents challenges, with narrow gauge the most difficult since it limits the size of traction motors that can be used. In locations such as Brazil’s narrow gauge rail network, eight-axle trucks are employed under full-sized locomotives typically used in North America. This allows the full output of the locomotive’s prime mover to be applied using eight smaller traction motors. Loading gauge is also a factor in locations such as Great Britain, where clearances are much tighter. Smaller loading gauge means decreased space inside the locomotive for equipment, as well as forcing some items normally mounted outside the locomotive to be relocated within. For example, on many European locomotives, items such as cooling fans are typically mounted within the carbody under the radiator system, while horns and other appliances typically found on the roof are mounted elsewhere for clearance purposes. Other major factors or differences found in export locomotives include extreme heat, blowing sand, high altitude, coupler types, and dual-cab locomotives. To save on costs as much as possible, builders try to standardize on a handful of platforms that can be utilized for multiple customers.

A Progress Rail PR22L for Australia’s TasRail tests on the Florida East Coast in September 2013. Kevin Andrusia

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TECHNOLOGY

BY JEFF TUZIK

Railroads byte into big data Railroads no longer struggle to collect information; they struggle to make use of it Future

Charts similar to this one describe the learning and growth curves that companies, including railroads, take in managing additional information over time. Sources: Inter face; Nii At toh - Okine

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“Big Data” is the phrase tech companies and analysts use for information that is too large or complex to chew through with simple spreadsheets and computer databases. It is quickly entering railroad managers’ everyday speech. Why? Because railroads are using automated measuring and monitoring technologies that balloon the amount of information they have on hand. Several Class I railroads, including CSX Transportation, Union Pacific, and Norfolk Southern, have formed an informal working group specifically to address how they will handle all the information. But the concept is hardly new. Allan Zarembski, the University of

Delaware’s railroad engineering and safety director, says that railroads have been accumulating track data since they began using track geometry cars often in the 1970s. In those early days, Zarembski says, data was often checked against a simple benchmark and discarded or sent to an archive, usually on paper. Data flows constantly these days from new and developing devices that measure the amount of bounce or deflection in track, vision systems that assess tie and rail conditions, thermal imaging systems that monitor hot spots on electrified rails, special electrical waves that can measure crack depth in rails, and others. Railroads no longer struggle to collect data on their

systems; they struggle to make use of it all. The latest track geometry cars, for instance, use machine vision, thermal imaging, and video in addition to standard measuring devices. These tools can generate 100 gigabytes of data, or the equivalent of 2,932 digital copies of Trains, in a single day. It is so much information that the humans currently tasked with making sense of it all are backlogged in what they can do without advanced computers and a different approach. Virginia-based ENSCO Inc. recently introduced a mathematical formula for railroads that might help: it digs through scores of filed reports to locate high-derailment-risk sites. According to Matthew Dick, a business development director at ENSCO, the formula pinpointed previously unexpected problem areas before a train could derail. The program required no new measurements or testing — only a deeper analysis of existing information. “You have to squeeze the data until they tell you the truth,” says Nii AttohOkine, a University of Delaware professor who also works with railroads. Railroads and shippers are also using data collected from wayside detectors and sensors on board locomotives and freight cars to get even more information about routes and train handling. Before long, the information railroads process can turn into efficiencies that save millions of dollars a year. JEFF TUZIK is managing editor of Interface: The Journal of Wheel-Rail Interaction.

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RailComm will partner with energy infrastructure ﬁrm Kinder Morgan for the installation of remote rail yard control at the Deepwater Terminal in Pasadena, Texas. Kinder Morgan’s yard control system will access RailComm’s DOC Yard Control System, providing remote control of switch machines and train routing. Communications from the central ofﬁce to the ﬁeld equipment is via the company’s RADiANT spread spectrum data radios. RailComm is a rail industry software com-

SmartDrive Systems, a video-based company that assists passenger and transit agencies with operator compliance and performance, has launched a videobased safety program for rail use. Railspeciﬁc capabilities are incorporated into the SmartDrive safety solutions platform, which aids agency efforts to comply with regulations such as the mandate requiring video-cameras monitoring of in-cab activities such as use of personal electronic devices. The system, now in use at a California light rail operator, is

18

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

integrated with other onboard safety and operational systems. For more information, go to www.smartdrive.net. Cummins Inc. has released an Android version of its free QuickServe Online application. Among its features, the app enables users to review part options, catalogs, and engine dataplate information for more than 15 million Cummins engine serial numbers. The app is available in the Google Play store. Cummins is a global manufacturer of engines commonly used in the rail industry. For more information, go to www.cumminsengines.com/rail.

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Several tank car classes can haul ﬂammable liquids, such as this one, which is likely a DOT-107 type. New government rules created the DOT-117 type in May. TR A I NS : Brian Schmidt

Let the lawsuits begin. U.S. railroad associations and two Chicago suburbs are among the parties challenging tank car and crude-by-rail rules issued May 1 by the U.S. Department of Transportation. So far, the American Shortline and Regional Railroad Association, the American Petroleum Institute, the City of Aurora, and the Village of Barrington, both in Illinois, have appealed the rules with the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The Association of American Railroads says it has filed an administrative appeal directly with the transportation department. The new crude-by-rail rules give a timeline for certain tank cars hauling crude oil to have electronically controlled pneumatic brakes installed. The rules also outline speed restrictions, mandate the function of tank car fittings, and give a minimum time for tank cars to protect their contents in a fire — 100 minutes. [See “Meet the New Tank Car: DOT-117,” “Technology,” July 2015.] An AAR spokesman says the government didn’t go far enough with the last item. Specifically, the AAR says the amount of time a tank car should protect its contents is 800 minutes, which would likely require ceramic blankets already used in tank cars hauling substances such as liquid nitrogen. When combined with a reclosing relief valve, the AAR claims that such blankets provide superior protection. In 2014, long before regulations appeared that created the new DOT-117 tank car, Greenbrier Companies said it would build a “Tank Car of the Future” with a ceramic blanket instead of other applications or types of insulation. A company spokesman says Greenbrier has built 1,000 of the cars with another 2,500 on order since last year. Manufacturer Union Tank Car Co. also

jumped into the fray last year, working with petroleum refiner Tesoro Corp. on a fleet of 210 new tank cars. For that order, Union Tank adapted the DOT-120 specification for cars carrying pressurized liquid gases in an insulated tank and exceeding the DOT-117 standard with thicker head shields and twice the rated tank pressure. Also bracing for new business building DOT-117 freight cars are industry veterans such as Trinity Industries and American Railcar Industries. On electronic air brakes, both the AAR and the Railway Supply Institute, which represents manufacturers and fleet lessors, say the installation cost and operational issues associated with electronic brakes are greater than the value in marginal safety gained over two-way end-of-train devices or braking from locomotives distributed within a consist. These latter methods start braking within or at the rear of a freight train and trigger braking from both the front and back of the train. Electronic air brakes are designed to apply all brakes simultaneously. ASLRRA and others argue in court filings that the braking mandate is a government overreach that is not scientifically supported. BNSF Railway and Norfolk Southern began testing electronically controlled pneumatic brakes on unit coal trains in 2007. Neither would comment on their experiences. Three years into the experiment, a published NS study found better car use; fewer pulled couplers, broken knuckles, and wheel-set replacements; and insufficient data on fuel savings when compared to conventional air brakes. The report also found the brakes work best in dedicated unit trains, such as coal trains to the Powder River Basin. Freight car and air brake manufacturers offer both standard air brakes as well as electronic versions depending on customer needs. — William P. Diven

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19

PASSENGER

BY BOB JOHNSTON

Just call them trains Lengthy trip shows compartmentalization of Amtrak service is an unwise task

A long line of coach passengers wait for their opportunity to board Amtrak’s southbound Coast Starlight at San Jose, Calif., on June 9, 2015. Five photos, Bob Johnston

How different are the Coast Starlight, a Northeast Regional, or one of the Pacific Northwest’s Amtrak Cascades? Plenty, according to Amtrak and Congress. The national operator and lawmakers have dutifully pigeonholed financial and operating responsibility into three categories — longdistance, Northeast Corridor, and statesupported services — since 2008’s Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act was passed. Those demarcations appear to be heading for further calcification in the two Amtrak reauthorization bills being considered by the U.S. House and Senate, respectively, this summer. Amtrak management and its board of directors, comprised mostly of business leaders from the Northeast, insist that only trains traveling between Boston and Virginia terminals are “profitable” — simply because the billions in infrastructure costs enabling them to go faster than 79 mph never make it to that expense line. Consequently, mainstream media outlets keep using the “money-losing” adjective for longdistance trains every time the subject of diverting Amtrak’s scarce resources away from the Northeast comes up, as it did following the Philadelphia accident in May. Meanwhile, legislators and governors across the land are bemoaning how expensive supporting their regional passenger trains has become. As budget discussions drag on with the next fiscal year looming, the jury is still out on which states may cut 20

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

frequencies or even whole routes when non-dedicated general revenues run dry. Because these categories are portrayed as different, the assumption must be that so, too, are the pursuits of passengers that ride them and the relative “worthiness of support” for each type of train. Don’t believe it. Thanks in part to judicious use of Amtrak Guest Rewards and hotel points, a June Seattle-to-Chicago escapade with changes or overnight stops along the way at Portland, Ore.; San Jose, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles in California; San Antonio and Fort Worth, Texas; and Norman, Okla., reveals a common thread. People want to travel cost effectively, on time, and in comfort, and it doesn’t matter how anyone cate-

gorizes the train they happen to be riding. What is Rachel Patman doing in a Texas Eagle lounge car, anyway? The law student from Rio Vista, Texas, has finished classes in San Antonio and works on her laptop riding to Cleburne, which she does about once a month, rather than fly to DallasFort Worth. “It’s much better than wasting all that time flying and then driving from DFW (airport),” she tells Michael Clancy, an Australian across the table who is on an ambitious, multi-week journey that includes every overnight U.S. passenger train. Think about Patman when you hear some Washington politicians say long-distance trains “don’t make sense” but the goingbroke Highway Trust Fund summarily pays for multi-million-dollar rural interstate highway interchanges. Or how about that “national network” Coast Starlight loading more than a full car of intrastate coach passengers at just one stop, San Jose? Until (if?) California finishes its high speed rail project, this is the only train offering a one-seat ride from the San Francisco Bay Area to Southern California, because the state itself has decided to regionally compartmentalize its three corridors. The Balkanization process will be complete later this year as they all transition to Joint Powers Authorities. No unit prioritizes paying for a train between the state’s most populous cities. California’s Thruway bus network does feed these state-supported trains extraordinarily well, though, as experienced on a bus out of San Jose, connecting with jam-packed Pacific Surfliner train No. 784 at Santa Barbara. Fortunately, Coast Starlight Route Director Michael Dwyer seeks to add revenue and fill the comfort void on his train with a

Amtrak Cascades Talgo Series 8 trainsets meet at Portland Union Station on June 7. >> For a slideshow of more photos from the author’s trip, visit www.TrainsMag.com

In the latest issue Fall 2015 Edition

Australian Michael Clancy, on an Amtrak trip around the U.S., and law student Rachel Patman talk on the Texas Eagle on June 12.

Passengers watch as the Heartland Flyer arrives in Norman, Okla., its ﬁrst stop after leaving Oklahoma City, on June 13.

pilot test through September 30 of Business Class. It places spacious seating in the lower level of former “Kiddie Car” coaches, where passengers have access to Wi-Fi and the train’s Pacific Parlour Car. The Starlight also augments Amtrak Cascades trips from Seattle to Eugene, Ore., and the Eagle connects with the Texas-andOklahoma-sponsored Heartland Flyer to and from Oklahoma City at Fort Worth. Both state-supported services came under fire from would-be budget cutters as a result of rising costs this year, so have undergone special scrutiny. Micromanaging Oregon legislators pointed to low ridership of early morning Eugene-bound train No. 503 originating in Portland, so the departure will likely be shifted later as a continuation of a train from Seattle. The Flyer now drops a third coach during some months and a cab

car has replaced the second P42 locomotive, which stays in Fort Worth to protect both the Oklahoma train and the Eagle. The fact is these disparate operations depend on the largesse of cars, locomotives, and expertise the national carrier contributes. So you have to wonder why Amtrak is seeking new trainsets to replace Acela Expresses but has no expansion or investment plan for “everything else” other than to run the wheels off and keep fixing Superliners, Amfleet, and locomotives, many of them older than anything the company inherited in 1971. Too difficult to sell the politicians on the concept of a national system that serves everyone geographically according to the transportation specifics of each region? Try harder. Maybe it’s time they get on some trains and see how similar the traveling public’s needs across the country can be.

>> ‘Rocky Mountaineer’ tries border test

A Century of Catenary Energized in September 1915, the wires on the Main Line west of Philadelphia formed the nucleus of the Pennsylvania’s electrified empire

SP’s Dynamic Leader D. J. Russell steered the Golden Empire toward a diversified future in the 1950s and ’60s

Last Encounters with Steam Visiting the Grand Trunk Western and Illinois Central in February 1960, just weeks before the end of steam

C&O’s Backwoods Budds Ride a pair of rare RDC4s on a local train in eastern Kentucky

Bridgeboro Boogie A tiny Georgia crossroads got busy when two Pidcock short lines established an interchange there

Ingles Color Classics An Amtrak detour and a preserved BL2 on a fantrip produce some “Monon moments” in 1975 Canadian luxury operator Rocky Mountaineer’s Vancouver-Seattle “Coastal Passage” add-on to Canadian Rockies itineraries (above, heading north at Mukilteo, Wash., on June 6, 2015) now has U.S. border ofﬁcials clearing southbound passengers before travelers get off the train in Seattle, rather than stopping brieﬂy to board at Blaine, Wash., as they do for two Amtrak Cascades. The pilot program, which was implemented in part because the once-weekly scenery cruiser makes no stops, tests new technology that could lead to a more streamlined approach for Amtrak trains at other border crossings. Northbound “Coastal Passage” and Cascades patrons continue to clear customs in a secure area at Vancouver’s Paciﬁc Central Station. This is the last summer for Rocky Mountaineer’s lower-priced RedLeaf class and the Thursday-through-Monday North Vancouver-Whistler, British Columbia, round trips that feature an open-air, ex-Canadian Paciﬁc heritage observation car. That picturesque route in 2016 will be folded into three-day journeys of the “Rainforest to Gold Rush” trips, which now operate between Whistler and Jasper with an overnight stop on former BC Rail tracks at Quesnel, B.C.

Fallen Flags Remembered Erie Railroad

PLUS: The Way It Was, Bumping Post, True Color, Car Stop, and more!

On sale August 25, 2015 www.TrainsMag.com

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RESTORING A LEGEND OF THE AMERICAN WEST 33 years went into steaming the 1875 ‘Glenbrook’ by Chris De Witt and Adam Michalski

I

n 1982, the newly formed Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City started to restore one of the Silver State’s most prized artifacts, Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Co. 2-6-0 Glenbrook. Built in 1875 by Baldwin, the narrow gauge, wood-burning Mogul played important roles in the development of Nevada’s mining industry during the 19th century and tourism at Lake Tahoe during the early 20th century. By the time the museum received the Glenbrook, it needed significant attention. The restoration faced several challenges, chief among them being whether to keep the old boiler and repair it or replace it. Despite the challenges the museum forged ahead with the restoration of this historic locomotive, which was dedicated Memorial Day weekend 2015, making it among the oldest operable steam locomotives in North America today.

LOCOMOTIVE HISTORY ON THE SHORES OF LAKE TAHOE In 1873, the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Co. started a business to provide much needed timber products to the

Comstock region. Timber was gathered from the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe and floated to company sawmills in Glenbrook, Nev., on the shores of Lake Tahoe. After the timber was milled, the company, using teams of horses, transported the lumber from Glenbrook to the flumes at Spooner Summit, on the crest of the Carson Range, 9 miles to the east. This transportation tended to be cumbersome and costly. In 1874 the company developed plans to construct a narrow gauge railroad connecting Glenbrook and Spooner Summit. In December 1874, the Carson & Tahoe Lumber & Fluming Co. ordered two locomotives from Baldwin, the Glenbrook and the Tahoe. Each locomotive was a 46,000-pound 2-6-0. The tenders carried 1,000 gallons of water and 1½ cords of firewood. The locomotives arrived in Carson City, Nev., on May 22, 1875, where they were partially disassembled at the Virginia & Truckee shops and hauled to Glenbrook by wagons and teams of horses. On June 21, 1875, both locomotives sounded their whistles in Glenbrook for the first time. When the railroad was completed on Aug. 24, 1875, the Glenbrook and Tahoe

Amazing return for a locomotive that had not steamed in almost 90 years, the Glenbrook moves again on May 23, 2015. Joel Kirk www.TrainsMag.com

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Here’s how the Glenbrook looked in the mid-1950s as a museum piece in Carson City, Nev., years after it last ran. George H. Harlan Jr.

SHOULD IT BE RESTORED?

It’s 1916, and the Glenbrook poses for a photo during its service between Truckee, Calif., and the piers at Tahoe City, Calif. F.W. Conway

were pressed into service. Both locomotives worked on the railroad until September 1898. After the lumber business played out, company principal Duane L. Bliss turned his attention to a new business, tourism. In December 1898, Bliss incorporated the Lake Tahoe Railway & Transportation Co. to build a 15-mile narrow gauge line from the Southern Pacific main line at Truckee, Calif., to the new company’s piers at Tahoe City, Calif. The transportation company purchased Glenbrook from the lumber and flume company and used the locomotive to haul passengers between Truckee and Tahoe City. In October 1925, the Bliss family leased the railroad to the SP for 99 years. In 1926 the SP converted the railroad line to standard gauge and removed the Glenbrook from service. In 1937, after a decade of 24

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

storage at Tahoe City, the Glenbrook was sold to the Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railway in Colfax, Calif. The locomotive served as a spare parts source for its sister, the Tahoe, which had been working on the Nevada County Narrow Gauge since 1900. When the Nevada County Narrow Gauge was abandoned in 1943, Hope Bliss, daughter of Duane L. Bliss, repurchased the Glenbrook to preserve it in Tahoe City. When that didn’t work out, the Nevada State Museum in Carson City, created in 1941, appreciatively accepted the Glenbrook as its first railroad artifact in June 1943. The Glenbrook was placed on static display on the Nevada State Museum’s grounds until July 1981 when it was relocated nearby to the new Nevada State Railroad Museum for restoration.

Despite the best intentions, restoration of the Glenbrook started and stopped several times in the course of 33 years. The reasons included lack of funding and other, higher-priority projects. The work occurred in small steps with little continuity and much underlying frustration. Fortunately, in 2009 Nevada preservation officials sought funds to complete the project. Thanks to a generous grant of $253,756 from the E.L. Wiegand Foundation in 2009, the Glenbrook restoration project reached a successful conclusion. Let’s review how this happened, starting with pre-railroad museum days. By the 1970s, the Glenbrook, having sat outside the Nevada State Museum for several decades, was drifting into the “park engine” category in which many locomotives seem to end up. Early in Glenbrook’s role as a museum artifact, someone sought to minimize pilfering and tack welded every nut and bolt. While good for theft prevention, it was hard on the original hardware. The significance of the locomotive was diluted to almost nothing, and it was in need of rescue. After the Nevada State Railroad Museum opened in 1981, officials decided to move the locomotive to the railroad facility, intending to preserve it.

After the locomotive’s arrival at the railroad museum, California State Railroad Museum Chief Curator Stephen Drew authored a restoration feasibility study in 1982. Using concepts from a program initiated at the California museum in the 1970s, the Glenbrook feasibility study carefully described the locomotive, its history and current condition, and explored its potential as a candidate for full operational restoration. The study served as a guide throughout the restoration project. It was time to begin restoring the Glenbrook. When the Glenbrook ar-

Front view of the Glenbrook early in its career and possibly at Lake Tahoe. A.E. Miller

rived at the railroad museum, restoration of museum rolling stock was contracted to a private firm, Shortline Enterprises. Bill Oden was restoration project supervisor, and he and his crew were intimately involved in the discussion of what to do with the locomotive. The museum and Oden decided that restoration of the tender was the first task to complete while contemplating work on the engine. The tender was in good condition and substantially complete, with most of its original wood. The brake beams were the original wooden beams made of ash. That the locomotive had operated with the wood beams and air brakes into the mid-1920s is remarkable. All the wood in the tender frame and trucks was replaced. The cistern was in good condition and most of it is original. Several small patches were required but the work was not extensive. The tender was painted and striped based on the information available upon completion in 1983.

FRAME, WHEEL, AND AXLE WORK Work stopped on the Glenbrook during the mid-1980s. Some money was forthcoming, however, and work resumed in the late ’80s. The next focus: the running gear. The lubrication system had broken down, which caused damage to the driver axles. The axles were turned but not with satisfactory results, as they were iron and seamy. New steel axles were applied. The crank pins were iron, as well, so the drivers were quartered and new pins were applied. Happily, the workers found the tires in good condition. The frame was cleaned and polished. The boxes received new crown brasses and the shoes and wedges were reconditioned. Pins and bushings were applied to the valve gear. The valve faces were lapped in and the valves resurfaced, with defects primarily due to corrosion. The bore and rings were in good condition so no work was warranted. New brasses

GIVEN THE AGE AND OPPORTUNITY FOR STUFF TO GET LOST, IT IS SURPRISING HOW MUCH ORIGINAL MATERIAL SURVIVED. were cast and machined for the rods. New bolts were fitted to the rods because the old bolts had been welded to prevent theft. Following the restoration of the frame and running gear, it was on display without the boiler in the interpretive center. Then it was time to turn attention to the cab, stack, pilot, drawbar, and jacket. Given the age of the locomotive and the opportunity for stuff to get lost, it is surprising how much original material survived when the Glenbrook arrived at the restoration shop. The headlamp was original, but had been converted to acetylene in Tahoe City. The box and reflector survived and have been restored. The stack had been rebuilt at least once and was in rough shape upon arrival; however, a fair portion was saved, including some of the sheet iron. The iron pilot and draw bar were long gone, so new versions were reproduced. The original jacket was lost along the way, so a new blued jacket was made. The bell and whistle are original; however, builders’ plates and the spot plate were reproduced. As noted above the hardware was welded to secure it from theft. Some original hardware had Baldwin class numbers applied, so it was a shame to have to replace it. The crosshead pump is original and has been set up to operate. As with most park engines, little of the backhead survived. On the positive side, however, that loss created the opportunity to make new fittings in the Baldwin pattern. This includes water glass fittings, tri cocks, and oil cups. A Belfield cab gong was donated, and shortly thereafter a visitor identified the few remaining bits of the steam gauge as a Belfield gauge. An appropriate Belfield gauge was located and acquired. Baldwin gauge lamps help bring the

engine closer to the accuracy we like in our projects. When the 1982 feasibility study was written, well-documented sources were available for research of paint and striping. These were used to the fullest. Original paint had not been located in 1982, and an educated guess was made regarding color. In the ensuing years, the study of paint and design blossomed and new information was discovered. One of the more significant findings was that of an excellent color sample from the Glenbrook, which included striping, located on a cab bracket. During the project to finish the Glenbrook, a contract was executed with noted railroad historian Jim Wilke for a comprehensive paint study. Wilke determined the Glenbrook was “one of the most ornate logging locomotives built.” The first paint scheme applied to the tender turned out to be incorrect and needed to be repainted. As of today, the Glenbrook’s paint scheme is as accurate as possible. It would

not be surprising if new data is subsequently found that could change that opinion once more.

THE BIG TASK: THE BOILER Restoring the Glenbrook’s boiler became the most difficult task of the restoration project. In 1982, the state of Nevada boiler inspector determined that the original boiler was defective in areas and that repairs were needed before it could be licensed. The defective areas centered on the barrel, which sat outside for years with waterlogged asbestos pressed against the exterior, causing serious corrosion. Repairing the boiler would be an extensive task, but not impossible. It had become part of the philosophy early on that if the museum was going to invest in an artifact then it ought to be operable unless there was good reason not to pursue that course. Despite the Glenbrook’s boiler being repairable, Oden convinced the museum that a new boiler was necessary for the operation of the locomo-

Nevada State Railroad Museum Restoration Shop Supervisor Chris de Witt drives mudring rivets in the boiler. NSRM www.TrainsMag.com

25

ad holes in it. The original safety valves were post and spring type. A new fabricated dome lid was made, heat treated to stress relieve the welds. New studs were also applied.

TESTING THE BOILER

Wendell Huffman stokes Glenbrook’s ﬁrst ﬁre in 88 years in November 2014, left. Ornate ﬁttings dress up the backhead of this classic locomotive of the early West. Two photos, NSRM

tive. Accordingly, in 1983, Dixon Boiler Works of Los Angeles was contracted to build a new boiler. Unfortunately, the new boiler did not fit the frame, and that kept it from being used on the Glenbrook. In 1988, Shortline Enterprises moved on and the new Nevada State Railroad Museum restoration shop attempted to set the boiler into the frame. Because of the dimensional error, there was no way to make it fit. That was frustrating for the restoration shop and yet fortunate because it opened a fresh dialogue about repairing the old boiler. Doing so was in keeping with current museum practice emphasizing preservation of original material. That started the boiler restoration. Following the discovery that the new boiler was unsuitable for use, and with the changing philosophy about preserving original material, the original boiler was brought into the shop and examined in depth. Crews came up with the needed repair plans and disassembled the boiler. The front tube sheet, first and second courses, and the 26

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

eccentric course were removed. The front tube sheet proved to be suitable for reuse. However, the three boiler courses were heavily pitted on the outside surfaces due to years of exposure to the elements. The dome, which had been applied with iron rivets, was removed as well. With the dome off, a liner was designed and applied to bring that part of the boiler into compliance with modern practices. The rear tube sheet was removed as were several mud-burned parts of the firebox. Those parts that were to be reused were examined visually, ultrasonically, and with dye penetrant. Samples were removed and sent to a laboratory for chemical analysis and tensilestrength testing. New material was ordered. The boiler was cleaned by scaling and sandblasting. We were able to tip the boiler upside down, which greatly simplified the cleaning process. The brace anchors were inspected and found to be satisfactory. The boiler was fitted with crown bars, a particularly poor design. New nuts were ap-

plied to the crown bolts, new sling stays were made, and new pins applied. The repairs were conducted in kind. The original boiler was constructed with a longitudinal seam being double riveted lap type. In the repair, a triple riveted double strap seam was used. New braces were made and applied. Studs were threaded into the shell. The dome was riveted back onto the wrapper with the new liner. The dome lid was original. It was cast iron and had myri-

Tubes followed and the boiler was hydrostatically tested. Several perfunctory leaks were repaired, and the Glenbrook’s boiler was ready for state boiler inspection. Nevada law requires that all new or reinstalled state-owned boilers receive inspection by a state inspector. Insofar as the boiler was owned by the state of Nevada, the Nevada State Railroad Museum was obligated to have it inspected. The statute requires this even if the boiler were under Federal Railroad Administration jurisdiction, which it is not. When the boiler work started, the state inspector was invited to participate. An inspector from Southern Nevada was enlisted to lay out the requirements carefully, and the restoration team addressed every issue. Two state boiler inspectors reviewed the work before the engine was steamed. Finally, on a gray November 2014 morning, we lit a fire in the boiler for the steam test. It was the first time in 88 years — yes, you read that right; the last time the engine had seen a fire was 1926. As with any good steam test the pressure went up, the pops lifted at the appropriate pressure, they closed at the ap-

Former Nevada First Lady Bonnie Bryan christens the Glenbrook with champagne on May 23, 2015, to welcome the engine back.

Narrow gauge Glenbrook compares notes with standard gauge 4-4-0 Inyo and 4-6-0 No. 25 at Carson City, Nev., on May 23.

propriate pressure, the fire was dropped, and the pressure fell, and eventually the gauge went back to zero. In the end, the locomotive received a boiler certificate for the original operating pressure of 130 psi.

BACK IN STEAM ONCE MORE The restored Glenbrook debuted for the public on May 23, 2015, at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. The ceremony took place 140 years and one day from when the Glenbrook first arrived in Carson City on May 22, 1875. The museum’s standard gauge Virginia & Truckee Railway 4-4-0 No. 22, the Inyo, and 4-6-0 No. 25 were operating as well. With two wood-burning Baldwin locomotives from 1875 operating on the same day, one narrow gauge and one standard gauge, the event was unlike any other. Despite cool temperatures and scattered showers, a crowd estimated at more than 500 came to see the locomotive and take part in the dedication ceremony. The engine will be displayed and an operating schedule will

be set once more narrow gauge track is completed. As for operations away from Carson City, the museum staff is open to the possibility of running the Glenbrook at other locations, but there are no plans to do so. In the end, the Glenbrook restoration was well worth its almost $700,000 price. Countless individuals and organizations made it possible. The locomotive, resplendent in its historically accurate paint and brass finishings, is an extraordinary example of 19th century industrial design. From supplying the timber needed to develop the Comstock Lode, to hauling vacationers to Lake Tahoe, the Glenbrook played an important role in developing the American West. Restoring the Glenbrook to operating condition and its historically accurate 1875 appearance is the ultimate praise for its service to the state of Nevada. 2 CHRIS DE WITT is Nevada State Railroad Museum’s shop supervisor. Co-author ADAM MICHALSKI is curator of education for the museum.

Wood-burning Glenbrook cuts a ﬁne ﬁgure as the 1875 locomotive maneuvers around a short stretch of narrow gauge track at the Nevada State Railroad Museum. Three photos, Mar tin E. Hansen www.TrainsMag.com

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AK.

Locomotive shops in 2015 See where new units are built and where firms perform third-party repairs in North America

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Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

Locomotive repair Locomotive manufacture ALABAMA 1 Birmingham Rail & Locomotive CALIFORNIA 2 Siemens GEORGIA 3 Progress Rail Services ILLINOIS 4 National Railway Equipment 5 EMD (Progress Rail) 6 National Railway Equipment 7 National Railway Equipment 8 Metro East Industries INDIANA 9 Progress Rail (EMD)

IDAHO 10 MotivePower (Wabtec) IOWA 11 Relco Locomotives KANSAS 12 Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad KENTUCKY 13 National Railway Equipment (VMV) MISSOURI 14 Mid-America Car 15 Midwest Locomotive NEW YORK 16 American Motive Power

OHIO 17 LTEX Rail 18 Ohio Locomotive Works PENNSYLVANIA 19 Thoroughbred Mechanical Services 20 Brookville Equipment 21 GE Transportation SOUTH CAROLINA 22 Motive Power & Equip. Solutions 23 Republic Locomotive TENNESSEE 24 Knoxville Locomotive Works TEXAS 25 GE Transportation 26 Railserve

VIRGINIA 27 Thoroughbred Mechanical Services WASHINGTON 28 Western Rail 29 Progress Rail Services 30 Pend Oreille Valley Railroad MANITOBA 31 Central Manitoba Railway ONTARIO 32 NRE-Alco Locomotive 33 Ontario Northland QUEBEC 34 CAD Railway Industries

© 2015 Kalmbach Publishing Co., TRAINS: Bill Metzger No scale; not all lines shown

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GULF COAST REVIVAL?

2015 Crowds swarm the newly constructed shelter at Crestview, Fla., on April 1, 1993, for Sunset Limited inaugural activities, while in 2015, a CSX Transportation freight passes the same location.

1993 Ten years after Hurricane Katrina, the region is poised to bring back a different passenger train Story and photos by Bob Johnston ALL THE HOOPLA accompanying the launch of the nation’s first transcontinental passenger train in 1993 is long gone. Gulf Coast marching bands, local speeches of adulation and hope, and wellwishers for the Sunset Limited are distant memories. Now it’s 12:51 a.m. on March 6, 2004, at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal. The outbound conductor of train No. 2, the eastbound Sunset Limited, has just put his hat on the ticket counter. Finally! The train for Orlando, Fla., arrived 4 hours late from Los Angeles and won’t pull out of the station until 1:41 a.m., only

to be lambasted again by dispatching delays. The yardmaster on duty squawks a radio apology to the operating crew as the Sunset crawls through Gentilly Yard because the signaled main track — paid for with public funds a decade earlier to expedite the passenger train — is occupied with a standing freight. After slogging through the bayous east of Mobile, Ala., for miles behind another freight train that finally slips into a passing siding, the Sunset pulls into Pensacola, Fla., more than 5 hours late. It won’t reach Orlando until almost midnight. If this were an isolated instance, there might have been a groundswell of local outrage when Amtrak failed to reinstate the Sunset Limited east of New Orleans well after CSX Transportation restored tracks and bridges following devastating damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina on Aug. 29, 2005. The route into Jacksonville, Fla., from the west still appears as a “service suspended” dotted line on Amtrak timetable maps. Today there are rumblings of rebirth. The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate Amtrak reauthorization bills awaiting reconciliation this summer both propose creation of a working group comprised of all stakeholders along the route from New Orleans to Jacksonville, Fla. They would evaluate the potential to restore passenger trains through a region whose local highway congestion grows and public transportation options remain scarce. Long-dormant and once disinterested Gulf Coast planning organizations have survived years of heavy lifting exacted by the shattering storm and are now putting passenger rail on meeting agendas. Civic leaders have also made their views known to politicians who might find funding. If the legislation passes and money can be found to pay for a study, the working group comprised of city officials, Amtrak, and CSX would have to complete its recommendations withA promotional button deftly shows in nine months. Sunset’s transcontinental theme. www.TrainsMag.com

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1994 Eastbound Sunset Limited conductor Frank Garrard punches Tallahassee boarding passengers’ tickets on Feb. 16, 1994.

2015 What makes a restart here especially appealing is that unlike other new service proposals, the capital improvements from 25 years ago remain largely intact and functional, as I found out journeying along the route in early 2015. These building blocks provide an already paid-for foundation that’s lacking in any other potential passenger-train route. Yet stakeholders and policy makers crafting a revival blueprint must learn from what went wrong the first time.

PROMISED BEGINNINGS Enthusiastic crowds turned out at every stop when the Sunset Limited’s pre-inaugural special out of New Orleans on March 31, 1993, made its three-day trek to Miami with cars and locomotives that would debut on the first westbound trip April 4. Wellmanicured platforms and stations greeted local folks with the promise of breathing life into communities from which economic activity had migrated to highways on the edges of their towns. Bay St. Louis, Gulfport, and Pascagoula, Miss., proudly revived historic structures, while Pensacola and Tallahassee in 32

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

Florida constructed new buildings. Mobile and Atmore, Ala., already had facilities enhanced for the Mobile-to-Birmingham, Ala., Gulf Breeze extension of the Crescent. The Biloxi, Miss., stop was only two blocks from a waterfront casino. As in Biloxi, many of the modest shelters at the four other Florida stations were just being completed. What prompted all this activity was a directive by Congress for Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration to study the route. The 1991 report, “Potential Jacksonville-New Orleans Service Options,” analyzed projected revenues and costs, but looked only at Amtrak budget projections. Report writers concluded that extending the triweekly Sunset Limited beyond New Orleans to Miami would be preferable to running a daily New Orleansto-Jacksonville train because the former alternative would have lower operating costs, require one less set of equipment, and derive greater revenue potential from linking coast-to-coast Sun belt markets for the first time. The train would never have debuted without efforts of former Amtrak President W. Graham Claytor Jr.; Jim Larson, Amtrak’s operations planning vice president; CSX’s Dick Young, then assistant vice president for transportation; and Gulf Coast state officials led by then-governor Lawton Chiles of Florida. Chiles directed taxpayer dollars into track upgrades as a means of mitigating some of the route’s deficiencies. And the deficiencies were many: 250 miles of unsignaled, or “dark,” territory between Flomaton, Ala., through Pensacola to Chattahoochee, Fla.; more than 80 miles of local speed restrictions limiting trains to between 20 and 45 mph; and 198 highway grade crossings in the 133 miles between Mobile and New Orleans’ Gentilly Yard.

To Los Angeles

New Orleans

CSX Gentilly Yard: Signals installed, tracks upgraded

Self-restoring power switches and approach signals installed

3

The number of days each week the ‘Sunset Limited’ ran along the Gulf Coast before it was cut at New Orleans in 2005. Daily service would make passengers return.

The table that was set east of New Orleans back then can be ready to host a passenger train once more, but some changes and managed expectations need to be incorporated into any new service plan. Here are Trains’ recommendations based on conversations with current and former railroad executives and reports documenting Gulf Coast rail service: Run the train daily. With Amtrak calling the shots, it’s not surprising that both the 1991 study and a 2009 “Gulf Coast Service Plan Report,” dictated by the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008’s section 226, failed to quantify any benefits that increased mobility might bring to each community. Aside from useful schedule and crew-cost projections, the 2009 report settled on three options: reinstating the triweekly Sunset, extending the daily City of New Orleans to Orlando, or operating a daily New Orleans-to-Orlando Gulf Wind (reviving a former Louisville & Nashville-Seaboard Coast Line name of the train that operated as far east as Jacksonville until 1971). Unsurprisingly, the choice providing the lowest operating loss from Amtrak’s perspective alone is ... you guessed it: a triweekly Sunset. Potential passengers all the way from Florida had to ask themselves of the old schedules, “Does the Sunset run on the day I want to leave?” And, “Can I get back on a day that makes sense?” If either answer was “no,” Amtrak never got the business. Any new valuation attempts this time must take into account the positive environmental, real estate, and lifestyle effects a daily train can offer to communities, as well as efficiencies of earning seven days of revenue against a route’s fixed costs. Today, driving between Mobile and Biloxi or into New Orleans along U.S. Route 90 or Interstate 10 during morning or afternoon rush hour congestion is an hours-long ordeal. Involving locals can potentially ensure all mobility and enhanced economic activity benefits around stations are evaluated, but only if the train runs every day. Triweekly ridership figures from the late-running Sunset’s last year of operation are irrelevant, because one of every three weekly trips was often canceled owing to track rehabilitation. Establish a user-friendly schedule. New Orleans has always been an entertainment and business magnet in the region,

wi n

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Jacksonville

FLORIDA

Crew change

Route improvements for Sunset Limited

MAKING IT WORK

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New passing track with spring switches installed

Palatka Manned station stop (2005) Unmanned station stop (2005) Other communities Drawbridges Not all lines, locations shown

Florida’s Chiles came through with $6.5 million for the capital improvements and 80 percent of station construction costs, while the other three states kicked in $567,500, including Louisiana’s $323,500 for bidirectional signaling to speed passenger trains around Gentilly Yard.

GEORGIA

Pensacola

Siding extended, spring switches installed

Nahunta Subdivision To Savannah, New York

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New Orleans & Mobile Subdivision (NO&M) Montgomery & Mobile Subdivision (M&M) PD, P&A Subdivisions Unsignalled Territory To To Chicago (City Birmingham, of New Orleans) ALABAMA New York Atmore (Crescent )

0

Scale

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100 miles

© 2015 Kalmbach Publishing Co., TRAINS: Rick Johnson

To Tampa, Miami (Silver Star ) (Silver Meteor, Tampa section)

Orlando

GULF COAST SCHEDULE COMPARISON Selected station stops EASTBOUND

Miles 0 57 72 145 249 451 622 769 1033

April 1993

Tu-Th-Su New Orleans CT 11:00 p.m. Bay St. Louis, Miss. 12:07 a.m. Gulfport, Miss. 12:25 a.m. Mobile, Ala. 2:00 a.m. Pensacola, Fla. CT 4:50 a.m. Tallahassee, Fla. ET 10:20 a.m. Jacksonville, Fla. 2:45 p.m. Orlando, Fla. 5:50 p.m. Miami 11:10 p.m.

ET = Eastern Time CT = Central Time

Selected station stops WESTBOUND

Miles 0 264 411 582 784 888 961 976 1033

W-F-M April 1993

CT = Central Time

Final May 2005

Days of departure Tu-Th-Su Tu-F-Su 8:15 p.m. 10:30 p.m. 9:27 p.m. 11:55 p.m. 9:49 p.m. 12:23 a.m. 11:31 p.m. 2:20 a.m. 2:25 a.m. 6:30 a.m. 7:55 a.m. 12:42 p.m. 12:10 p.m. 5:15 p.m. 3:20 p.m. 8:45 p.m. Days of arrival W-F-M W-Sa-M Oct. 1997

Final May 2005

Days of departure Tu-Th-Sa Su-Tu-Th 6:50 p.m. 1:45 p.m. 10:37 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 1:52 a.m. 8:47 p.m. 5:33 a.m. 12:52 a.m. 8:14 a.m. 3:29 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 4:55 a.m. 9:52 a.m. 5:18 a.m. 1:15 p.m. 9:20 a.m. Days of arrival M-W-Sa W-F-Su M-W-F

Su-Tu-F Miami ET 1:30 p.m. Orlando, Fla. 6:48 p.m. Jacksonville, Fla. 10:30 p.m. Tallahassee, Fla. ET 2:05 a.m. Pensacola, Fla. CT 6:15 a.m. Mobile, Ala. 8:35 a.m. Gulfport, Miss. 9:52 a.m. Bay St. Louis, Miss. 10:15 a.m. New Orleans 11:55 a.m.

ET = Eastern Time

Oct. 1997

TRAINS’ proposal 2017 Daily 5:30 p.m. 6:48 p.m. 7:12 p.m. 8:55 p.m. 11:34 p.m. 5:14 a.m. 9:17 a.m. 12:25 p.m. Daily TRAINS’ proposal 2017 Daily 3:00 p.m. 6:24 p.m. 9:41 p.m. 1:40 a.m. 5:30 a.m. 6:54 a.m. 7:19 a.m. 8:45 a.m. Daily

*Proposed schedule reﬂects running, dwell, and recovery times outlined in Amtrak’s 2009 “Gulf Coast Service Plan Report.” An exception: dwell time is added westbound at Mobile to serve the city reliably at a reasonable hour and recovery time is subtracted into New Orleans. Su: Sunday, M: Monday, Tu: Tuesday, W: Wednesday, Th: Thursday, F: Friday, Sa: Saturday

but Amtrak’s triweekly scenario did not enable same-day trips there. Exacerbating the situation was periodic tinkering with the schedule to maximize equipment and crew use, especially westbound, as the train’s origin bounced from Miami to Sanford, Fla., then back to Orlando. A daily, state-supported New Orleans-to-Mobile Gulf Coast Limited operated during the Crescent City’s 1984 Louisiana World Exposition and again while the Sunset was also running to help attract Olympic Games visitors from Atlanta during 1996 www.TrainsMag.com

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2005

1994

2014

Gulfport, Miss., had proudly rehabilitated its station in 1994 (left), but Hurricane Katrina dealt a crippling blow to the building as seen on Oct. 9, 2005 (above right). Locals restored the station by November 2014 for passenger service that has yet to return.

and 1997. The train stopped running both times because Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama withdrew financial support. The short-lived train had come and gone before most area residents learned it was there. Yet both incarnations did feature a “morning in-afternoon out” schedule to permit a day’s worth of business, medical appointments, or leisure activities for communities along the route. A possible schedule shown alongside previous Sunset incarnations in the table on page 33 uses that concept, which Amtrak and state-sponsored corridors have found to be successful in attracting and growing ridership nationwide. Advocates from the region Trains contacted said they would like to see daytime service for all Florida stations previously served during early morning hours. Implementing such a schedule would mean unattractive arrival and departure times at Orlando and Jacksonville while precluding day trips into New Orleans. Forget the Sunset. In order to maintain a connection with the Texas Eagle at San Antonio, Texas, and the Coast Starlight at The number of Los Angeles while serving Houston; El Paso, Texas; Phoenix; and hours late one Tucson, Ariz., at reasonable ‘Sunset Limited’ hours, Amtrak had little option eastbound train but to tack on the Miami extenwas in 2005 when TRAINS sion to the existing Sunset schedtook the journey. Priority ule in both directions at New dispatching is necessary Orleans. On the other hand, the proposed restart establishes a for any passenger train. convenient connection with the

8

34

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

City of New Orleans in both directions. The train would open service from the Midwest and mid-South not only to and from Florida destinations, but to underserved population centers in between. A westbound Sunset connection could be established if that train’s schedule is tightened, but not traveling eastbound. Properly reward host-railroad train handling. Although CSX signed off on operating agreements that provided financial incentives for on-time performance, deferred track maintenance and a lack of capacity conspired to delay the Sunset into Miami so often that the train was cut back to Amtrak’s Sanford, Fla., Auto Train facility in 1996. Union Pacific also had significant punctuality issues; for instance, on March 5, 2005, eastbound No. 2 limped into New Orleans at 4:24 a.m., almost 8 hours late after departing San Antonio 5 hours behind schedule. No wonder the train had trouble attracting Gulf Coast travelers. Reached by phone at his home in Nova Scotia, retired Amtrak President David Gunn says he “had some heated conversations with (CSX’s) vice president in charge of passenger-train delays, but nothing ever came of it. Their track was the worst,” Gunn recalls, “And I went to their dispatching center in Jacksonville — what a disaster that was. Nobody knew what they were doing.” Passenger-train relic: a ticket for The focus now needs the Sunset’s ﬁrst Miami-to-LA trip.

2015 The Pensacola, Fla., station sits vacant today, but on March 6, 2004, a late eastbound Sunset paused to change crews.

to be on getting CSX what it needs — but no more — in the way of capital improvements to accommodate a daily passenger train instead of the previous three times-per-week deal. Amtrak’s own 2009 report insisted, curiously, that the mainline station at Sanford, Fla., required reconstruction even though Amtrak’s Silver Service trains have done just fine without it. Similarly, CSX might insist on someone else paying for more track and signaling upgrades with positive train control requirements looming. This is especially true in dark territory between Chattahoochee, Fla., and Flomaton, Ala. However, looser overnight scheduling and traffic modeling should be able to zero in on what is actually needed. Creatively use equipment. Amtrak’s 2009 Sunset Limited study breathlessly states that buying additional passenger cars for a daily train would take four years and cost between $24 and $63 million — as if any manufacturer would ever consider building fewer than two trainsets worth of cars. Today, though, the current Viewliner II production run of diners and sleepers opens up enticing possibilities as they roll out of Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles’ Elmira, N.Y., plant during the next several years. Four of the new dining cars could be transformed into café-lounges and a number of Horizon or Amfleet I coaches could be reconfigured with long-distance seating to supply enough cars for the new service (or convert either the Capitol Limited or City of New Orleans to a single-level train). Superliner transition dorms can make equipment mixing possible. Using the City’s equipment is another possibility; the current 22-hour maintenance layover at New Orleans could be switched to the Auto Train facility at Sanford, where an Orlando train would be serviced.

2004 Motive power is a problem, because Amtrak’s hard-charging P40 and P42 locomotives are already stretched thin. Rebuilding some stored P40s is an option, but California, Midwest states, and All Aboard Florida have new Siemens locomotives in the production pipeline, so additional money could pay for an addon to those orders. Get an ironclad funding commitment. New Orleans to Orlando is 769 miles by rail, qualifying the route as long distance and therefore Amtrak’s responsibility under the terms of both the expiring and proposed Congressional reauthorizations. It’s reasonable to assume that Amtrak would expect Gulf Coast states to help out with any capital and even maintenance expenses, as it has asked of Kansas, Colorado, and New Mexico with the Southwest Chief. Whatever arrangement is worked out, a new train should be a national network train free of the whims of four state legislatures and governors’ mansions — a shortcoming of the state-supported passenger-train model. www.TrainsMag.com

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Mobile’s waterfront station was swept away by Katrina, but its convention center is rebuilt and the platform can be ﬁxed easily.

Appoint a Gulf Coast product manager. Shortly after former Amtrak President Tom Downs established product lines in 1995, the transcontinental Sunset Limited suffered because it was staffed out of both the New Orleans and Los Angeles onboard service crew bases. The train lacked a single point of responsibility for generating revenue and managing the customer experience that other long-distance operations benefitted from at the time. Amtrak’s current route managers face a company culture that prioritizes expense-cutting instead of quality service delivery because cost savings are easily measured while incremental revenue gains are not. More responsive models exist, such as Maine’s Downeaster, Washington’s Amtrak Cascades, and California’s Capitol Corridor, where the executives in charge actively take corrective action if advertising, promotional, or service initiatives are needed. The closest long-distance example is the Texas Eagle Marketing and Performance Organization, a volunteer organization whose suggestions Amtrak executives are free to accept or reject. Challenge political panderers. Recent roll-call votes in the U.S. House reveal that there are almost 200 Representatives who have voted to completely cut or severely curtail Amtrak funding. These members often claim that passenger rail should make a profit while multiple billions are spent on highways without a thought to highway profitability. Fortunately, Amtrak-killing amendments recently failed, but most attempts to resurrect a train on the route once occupied by Sunset Limited will likely stir ideological-based objections. As these objections surface, they have to be met with forceful refutation by actively engaged and informed leaders who are willing to challenge the opposing ideologies. If highways don’t generate revenue, and costs are spread among people who will never drive them, “cost per passenger” metrics that lawmakers use to evaluate Amtrak are relatively meaningless. 36

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

WHAT’S NEXT? Fortunately, there is a growing cadre of organizations representing stakeholders between New Orleans and Mobile. Leading the charge for an updated, realistic assessment of costs and benefits is the Southern Rail Commission, a multi-state compact that has operated under different names during several decades. The organization’s chairman, Knox Ross, scoffs at the idea that people won’t ride trains. He says visitors to the Northeast, Midwest, or California — and of course Europe and Asia — can see operating passenger rail service models in action. “Look,” he tells Trains, “we’ve got two big constituencies that need and will use this: baby boomers and millennials. If I can live someplace where I can get on a train, into a nice seat, and be productive, that’s where I’m going to live.” Ross and others are also working on a long-shelved initiative to bring commuter rail service to the New Orleans-to-Baton Rouge corridor with a stop at New Orleans’ airport in west suburban Kenner, La. Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s Executive Vice President John Spain says that “a [passenger rail] connection to Florida is critical.” He adds, “Mid-sized cities will depend on rail systems to major airports.” In Mobile, Coastal Alabama Partnership President Wiley Blankenship believes the people who run the major industries in his city demand connectivity. “The only way things ever got For ‘l’ong distance. built was through federal earmarks, and that option is gone,” Running a Gulf Coast Blakenship says. train as a stateYet his organization is comsponsored corridor missioning an infrastructure inservice is certain to kill its vestment study. ﬁnancial future. Any new “[A]nd I want rail to be conservice needs to be part of sidered along with our need for a new bridge across [Mobile] Bay. the national network. For passenger rail to work here, it

L

Swampy landscape between Tallahassee and Madison, Fla., greeted the Sunset Limited’s inaugural run on April 1, 1993.

has to be attractive to the business traveler. Make it [leave] from 7 to 10 in the morning and come back in the late afternoon, and it will blow your mind how many people will use the train to go to New Orleans for the day.” Unsurprisingly, these local leaders have caught the attention of influential lawmakers such as U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who is a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Support has also come from multimodal advocates such as Gil Carmichael and former Amtrak Board Chairman John Robert Smith, now chairman of Transportation For America. They, in turn, are working tirelessly to raise political consciousness. As a result, Amtrak government affairs officials have agreed to take another hard look at the numbers and are considering running another inspection train over the route for stakeholders. But challenges are daunting. Any service reinstatement will require a definitive ruling from the FRA and Congress on positive train control implementation — and who will pay for it. And while Ross and his cohorts are firmly focused on the issues along the Gulf, support in Florida may lack resolve. Trains asked CSX to respond to criticisms of past train handling and to offer its position on future Gulf Coast passenger service. CSX spokesman Gary Sease says the railroad spends billions of dollars on infrastructure used by freight and passengers, and specifically returned the Sunset’s former route to operating condition in 2006 following a five-month rebuild. “CSX is proud of the heroic efforts of our employees to restore the Gulf Coast line between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. Their efforts re-established a vital economic connection that supported the area’s recovery,” Sease says. Will a daily train on a different schedule succeed? Skeptics argue

Paint is peeling off the mural gracing Lake City, Fla.’s, shelter on Feb. 11, 2015, but platform and lighting are ready for trains.

that the South just won’t support one, but prognosticators need look no further than the nearby City of New Orleans. Like a proposed 769-mile New Orleans-to-Orlando operation, the 934-mile overnight City provides daytime corridor service on both ends: Chicago to Carbondale, Ill., up north and between the Memphis to Jackson, Miss., and New Orleans city trio down south. How different is this than a schedule that can get business travelers, students, and vacationers from Orlando to Panhandle cities on one end of the route and Mobile-New Orleans on the other? A City of New Orleans round trip in May showed full loads in three Superliner coaches and a sleeper, with seats that coach passengers vacated at Memphis or Carbondale in each direction often filled with new occupants. If a once-dead passenger train gets revived, who says that with proper promotion and local advocacy, the same thing won’t happen between Florida and Louisiana? As the Gulf Coast’s population continues to grow, there’s no insurmountable reason why lawmakers and Amtrak shouldn’t make that dotted line on the map a solid one once again. 2 www.TrainsMag.com

37

Five decades, one station

A photographer’s view of Chicago Union Station spans 50 years; join us for a look Story and photos by John Gruber

When I returned to Chicago Union Station last summer for more photography, what struck me 50 years later was the passengers pointing their camera phones everywhere in the classic main waiting room. It seemed to indicate how much they admired the bright, airy, sunlit room with its restored “To Trains” sign and arrow. There have been changes since my photo section, “The Aging Dignity of

Chicago Union Station” in TRAINS’ August 1965 issue. Those photos were done in summer and fall 1964 at the request of Editor David P. Morgan, who believed that Chicago lacked coverage. Today, exciting developments are happening in the building’s evolution. The Great Hall, with its 219-foot-long barrel-shaped skylight, 115 feet high, looks better than ever, serving a dual role as waiting room and special

events venue. The massive block-long columns still stand along Canal Street, the place where I saw nuns walking in full habit, prompting a caption titled, “It could be a cathedral.” And original, unaltered trainsheds over tracks 2, 4, and 6 can be seen from the street level on the south side of the structure. A major transformation, demolishing of the spacious passenger concourse in 1969, made air rights available for a

35-story ofﬁce building. The concourse, a separate building connected under the street to the waiting room, was a busy place, where people gathered outside the gates waiting for departing and arriving trains. After demolition, food courts, Amtrak ticket ofﬁces, and waiting rooms were crowded into a twoﬂoor space where the single-ﬂoor concourse had once been. Now, more renovations are being

planned to return the station to its former grandeur. They would open up the Amtrak waiting areas and renovate the food courts. The Legacy Club, a membership lounge for station passengers, opened in the former barbershop and main dining room. Amtrak’s metropolitan lounge for ﬁrstclass passengers is moving in the summer to a two-story area off Canal Street. Stairs from the waiting room to

Employees load a CB&Q mail car 50 years ago while today the station serves only passengers and is busier than ever. Photo illustration by Tom Danneman

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Light streams into the spacious concourse, which has been replaced by a crowded, twostory area with waiting rooms and food courts.

Canal Street are being repaired with marble from the same quarry in Italy that supplied the original marble. The southernmost entrance is known for its use in a scene in the 1987 motion picture “The Untouchables.” The eight-story ofﬁce tower, the Headhouse Building, occupies the full city block surrounded by Canal, Adams, and Clinton streets, and Jackson Boulevard. Amtrak ofﬁces occupy half of

40 Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

the second and third ﬂoors of the tower; its upper six ﬂoors are set aside for hotel and ofﬁce space. Union Station is the only intercity passenger station today in Chicago, a city that in 1964 had six mainline stations serving eastern and western railroads. It is the third-busiest station in the United States — the hub for Amtrak’s regional trains serving the Midwest as well as most of its

overnight trains. Soon after Amtrak was established in 1971, it concentrated Chicago intercity operations at Union Station. Amtrak gained ownership of the station in 1984 and completed a major remodeling in 1992, which included removal of the World War II blackout covering over the waiting room ceiling. Union Station sees more than 300 trains per weekday, carrying about 135,000 arriving and departing passengers. Most of these riders are using Metra commuter trains. On a weekday in 1964, in 24 hours, the station saw 188 trains in and out with 60 suburban trains and 20 longdistance trains on the Burlington; 54 suburban and 26 long-distance trains on the Milwaukee Road; four suburban and 14 long-distance trains on the Pennsy; and two suburban and eight long distance on the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio. A count on May 12, 1964, in the 12 hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. showed 47,217 passengers used the station. Of those, 23,155 were suburban arrivals, 19,377 were suburban departure, 2,321 were long-distance arrivals, and 2,364 were long- distance departures. Growth has been impressive since then. In Amtrak’s 2014 ﬁscal year, Oct. 1-Sept. 30, the Chicago Control Center dispatched 98,964 trains: 19,000 for Amtrak, 76,488 for Metra, and 3,476 freights through the 21st Street control point. The center operated 3,450,007 switches and signals. A study with funds from the Federal Railroad Administration, state of Illinois, Metra, and the city of Chicago is under way to ﬁnd ways to increase the capacity of the station and the railroads using it. Not seen in 1964 but much in evidence today: Amtrak and Metra police ofﬁcers patrolling the building with dogs. It is a part of post-9/11 security efforts. The concept for a union station in Chicago dates to the 1909 Plan of Chicago prepared for the Commercial Club of Chicago by architect Daniel H. Burnham’s ﬁrm, particularly Edward H. Bennett, who supervised, and W. Peirce Anderson, the lead designer. The published plan, with Burnham’s imprimatur, emphasized Beaux Arts architecture and recommended an eastwest corridor that would have passed through the Loop and over the Chicago River, leading to a union station for many of the city’s passenger lines and a massive public auditorium. The eastwest plan inspired proposals until the 1950s, but little happened. When built, it was the only double-stub station in America, with separate track platforms

on its north and south sides. Two transfer tracks connecting both sides of the station, one owned by the Pennsy, were next to the Chicago River. Four railroads incorporated Chicago Union Station Co. in 1913: the Pennsylvania Railroad (through two subsidiary corporations), with 50 percent of the stock; the Milwaukee Road and Burlington, each with 25 percent. Chicago & Alton was a tenant. It took 12 years to plan and build. The railroads formally dedicated the station on July 23, 1925 (Burnham died in 1912). By 1925, the exterior was somewhat out of fashion but faithful to the intentions of the Burnham ﬁrm and the Commercial Club. The interior, however, featured up-to-date cabinetry, woodwork, signage, and furniture. Mary Colter, the Santa Fe’s southwestern architect, designed the station’s Fred Harvey restaurants and shops. Fred Harvey managed all the concessions, described in Hotel Monthly in October 1925. Passengers and Chicagoans alike patronized its premier restaurant, the Gold Lion. A restaurant review in the Chicago Tribune in 1959 called the Gold Lion a bargain in luxury dining. The Sun Times in 1969 wrote that it “remains in the 19th century tradition of great and gracious train station dining.” Closed about 1977, it burned in 1980. Today, a drape hangs where the restaurant entrance had been. As passenger revenues declined, Fred Harvey made changes. The Iron Horse Lounge opened in 1952. The information booth in the concourse was moved in 1956. The company dedicated a glass-walled shopping center in the middle of the concourse in 1958. All Harvey services ended in the 1970s. A former station employee, Art Anderson of Downers Grove, Ill., remembers the station as it was when I photographed there in 1964. He cites the sense of camaraderie, the pride in the workplace, the desire to provide the best possible service for travelers, the cooperative efforts to get longdistance trains from both coasts into the station on time. It was all a part of the culture of the workplace and of the Chicago Union Station Co. The employees had to satisfy the demands of four railroads for platform space and open tracks, and answer without favoritism questions about buying tickets on competitive day-service routes such as Chicago-to-Minneapolis. If the Pennsylvania wanted its Broadway Limited to move to its place

at the station platforms at the same time as the Burlington wanted to move two sections of the Denver Zephyr, diplomacy was required since they could not move into the station at the same time. Anderson worked there ﬁrst from 1968 to 1971, returned in 1979, and served as stationmaster from 1985 to 1988 during Amtrak’s purchase and takeover of station operation. Freight-transfer runs through the

station, sometimes as infrequently as once a year, continued until the mid-1980s. The station, with several photos in the Center for Railroad Photography & Art’s “Railroaders: Jack Delano’s Homefront Photography” exhibition at the Chicago History Museum, is recognized as an architectural landmark in the Windy City. It is an enduring symbol of railroading in the nation’s railroad center.

Passengers pass through Gate 22 to reach their train on the south side of the station. Today illuminated electronic signs show arrivals and departures.

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Chicago Union Station: then and now

Concourse dominates the view from the Chicago River bridge. Today, the ofﬁce building and the Willis Tower (commonly known by its ﬁrst name, Sears Tower) soar above the station’s head house.

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Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

The Roman-Doric columns, 39 feet high, along Canal Street are brighter and the cathedrallike appearance remains, but nuns wearing a habit are seldom seen today.

The levers at Harrison Street Tower, an electropneumatic interlocking tower, have been replaced by work stations with computer monitors and digital screens at the Joseph C. Szabo Chicago Control Center, where Michael Roberts works.

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Chicago Union Station today

At rush hour, commuters walk briskly to BNSF Line trains, while bright screens show the schedules. An Amtrak locomotive engineer, Eric Larson, waits in the main waiting room for his next Hiawatha Service train.

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Amtrak longdistance passengers gather in the main waiting room, then walk through the “To All Trains” portal to their departure gates. A symbol of the station’s once important mailhandling role, a list of trains handling mail in the late 1960s remains on a pillar in the basement.

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COVER STORY

RAILROADING’S

BIGGEST BLUNDERS

ﬂubs, foul-ups, and faux pas that shaped the industry by Dan Machalaba WHY DID THEY DO THAT? Railroad history is replete with blunders. Railroads made foolish investments they later regretted, entered into mergers that turned out badly, and missed opportunities because they were afraid to take risks. Management was to blame for many of the blunders. Chalk up their blunders to misinformation, stubbornness, and shortsightedness. Government nearly regulated the business to death and failed to provide longterm funding of Amtrak, says Jim McClellan, former Norfolk Southern senior vice president of planning. Unions fought to preserve their restrictive work rules, fiveperson train crews, and 100-mile crew districts far too long, driving up rail costs and driving away business. Some choices seemed good at the time but turned out badly. Others were disasters but had unanticipated benefits. The brutish destruction of Penn Station and its ugly replacement so infuriated New Yorkers that they fought off developers seeking to tear down landmark Grand Central Terminal. The Penn Central merger was a disaster, but made the case for deregulation of freight railroads and government takeover of intercity passenger trains. “Without those actions, railroading would still be in the economic ditch, becoming less and less relevant each year,” McClellan says. Bad judgments are to blame for some blunders. “When I see the word ‘blunder,’ I think of stupidity, idiots making blunders,” says H. Roger Grant, a Clemson University history professor and railroad book author. Other blunders occur when good intentions backfire. “With hindsight we all regret certain decisions that may not have been all that bad at the time,” McClellan adds. PENN CENTRAL Providing a metaphor for the merger of the New York Central and Pennsylvania railroads, SD45 No. 6237 leads a group of three engines and seven cars on a Penn Central coal train that derailed on Maryland’s Popes Creek Branch in February 1973. Charles R. Kilbourne www.TrainsMag.com

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PENN CENTRAL Former New York Central E8 No. 4089 ends up in the turntable pit at West Detroit in a July 1971 accident. Management teams from the NYC and Pennsylvania were at cross purposes during the short-lived PC merger.

THE DYSFUNCTIONAL PENN CENTRAL The merger of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central in 1968 was one of the biggest railroad blunders of them all, if not the biggest. The Pennsy and the Central were the nation’s two largest railroads and fierce competitors. Still, they had fallen on hard times because of industrial flight to the South, government regulation of railroad rates, and massive government investments in roads, airports, and barge channels that benefited railroad competitors. Putting the two ailing railroads together was a lot like putting two stones together and expecting them to float. Nevertheless, the Interstate Commerce Commission approved the merger. To make matters worse, the government required Penn Central to absorb the moneylosing, bankrupt New Haven. The management “team,” as it was called inappropriately, was at cross purposes. The Penn Central merger “tried to meld two organizations that did everything differently from each other,” says Denver rail consultant Larry Kaufman. “The two management teams did not like each other and refused to cooperate on much of anything.” Penn Central really needed to slash costs. But CEO Stuart Saunders won labor support for the merger by agreeing to lifetime income protection of unionized workers and guaranteeing that freight trains would have five-person crews. Alfred Perlman, Penn Central president, had unsuccessfully tried to merge the New York Central into the Chesapeake & Ohio. He had serious misgivings about the Penn Central combination, but it was too late — or he 48 Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

lacked the courage — to call it off. David Bevan, Penn Central chief financial officer, was more interested in Penn Central’s nonrail investments than in running a railroad. He diverted millions of dollars from the railroad to the company’s hotels, office buildings, amusement parks, an air charter service, and interests in sports teams. The merger survived just 872 days. The Penn Central declared bankruptcy in 1970. Shippers, communities, rail labor, and other railroads bore the brunt of the collapse. The federal government spent $8 billion to clean up the mess. The Penn Central debacle dramatized the ills of government regulation better than any industry position paper ever could. After the government deregulated the railroad industry in 1980, Penn Central successor Conrail used the new regulatory freedoms to abandon surplus lines and facilities, which Penn Central wasn’t allowed to do. In 1999, CSX and Norfolk Southern divided Conrail along the lines of the prePenn Central railroads, restoring a level of rail competition in the Northeast not seen in decades.

DESTRUCTION OF PENN STATION Pennsylvania Railroad President Alexander Cassatt, brother of impressionist painter Mary Cassatt, set out to build the most monumental railroad station anywhere. Pennsylvania Station in New York City was the result. The station opened in 1910 and was built to last through the ages. But its Doric colonnade, enormous main building, and lofty concourse of domed steel and glass would be turned to rubble in just 53 years.

Ernest L. Novak

Its replacement: the low-ceiling underground maze loathed by travelers today. The once-mighty Pennsylvania Railroad was in financial difficulty by the 1960s. Rail officials were convinced that passenger trains were dying. Rather than keep what they considered a useless possession, they decided to redevelop the station’s 8-acre site with a futuristic Madison Square Garden sports complex and high-rise office building and cram a new station in the basement. Some architects objected, but most New Yorkers considered the old Penn Station a dilapidated eyesore. The old, pink granite Penn Station was faded and grayed with soot, and its marble interior and glass windows were darkened with grime and neglect. Its classical architecture looked out of place in modernizing Manhattan. Railroad officials promised the new station would be airy, convenient, and air-conditioned. When, as a boy, I wandered into Penn Station months before it was demolished, the dark, empty space looked like a mausoleum. I had no trouble understanding why it should be replaced. It never occurred to me that it could be sandblasted, cleaned, and restored to its former glory. Historic preservation wasn’t a household term then. Since then rail traffic has rebounded. Many New Yorkers now miss the old station’s spacious main building and the towering concourse over the platforms, tracks, and trains below. “It is just a disaster,” says Bob Gallamore, co-author of “American Railroads: Decline and Renaissance in the Twentieth Century.” “Here is architectural genius on display in the greatest city in the country, and we tore it down. When you go to New York City you cry for its loss.”

PENN STATION The main waiting room at New York’s Penn Station as it appeared in its heyday. The station’s replacement by a development with an ofﬁce building and Madison Square Garden is decried today as a preservation “disaster.”

TR A I NS collection

THE BURDEN OF RATE REGULATION Government regulation nearly killed the railroads. In response to growing public anger over railroad financial scandals, pricegouging, and poor service, Congress created the Interstate Commerce Commission in 1887 and subsequently passed other legislation curbing railroad market power. The government began to set railroad rates, equalizing the rates charged to customers large and small. Progressives, muckrakers, and agricultural interests applauded the new rules. Railroads withered as the rigid rate structure set by the government began to sap railroads of their resources and hamper their ability to meet rising truck competition. Railroads

RATE REGULATION Southern Railway’s Big John covered hopper cars, subject of a lengthy regulatory battle with the Interstate Commerce Commission, exemplify the problems that came with government oversight of railroad ratemaking. John D. Marshall www.TrainsMag.com

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scrapped important modernization plans for lack of investment funds. “They didn’t set the pricing right, and railroads didn’t have the money to invest and continued their downhill fall, some to their demise,” Gallamore says. The government ratemaking bureaucracy required railroads and shippers to employ thousands of rate clerks to deal with the system. Not only did the railroads have to file with the ICC for permission to raise rates, but to reduce them as well. In the infamous Big John case, it took years for the Southern Railway to get regulatory approv50

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al to introduce larger grain cars and lower grain-hauling rates. Railroads may have been too slow to recognize the Populist backlash against their practices. What’s more, some railroads themselves supported regulation in hopes of stabilizing railroad rates and ending destructive rate wars. Sound railroad economics require some form of differential pricing — charging different customers different amounts depending on shippers’ competitive options — to generate enough revenues to cover operating costs and make infrastructure in-

vestments. With deregulation in 1980, railroads gained the freedom to enter into confidential contracts with customers. Once railroads could charge what the traffic would bear, their resurgence could begin.

MILWAUKEE ROAD’S PACIFIC EXTENSION It’s widely accepted that railroads were overbuilt in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One of the most egregious examples: the Milwaukee Road’s Pacific Extension. Not long after it was completed, the lengthy Extension was dubbed “a railroad that

MILWAUKEE’S PACIFIC EXTENSION

probably should not have been built.” Others called it “the great mistake.” In the early 1900s the Milwaukee Road, an upper Midwest granger road, decided to go after the growing Asian trade. It extended its tracks more than 1,000 miles from the Twin Cities to Seattle. Rockefeller money financed it. Anaconda Copper Co., with its copper mine and smelter near Butte, Mont., was an enthusiastic backer. The Extension was a disaster for the Milwaukee. The Northern Pacific and Great Northern railroads were already entrenched in the market and weren’t going to yield to

the upstart Milwaukee. The Panama Canal was under construction, promising an allwater route from Asia to the U.S. East Coast. The Milwaukee dug in deeper by electrifying much of the Extension (with copper wire from Anaconda) but then couldn’t afford to close the gap between electrified sections. The new route wasn’t without flair. It was erected with towering steel trestles and long tunnels and was shorter than its rival railroads. The Chicago-Seattle streamliner, the Olympian Hiawatha, traversed it daily, as did exotic electric locomotives such as the “Little Joes,” built for Joseph Stalin’s So-

Westbound Milwaukee Road train No. 205 climbs the 2.2-percent Saddle Mountain grade at Doris, Wash., in 1978. The line proved to be an expensive error. Blair Kooistra

viet Union but never delivered. Building costs for the Extension exceeded $250 million, four times the original estimates. Freight traffic on the Extension came nowhere near projections. The Milwaukee Road entered reorganization in 1977. Scrapping of the Pacific Extension across Montana, Idaho, and Washington followed. www.TrainsMag.com

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SPSF’S MISSTEPS TOWARD MERGER The plan to join the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroads in the mid-1980s became one of the most blunder-prone acquisitions in history. And most of the damage was self-inflicted. The two railroads were intense competitors, and the proposed merger was blatantly anticompetitive. The plan would have put central California, Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas under the ownership of a combined Santa Fe-Southern Pacific. Management missteps and arrogance helped doom the merger. Santa Fe chairman John J. Schmidt alienated regulators and other railroads by stubbornly refusing to consider any changes to the plan and threatening to walk away from the deal if the Interstate Commerce Commission required conditions. Schmidt failed to show how the merger would benefit the public. His downfall was the discovery of a confidential report from Schmidt to his board about how the merger would give the combination “pricing freedom.” The memo said the merger would create a rail monopoly in the Southwest and help the merging railroads boost rates. The ICC turned down the merger application in 1986. It then rejected the appeal the following year. SP and the Santa Fe dumped their merger plan. The two railroads went their separate ways. Schmidt was out of a job. In their haste to merge, the two railroads had 52

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painted locomotives in the red-and-yellow color scheme of the merged railroad. Santa Fe quickly repainted the locomotives in their old paint scheme but not in time to avoid the ridicule that SPSF stood for “Shouldn’t Paint So Fast.” In the end, the ICC saved the railroads from themselves. Neither the SP nor the Santa Fe had the money to fix the floundering SP.

ROCK ISLAND’S MERGER BID Blame government dithering and railroad infighting for Union Pacific’s unsuccessful 11-year quest to buy the Rock Island. The process took so long that the Rock went bankrupt and the Union Pacific walked away from the merger. In the 1960s, the Union Pacific sought to expand its reach to Chicago and St. Louis by acquiring the Rock Island. Other Midwest railroads objected. The biggest challenge came from Ben Heineman, chairman of the Chicago & North Western Railway, who feared the merger would kill his railroad. Heineman used every legal procedure and delaying tactic he could find to keep the merger from happening. Union Pacific was an indifferent merger partner, refusing to negotiate settlements with opposing railroads. But the chief cause of the delay was the Interstate Commerce Commission. The ICC administrative law judge supervising the case, Nathan Klitenic, was

SPSF MERGER PLAN The paint scheme for the aborted Santa Fe-Southern Paciﬁc merger is on display on Tehachapi Pass in September 1985. Herb Johnson

supposed to rule on the merits of the merger before him. Instead, he used the proceedings to launch into an ambitious plan to redraw the rail map in the West. “He thought his plan was the eventual best settlement for the railroads,” says Gregory Schneider, author of “Rock Island Requiem: The Collapse of a Mighty Fine Line.” “Most of the railroads were puzzled as much as the Union Pacific and the Rock Island over the scale of what he was doing, and no one was really happy with it,” Schneider says.

ROCK ISLAND MERGER Rock Island’s hottest freight, No. 57, smokes out of Blue Island, Ill., on Nov. 4, 1978. Steve Smedley

Another delay came when Klitenic fell ill and didn’t return to work for six months. The ICC review involved hearings and motions, filings, and studies. Transcripts of the hearings filled 48,000 pages. By the time the merger was approved in 1974, the Union Pacific had lost interest. The Rock Island filed for bankruptcy in March 1975, and the Union Pacific withdrew its merger offer five months later. Eleven years passed from the merger filing until the final decision. In his book “Railroad Mergers: History Analysis Insight,” author Frank Wilner compared the lengthy Rock Island proceedings to Charles Dickens’ “Bleak House,” in which the case of Jarndyce v. Jarndyce dragged on forever.

GOULD’S ILL-ADVISED TRANSCON EFFORT George Jay Gould wanted to follow in the footsteps of his infamous father, railroad developer, speculator, and stock manipulator Jay Gould. His father was piecing together a coast-to-coast railroad when he died. George tried to finish the job. But the Gould transcon met its end in downtown Pittsburgh. The proposed system was to extend from Oakland, Calif., to Baltimore. Gould interests had strung together much of the route using the Western Pacific, Denver & Rio Grande Western, Missouri Pacific, Wabash, Wheeling & Lake Erie, and Western Maryland railroads. The Gould transcon just needed a connecting line around Pittsburgh. George Gould’s solution was the Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal Railway. Some people questioned the wisdom of the project. “He was putting this together for the sake of his own ambition and not because of any compelling economic reasons,” says Peter A. Hansen, editor of Railroad History, the journal of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society. “I had the feeling George Gould lived in the shadow of his old man, and I think that was the main motivation for doing the transcontinental railroad.” Others doubted that Gould had time to focus on the railroad when he was so busy with his country estate, entertaining, yachts, hunting preserves, and European travel. Gould was late to the Pittsburgh market. He faced fierce competition from the Pennsylvania and Baltimore & Ohio railroads, which had taken all the easy routes into the city. Building the Wabash Pittsburgh Terminal required a mountain tunnel and an 812-foot-long bridge over the Monongahela River. The railroad built an elaborate terminal complex in downtown Pittsburgh, complete with nine tracks, a train shed, and an ornate 11-story building. All this sent costs skyrocketing. The Wabash Pittsburgh never attracted much

GOULD’S TRANSCON Workers pose for the Western Paciﬁc’s last-spike ceremony in the Feather River Canyon on Nov. 1, 1909. The WP was part of George Jay Gould’s failed effort to complete his father’s planned transcontinental railroad. Western Pacific

freight or earned a profit. Four years after it opened in 1904, the Wabash Pittsburgh was bankrupt, and the Gould transcon soon unraveled.

THE FLAWED FEVER FOR NARROW GAUGE Narrow gauge fever swept the U.S. between 1870 and 1885. The miles of narrow gauge lines in the country peaked in 1885 at more than 11,000, about 9 percent of American rail mileage. For a brief time it was possible to travel by narrow gauge railroads from Ohio to Texas. The craze soon fizzled. Narrow gauge lines failed to compete with standard gauge railroads. By 1900 most narrow gauge lines had been converted to standard gauge or abandoned. What happened? The narrow gauge movement was based on the faulty premise that small railroads (usually 3 feet between the rails) were cheaper to build and more economical to operate than standard gauge of 4 feet, 8½ inches. Proponents argued that narrow gauge lines could reduce construction costs compared with standard gauge railroads by using sharper curves, steeper grades, lighter rail, and lower-weight locomotives. Agricultural interests wanting cheap transportation and towns bypassed by standard gauge railroads embraced narrow

gauge. Some advocates even tried to put together a network of 3-foot-gauge railroads dubbed “The Little Giant Line.” “They were like religious converts,” says Grant, the Clemson history professor. “This was the coming of narrow gauge.” The anticipated savings in capital didn’t materialize. Labor costs were similar to

NARROW GAUGE FEVER Economics doomed operations like Southern Paciﬁc’s Owens Valley, Calif., line. Glenn Beier www.TrainsMag.com

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POST-WAR PASSENGER New

standard gauge. The costs of reloading freight between narrow and standard gauge lines proved to be greater than expected. The craze was soon over. Narrow gauge railroads turned out to be a big waste of time and money.

PASSENGER OVER-INVESTMENT Surging passenger demand during World War II made railroad management confident about the future of passenger trains. So, when the war ended, railroads spent more than $1 billion and bought several thousand new streamlined passenger cars to prepare for the boom. The boom didn’t last. While the railroads were making their massive, multimillion dollar investment in a new postwar passenger fleet, the rail-passenger market share was rapidly shifting to autos for shorter distance travel and airlines for longer distance, says Chris Barken, director of the rail engineering program at the University of Illinois, in a joint email with David Clarke, transportation research director at the University of Tennessee. “One could argue that railroads should not have even tried, given the advantages those modes had in their respective markets, especially given substantial government subsidization of the competitors,” they wrote. “Railroads failed to see this until it was too late.” Not even the new streamliners and vigorous advertising could sway passengers back to the rails, overcome new super54 Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

highways, and survive government policy that favored other forms of transportation over railroads. Some critics believe the money that railroads lavished on the streamliners could have been put to better use on infrastructure improvements such as straightening curves, shortening lines, and separating highway-railroad grade crossings. Such upgrades may have made passenger trains faster and more competitive with automobiles and airplanes. Railroad managers made marketing mistakes, too. They neglected non-business travelers at first, believing that they would sell more freight services if they provided a luxury experience for business travelers. Union Pacific and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy had tried small, fast, and popular lightweight streamliners in the mid1930s with daytime runs between major cities. But railroads soon went back to their traditional format of heavier longhaul trains with sleeping cars, diners, and lounge cars. These larger second-generation streamliners provided more comfortable service over longer distances. But they were costly to operate and unprofitable.

RELUCTANT EMBRACE OF INTERMODAL Long double-stack container trains have become the public symbol for the newly resurgent railroad industry. But railroads didn’t catch on in the early days of intermodal. They were reluctant to invest substantial money in a business that

equipment, like Great Northern’s investment in the Empire Builder, didn’t generate longterm dividends. BNSF Railway archives

they regarded more as a hassle than an engine of growth. Their tarrying set back the intermodal boom by a decade or more. Railroad executives worried that intermodal would shift freight from the relatively high-profit carload business to lowmargin intermodal trains. Others thought that intermodal would help trucking companies more than railroads. Some feared that intermodal would threaten the railroad’s existing network of feeder lines, side tracks, and classification yards. Intermodal required special handling and more management attention. It was easier to run coal and grain unit trains. “Railroads said it cost a lot, doesn’t earn that much, and is hard to run,” says former Norfolk Southern executive McClellan. “Except for growth, there wasn’t much in its favor.” Even when intermodal gained traction, railroads were slow in moving from piggyback to more efficient container trains. A productivity task force in the 1970s recommended that containers would reduce wind resistance and weight (no lugging trailer wheels around). Ship companies were using double-stack container trains. But few people saw that double-stacks would become big movers of domestic intermodal traffic and that piggyback trailers would wane, says “American Railroads” co-author Gallamore. Some railroads, such as Santa Fe and

MISMANAGED MEGAMERGERS

Conrail, embraced intermodal early on. Other major railroads eventually climbed on board. Meanwhile, rail carload business is static and coal is declining. “It just turned out that intermodal made so much sense that it overcame management ineptitude,” McClellan says.

MISMANAGED MEGAMERGERS Some railroad mergers are ill-conceived for competitive and geographical reasons. Others become notorious because they are so poorly implemented.

Botched mergers have suffered from similar problems: executive rivalries, incompatible computers, and clashing cultures. But others were dysfunctional in their own particular ways. Penn Central rises to the top of the list. The Pennsy and the Central were desperate for cash in the late 1960s when they merged and needed to combine their systems quickly. As a result, they skimped on preparations. Perlman, Penn Central’s president, had assured the ICC that improved communications and management techniques would help the merger go smoothly. But the

INTERMODAL A New York Central piggyback train rolls eastbound through Weedsport, N.Y. Railroads were slow to recognize the possibilities of intermodal service. Victor Hand

Union Paciﬁc mergers with Chicago & North Western and Southern Paciﬁc generated headaches. Engines from the roads wait to enter Moffat Tunnel in 2012. George Malcolm

railroads failed to make their computer systems compatible prior to the merger. When the computers failed to communicate with each other, Penn Central was deluged with misrouted freight cars, snarled freight yards, and upset shippers. Freight shipments left the railroad for trucks. Union Pacific’s 1995 merger with the Chicago & North Western should have been a snap. The C&NW had long functioned as a Union Pacific satellite, ferrying Union Pacific freight traffic between Omaha and Chicago. But Union Pacific made too many changes too quickly in North Western operations, hoping to impress Wall Street with its cost-cutting savvy. The results: freight snarls, congested tracks, and shipping delays that went on for weeks. The North Western was a dress rehearsal for a bigger merger debacle. A year after the C&NW acquisition, Union Pacific bought the ailing, poorly maintained Southern Pacific. In its haste to realize merger savings, Union Pacific curtailed operations at the small but important Strang Yard in Houston, causing freight to back up at the large Englewood classification yard nearby. Soon, the freight jams were rippling through the Union Pacific system. The fallout from the troubled railroad combination included computer snafus, train crashes, trains blocking sidings, and service breakdowns, ranging from too many freight cars on its network to crews runwww.TrainsMag.com

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ning out of on-duty time under the Hours of Service law. Union Pacific didn’t understand the need for a reliever to the Englewood yard in Houston. And Union Pacific had overridden the Southern Pacific people who did know, believing that “Uncle Pete” (UP) knew better than anyone else how to run a railroad.

THE HIDDEN COST OF JOINING AMTRAK Some executives rue the day railroads joined the National Railroad Passenger Corp., better known as Amtrak. By the 1960s, railroads had come to the conclusion that intercity passenger trains were dying. They were able to pare down their passenger train networks by pursuing train-off petitions at the ICC. When the federal government created Amtrak in 1971, railroads could get their passenger operating costs paid for by the taxpayers. In exchange, railroads agreed to run intercity trains at incremental cost in perpetuity. The system worked all right while railroads had excess track capacity. But with the surge of freight traffic in recent years, passenger trains have become an unwanted burden on the railroads. Rail executives say previous managements blundered because they lacked faith in an eventual freight-railroad renaissance. “None of those people ever thought that the biggest problem was not trifling operating costs but the destruction of capacity so Amtrak could operate fluidly at higher speeds,” says an executive of a western railroad, who asked not to be identified for job reasons. Railroads are obliged to give priority treatment to passenger trains. That means that 50-mph freight trains have to yield the main line and pull into sidings to let 70-mph passenger trains pass. As a result, one Amtrak train can gobble up the capacity of several freight trains, the rail executive says. Passenger-train advocates counter that the freight railroads themselves are to blame. They complain that railroads acted too quickly to take out track and abandon routes when they streamlined their networks in the 1980s, and now are moving too slowly to add capacity. Meanwhile, on crowded main lines, freight and passenger trains sit and wait.

THE INERTIA OF RAILROAD CULTURE How to fix railroads? Change the culture. That refrain is repeated so often by critics of the railroads that the railroad culture JOINING AMTRAK The Texas Eagle slips between two Union Paciﬁc trains at Tower 55 in Fort Worth, Texas, in 2008. The operational burden of Amtrak is an issue for freight railroads. Steve Schmollinger

MORE BLUNDERS Holding the list of railroad blunders to 13 is a challenge. No doubt, readers will have their own candidates. Meanwhile, here are 10 more blunders to ponder. 1. Underfunded Amtrak. The federal

RAILROAD CULTURE A Chessie System train passes the antiquated Brighton Park interlocking in 1987. Not modernized until 2007, the Chicago bottleneck illustrates a resistance to change. Lance Lassen

may deserve its own pedestal in the blunder hall of fame. Freight jams in Chicago? Railroads don’t coordinate enough. Not enough train crews? Railroads are poor planners. Unreliable service? Railroads don’t spend enough. “It’s in their DNA: do not spend any money you don’t have to spend,” Kaufman, the Denver rail consultant, says. Railroads also have the reputation for being secretive, risk averse, overly conservative, militaristic, unimaginative, and intent on furthering their own interests at the expense of industry betterment. A case in point: When the government issued priority tags to railroads to expedite war materials during World War I, railroads gave the labels to their favorite customers. The subsequent freight jams snarled main lines, terminals, and docks and delayed supplies to the Western front. The federal government had to step in and take control of the railroads to get supplies moving. At times, railroads seemed prone to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory rather than the other way around. Railroads squabbled when they should have agreed and went their own way when they should have worked together. In the process, they alienated politicians, customers, and the general public. In his book “Unfinished Business: The Railroad in American Life,” historian Maury Klein summed up U.S. railroad history in a sentence: “The railroads at the height of their success failed to solve their own problems, forcing government to intervene with solutions that did more harm than good.” But give credit to the industry’s staying power, efficient steel-wheel-on-steel-rail technology, and to all the dedicated railroaders. They’re all part of the railroad culture. That may help explain why even with the blunders, railroads are healthier than ever (at least financially) and continue to play an important role in the U.S. economy. 2

government created Amtrak and failed to provide longterm funding for the passenger railroad. As a result, Amtrak is forever short on capital and unable to be a stronger alternative to highways and airports.

2. The Overseas Railroad. Henry Flagler, founder of the Florida East Coast Railway, extended his railroad 128 miles to Key West in 1912. His grand plan became known as “Flagler’s Folly.” Not only did it require costly viaducts and bridges as it hopped from island to island, but it never generated enough freight and passenger business. A hurricane wiped out the line in 1935.

3. Lost Lines. The railroad industry streamlining binge of the 1980s and 1990s left many casualties — and some regrets about lost lines that could have provided more capacity for today’s increasing trafﬁc. Some rail veterans bemoan the loss of the Rock Island’s Choctaw Route as a shortcut for transcontinental freight between Amarillo, Texas, and Memphis, Tenn. Others say the Pennsylvania Railroad’s former Pittsburgh-St. Louis Panhandle Route was more direct than the current Norfolk Southern route. Passenger-train advocates wish they had Seaboard’s S line between Washington, D.C., and Raleigh, N.C., and the Lackawanna Cut-Off in western New Jersey.

4. Multimodal. CSX’s attempt to become a one-stop shipping company in the

1980s was a bust. It took the company’s focus off the railroad and failed to deliver touted synergies. CSX has since dumped ocean shipping and inland barge units and gone back to being a railroad.

Streator and Peoria, have dried up. Chicago is at the end of the line for most of the railroads and hasn’t gotten the necessary investment. A plan to unsnarl the worst bottlenecks will help but is only partially funded.

5. Poor Service. The railroad CEOs of the ’80s and ’90s focused more on costcutting than building for the future. The result: today’s extensive freight congestion and delays. The industry’s leaders should have left more double-track main lines and enough crews on extra boards to be able to crew trains promptly rather than park trains for hours while a relief crew is found.

8. Burlington Northern Merger. The Burlington Northern merger in 1970 shouldn’t have happened. The northern transcontinental routes would have been more competitive if the Northern Paciﬁc had merged instead with the Milwaukee Road. The new railroad would have been able to access Chicago in competition with a merged Great Northern and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy.

6. Standard Gauge. Adoption of 4-foot, 8½-inch gauge was a blunder, according to some industry veterans. If the industry had followed the Erie with its 6-foot gauge, freight cars would be larger and hold more freight and passengers would have more room. “We could move much bigger loads and be more competitive,” says rail historian and former Conrail manager Larry DeYoung.

9. PTC Light. Railroads are installing their futuristic safety system, positive train control, without such advanced concepts as “moving blocks” that would allow trains to operate closer together and use track capacity more efﬁciently. Instead, they are tying the system to their old wayside signals and ﬁxed blocks, choking off potential beneﬁts.

7. Chicago. Some blunders

10. Big Conrail. Some rail

are the result of actions not taken. The rail industry has failed to ﬁx Chicago, its most important hub and biggest choke point. Chicago’s tangled rail network is a leading cause of the industry’s freight jams and delays. But Western railroads prefer the longer hauls to and from Chicago and don’t want to short-haul themselves by handing off freight to eastern railroads at Kansas City and St. Louis. Other Illinois gateways,

planners had hoped to restructure Penn Central and other bankrupt Northeastern railroads into two or three competitive systems. The government tried to get Chessie System involved, but Chessie walked away when it failed to win concessions from labor. So the federal government rolled the railroads into Conrail, creating a virtual rail monopoly in the big New York City consumer market. — Dan Machalaba

FEC, Alex Mayes; Erie, Carl W. Larson collection; BN, Mark Llanuza

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IN MY OWN WORDS

A C&NW crew’s problem is a trackside teenager’s excitement by Ed Clopton

During the time my family lived at milepost 14 on the Chicago & North Western Iowa Division main line, I dispensed a total of two coupler knuckles to crews of parted trains. Two knuckles in six-plus years, and both on the same day. MP 14 is located just west of Clinton in Malone, Iowa. I called Malone home from summer 1973 until Thanksgiving 1979 — that is, from the summer before my eighthgrade year until my second year of college. Malone is tiny and obscure; some who had 58

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

lived in the area for years had perhaps heard of it but weren’t quite sure where it was, and its residents were outnumbered by the guys on my freshmen dorm floor at the University of Iowa. Our house, once Malone’s general store, was close to the historic double-tracked Overland Route: its rear wall coincided with the North Western’s right-of-way, and extra-tall poles carried the lineside wires above our roof. I kept a close watch on 10 to 20 trains a day. Traffic included wayfreights (generally

trundling along behind high-hood GP9 No. 1740), lots of general merchandise, a few unit coal trains, and the hot Falcon service TOFC trains (containers were still the exception in the 1970s) led by brand-new 6800- and 6900-series SD40-2s. Those trains and others frequently included Union Pacific power (including the bizarre GE U50 on occasion) and big-cupolaed UP waycars running through. A glossy C&NW business car behind the waycar was a rare bonus. Between trains I hiked near the

tracks, conjuring the Overland Route streamliners that had scorched that ballast a generation or so earlier and assembling a cache of cast-off hardware — brake hoses, coupler knuckles, and the like — that accumulated along the tracks. Malone provided even more operational interest than I anticipated when we moved there. The town is situated on the western edge of a valley created in the last ice age when the Illinoisan glacier nudged the Mississippi River a few miles to the west of

its accustomed course. The result is a symmetrical sag in the track profile, known on the division as “Malone Hollow.” In each direction, the track descends for a mile or two at one-half percent to three-quarters percent and immediately ascends (upon crossing Brophy Creek at the bottom) for another mile or two at the same rate. Slack action coming through the sag — cars still going downhill at the rear, bunching together, slowing slightly, and then getting jerked ahead again as the front of the train

Chicago & North Western SD40-2 No. 6882 leads a train at Mechanicsville, west of Malone, Iowa, in 1979. Milepost 14 (inset) was in the author’s backyard in Malone. Thomas Hof fmann; inset, Ed Clopton

pulled uphill — sometimes caused westbounds to pull apart on the uphill grade through Malone. There would be a sudden pshhhhhhh, the rhythm of wheels on jointed rail slackening, the smell of hot brake shoes, a groaning, shuddering halt, and finally a stark silence. www.TrainsMag.com

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IN MY OWN WORDS

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Museum closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Mardi Gras

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TUCUMCARI

Downtown Tucumcari, New Mexico Historic Rail Depot September 19 and 20, 2015 Traveling Photo Display, Railroad Artifacts, reﬁnished Locomotive Control Stand, Locomotive Play Station, active Model Train Clubs, on the mainline of the UP – great place to view passing trains.

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FREE ADMISSION Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 11am-4pm More Details at (575) 461-1694 Paid in part by Tucumcari Lodgers Tax

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Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

Just as the crew was saying, “Oh, nuts!” or words to that effect, I was saying “Oh, boy!” and heading out to investigate. Usually I would meet up with a brakeman toting an air hose and a wrench. I would identify myself as “the kid from Malone” — I waved to every crew, and soon nearly every crew was ready and waiting to wave back, day and night — and walk with him to the joint. Sometimes I could actually be useful by holding a lantern after dark, but mostly I just watched and learned to talk shop. If all went well, the cars had merely uncoupled, or better yet, had remained coupled but perhaps a low-hanging brake hose coupling had been struck apart on one of the two crossings just to the east. A few minutes of work and maybe a back-up move from the engineer, and they would be on their way. If a knuckle had broken, however, it meant the brakeman returning to the head end or rear end, whichever was closer (or had the required model of knuckle, E50 or F51, on board), and lugging the 80-pound lump of steel back to make the repair. Even in decent weather it could be a long walk. If the knuckle wasn’t needed after all, the crew might leave it lying rather than lug it back — hence the knuckles in my cache. On the afternoon of that two-knuckle day, an auto rack leading the “second section” of a parted westbound coasted to a stop right behind the house. That was the only time I had known that to happen; usually the joint was farther east, down the hill. I sized up the situation, checked my parts inventory, and set out to meet the head brakeman walking back. I told him what I had found and said, somewhat to his surprise — recall that I was a skinny teenager appearing out of nowhere — that he would be needing an E50 knuckle. To his greater surprise I added, “And I’ve got one right here you can have.” The brakeman, an older guy who until this day might have thought he had seen everything, shook his head and radioed the

W E S T Eastbound C&NW coal train at Dixon, Ill., on May 25, 1981, has a waycar like the one the conductor tipped a knuckle from in the author’s tale. J. David Ingles

conductor. He reported that he was going to have to change a knuckle and continued, with a note of incredulity, “And there’s a guy here says he has one we can use!” “What does he want for it?” the conductor asked. “Just send money,” the brakeman replied before I could say anything. “Well, I’ll need an E50 after today,” I said. “I gave away my other one this morning.” The brakeman just laughed, and I helped him carry the knuckle maybe a hundred feet from its place by the shed to where the auto rack had stopped. He got the knuckle changed and called for a back-up move to put the train back together. He thanked me for my help and set out for the head end. I waited as the brake test was completed and the train got underway. As the waycar approached, I watched the bay window to give my customary wave, but the conductor was crouched on the rear platform instead. There must have been some further communication from the brakeman, because as the waycar passed by, the conductor tipped an E50 knuckle off the platform onto the ballast to replace the one I had provided. I guess he saw the value of maintaining a lineside parts cache in Malone! 2 ED CLOPTON grew up in eastern Iowa, mostly near the C&NW. In high school, he won an essay contest on the topic “Why America Needs Railroads.” He has taught high-school math, worked as a National Park Service ranger, and for 14 years has been an emergency room technician. He and his wife Bethany live in Maine.

V I R G I N I A

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September 19-20

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Departs Elkins and Cass May thru October! Overnight Lodging, Dining, Attraction & Entertainment Options available at both Destinations. All Trains Operated by the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad

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61

PRESERVATION

BY STEVE GLISCHINSKI

Saving a collection Several organizations move in to save privately owned artifacts in peril

Coronet Phosphate 2-6-2T No. 5 is unloaded at the Colfax Railroad Museum on Dec. 30, 2014. Herb Sakalaucks

Minneapolis & St. Louis 2-8-0 No. 471 was one of two steam locomotives saved when a private collection in Minnesota failed and became available in 2014. Jef f Terr y

Railway preservation is filled with triumphs and the occasional tragedy as equipment once thought saved falls to scrappers. This is about a museum that stepped forward to save several artifacts from destruction, including two steam locomotives. In the early 1960s, Minnesota-native Don Lind began acquiring railroad equipment, and shipping it to his place just east of Annandale, Minn. Lind hoped to establish an operating collection called the Minnesota & Western Railroad Museum. His gems were two steam locomotives — Minneapolis & St. Louis 2-8-0 No. 471, a 1910 Baldwin product, and Coronet Phosphate 2-6-2T No. 5, a 1911 graduate of H.K. Porter that had worked its entire career in Florida. Over the years Lind added wood and steel passenger cars, cabooses, narrow gauge park railway equipment, signs, papers, a bus, a streetcar body, vehicles, even the cab from a scrapped Soo Line Alco, which he mounted on a caboose frame so it could be operated with a chain drive. He planned to build a loop of track to run trains, purchased rail, and graded right-of-way. But like many individual preservationists, Lind’s ambitious plans exceeded his finances. Over the decades the equipment deteriorated. Most of the wood cars simply fell apart. Trees and bushes grew uncontrolled. The area wasn’t zoned as a museum or a rail yard, and Lind fought local governments who declared the site an eyesore. He re62

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

buffed efforts to save the equipment as it rotted away, and became reclusive. That didn’t deter the Colfax Railroad Museum and its chairman, Herb Sakalaucks. About four years ago the museum was searching for trucks for a passenger car, and learned of Lind’s equipment. It took nearly two months simply to find where Lind lived, but when they did, Sakalaucks and museum members went with Lind to visit the site. What they found was amazing. “He had six semi-trailers, four baggage cars, a boxcar, a refrigerator car, a mobile home, a bus, and a couple of outbuildings that had ‘stuff ’ stuffed in them,” Sakalaucks recalls. Items were scattered everywhere, resembling an episode of A&E’s “Hoarders” television series. Eventually the museum took 30 pickup truckloads of materials from the site, plus an additional 80 pickup loads of garbage. Sakalaucks says Lind and the museum were close to an agreement several times to save the equipment, but whenever they got close, Lind would back off. But they left their contact information, which Sakalaucks says “was the best thing we ever did.” Lind died in 2013, and his nephew called the museum asking if they would be interested in buying everything. The Colfax museum didn’t have the cash or manpower to do so but was able to purchase small items. Then the Colfax museum began negotiations for the big stuff. Four wood passenger

cars were too deteriorated for preservation so the museum bought the derelict cars for salvage, knowing parts could be used by other museums for restoration projects. That left four steel passenger cars, three cabooses, a Soo Line tender, two steam locomotives, the Alco diesel cab, a refrigerator car, a boxcar, and two flatcars. The museum couldn’t afford to buy everything, but acted as a broker for the family to dispose of it. The museum purchased the 2-6-2T and the ex-Milwaukee Road refrigerator car, which it plans to use as a workshop. Don Borneke Construction, which employed Lind’s nephew, purchased No. 471. The company plans to display it at its headquarters in Janesville, Minn. The Iron Horse Central Railroad Museum in Chisago City, Minn., purchased other equipment and the rails. An individual from Rogers, Minn., purchased the three cabooses. Most of the car parts went to the Mid-Continent Railway Museum in North Freedom, Wis. Unfortunately the rescue was marred by thievery. Thieves broke into the site three times and stole items, such as passenger car steps, brake rigging belonging to Mid-Continent, baggage cart parts, a pallet of locomotive parts, a Baker heater, switch stands, and caboose stoves. “What they stole was strictly railroad parts,” Sakalaucks says. “They drove past the heavy metal.” On Dec. 30, 2014, the 2-6-2T arrived at the museum in Colfax on the same day the 2-8-0 arrived in Janesville. A local high school wants to use restoration of No. 5 as a project for their industrial arts classes. The museum is hoping to raise funds for this and other projects, since it spent seven times its yearly budget on the effort. For more information or to donate, visit www.colfaxrrmuseum.org.

&

Douglas Railroad Museum

Concluding a series of trips in Virginia, Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611 storms Christiansburg grade for the ﬁrst time since its restoration this spring with 21 cars at Shawsville, Va., on July 3. The famous 4-8-4 pulled daily round trips from Roanoke to Lynchburg and Roanoke to Walton Junction July 3-5. TR A I NS : Jim Wrinn

>> PRESERVATION BRIEFS

UP E9s are a hit at annual baseball series

We’ve saved

SERVATI RE

AWARD ON

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A trio of Union Paciﬁc E9s rests outside TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb., on June 18 as the railroad’s 2015 display during the College World Series baseball tournament. The stadium is built on the site of the former UP shop complex in Omaha. E9s are based in Cheyenne, Wyo. Darrell D. Wendt

2015

The Oklahoma Railway Museum’s exU.S. Army SW8 has been painted in Missouri-Kansas-Texas colors of the 1970s. The museum operates the last remaining miles of the former Katy main line into Oklahoma City. It is seen here pulling a special Father’s Day excursion on June 20. Anthony Wessel

a

SPOT

for you.

TRAINS’ $10,000 preservation award

TRAINS is accepting proposals through Oct. 15 for its annual $10,000 preservation award. The grant will go to a nonproﬁt, educational organization in the U.S. or Canada for the restoration or repair of a locomotive, rolling stock, or a structure; or for the establishment or conservation of archives. Top priority goes to projects of regional or national signiﬁcance, for which the grant will make a signiﬁcant impact, and that will be spent by Dec. 31, 2016. Restoration projects nearing completion are

preferred. Proposals should be brief, no more than 200 words in length, include an additional basic project budget and up to ﬁve images. Applications may be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to TRAINS Preservation Award, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187. Editor Jim Wrinn will announce the winner at the TRAINS magazine 75 th anniversary dinner in Milwaukee, Wis., on Nov. 14 and on TRAINS “News Wire.” The winner will be proﬁled in TRAINS’ January 2016 issue in the “Preservation” department.

Bring this ad to the visitors center in Douglas, Wyoming, or the Glenrock Paleon to receive your free limited edition coin!

CONVERSECOUNTYTOURISM.COM 877.937.4996 ~ 307.358.2950 www.TrainsMag.com

63

this

GLENROCK DOUGLAS

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>> No. 611 steams on home N&W rails

HOT SPOTS

BY MICHAEL D. HARDING

Mississippi River railroading Check out Class I and regional freights, riverboats, and museums at the Quad Cities

An eastbound Iowa Interstate train traverses Fifth Street in Davenport. BNSF Railway through Rock Island, Moline, and Silvis to reach home rails in Colona, Ill. Along that section Iowa Interstate has its own yards in Rock Island and Silvis. The Iowa Interstate runs daily road trains between Council Bluffs and Blue Island, Ill. The trains, known as CBBI and BICB, are both often daylight runs through the Quad Cities. Other Iowa Interstate trains and yard jobs can also make an appearance throughout the day. Canadian Paciﬁc’s former Iowa, Chicago & Eastern main line runs along the Mississippi River on the Iowa side. Its base of operations is Nahant Yard, located west of downtown Davenport alongside the Mississippi. Closer to downtown, a second, smaller yard is located immediately west of Schmidt Road, where a connection to the Iowa Interstate main branches and climbs up to the road’s main just west of the Fifth Street section. CP runs a few road trains on its main line, along with extra grain and other trains. BNSF loops through the Quad Cities with a road train to Clinton on CP trackage rights.

A westbound Canadian Paciﬁc freight bound for Nahant Yard ducks under the Iowa Interstate’s Government Bridge in Davenport on July 6, 2013. Four photos, Michael D. Harding

TRAIN-WATCHING: The Iowa In-

enport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Rock Island and Moline, Ill., straddle the Mississippi River, creating an historic intersection of river and rails. In April 1865, the Chicago, Rock Island & Paciﬁc’s predecessors opened the ﬁrst Mississippi River crossing, known as the Government Bridge, at Davenport. Later, a riverboat struck the bridge and burst into ﬂames. The lawyer arguing the railroads’ side in the ensuing litigation was Abraham Lincoln. IAI

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terstate’s main line to Chicago runs through the Quad Cities. It enters Davenport from the northwest, crossing Division Street on a bridge before running between the trafﬁc lanes of Fifth Street for several blocks. At the east end of downtown, it again curves southeast and crosses the Mississippi River on the upper level of the Government Bridge while vehicle trafﬁc runs on the lower level. On the Illinois side, Iowa Interstate uses trackage rights over

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LOCATION: The Quad Cities of Dav-

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Botanical Center To Colona, Ill. 5th Avenue

64

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

Ride train!

Ride Historic Electrics at East Troy Family-oriented Pizza Trains & Excursions, browse www.easttroyrr.org for schedule

this

EAST TROY RAILROAD MUSEUM Phone (262) 642-3263

2002 Church St. East Troy, WI 53120

Iowa Interstate’s local returns to Rock Island after working around Moline. BNSF operates through Rock Island to the Crescent Bridge where it crosses the Mississippi and ties into the CP main line in Davenport. BNSF uses trackage rights on CP to run north to Clinton, Iowa. Local jobs and yard jobs from all three railroads work industries on their respective tracks and where they have rights. Iowa Interstate dispatches the BNSF line, along with the rest of the railroad’s own main line. Both the Iowa Interstate and CP issue track authorities by radio so a scanner is essential around the Quad Cities. Riverside parks in Davenport provide nice spots to relax while waiting for trains, within sight of the CP main ducking under the Iowa Interstate on the Government Bridge.

RADIO FREQUENCIES:

BNSF road 161.415, BNSF yard 161.100; CP Ottumwa Sub road 160.770, CP Davenport, Eldridge and Nitrin subs road 161.085, CP West Davenport Yard 161.430, CP Nahant Yard 160.530; IAIS road 161.220, IAIS yard 160.305.

Help Us Restore CNS&M Car 761

The only interurban electric dining car service in North America

Dining Cars 24 and 25

View of Lower Phantom Lake from the Dinner Train

Show us your copy of this issue of Classic Trains, purchase one cket on a regularly scheduled train and get one cket of equal or lesser value FREE. Not good on Excursion, Pizza, Dinner or Christmas trains.

RIDE THE CUMBRES & TOLTEC

FOR YOUR FAMILY:

Moline is the world headquarters of John Deere, and the John Deere Pavilion museum showcases the company’s long history. Several art and science museums, along with the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, Mississippi River Visitor Center, and Quad City Botanical Center, provide cultural opportunities within the Quad Cities. There are also several casinos and riverboats that offer cruises on the Mississippi. Upriver, LeClaire, Iowa, is the home of Antique Archaeology of “American Pickers” TV fame and the Buffalo Bill Museum. MICHAEL D. HARDING is a railroad photographer and certiﬁed public accountant from Toledo, Ohio.

BNSF’s train for Clinton, Iowa, heads north through Davenport on CP trackage. >> Want to enter our online photo contest? www.TrainsMag.com/Trackside

EXPERIENCE THE AUTHENTIC WEST Let’s get the old gang back together and rob ride the train.

RockyMountainTrain.com 1.888.286.2737

Antonito, CO Chama, NM www.TrainsMag.com

65

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The Illinois Railway Museum is composed of over 400 Railroad & Transportation vehicles representing different aspects of United States railroading. Ride trolleys, interurbans and coaches on our railroad! Hours of Operation:

G A LIVIN RY HISTO MUSEUM is Illino Union

Sundays: April - October: 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays: May - October: 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Weekdays: Memorial Day - Labor Day: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Call 1-800-BIG-RAIL or visit: www.irm.org 7000 Olson Rd., Union IL 60180

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Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

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ASK TRAINS

>> This Month: • Rail brands deciphered • Biodiesel fuel in locomotives

Q

Certain states require fueling stations to blend biodiesel into diesel fuel for cars and trucks at different times of the year. Do railroads use biodiesel in their locomotives? — Brett Schmidt,

Madison, Wis. This line of numbers and letters is a rail brand. Deciphered correctly, they show railroads the weight, maker, treatment, design, and manufacture date of a rail. Ed Funkhouser

Q

I saw these numbers and letters on the side of a rail near Mebane, N.C. Can you tell me what they mean? — Ed Funkhouser, Raleigh, N.C. The numbers and letters are a rail brand, and railroads use it to keep A track of their rails and easily identify sections in need of replacement. On the rail you saw, 132 is the weight in pounds per yard of the rail. “RE” is the section type or design specification of the rail, in this case, it is American Railway Engineering and Maintenanceof-Way Association standard rail. “VT”

North Platte, Nebraska v v v v v v

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from a 10-percent biodiesel-90-percent petroleum diesel, all the way to pure biodiesel, but railroad managers say that they find their supplies to be spotty, especially in winter months. One eastern Class I railroad manager tells Trains that engine makers require his railroad to cap the biodiesel used in locomotives to 5 percent to keep the engine warranty valid. The manager says biodiesel from different sources affects performance and, in greater concentrations, may damage engine parts. Any part damaged by fuels may also affect a locomotive’s emission certification. — Steve Sweeney

Go to TrainsMag.com

www.nprailfest.com

stands for vacuum treated, which is one way to coax excess hydrogen out of hot steel to keep it from forming defects when cooling. “PST” refers to the rail maker, Pennsylvania Steel Technologies, which is a successor to Bethlehem Steel. “2002” is the year of manufacture, while the hash marks count months. Here, nine hash marks mean the rail was rolled in September. — Steve Sweeney

Class I railroads, regionals, short lines, and commuter agencies have A tried biodiesel with a variety of blends

www.TrainsMag.com

67

DIRECTORY OF TOURIST LINES AND RAIL MUSEUMS Step back in time to experience the golden age of railroading. North America’s railroad museums and tourist lines provide affordable fun for the whole family! Plan your complete vacation with visits to these leading attractions. For information on advertising in this section, call Todd Schwartz toll-free at 888-558-1544, Ext 537. CALIFORNIA

Clear Lake/Nice

FLORIDA 1-75 exit 136 at Colonial Blvd.

www.featherbedrailroad.com

1-800-966-6322

CALIFORNIA NAPA VALLEY WINE TRAIN, INC.

Napa

1275 McKinstry Street

INDIANA North Judson HOOSIER VALLEY RAILROAD MUSEUM 507 Mulberry Street From the junction of four former railroads, travel through rural farm country and across the Kankakee River in vintage cabooses or open-air cars. 10- & 20- mile round-trip themed train rides, May –Oct & special events. Family and group rates. Guest Engineer Program. Free admission to the museum. Static displays, operating signals and railroadiana. Open Saturdays year-round, 9-4 central time.

Murder Mystery Dinner Train

www.hoosiervalley.org IOWA

574-896-3950 Fort Madison

KINGSLEY INN Enjoy a comical murder mystery show while our chef prepares your five course dinner with a choice of 3 entrees. The Murder Mystery Dinner Train operates 5 nights a week all year from the Colonial Station (2805 Colonial Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33966). Get-Away packages with hotel stay available with special pricing available only through Seminole Gulf Railway. www.semgulf.com 800-SEM-GULF (736-4853) GEORGIA

CABOOSE BED AND BREAKFAST

2870 Lakeshore Blvd., Nice Relax in one of 9 refurbished railroad cabooses decorated with unique themes. Park-like setting on the shore of Clear Lake. Jacuzzi tubs, A/C, all amenities. The perfect retreat for rail fans. Located within an easy drive of the Skunk Train, CA RR Museum and other great rail destinations in wine country.

Fort Myers SEMINOLE GULF RAILWAY

Folkston THE INN AT FOLKSTON B&B

3576 Main Street (Formerly 509 West Main Street)

Bed & Breakfast at The Folkston Funnel. A five minute walk to covered train-viewing platform on CSXT’s double-track main line 40 miles N of Jacksonville, FL. Hearty breakfasts, comfortable feather beds. Train watchers weekday specials! New Webcam with CSX Scanner Audio at TrainWatch.com. www.InnAtFolkston.com Toll Free 888-509-6246 GEORGIA Homeland OKEFENOKEE RV PARK

707 Ave H

Luxurious antique decor & Victorian ambiance. Gorgeous, front row views of the BNSF tracks, Mississippi River, and restored Rail Depot and palisade old Fort Madison. Near SantaFe swing span bridge. Rail Fan packages with some meals included. Onsite restaurant and lounge. Event space available. Come make some memories. www.kingsleyinn.com 319-372-8747 [email protected]

KANSAS Abilene ABILENE & SMOKY VALLEY RAILROAD 200 SE Fifth Street

Ride the Rails of History. 11 mile round trip through the Smoky Hill River Valley. Also offering dinner trains, steam engine runs on the newly restored #3415 & private charters. Call for schedules & reservations. www.asvrr.org 888-426-6687 KENTUCKY New Haven KENTUCKY RAILWAY MUSEUM

252 Bowery Lane

136 S. Main St.

Located in the heart of train country in the Folkston Funnel. Watch the trains go by from your campsite. Beautiful sunsets. The perfect spot for camping rail fans. Open year round. Full hookup sites. $20 a night. Special weekly and monthly rates. Find us on facebook @ Okefenokee RV Park.

[email protected]

912-496-2220

ILLINOIS Monticello MONTICELLO RAILWAY MUSEUM 991 Iron Horse Place — Monticello Illinois 61856

The Napa Valley Wine Train is a fully restored, antique train which runs through the heart of the Napa Valley. Enjoy a freshly prepared meal on board Napa’s most distinctive restaurant. Wine tours, wine tasting, great dining – a fabulous trip into America’s luxurious past. winetrain.com 800-WINETRAIN CALIFORNIA Santa Cruz SANTA CRUZ & MONTEREY BAY RAILWAY

Ride beautifully-restored diesel and steam trains every Saturday and Sunday May thru October. Steam using Southern 2-8-0 No. 401 one weekend every month. Complete schedules and information at MRYM.org. Charter our dining or business cars for your private group. Call us for rates and dates. I-72 at Exit 166. Bus Parking Space - Picnic Grove. Like us on Facebook! www.MRYM.org / 877-762-9011

www.kyrail.org

ILLINOIS The Pacific Coast has long used rails for mining and logging but now passengers can enjoy the serenity of coastal beaches and sunset rides in vintage cars. r%JOJOHDBSTXJUIGSFTISFHJPOBMNFOVT r8JOF5SBJOT r4QFDJBMFWFOUTBOEUIFNFEUSBJOT www.santacruzrailway.com

Union ILLINOIS RAILWAY MUSEUM 7000 Olson Road

175 Beasley Road

www.BluegrassRailroad.com

326 East 7th

2015 Schedule: May 23 – June 12 1:00pm. June 13 – August 16 10:00am & 2:00pm. August 17 – October 4 weekdays 1:00pm, weekends 10:00am & 2:00pm. Spectacular trip travels into the high Rocky Mountains, the railroad follows old C&S roadbed & 1893 restored depot. Family friendly, pets allowed. For more info visit our web site. www.leadville-train.com 1-866-386-3936

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Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

INDIANA Connersville WHITEWATER VALLEY RAILROAD 5th and Grand

877-726-RAIL

COLORADO Leadville LEADVILLE COLORADO & SOUTHERN

Kentucky

800-755-2478

MASSACHUSETTS Hyannis CAPE COD CENTRAL RAILROAD Home of Nebraska Zephyr. Steam, diesel trains, electric cars. Send $5.00 for 32 page Guide Book; or #10 SASE for color brochure with schedule & discount coupon. Trains operate Sat: May-Oct, Sun: Apr-Oct, Daily: Memorial Day-Labor Day. Museum open Apr-Oct. Lodging: 847-695-7540 and 815-363-6177. www.irm.org 815-923-4000

Make your Colorado memories on the rails this year! Enjoy standard-gauge comfort and new, scenic dome cars as you roll through dramatic mountain passes, colorful canyons and charming Colorado towns. Lots of wildlife, bring your camera! Close to Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. Connection with Cumbres & Toltec available. Season runs May-Oct, special events year-round.

Central

Weekends May through October.

888-978-5562

610 State Street

800-272-0152

KENTUCKY Versailles BLUEGRASS SCENIC RAILROAD AND MUSEUM 90-minute train rides through Thoroughbred horse country.

COLORADO Alamosa RIO GRANDE SCENIC RAILROAD

www.coloradotrain.com

Small town America at its best... Journey on a 22 mile train excursion through the Rolling Fork River Valley. Slow down and discover the joy of traveling by train. Stroll through the museum and outdoor displays. The gift store has everything for the train enthusiast. Special events include: Day Out With Thomas, Train Robberies, Mystery Trains, Dining Trains, Santa Trains and much more!

Travel through time on Indiana’s most scenic railroad. 33-mile round trip to Metamora, May through Oct. Special events Feb through Dec. Vintage diesels: 1951 Lima-Ham 750HP SW, 1954 EMD/Milw. SD10, 1948 Alco S1. Gift Shop. www.whitewatervalleyrr.org

765-825-2054

252 Main Street

Travel to the hidden beauty of the Cape through marshes and dunes alive with sea birds where just around the bend the views offer glimpses of the open sea bay and picturesque island villages. r#SVODIBOE%JOOFS5SBJOT r.VSEFS.ZTUFSJFT r)PMJEBZUIFNFUSBJOT www.capetrain.com 888-797-RAIL YOUR STATE

Your City

Advertise your tourist railroad here! Contact Todd Schwartz at 888-558-1544 Ext. 537

MONTANA

Essex (Glacier Nat. Pk) IZAAK WALTON INN

OHIO Bellevue MAD RIVER & NKP RAILROAD SOCIETY

290 Izaak Walton Inn Rd.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Abbeville - Greenwood

TAKE THE RIGHT TRACK AND SEE OUR TRAIN TREASURES!

233 York Street

Open daily 12 – 4pm Memorial Day through Labor Day – weekends only May, Sept. and Oct. Visit our web site. www.madrivermuseum.org

419-483-2222

OREGON Garibaldi OREGON COAST SCENIC RAILROAD 402 S. American Way

~ Celebrating 75 Years ~ Trackside Glacier Park vacations in cozy cabooses or nostalgic rooms in our historic GN-built hotel on BNSF’s main line. Trestles, snowsheds, tunnels, Essex helper station. Dining Car Restaurant. Flagstop Bar. Amtrak stop. Open year round. New GN441 Luxury Locomotive Lodging. www.izaakwaltoninn.com

406-888-5700

NEBRASKA North Platte GOLDEN SPIKE TOWER & VISITOR CENTER

Excursions with a Heisler or an Alco 2-6-2 steam locomotive along Tillamook Bay. Regular excursions from May 16th through September 27th. Daily service June 20th through September 7th. Dinner Trains, Firework Spectacular, Fall Splendor, Salmonberry Excursions, and Candy Cane Express as well.

www.oregoncoastscenic.org OREGON

503-842-7972

MOUNT HOOD RAILROAD

Hood River

• The Railroad Museum, 908 S. Main St., Greenwood, SC — an exhibit of railroad history, a gift shop and seven historic railroad cars • Seaboard Caboose No. 5759, McGowan-BarksdaleBundy House, 305 N. Main St., Abbeville, SC — a restored Seaboard Railroad caboose highlighting the railroad era at the headquarters of the Abbeville County Historical Society discoversc.net

401 E. Whitestone Blvd, Suite C-100

110 Railroad Avenue

1249 N Homestead Rd

1-800-849-9633

TEXAS Cedar Park AUSTIN STEAM TRAIN ASSOCIATION Hop on the Austin Steam Train Association and enjoy a scenic trip through the Texas Hill Country during your next visit to Cedar Park, Texas.

Journey through the lush green forests of Columbia River Gorge to the valley’s fertile vineyards and orchards overlooked by the striking snow capped peak of Mt. Hood. r4QSJOH#MPTTPNTBOE'BMM'PMJBHFFYDVSTJPOT r4VOEBZ#SVODIBOE8FTUFSO5SBJO3PCCFSJFT r.VSEFS.ZTUFSJFTBOE.VTJDBM5SJCVUF"SUJTUT www.mthoodrr.com Eight story tower offering a panoramic view of the Union Pacific’s Bailey Yard, the world’s largest classification yard. Thousands of railcars every day! Located minutes off of I-80 and Hwy 83 Hours: Open 9am-7pm daily Twilight Tours (open past sunset) the 3rd Saturday of each month www.goldenspiketower.com 308-532-9920 NEW YORK Catskill Mountains Delaware & Ulster Railroad 43510 State Hwy 28, Arkville, NY 12406

800-872-4661

PENNSYLVANIA Marysville Bridgeview Bed & Breakfast Lately, train watching around The Bridgeview B&B has been extremely exciting with motive power from BNSF, UP, KCS, CP, CN, CSX and Ferromex often leading, plus add NS heritage units into the mix and you have some amazing lashup possibilities! Trains entering or exiting Enola Yard pass right by our front porch. From the spacious decks and sitting room, you can watch the Susquehanna River, Blue Mountains and train action on Rockville Bridge! Plus, visit Hershey, Gettysburg, and PA Dutch Country! Comfortable rooms all with private baths, A/C, Wifi, and a tasty breakfast are included with your stay. Take a virtual tour on our website and check us out on Facebook for daily updates, pictures and guest comments. www.bridgeviewbnb.com 717-957-2438 Robertsdale

FRIENDS OF THE EAST BROAD TOP 550 Main Street

Scenic excursions through New York’s legendary Catskill Mountains. Train Robberies - Twilight Excursions - First class meal service aboard The Rip Van Winkle Flyer for groups and individuals.

Visit the East Broad Top Railroad’s original southern operating terminus. Museum open first and third weekends, May through September, 10-5 Saturdays and 1-4 Sundays. Special hours in October.

www.durr.org

www.febt.org

845-586-3877

26 Station Lane

Visit www.AustinSteamTrain. org for details. Hop online, then hop aboard! www.AustinSteamTrain.org TEXAS

(512) 477-8468

FLATONIA RAIL PARK

Flatonia

810 S. Main St.

PENNSYLVANIA

NEW YORK Saratoga Springs SARATOGA & NORTH CREEK RAILWAY

Take a trip back in time and experience the travel of yesteryear.

814-635-2388

Ride the rails to

increased sales

Two locations Downtown & at the Interlocker West of Town. Visit historic downtown Flatonia and see SP Tower#3, SP Caboose #4743 and the Rail History Center… filled with artifacts of the SP, T&NO and GH&SA. Photo Pavilion at the Interlocker open 24/7, handicapped accessible. Located on IH-10 between Houston and San Antonio. Flatonia welcomes railfans! www.railcrossroadstx.com [email protected] TEXAS Galveston GALVESTON RAILROAD MUSEUM Home of the Santa Fe Warbonnets 2602 Santa Fe Place Galveston, TX 77550

Former Headquarters Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe Depot One of the Largest Railroad Museums in 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 Layouts. Free Parking with Admission. Open seven days a week. www.galvestonrrmuseum.com

TEXAS

409-765-5700

Rusk & Palestine TEXAS STATE RAILROAD PO Box 166

with a Tourist Directory ad in The Adirondacks offer four seasons of beauty best seen along breathtaking waterway vistas in heritage cars with exceptional service and classic rail dining. r'BMM'PMJBHFSJEFT r4OPX5SBJOUPXJOUFSSFTPSUT r)PMJEBZUIFNFUSBJOT www.SNCRR.com

877-726-7245

Call Todd Schwartz today! 888-558-1544 Ext. 537

Dubbed a “Texas Treasure”, these historic rails travel through rolling hills and piney woods with wildlife sightings while sampling the service of true southern hospitality. r-VODIBOE%JOOFS5SBJOT r)PMJEBZUIFNFUSBJOT r'VMMDBNQHSPVOEGBDJMJUJFT

www.texasstaterr.com

877-726-7245 www.TrainsMag.com

69

WASHINGTON Chehalis CHEHALIS CENTRALIA RAILROAD & MUSEUM 1101 SW Sylvenus Street

ONTARIO Waterloo WATERLOO CENTRAL RAILWAY 330 Farmers Market Road

ADVERTISERS The Advertiser Index is provided as a service to TRAINS magazine readers. The magazine is not responsible for omissions or for typographical errors in names or page numbers.

611 Back in Steam ................................. 14 A & R Productions ..................................12

Steam Train Rides in 1920’s coaches pulled by a 1916 Steam Locomotive. May 23rd thru August 30th weekends and September 5th thru September 26th - Saturdays only. For special events and more information visit our website. www.steamtrainride.com

Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Market Train. With three round trips through the countryside to choose from, the day is up to you. Diesel-hauled train starts at the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market and continues to the Village of St. Jacobs across the Conestogo River and beyond. Steam-hauled special events. Active restoration shop open for viewing. waterloocentralrailway.com 519-504-0527 WEST INDIES

ST. KITTS SCENIC RAILWAY

800-708-2040

2285 S. Broadway

All Aboard! Explore the UP Big Boy, Eisenhower’s WWII command train, the exhibit Pullman Porters: From Service to Civil Rights, and our new exhibit entitled “From Generation to Generation: The Love of Toy Trains”. View the Bauer Drumhead collection – 40 illuminated passenger train tail signs. Open year round. www.nationalrrmuseum.org 920-437-7623 WISCONSIN Spooner RAILROAD MEMORIES MUSEUM

Classic Trains magazine ..........................21 Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad ...........65

Douglas Area Chamber of Commerce ......63 Dufﬁelds Station, Inc...............................13 Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad .........61

Route 52 (Between Eckman & Kimball)

www.elkhorninnwv.com

C R Scholes ........................................... 19

Deskmap Systems ....................................8

WEST VIRGINIA Landgraff ELKHORN INN & THEATER

WISCONSIN Green Bay NATIONAL RAILROAD MUSEUM

Amsted Rail ..............................................2

St. Kitts

360-748-9593

As seen on HGTV “Building Character” and “reZONED”! Newly restored “Coal Heritage Trail” Inn on NS Pocahontas railway line in scenic, southern, WV. Railview guest rooms, balcony and patio cafe. Call about our Railfan weekends. 14 guest rooms, claw-foot tubs, fireplace, vintage quilts, art, antiques & gift shop/museum room. Meals available. Sat TV, VCR, slide-viewer, studio & Wi-Fi internet. On Route 52, 30 minutes from Bluefield WV/VA. See our “railfan” pages on our web site. Local phone: 304-862-2031

Aldon Company ...................................... 11

Include St. Kitts in your Eastern Caribbean cruise itinerary. Narrow gauge St. Kitts Scenic Railway Tour circles this unspoiled island paradise, 18 miles by train, 12 miles by bus. Twin- level observation cars, fully narrated, complimentary drinks, a cappella Choir. One of the Great Little Railways of the World. www.stkittsscenicrailway.com (869) 465-7263

East Troy Electric Railroad ......................65 Fostoria Area Visitor’s Bureau .................66 Four Ways West ........................................8 Galveston Railroad Museum ....................60 Golden Spike Tower ................................67

STOP.

LOOK.

WATCH!

Front and Walnut Streets, downtown Spooner

Greenbrier Companies, The ....................76 Greg Scholl Video Productions ................13 Herron Rail Video .................................... 19 Illinois Railway Museum ...........................66 Knoxville Locomotive Works ......................9 Locomotive 2015 ................................... 10 Modoc Railroad Academy........................12 Morning Sun Books, Inc. ......................... 19 Mount Washington Cog Railway ...............67 MTU .........................................................9 New River Train Excursions .....................61

See expert modelers in action with unlimited access to: Spend an hour or a day... Explore an outstanding 13 room collection of historic documents, photos, railroad equipment and other memorabilia covering every aspect of railroading. Open: Memorial Day through Labor Day, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 7 days a week. Memberships available. Handicap Accessible. Ample parking. Arrangements can be made for special tours by calling ahead. In 1902 Omaha/CNW Depot, downtown Spooner with an excellent selection of shops, restaurants, motels, and other attractions nearby. Mailing address: N8425 Island Lake Road, Spooner WI 54801-7834. GPS address: 424 N. Front Street, Spooner, WI 54801. www.railroadmemoriesmuseumspooner.org 715-635-2752 or 715-635-3325 WYOMING Cheyenne CHEYENNE DEPOT MUSEUM 121 W. 15th St. Cheyenne, WY 82001

Cheyenne Wyoming is home to the Cheyenne Depot Museum, operating in the historic Union Pacific Cheyenne Depot built in 1887. Cheyenne is home to the Union Pacific Steam program and filled with railroad heritage unlike any other city in the world. Open year round. Mention this ad and receive $1.00 off. CheyenneDepotMuseum.org 307-638-6338

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Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

Radio Hospital ........................................12 Rail Fest .................................................66

• Hundreds of how-to videos

Railcom ....................................................8

• Exciting new series

railroadbooks.biz ....................................19

• Product reviews

Railserve ................................................15

• 3D track plans

Ron’s Books .............................................5

• Layout visits

Seminole Gulf Railway .............................60

• And more!

Signature Press ......................................12

New videos added each week!

Join our community today at www.MRVideoPlus.com/ Member P21150

Society of International Railway Travelers ..5 Tom E. Dailey Foundation, Inc..................12 Train Travel Consulting ............................13 Trains Books .......................................... 17 Tucumcari Chamber of Commerce ..........60 Whitewater Valley Railroad ......................66

CLASSIFIEDS Word Rate: per issue: 1 insertion — $1.57 per word, 6 insertions — $1.47 per word, 12 insertions — $1.37 per word. $25.00 MINIMUM per ad. Payment must accompany ad. To receive the discount you must order and prepay for all ads at one time. Count all initials, single numbers, groups of numbers, names, address number, street number or name, city, state, zip, phone numbers each as one word. Example: Paul P. Potter, 2102 Paciﬁc St., Waukesha, WI 53202 would count as 9 words. All Copy: Set in standard 6 point type. First several words only set in bold face. If possible, ads should be sent typewritten and categorized to ensure accuracy. CLOSING DATES: Jan. 2015 issue closes Oct. 22, Feb. closes Nov. 24, Mar. closes Dec. 18, Apr. closes Jan. 21, May closes Feb. 25, June closes Mar. 25, July closes Apr. 22, Aug. closes May 27, Sept. closes June 23, Oct. closes July 22, Nov. closes Aug. 25, Dec. closes Sept. 23. For TRAINS’ private records, please furnish: a telephone number and when using a P.O. Box in your ad, a street address. magazine – Classiﬁed AdvertisSend your ads to: ing 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612 Waukesha, WI 53187-1612 Toll-free (888) 558-1544 Ext. 815 Fax: (262) 796-0126 E-mail: [email protected]

EXCURSIONS 68 MILE TRAIN RIDE in the beautiful white mountains of New Hampshire, October 17, 2015. From Conway, NH to Crowford Notch & on to Fabyans and back to North Conway. For trip info www.470rrclub.org

LODGING CABIN BY THE TRACKS, COLORADO ROCKIES, U.P. (D&RGW) MAINLINE. In foothills west of Denver. Railroad fan heaven. 303-233-9655. [email protected], www.coloradorailroadvacation.com WISCONSIN, FERRYVILLE - Custom built two-bedroom luxury vacation home along scenic Mississippi River and BNSF Railroad. www.153main.com 608-317-1530. WWW.MANASSASJUNCTION.COM Trackside lodging in luxurious Victorian B&B. View Amtrak Crescent, Norfolk & Southern and VRE Commuter from dining room or along tracks. 10 minute walk to board train at Historic Manassas, Virginia Depot. 703-216-7803. WWW.STATIONINNPA.COM FREE live guide to NS East and West slope on our homepage. FREE webcam and scanner highlight rail traffic passing The Inn. The Station Inn, A Better Way to Railfan. 814-886-4757

BOOKS AND MAGAZINES BACK ISSUES- Over 300 rail magazine titles and 1000’s of used/out of print rail books. Large, stamped SAE for list: Railpub, 161 Gilmore Rd., Wrentham, MA 02093. Or on-line at: www.railpub.com. BACK ISSUES. Trains Magazine from 08/2011 to 07/2015, inclusive. You pay for ad ($29.83) and shipping ($20.00). Contact: [email protected] GET A FREE COPY OF POWERSHIPS the ultimate source for stories about powered ships and their history. This prestigious magazine is published by Steamship Historical Society of America, the nation’s oldest ship history organization. Get a FREE copy and learn how you can subscribe. Email: [email protected], Visit: www.powerships.org or Call 401-463-3570.

COLLECTIBLES RAILROADIANA FOR SALE: Rare and diverse offering of railroad china, silver, lanterns, globes, brass locks, keys and miscellaneous for sale. Continuously offering service plates. George Washington china and unknown top-marked patterns. Send $2 and LSSAE for unique listing to Golden Spike Enterprises, PO Box 985, Land O Lakes, FL 34639.

PHOTOS, PRINTS AND SLIDES TOP DOLLAR PAID for slide collections and locomotive builder plates. [email protected] or 216-321-8446

RAILROAD ART ORIGINAL GIL REID PAINTING. Large watercolor from 1976 depicts “Crescent Limited” behind green-and-gold Southern Ps4 Pacific. Email: [email protected] or call 414-429-0306.

WANTED ARE YOU GETTING THE BEST PRICE FOR YOUR TRAIN COLLECTION? Our list of discriminating buyers grows each day. They want bigger and better train collections to choose from! We specialize in O Gauge trains- Lionel, MTH, K-Line, Williams, Weaver, 3rd Rail, etc. as well as better trains in all scales. We also purchase store inventories. Plus, we can auction your trains with rates starting as low as 15%. We travel extensively all over the US. Give us a call today! Send us your list or contact us for more information at www.trainz.com/sell Trainz, 2740 Faith Industrial Dr., Buford, GA 30518, 866-285-5840, [email protected] Fax: 866-935-9504 CASH FOR NEGATIVES; Steam, electrics, trolleys. domestic or foreign. RFM, Box 41396, Jacksonville, FL 322031396. [email protected] 904-641-3761 OLD RAILROAD ITEMS WANTED: lanterns, locks, badges, keys, tags, sealers, builder plates, china, signs, RR paper, etc. 916-663-2463. ORIGINAL SLIDE COLLECTIONS PURCHASED. Any railroad or railroad subjects. Call 908-755-5454.

RAIL SHOWS AND EVENTS SEPTEMBER 5, 2015: RAILFANS’ DAY at Conway Scenic Railroad, North Conway, NH, tel: (800) 232-5251. Join us for a day of special runs! Ride our “EXTRA” freight and passenger trains. Seats available in the caboose, and the free night photo shoot is open to all! ConwayScenic.com, [email protected] SEPTEMBER 11-13, 2015: The Anthracite Railroads Historical Society will hold its 40th Anniversary Convention in Scranton, PA at the Hilton. BBQ and night photo shoot at Steamtown on Friday, presentation on Saturday, banquet Saturday evening with speaker Rob McGonigal, Editor Classic Trains; possible excursion on Sunday. Info: www.anthraciterailroads.org or by mail request to ARHS, PO Box 519, Lansdale, PA 19446. SEPTEMBER 12-13, 2015: Colfax Railroad Days. 150th Anniversary of the Central Pacific RR arriving in Colfax, California. Saturday & Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm. www.colfaxrailroaddays.org SEPTEMBER 19, 2015: Transportation paper sales: Railroad, interurban, airline, bus. National Association of Timetable Collectors. 10:00am-3:00pm. Clarion Hotel, 2930 Waterfront Parkway, 317-299-8400. I-74 and I-465 (Speedway) Indianapolis. Richard Baldwin, 317-704-0035. SEPTEMBER 27, 2015: Southern Connecticut Model Train Show, Greenwich Civic Center, Greenwich, CT. 9:00am3:00pm. Adults $7.00, under 12 free. Valley HO Trak Layout & NH Society of Model Engineers. Modeling clinics, 150 tables of trains, books, artwork, DVDs. Door prizes, free parking, refreshments. Ron’s Books, PO Box 714, Harrison, NY 10528, 914-967-7541, [email protected] OCTOBER 18, 2015: 24th Annual Chicago Railroadiana and Model Train Show. Kane County Fairgrounds 525 South Randall Road, St. Charles, IL. Sunday, 10:00am-3:00pm Admission: $6.00 (includes tax). Tables $60.00. Information: 847-358-1185, [email protected] or www.RRShows.com

AUCTIONS AMERICA’S PREMIER RAILROAD AUCTIONS: Consign your quality items. One piece to an entire collection. Large 8-1/2 X 11” auction catalogs contain full descriptions and hundreds of photographs. Auctions are jointly sponsored by the Depot Attic and Golden Spike Enterprises. The combined knowledge and experience of America’s largest railroadiana firms will earn you “top dollar”. Mail and fax bids are accepted. Information: Railroad Auction, PO Box 985, Land O Lakes, FL 34639. Phone: 813-949-7197.

Your classified ad can:

Tell ‘em what you’ve got Tell ‘em what it will do for them Tell ‘em how to get it

Don’t wait any longer! Place your classified ad today! 888-558-1544 Ext. 815

OCTOBER ’15 Excerpts from “Railroad Vision: Steam Era Images from the TRAINS’ Magazine Archive” ‘It’s all in the details’ annual photo contest winners Rock Island reminiscence: 50 years ago an afternoon in Illinois foretold the future Brazil railroads with an American twist Map: Washington, D.C., then and now In My Own Words: The train crew, the teacher, and the diversion George W. Hamlin’s 10 favorite places to watch trains EMD update: How the builder is faring Plus: Fred W. Frailey, Don Phillips, Gallery, and much more!

On sale Sept. 8, 2015 www.TrainsMag.com

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Gallery Flying on the rails A White Ibis paces northbound Florida East Coast Railway train No. 224, led by ES44ACs Nos. 815 and 823, at St. Augustine, Fla., on March 31, 2015. See more about FEC in LOCOMOTIVE 2015, the 10th anniversary edition, which hits newsstands on Sept. 22, 2015. — Photo by Harold Edmonson

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Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

Poughkeepsie’s pretty palette The photographer stands on Poughkeepsie-Highland Bridge over the Hudson River to capture luscious fall color and this southbound CSX Transportation train at Highland, N.Y., on Oct. 12, 2009. — Photo by Keane Maher

Golden sunset A BNSF auto rack train sits in the hole at Holt, Calif., on the BNSF Stockton Sub at sunset. — Photo by Ryan Clark

>> Want more photos? 74

Trains SEPTEMBER 2015

Check out the “Photo of the Day.” Go to www.TrainsMag.com

Into the woods Shortline operator Progressive Rail’s Wisconsin Northern Railroad leased SW1500, GMTX 134, rocks down the tracks across farm ﬁelds and through the woods near Eagleton, Wis., on Nov. 23, 2011. — Photo by Travis Dewitz

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October 4 - 7, 2015 The Minneapolis Convention Center Minneapolis, Minnesota