Trains Magazine 2016-11

OLDEST U.S.-BUILT LOCOMOTIVE IN EXISTENCE? www.TrainsMag.com • November 2016

p. 38

Amtrak’s new boss p. 6

THE magazine of railroading

Burning Cajon Pass p. 12

MERGERS AHEAD A complex decision just got even crazier

Inside Florida’s new passenger railroad p. 46

PLUS

MAP: Grade-crossing accidents p. 36 Ultimate railfan trip of 1968 p. 54

p. 24

KCS and UP units lift a westbound train across the Rockies on the Moffat Route.

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vol. 76, no. 11 news and features

FEATURES

24

COVER STORY >>

Transcon mergers Boon or boondoggle for the rail industry? Bill Stephens

34 Train time at Summit A Portland & Western Railroad Toledo Hauler reaches level track with six units and 39 loaded cars Robert W. Scott

36

38

44

Map of the Month: Grade-crossing accidents, 2015

‘Mississippi’ revealing

West end will-o’-the-wisps

Is this 0-4-0 the oldest conventional American locomotive? Jim Wrinn

Orbs of light morph into ghost-like locomotives on a foggy morning in an Ohio freight yard Robert S. Butler

46

54

58

Rewriting the playbook

Trip with a capital T

In My Own Words: They don’t train them like they used to

A state-by-state look at data for incidents, injuries, and fatalities Rick Johnson

Privately funded Brightline service aims to change passenger rail starting in 2017 Bob Johnston

An epic railfan trip from New York to Chicago in 1968 included a cab ride, a steam engine, an all-access pass to a tower, and more Kenneth L. Hojnacki

Two experienced railroaders move a train out of a tunnel Charles H. Geletzke Jr.

<< ON THE COVER Kansas City Southern and Union

NEWS

Pacific units lead a westbound empty oil train on the Moffat Route

5 10 16 18 20 22

near Tolland, Colo., on Sept. 5, 2015. Photo by John Crisanti

6 Amtrak’s new boss 12 Burning Cajon Pass 24 Mergers ahead: A complex decision just got even crazier 36 Map: Grade-crossing accidents 38 Oldest U.S.-built locomotive in existence? 46 Inside Florida’s new passenger railroad 54 Ultimate railfan trip of 1968

News & Photos Don Phillips Fred W. Frailey Locomotive Technology Passenger

DEPARTMENTS 4 60 62 64 70

From the Editor Preservation Hot Spots Ask TRAINS Gallery

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FROM THE EDITOR

EDITOR A RT DI RECTOR PRODUCTION EDITOR

JIM WRINN

A WP feather in UP’s Donner cap he irst thing on anyone’s mind when talk turns to mergers (pages 24-33) is duplicate routes. Mergers are supposed to eliminate them, but it takes years (Seaboard’s S-line and A-line in Virginia), and in some cases, months (Southern Paciic’s Tennessee Pass) for this to happen.

Jim Wrinn

homas G. Danneman Angela Pusztai-Pasternak

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

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

Diane Laska-Swanke

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Rick Johnson

L E A D I L L U S T R AT O R

Sue Hollinger-Yustus

P R O D U C T I O N C O O R D I N AT O R

homas Hofmann

LIBRARIAN

COLUMNISTS

Fred W. Frailey, Don Phillips CORRESPONDENTS

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

And sometimes it never happens. Case in point: On a recent trip to California, I witnessed a busy Union Paciic-run Feather River Canyon route — the signature of the much-beloved Western Paciic that folded into UP in 1982 — and the next day an equally busy Donner Pass route — Southern Paciic’s revered crossing of the Sierras that came into UP’s shield in 1996. I’d been told that the Feather River Canyon was as dead as could be east of famous Keddie Wye (where BNSF shared trackage ends), but westbound automobile and manifest trains I saw and observations from locals told me otherwise: Some days are quiet and others see up to eight freights. Running both east-west main lines means a lot of extra miles to maintain in dificult territory: he Feather River Canyon is prone to rockslides (track inspection vehicles precede freight trains, checking for slides), and Donner is hilly and curvy with

plenty of snow in normal winters. But I can understand UP’s reasoning for keeping both. If one is swamped with traic, the other provides a safety valve. If one is shut down for maintenance or repairs, the other route has track time. Additionally, railroaders are conservative when it comes to making big decisions like this. Too many duplicate routes got abandoned or cast of to regionals and short lines in the 1980s and 1990s that railroad managers wish they had back in the irst 15 years of the 2000s. Mergers are strange. Just when you think you’ve got them igured out, they come along and surprise you, and routes you just knew would disappear, linger on and on.

Scott Krall

Drew Halverson

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Bill Metzger

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

4

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

NEWS&PHOTOS Average weekly rail carloads United States total intermodal units 2014

2015

2016

270 260 250

Jun.

Apr.

Feb.

Oct.

Dec.

Aug.

Apr.

Jun.

Feb.

Dec.

Oct.

Jun.

Aug.

Apr.

Feb.

Dec.

Oct.

Aug.

Apr.

230

Jun.

240

Feb.

Carloads and/or intermodal units (in thousands)

2013 280

Figures are for U.S. operations only.

A Norfolk Southern intermodal train meet in Indiana is a backdrop for average weekly data from the Association of American Railroads. TR A I NS : Steve Sweeney; Illustration: Rick Johnson

Cooling economy douses hot hopes for intermodal growth Railroads continue investments to support container traffic despite a global trade slowdown and truck-based challengers Railroading’s growth engine seems to be running on fumes. Intermodal was down 3 percent through the end of August, with both international and domestic traic facing a slew of challenges. hese include a slowdown in global trade, a strong U.S. dollar, unusually high retail inventories, and sluggish consumer spending. Toss in low fuel prices and plenty of capacity in the trucking industry, which has heated up competition between road and rail, and you’ve got a perfect storm. “here’s not a single smoking gun — or silver bullet,” says Larry Gross, a senior consultant and partner at FTR, an Indiana-based freight transportation research and forecasting irm. Yet part of the problem is not really a problem: his year’s numbers are lackluster because 2015’s intermodal igures set a record. Last year also was, in a word, weird. Instead of the usual annual pattern of rising monthly intermodal volume with a pause in July and a peak in October, traic spiked in March, remained high, took a breather in July, and peaked in August. hat set up months of bad comparisons. And most of the 29-percent decline in trailers handled in the U.S. through August 27 is due to a single event: Norfolk Southern’s pruning of Triple Crown RoadRailer service to solely the Detroit-Kansas City lane at the end of last year.

For the most part, railroads have been able to maintain price increases for intermodal traic this year. But the yearover-year intermodal volume decline is troubling, because the industry is counting on intermodal growth to help ofset the sustained and likely permanent decline in coal revenue. hrough the irst half of the year, imports were up 2.5 percent, yet railroads’ international intermodal volume fell 3.3 percent. “hat’s a big gap,” Gross says. Some of this is due to a shit of traic from West Coast ports to East Coast ports, a trend that predates the June opening of the expanded Panama Canal. Containers that land in East Coast ports are more susceptible to truck diversion. But that only explains some of the decline. Whatever the other causes may be, Gross says it’s clear that railroads’ share of import traic has fallen over the past 20 months. Railroads also have lost market share to trucks for domestic moves, largely due to low fuel prices and extra capacity in the trucking industry. Executives expect that dynamic to change, however, as fuel prices rise in the coming year. Nevertheless, this reveals intermodal’s Achilles’ heel: “he destiny of the domestic sector lies outside what the railroads have the ability to control,” Gross says. “hey can’t count on tight highway capacity to force volume to them.”

What can railroads do to change this picture? Ofer more service in underserved lanes, cooperate on joint moves, and tinker with price and service levels to better compete with trucks, Gross suggests. Railroads are, of course, trying to boost intermodal volumes. In September, BNSF Railway launched new, faster service between the Paciic Northwest and Texas via Denver. Trains linking Portland, Ore., and Seattle with Dallas-Fort Worth are two days faster than previous rail transit times and are comparable in speed to single-driver, over-theroad options, BNSF says. It’s the irst of several new intermodal routes that BNSF will launch over the next year. Over the longer term, CSX Transportation aims to reduce the average length of haul at which intermodal can successfully compete with trucks. It’s a cornerstone of the railroad’s efort to capture some of the 9 million truckloads in the East that are good candidates for intermodal conversion. “CSX’s unique strategy combines the eiciency of a corridor strategy for highdensity lanes with a hub-and-spoke model,” spokeswoman Melanie Cost says. “his approach has allowed CSX to serve smaller- and medium-sized markets that traditionally wouldn’t have generated enough density to warrant intermodal service.” It has proven this concept with the Northwest Ohio Intermodal Terminal and aims to replicate it with the $270 million Carolina Connector terminal planned to open in Rocky Mount, N.C., in 2020. CSX also is building a new intermodal terminal outside Pittsburgh. As part of its National Gateway initiative, CSX is working to clear remaining obstacles to full double-stack service between its Chambersburg, Pa., terminal and East Coast ports and terminals. he biggest of these projects, the new Virginia Avenue Tunnel in Washington, D.C., is expected to be completed in 2018. Laying the groundwork for expanded intermodal service will help the railroads prepare for a potential intermodal windfall in 2018. Beginning in December 2017, truckers will be required to keep electronic log books, a regulation that’s opposed by the independent operators and small trucking companies that account for the vast majority of the rigs on the road. he e-logbook rule may prompt some owner-operators to park their trucks rather than make the necessary technology investments. his will tighten capacity to some degree — how much is anyone’s guess, Gross says — and enable railroads to capture more traic that currently moves via highways. — Bill Stephens www.TrainsMag.com

5

NEWS&PHOTOS Amtrak picks Charles ‘Wick’ Moorman for top spot Wick Moorman has led Amtrak for more than a month. hough Moorman declined all rail media interviews as of press time, the retired Norfolk Southern chairman and CEO earned high praise from oicials at railroad organizations and railroaders. Amtrak board of directors Chairman Anthony Coscia announced Moorman’s appointment Aug. 19. He replaces Joe Boardman, who retired Sept. 1 ater eight years with Amtrak. “It’s the answer to my prayers!” former Amtrak President David Gunn tells Trains. “I was afraid [Amtrak’s board] was going to choose some kind of turnaround artist that didn’t know the back or front of a train.” At Norfolk Southern, Moorman

rose through the company’s ranks during a 40-year career capped by a massive publicity campaign involving an entire leet of locomotives painted in heritage liveries. Moorman also served as a vocal defender of the freight railroad in a failed takeover attempt by Canadian Paciic this year. Wick “he position we’ve taken is that if we can Moorman become a best-in-class service provider, that requires best-in-class management that will attract resources to the company,” Coscia says of Moorman. — Trains staf

Amtrak, Alstom announce $2.45 billion deal Agreement sets the stage for ‘Avelia Liberty’ trainsets on the Northeast Corridor There’s work to do. Amtrak and Alstom inked one of the highest dollar-value contracts for high-speed passenger equipment in North American history in August. Now Alstom must hire extra workers for its upstate New York shops, get supply contracts in place, and get tooling for parts moving if it is to meet a 2021 delivery start date for its Avelia Liberty trainsets for the Northeast Corridor. he 28 trainsets are the core purchases coming out of a $2.45 billion Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loan from the U.S. Department of Transportation to Amtrak. “We’re making the most signiicant investment in passenger rail that’s ever been made in this country,” says Amtrak Chairman Anthony Coscia at an Aug. 25 announcement ceremony in Wilmington, Del. “We will bring together a train system that will be a clear example for the entire country, to build a national network that will create the kind of mobility that Americans are looking for.” According to the passenger railroad, the new trainsets will initially operate at speeds up to 160 mph along the Washington-New York-Boston Northeast Corridor. hey will be capable of speeds up to 186 mph. Along with the trainsets, Amtrak will invest $170 million for improvements at Washington Union Station and New York Moynihan Station, $90 million for track upgrades to allow the new trains to run at 186 mph, and $80 million for safety improvements. he precise price tag for the trains was unavailable. Amtrak also says the trainsets are expected to use the base design of Alstom high speed trainsets already in production in France, including the TGV. Locomo6

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

An artist’s conception of what Alstom Avelia Liberty trainsets might look like in operation between Washington and Boston on the Northeast Corridor. Alstom

tives, located at each end of the trainset, provide an extra bufer of protection. A news release says the trainsets will be expected to meet the latest Federal Railroad Administration safety guidelines including a crash energy management system. he term indicates that the trainsets may be built to international standards that require trains to crumple around a secured passenger compartment in an accident, in a way similar to modern automobiles. Older U.S. crash standards required passenger cars to remain relatively intact in accidents, making them heavier than international ones. he companies say that Alstom will hire an additional 400 workers between its Hornell and Rochester, N.Y., shops to build the trainsets. he railroad supplier says parts will come in from more than 350 suppliers in more than 30 states. he Wilmington ceremonies also drew now-retired Amtrak President Joe Boardman, members of Amtrak’s board of

directors, and long-time railroad supporter Vice President Joe Biden. “[Coscia] said that this was a loan, it was not a git,” Biden says. “It should be a git! Why in this country are we so boneheaded to not understand the essential value of a rail system that’s modern throughout the whole country? Why do we argue about it? “What does not make sense?” Biden says Amtrak is also an essential part of national security. When the Northeast Corridor closed for one day ater the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he says, it cost the economy $150 million. “Ater 9/11 you’d need seven more lanes on Interstate 95 to accommodate the traic if Amtrak shut down,” Biden says. Future technology may ind more eicient ways to move people. “In the meantime you can’t make this country work without rail,” Biden says. “hat’s why this $2.45 billion is so important.” — R.G. Edmonson

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‘Ski Train’ slaloms to life as ‘Winter Park Express’ Ski resort shoulders most of the financial burden with Colorado The much-loved and talked about Ski Train is returning to Colorado slopes soon with a new name: Winter Park Express. At an Aug. 25 news conference, oicials from Amtrak, Winter Park Resort, the Colorado Rail Passenger Association, and Union Paciic say that they’ve collaborated to return the popular train with Denver & Rio Grande Western roots to weekendsonly seasonal service. Oicials say that the Winter Park ski resort will shoulder more than half of the $3.5 million in infrastructure improvements with a nearly $1.8 million investment. Other organizations contributing to the upgrades include the Colorado Department of Transportation, $1.5 million; the cities of Denver and Winter Park, $100,000 each; and Colorado Rail Passenger Association, $1,000. Beginning Jan. 7 through March 26, 2017, a Superliner-equipped, Amtrak-operated Winter Park Express will depart at 7 a.m. from Denver Union Station each weekend day for the 2-hour trip to a newly constructed, Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant platform directly below the ski slopes at the resort village. he return trip departs at 4:30 p.m., and arrival back in Denver is set for 6:40 p.m. One-way fares range from $39 to $59 with children aged 2 to 12 able to ride at half-price. Details and additional information is available at www.Amtrak.com. he train will precede the daily westbound California Zephyr out of the Mile High City and follow it back from Winter Park. — Bob Johnston

>> KNOW MORE ABOUT ... The new Winter Park Express: • The Denver & Rio Grande Western operated ski train service out of Denver between 1940 to 1988. It continued under other operators in varying forms until 2009. • The route to Winter Park includes railfan must-sees, including the Big Ten Curve and Moffat Tunnel.

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Cincinnati joins ranks of cities with streetcars 3.6-mile loop opened Sept. 9 northeast of downtown Cincinnati is now the latest U.S. city to revive its own once-thriving history of streetcars with the modern-day equivalent. City and rail oicials spent much of August applying the inal touches to the 3.6mile loop system in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood located northeast of downtown. he new streetcar service will connect uptown with downtown, serving a total of 18 stations south from a public market to near the stadium that is home of the Cincinnati Reds Major League Baseball team. he $148 million project is the result of publicprivate partnerships, including grants from the Federal Transit Administration, a transportation infrastructure grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, city funds, and private contributions. he system is equipped with ive streetcars manufactured by CAF USA at its Elmira, N.Y., plant. he low-loor streetcars are similar to the vehicles in service on the Kansas City, Mo., streetcar route that opened earlier this year. Maintenance crews will service and store the streetcar leet at a 12,000-square-foot shop located on the north end of the route. Cincinnati Metro and the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority will manage the new system, while Transdev, an operator of public transit systems, will handle operations and maintenance. he irst streetcar in the new leet is numbered 1175. When streetcar service was discontinued in the city in the early 1950s, the last car to be retired was numbered 1174. — Chase Gunnoe

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New CAF USA streetcars were testing along Cincinnati’s 3.6-mile loop in August. The line opened Sept. 9. Chase Gunnoe

>> NEWS BRIEFS

Railroad regulator changes web address The Surface Transportation Board is solidifying its independence with a change to its website address. Effective at the close of business on Sept. 9, the agency’s website address changed to www.stb.gov replacing its older, www.stb.dot.gov, address. According to the agency, the website address change is to reinforce the agency’s status as an independent federal agency. In a late August ceremony, Japan’s U.S. Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan signed a cooperative agreement that helps the country and the state with trade. It also offers money for research into whether a Baltimore-toWashington, D.C., magnetic levitation railroad would be possible. The Japanese money will help Maryland meet a 20-percent match requirement built into a November 2015 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration for the maglev study. The U.S. government provided $27.8 million for engineering and planning work. Metra has taken delivery of the last two electric Highliner passenger cars in a 160-car order from 2010. Sumitomo Corp. of America and Nippon Sharyo built the 160 cars under a $585 million contract from the commuter railroad. The new cars feature larger windows, reversible seat backs, improved lighting, non-skid floors and an improved public address system. The Highliners are used on the railroad’s former Illinois Central Electric District between downtown Chicago and the city’s southern suburbs. R.J. Corman Railroad Group LLC’s board of trustees appointed Fred Mudge as interim president and CEO of the Kentucky company in August. Mudge, who is already Corman’s board chairman, will serve in the top position until the board of trustees selects the best individual to fill the role permanently. Mudge has served with R.J. Corman for 17 years. The railroad says his experience with internal company operations and external customer relationships make him well qualified to serve as president during the transition.

www.TrainsMag.com

9

COMMENTARY

BY DON PHILLIPS

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

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motives are close to being worn out. Amtrak needs at least two daily trains on all long-distance routes, plus more and longer trains on the Northeast Corridor. he cost will be tremendous. A bit more about the man: In 1989, at age 35, Moorman took a buyout, let the railroad and enrolled in Harvard Business School. here was no guarantee he could ever return to the railroad. David Goode, then NS CEO, said, “It wasn’t a hard decision to make to have Wick come back home.” Moorman’s “native intelligence” and “just plain love” of the rail industry made the decision easy, Goode said in a 2013 interview with Progressive Railroading magazine. “Wick is the whole package,” he added. “He understands and loves the business, and he has a great way with people.” Moorman is a railfan. He admits it openly. He loves passenger trains and steam locomotives. Solely because of Moorman, Norfolk & Western 4-8-4 No. 611 was brought back to life in 2015, and it has been running around the railroad a few times each year. he fact that he loves passenger trains will serve him well at Amtrak. Moorman loves to get out on the property and talk with the troops. If Moorman has a weakness, it is that he tends to want other people on the railroad to get the credit. He is happy to sit in the background and applaud. hat won’t work at Amtrak for several reasons. First, everyone wants to talk to the top guy, especially members of Congress. Second, he will need to provide cover for oicers who are doing tough jobs and don’t have time to argue with politicians. In the meantime, I — and I assume several others — have advised Moorman who are the true Amtrak talents. My irst list was short but powerful; three top talents who were either pushed out or let in disgust over the last couple of years. One of them was on my list of who should be the new president of Amtrak before Moorman changed his mind and said he wanted the job. hat

Wick Moorman, then chairman of Norfolk Southern, turns the first nut in the restoration of N&W Class J No. 611 in a Spencer, N.C., ceremony. Moorman is Amtrak’s new president. Bob Johnston

man told me he would be happy to work with Moorman. I will be writing more about Moorman in the years ahead. If I disagree with him, I’ll say so. He will be happy to argue with me. Neither of us will take it personally. I’m looking forward to this. 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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11

NEWS&PHOTOS

1

An intermodal train halts before flames in Cajon Pass on Aug. 16. Much of the area remains closed to tourists.

Associated Press

Cajon Pass off-limits after fire US Forest Service officials ask railfans to respect wild-area recovery; Hill 582 escaped damage completely out and there were still hot spots within the ire area Enthusiasts eager to make a pilgrimage to one of Califorthat could reignite. Miller also said that when the ire is out, nia’s most iconic railroad destinations may want to think again ater the U.S. Forest Service announced that access on Cajon Pass there is still danger from mudslides and debris lows from heavy rains or sudden rain bursts. will be restricted for up to a year. For now, forest service oicers ask railfans to stay on paved he closure comes just weeks ater the Blue Cut Fire scorched roads, speciically State Route 138, Cajon Boulevard, and more than 37,000 acres of the San Bernardino National Forest. Swarthout Canyon Road. While railfans will still be able to take in he wildire — one of dozens that has burned drought-stricken the action from the blacktop, forest service road closures mean California lands this summer — halted rail traic on both Union most iconic locations on Cajon Pass will be of limits, including Paciic and BNSF Railway, even destroying a bridge on Union Sullivan’s Curve and Hill 582, which escaped damage but is surPaciic’s route. rounded by scorched earth. “he ire burned through an Miller says that while the area that is very popular with current closure is expected to railfans,” says San Bernardino last at least a year, it is possible National Forest Public Inforthat land managers could open mation Oicer John Miller. “A access up sooner. Miller says the lot of people’s favorite locations best idea is to call the local ranghave burned.” er station to learn about the curMiller tells Trains that all rent conditions or by visiting the Forest Service roads within the San Bernardino National Forest’s 37,000-acre burn area are ofwebsite at www.fs.usda.gov/ limits to the public while land main/sbnf/home. managers assess the damage, a “We’re asking railfans to process that could take up to a bear with us,” Miller says. year. Miller said in September 2 Amtrak’s Southwest Chief rerouted on Union Pacific lines into “Know before you go and call that although ireighters conahead.” — Justin Franz tained the blaze, it was not separately charred Soledad Canyon. Three photos, Elrond Lawrence 12

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

To Palmdale, Calif.

15

To Barstow, Calif.

San Bernardino National Forest 138

Hill 582 138

Summit

Blue Cut Fire

3 Union Pacific BNSF Railway

Cajon

Sullivan’s Curve 4

Swarthout Canyon Road

Photographer’s approximate location and direction

Blue Cut

1 Origin of fire

Blue Cut Fire August 2016 2

Cajon Boulevard

15

Ca jon Bo ule va

rd

Blue Cut Fire

Los Angeles compared to fire

Los Angeles

To Colton, Calif.

15

N

0

N Scale

50 miles

© 2016 Kalmbach Publishing Co., TRAINS: Rick Johnson

0

215

To San Bernardino, Calif.

Scale

5 miles

All area rights-of-way are shown © 2016 Kalmbach Publishing Co., TRAINS: Rick Johnson

3 A BNSF intermodal train heads east through a scorched Sullivan’s Curve. Much of the area was completely burned.

4 Looking into the heart of the disaster, Blue Cut. Two BNSF trains pass on the lower level while a UP train heads east above. www.TrainsMag.com

13

NEWS&PHOTOS Regional railroad loses independence Genesee & Wyoming set to fold New England’s Providence & Worcester into its portfolio Northeastern regional railroad Providence & Worcester is expected to become part of Genesee & Wyoming’s constantly expanding worldwide railroad footprint by the end of 2016. P&W serves customers over 516 routemiles in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York, and has a diverse traic base, including aggregates, intermodal containers, chemicals, automobiles, ethanol, and steel (see “Reinvention,” April 2016). It owns branches of New Haven and Boston & Maine heritage and has trackage or overhead rights on Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, Metro-North, Housatonic Railroad, and CSX Transportation. Genesee & Wyoming, which began as a short line in western New York in 1899, now owns 121 railroads around the globe, including 114 in North America. It plans to make Providence & Worcester the 18th railroad in its Northeast Region, managed from Rochester, N.Y. On Aug. 15, the two companies announced that P&W’s directors had agreed to sell their railroad to the G&W, which will pay $25 for each share of P&W stock, a total of approximately $126 million. G&W

said that it expected the acquisition to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2016, subject to approval of P&W stockholders and the Surface Transportation Board. Providence & Worcester stockholders will vote on G&W’s ofer at a special meeting. Genesee & Wyoming’s $25 per share ofered price for P&W stock was more than 50 percent higher than P&W’s closing price prior to the purchase announcement. Since then, the quoted price for P&W stock jumped and has hovered slightly below G&W’s ofered amount.

A Providence & Worcester train works through Branford, Conn., on the Northeast Corridor. Scot t A. Har tley

he announcement seemed to have taken railroad employees and industry observers by surprise. P&W oicials have long expressed pride in the company’s hard-fought court and regulatory victory in 1973 to resume independent operation of its original 44-mile railroad from Penn Central ater 85 years as a property leased and operated by larger railroads. Robert H. Eder, who was elected P&W president in 1966, led that battle, and at age 84 continues to serve as Chairman and CEO of the railroad today. P&W’s routes overlay two nearby Genesee & Wyoming properties. “he acquisition of P&W is an excellent strategic it with G&W’s contiguous railroads, the New England Central and the Connecticut Southern,” says Jack Hellmann, G&W’s president and CEO. “Our acquisition of the P&W will ultimately enhance the eiciency and customer service of rail in New England.” Genesee & Wyoming expects that P&W will generate approximately $35 million of revenue in its irst year of operation as a G&W entity, which is in line with P&W’s own 2015 revenues. — Scott A. Hartley

Money for transit at stake in November Personalities aside, residents across the country get to vote on transit proposals; here are four to watch Despite the Presidential race stealing nearly all of the headlines this election season, there are a number of rail-related issues that will appear on ballots across the country this November. Here’s a rundown of some of the biggest. WHERE: SEATTLE WHAT: Vote on whether to approve a plan to expand light rail service around Seattle INVESTMENT: $53.8 billion SUMMARY: he Sound Transit hree ballot

measure was forwarded to voters by the agency’s board in June. he plan would build a total of 62 miles of light rail serving new stations, with extensions to Everett and Redmond. It would also help open extensions to Ballard, West Seattle, and Tacoma three years ahead of schedule, along with other bus projects in the city. Oicials believe that if passed, the ballot measure would quintuple the agency’s daily ridership to nearly 695,000 riders by 2040. 14

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

WHERE: SAN FRANCISCO WHAT: Bond to repair BART’s aging

infrastructure and vehicles INVESTMENT: $3.5 billion SUMMARY: he Bay Area Rapid Transit

system is now 44 years old and much of the infrastructure and equipment is reaching the end of its useful life, BART oicials say. Among the projects the bond would address is the replacement of 90 miles of track, repairs to leaking tunnels, and failing power transmission equipment. WHERE: LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIF. WHAT: Expand rail network throughout

Los Angeles County and surrounding area INVESTMENT: $860 million annually SUMMARY: LA transit oicials hope voters

approve a half-cent sales tax increase that would generate $860 million annually to improve roads and public transit service

throughout the area. Among the improvements would be the construction of additional north-to-south rail links. he rail system now mostly runs east to west. WHERE: WAKE COUNTY, N.C. WHAT: Raise sales tax to pay for new

commuter rail service INVESTMENT: $2.3 billion SUMMARY: More than 23,000 people

move to the Raleigh, N.C., area every year. Transportation oicials say the region needs to plan now for continued growth. In June, the Wake County Board of Commissioners decided on a ballot initiative that would raise the local sales tax by a half-cent to cover a $2.3 billion transit plan that would include a commuter rail line. he proposed line would run on 37 miles of existing trackage and serve Durham, Raleigh, and Garner, making ive to eight trips each way, in the morning and at night. — Justin Franz

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>> NEWS BRIEFS

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NS introduces third ‘mane’ paint scheme On Sept. 1, Norfolk Southern released the latest version of its prototype “mane” paint schemes: a horse’s mane with a Tuscan Red stripe behind the cab. According to the railroad, the scheme is known as the Roanoke prototype. The locomotive wearing the new colors is NS AC44C6M No. 4002. GE built the locomotive as standard cab Dash 9-40C No. 8789. NS’s East End Shop in Roanoke, Va., rebuilt the locomotive, and workers in NS’s Juniata Shops in Altoona repainted the engine. Nor folk Southern

Union Pacific says its recently rebuilt and recommissioned steam locomotive, 4-8-4 No. 844, will travel east from its home base in Cheyenne, Wyo., to Memphis, Tenn., in October. “We are excited for the upcoming journey from Cheyenne to Memphis with the UP 844, as well as the UP 1982 Missouri Pacific heritage diesel locomotive,” says Ed Dickens, UP’s senior manager of heritage operations in a statement to TRAINS. “The Steam Team is hard at work planning the trip, focusing on top safety and operational considerations. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.” TRAINS obtained a letter Progress Rail sent to customers in August announcing that it would stop using the Electro-Motive name in its corporate structure. EMD and Electro-Motive will still appear on locomotive and engines as branding, the letter says. The name swap is part of a rebranding effort by the company. The letter also highlights the changes: •Electro-Motive Diesel Inc. will become Progress Rail Locomotive Inc. •Electro-Motive Canada Co. will become Progress Rail Locomotive Canada Co. •Electro-Motive Diesel International Corp. will become Progress Rail Locomotive International Corp.

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15

COMMENTARY

BY FRED W. FRAILEY

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

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convinced I threw it away in Hershey with the trash. So back we go to the grocery. I climb into the dumpster. It’s not there, or at least I cannot ind it. All 287 miles back to Omaha the next day I sit in the back seat while David Lustig tells nonstop funny stories to Keefe, who is driving. But I’m in a total funk. he end of the tale is this: I confess my boo-boo to Bromley, who rewards me with a 2-inch-thick recitation of every passing time of every train at every control point during the hours of our trip. From that and slides I took of every train we met, I reconstruct events of that day. And I re-interview O’Connor and Tamisiea. Ultimately, the story gets written. Now fast-forward to spring 2003. I’m writing a proile of Kansas City Southern and ask to see the line between Shreveport, La., and Meridian, Miss., now called the Meridian Speedway. Editor Mark W. Hemphill and I ly to Meridian and are met by Jerry Heavin, senior vice president-operations. A KCS business car is attached to the end of hotshot I-ATDA (Atlanta-Dallas) and of we go. Ater dinner that evening, served by two attendants, Jerry asks if we’d like to join him on the rear platform, and we wind through Vicksburg, Miss., and over the Mississippi River. he view is spectacular in early evening. Soon a light rain begins to fall. Time to go inside, we agree. But we cannot, because the door leading to the car’s interior is locked — from the inside. We bang and bang on the door, to no avail, because the attendants have gone to bed at the other end of the car. Jerry gets onto his stomach and tries to reach and turn the angle cock, which would apply brakes to the train. he valve is tantalizingly out of reach. When might we stop next, I ask Jerry. Shreveport, he replies, in about 4 hours. It’s raining harder now, and we’re all chilled. Our only hope is that we’ll meet a train and transmit our SOS by voice. Ater what seems an eternity, but was probably only an

The Hershey, Neb., water tower (left) stands not far from the dumpster columnist Fred W. Frailey dove into looking for a notebook chock-full of data for a TRAINS feature story. Two photos, Fred W. Frailey

hour, our wish is granted. We see the relection of a headlight, from a train in a siding. At the sight of the conductor standing beside the locomotive, we scream in unison several times, “Stop this train!” A minute later, the brakes take hold. Once stopped, I walk forward along the tracks and begin throwing ballast at the compartment occupied by the attendants. Pretty soon a light comes on, the shades come up, and they understand our predicament. Some time or other, poor Jerry Heavin had to explain away the pane of glass I cobwebbed. I wonder what he said? 2

Fred W. Frailey is author of “Twilight of the Great Trains.” Reach him at [email protected].

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LOCOMOTIVE

Getting all gassed up Railroads are quietly testing natural gas as a fuel while they enjoy cheap diesel prices Is liquefied natural gas still the fuel of the future? Everybody thought it was until the price of diesel fuel dropped, decreasing interest in this alternative. While prices skyrocketed to almost $5 a gallon in 2008, prices have been declining since then, with a substantial decrease over the past two years. From November 2014 to August 2016 the cost of on-road diesel fuel has dropped approximately 44 percent, with some railroads seeing average fuel prices below $2 per gallon in 2015 (Union Paciic says its average fuel price was $1.84 per gallon in 2015). A lack of safety and technical standards have also limited progress, especially on the tender front. Several railroads use 10,000-gallon containers until larger tenders capable of holding approximately 30,000 gallons are ready, but these tenders need Association of American Railroads’ approval for interchange before that can happen. To date, Chart Industries, which modiied existing natural gas tenders built decades ago, still holds onto a single 30,000-gallon tender it built on spec. Several railroads such as UP and BNSF Railway have legacy 30,000-gallon tenders from previous testing programs; Chart upgraded these, but no new tenders have been purchased while the industry waits for regulatory approval of the tender designs. 18

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

Florida East Coast ES44C4 No. 800 tests with a tender and General Electric NextFuel demonstrator No. 3000 near St. Augustine, Fla., on June 21, 2016. Meanwhile, Union Pacific mated two SD70ACes to tender No. 101 at Electro-Motive Diesel’s plant in La Grange, Ill., in 2015. Top, Eric Hendrickson; Sean Graham -White

One railroad that has been aggressively pursuing natural gas is Florida East Coast. Over the past two years, all 24 ES44C4s the railroad had on order have been delivered, arriving with provisions for GE’s NextFuel natural gas system. Recently, FEC has been returning its new units to GE’s Lawrence Park, Pa., shops to have the natural gas kits installed. he railroad operated its irst natural gas test equipment in December 2015 with a single FEC ES44C4, No. 800, a FEC fuel tender, and GE’s NextFuel demonstrator, ES44AC No. 3000. Testing expanded to trains operating from Jacksonville, Fla., to New Smyrna Beach, Fla., early in 2016 with the range extended to the entire main line

from Jacksonville to Miami in June. Refueling tenders takes place at Fortress Investment Group’s Hialeah facility, which is adjacent to FEC’s own Hialeah Yard in Miami. A new facility is proposed for Port Canaveral, Fla., and both facilities are owned by Fortress, FEC’s parent company. Indiana Harbor Belt is poised to have the second largest roster of natural gas locomotives when its conversion of 21 SW1500s is completed over the next several years. he Chicago-area switching railroad awarded the conversion job to R.J. Corman Railpower. Corman will remove each unit’s prime mover and replace it with two C18-OF dual fuel engines and

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install 11 lightweight compressed natural gas fuel cylinders. he fuel capacity will give each locomotive a minimum six-day operating range in dual fuel mode. Indiana Harbor Belt expects the irst two converted locomotives, Nos. 1502 and 1506, to be delivered by November. IHB plans to eventually convert its entire roster to dual-fuel compressed natural gas locomotives. BNSF Railway, an early adopter of the new technology, continues mainline testing with liqueied natural gas. Its EMD test set is in coal service between the Powder River Basin and the Midwest, using a single 30,000-gallon tender and two SD70ACes. UP continues to make progress on a lowpressure liqueied natural gas test set. SD70ACes Nos. 8777 and 8778 were mated with tender No. 101 at EMD’s La Grange plant in 2015. Also there at the same time was EMDX test SD70ACe No 1202, which has a high-pressure, direct-injected gas system installed. his technology has been around for years, but the focus has been on the low-pressure systems. High-pressure systems use a high percentage natural gas, up to 95 percent, but if it fails, the unit can only limp back home on diesel. Low-pressure systems, like UP’s, use approximately 60-80 percent natural gas and automatically convert to 100 percent diesel if the natural gas system fails or the gas supply runs out.

Norfolk Southern continues work on its compressed natural gas set using a modiied GP38-2, No. 5053, and tender, GP38AC No. 2847. Work was completed on the set late last year and the locomotive spent part of 2016 at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, for emissions testing. Canadian National and Canadian Pacific have made little testing progress. Ater returning the UP tender borrowed for the initial CN trials (which consisted of a pair of SD40-2s equipped with Energy Conversions Inc. conversion kits, the same technology deployed in Burlington Northern trials in the 1990s), CN’s second round of trials used a series of 10,000-gallon tenders built by Westport and a pair of SD70M-2s, but the program has been quiet. While CN’s testing was rather straightforward, Canadian Paciic’s approach was unique among modern railroads. In association with BrightRail Energy Inc., CP converted an intermodal container well car with an engine and generator powered by a compressed natural gas fuel supply. he generator creates power onboard the well car and supplies it to the SD40-2s mated to it. he power from the well car and SD40-2 are blended on the locomotive and sent to the traction motors. Outside of limited testing near the St. Paul, Minn., yard, the project appears dormant.

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19

TECHNOLOGY

BY HAYLEY ENOCH

Signaling stability CSX is testing fuel cells as backup power sources to replace generators for wayside equipment Bungalow

Temperatures stay below 250 degrees Fahrenheit

Proton exchange membrane

The unit runs or cycles every two to four weeks to stay ready Gaseous hydrogen supply

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells are one of two types CSX Transportation tests in yards and on main lines on its network. Two photos, CSX

Crews that repair damaged railroad infrastructure traditionally resort to gasoline or diesel generators to keep signals lit and powered switches working during outages. Emerging high tech and environmentally friendly options are beginning to provide alternatives that give wayside equipment access to temporary backup electricity when its power grid connections are cut. One alternative now on U.S. rightsof-way are fuel cells. CSX Transportation has installed approximately 200 fuel cells across its network in the eastern United States, including at its massive intermodal yard 20

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

in North Baltimore, Ohio, to back up signals, communication equipment, defect detectors, and fence monitors. he railroad says installing these fuel cells as backup power is less complicated than deploying trucks and generators to an area afected by a natural disaster. he company says fuel cells last longer, are more reliable, and are more eicient than traditional generators. “We are continuing to monitor the performance and results from these existing systems and anticipate deploying more systems in the future,” CSX representative Melanie Cost says.

HOW DO THEY WORK? Fuel cells used on CSX do not run down as batteries do, because they are illed with either hydrogen or a liqueied petroleum gas, such as propane. Hydrogen-using proton exchange membrane-type fuel cells generate electricity by taking the energy released from making water out of stored gaseous hydrogen and oxygen from surrounding air. hey require deliveries from hydrogen suppliers and need to operate briely every two to four weeks, a CSX researcher says in a 2014 presentation. Solid oxide fuel cells, meanwhile, use propane that is commercially available at gas

stations and hardware stores (or trackside switch heaters) and can remain ready indeinitely. hese fuel cells yield electricity, carbon dioxide, and water. he railroad estimates that both fuel cell types have a 15-to-20-year service life. One big diference is the operating temperature. Hydrogen fuel cells stay warm at less than 250 degrees Fahrenheit, but their propane cousins function between 900 and 1,800 degrees. BNSF Railway worked on an experimental fuel cell-powered locomotive in the 2000s, but it is unclear which other railroads also test them in wayside use.

Security tests are more than hot air Federal, New York officials partner to check the potential for gas attacks in the subway system Gas test results from the New York City subway system will take months to decipher. Yes, gas tests. And, no, they have nothing to do with random subway smells. Tests in May revolved around the design of the subway system. Subway cars operate in tunnels within relatively tight spaces, so when a train moves, the air gets pushed around as well. he system was designed more than a hundred years ago to provide a way to ventilate the subterranean tubes with above ground shats giving the air somewhere to go. Federal scientists say they tested the subway with a nontoxic gas to carry an atomized mixture that may have been picked up in as many as 12,000 air samples. Analyzing these samples will help researchers ind out how air moves in the

system. he mixture included mostly maltodextrin sugar or silica particles tagged with small amounts of synthetic DNA and brightening agents that helped researchers see the particles as they wated by. Donald Bansleben, the program manager of the Chemical and Biological Defense Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, says the May test was only that. “he results of this study will provide us with a greater understanding of airlow characteristics, informing the research and development of next-generation systems that continue to ensure the safety and security of the general public,” Bansleben says. hese tests perform a critical measurement of what could happen in the event of a gas attack on millions of daily sub-

New York City Transit’s Grand Central-Times Square shuttle at 42nd Street Station, featuring R-62 equipment and an original part of the subway system, was included in May gas tests. Joseph M. Calisi

way riders and how to respond if one happens. he Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s test in 55 New York subway stations earlier this year included Grand Central, Times

Square, and Penn Station. he tests are the latest in a series that began in 1966. Back then, military scientists released genuine bacteria cultures, exposing an estimated 1 million people. — Joseph M. Calisi

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21

PASSENGER

BY BOB JOHNSTON

Redefining ‘on time’ Schedules need adjustment after Surface Transportation Board ruling

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

Adding recovery time, or padding, at major intermediate stations on a passenger train’s route — and especially at the end of the run — has always been a way to improve schedule reliability when unpredictable operating conditions might lead to delays. Now the Surface Transportation Board has ruled that trains will be considered on time only if actual departures are no later than 15 minutes beyond the scheduled time at each station. he STB’s reasoning is simple: with statutes in place guaranteeing that passenger trains have priority, and schedules developed jointly between Amtrak and the railroads to account for contingencies, everyone boarding at any station has what it calls an “expectation of punctuality,” regardless of where a train originates. It cites extensive public arguments in favor

of the “all-station 15-minute” rule as the deciding factor for the change. his overturns an initial STB suggestion, which would have set diferent standards based on how far a train travels. For Chicago-bound passengers at Galesburg, Ill., that would have meant a half-hour late Southwest Chief from Los Angeles is “on time,” while the Carl Sandburg, originating at Quincy, Ill., would be considered late if it is behind schedule by a similar amount. he agency jumped into a void let by a court decision that said Amtrak did not have the right to set on-time performance metrics in conjunction with the Federal Railroad Administration. Nevertheless, the board had to rule whether a host railroad was ignoring passenger-train preference by intentionally making trains late more than 80 percent of the time for two

‘Empire Builder’ July mid-route timekeeping Number of days during the month that westbound train No. 7 was more than 15 minutes late: 2016 2015 Departing Chicago 3 8 Departing St. Paul 5 22 Departing Minot, N.D. 2 28 Departing Havre, Mont. 31 31 Departing Whitefish, Mont. 9 31 Departing Spokane, Wash. 6 26 Arriving Seattle 7 20

2014* 13 24 24 31 30 25 25

*Schedule lengthened by an hour and a half during 2014. Trains not operating at a given station are shown as “late” Source: TRAINS research

22

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

consecutive quarters. Amtrak had petitioned the STB for damages from Canadian National, having documented such instances with the railroad’s handling of two Chicago-Carbondale, Ill., round trips. hat case is still pending. Other than inconvenience to passengers, whether trains are late becomes an issue only if relations between Amtrak and its hosts become so strained that the STB is asked to step in. Signiicantly, that never happened in the last three years when BNSF Railway’s handling of the ChicagoSeattle/Portland, Ore., Empire Builder cost Amtrak millions in lost revenue and plummeting patronage as a result of tardiness averaging 4 to 6 hours on every trip. Mutually agreed-upon schedules take into account track capacity and conditions, anticipated freight or passenger train interference, fueling requirements, and the need for longer dwell times at certain stations. his is necessary to establish a basis for determining if a railroad is entitled to incentive payments for keeping a train on time or subtractions when delays occur. An internal BNSF document from 2012 shows 74 minutes of westbound Empire Builder “recovery base” spread in four batches between St. Paul and Seattle (Canadian Paciic handles the train out of Chicago). Demarcations occur at Minot, N.D.; Shelby, Mont.; and Spokane, Wash. — stops where crews also change.

As the table on page 22 suggests, more than an hour of recovery time did little to mitigate the efects of bulging oil-patch traic jamming BNSF’s Hi Line while slow orders tied to track construction thoroughly congealed the railroad. With some work continuing in 2016, every westbound Builder was over 15 minutes late leaving Havre, Mont. However, the table does not show that the train arrived into Minot, N.D., more than a half-hour early on 22 occasions, a tribute to reconstruction and re-signaling of the Devils Lake Subdivision. Restringing schedules to redistribute recovery time for each Amtrak train to everyone’s satisfaction is a monumental task. But it is not necessarily an adversarial one, especially with a knowledgeable railroader like Wick Moorman now running the passenger show. “If I were approaching it [from Amtrak’s perspective],” BNSF Railway Executive Chairman Matt Rose tells Trains on an inspection trip across Kansas with Amtrak President Joe Boardman in August, “I would try to igure out who I had the best relationship with, try to establish a precedent, then try to make that a blueprint for the industry. But I really don’t know.” Rose contends that BNSF’s investments in capacity have given trains recoverability

Algoma restart in trouble Sault Ste. Marie-Hearst, Ont., service won’t get grant Track work east of Minot at Churchs Ferry, N.D., caused Builder delays in 2013, but improved reliability today.

in spite of maintenance windows and service interruptions on his “three-speed railroad: Amtrak, intermodal oferings, and everything else.” Regarding the value of incentives, Rose says, “he diference between a bad year and a really good year on time is tens of millions of dollars, so we igure we might as well set up our operations to run Amtrak on time.” he thorniest problems in devising schedules that accurately reward good handling involve what happens when one host hands of an Amtrak train late to another railroad, thereby creating an “out of slot” situation that penalizes the second carrier. hose issues and others will have to be dealt with.

Canadian passenger trains serving routes inaccessible by road have survived through government grants to VIA Rail Canada’s budget. An exception, until a $2 million (U.S.) annual subsidy ended ater 2014, was triweekly service to settlements and backwoods cabins between Sault Ste. Marie and Hearst, Ont. hat money went to Canadian National, which operated summer-only service out of Sault Ste. Marie that began with predecessor Algoma Central. Now the Trudeau administration says it will not provide a $4.2 million grant over three years, promised by the Harper government before the 2015 election, since “none of the communities are considered to have a signiicant population of year-round residents,” Transport Canada spokesman Daniel Savoie tells Trains. He said the government views only Franz and Oba, Ont., as “settlements,” and they have VIA service. But that doesn’t account for needs of other people who reside where roads don’t go.

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23

TRANSCON Boon or boondoggle for the rail industry?

by Bill Stephens

MERGERS

Union Pacific proudly places its merger history on display. Here, three of its locomotives honoring fallen flags power an eastbound train at La Fox, Ill., on Sept. 26, 2007. Howard Ande

Trains gather at St. Albans, W.Va., in March 1989. The Chessie merger enabled the railroad to eliminate redundant facilities.

ou’re a railroad CEO. Your headquarters may be in Calgary, Fort Worth, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Montreal, Norfolk, or Omaha. Regardless, the view from your desk is the same: Your railroad, no matter how vast or where it’s based, cannot haul every shipment from Point A to Point B. he railroad map makes sure of that. You’ve got to hand of traic in Chicago, or somewhere along the Mississippi River, or at gateways along the U.S. borders with Canada or Mexico. Truckers, of course, can hitch up a load and go wherever they please. Yet the North American railroad network has been frozen in time since 1999, when CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern carved up Conrail and closed out the go-go megamerger days of the 1990s. Since then there’s been a Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern transaction here and a Wisconsin Central or Elgin, Joliet & Eastern deal there. But those are mere doodles on the map. he big systems remain unchanged — and duopolies are the rule. BNSF Railway and Union Paciic dominate the West. CSX and NS control the East. Canadian National and Canadian Paciic compete in Canada, with incursions into the U.S. And Kansas City Southern is still the odd man out, neither a major system nor a regional railroad. So, as the CEO, you look out your window. And you wonder: How can I extend the reach of my railroad? here are obstacles everywhere you look. 26

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

he regulatory process is fraught with risk. he Surface Transportation Board’s merger review rules, which were strengthened in 2001, are daunting. hey’re also untested. Plus, the U.S. Department of Justice oten takes a dim view of mergers. Shippers remember the service problems that accompanied previous mergers: he UP meltdown ater acquiring Southern Paciic, the chaos ater Conrail. hey don’t want to go through that again. hey also don’t want additional consolidation in an industry dominated by just six major players. Politicians are sensitive to job losses, which inevitably accompany mergers. So they raise objections. Ditto for rail labor unions, who understandably have never seen a rail merger that they liked. And trackside communities want major — and expensive — concessions, from noise abatement to replacing grade crossings with overpasses. When CN acquired the EJ&E, the cost of mitigation projects amounted to nearly half the price of the transaction. Just imagine the tab for a megamerger. In this environment, how can a rail merger move forward? How can you combine two great systems for the irst time in nearly a generation? And do you need to?

THE CASE FOR MERGER Railroads have always touted mergers because they promise greater eiciency and reduce costs by eliminating duplicate routes, facilities, and functions.

J. Erik Landrum

Mergers allow railroads to expand singleline service, which cuts transit time and improves consistency. Bigger networks also increase railroads’ market reach and can help them capture business from trucks. Combine these beneits, and it means railroads can earn more, make capacity improvements that further improve service, and then gain additional traic. his cycle is what drives railroads’ urge to merge. “It’s a network business, and the larger the network the more valuable you are to customers,” Rob Krebs, the retired CEO of BNSF, tells Trains. Building a transcontinental system makes sense for railroads, their shareholders, and employees, Krebs says. “Customers, too,” he adds. “Costs will go down, they’ll get better service, and rates won’t go up as much.” he BNSF merger, he points out, was achieved with relatively little disruption, and the service, safety, and inancial improvements all exceeded projections. Canadian Paciic CEO E. Hunter Harrison — who came away empty-handed in pursuit of NS and CSX over the past

“IT’S A NETWORK BUSINESS, AND THE LARGER THE NETWORK THE MORE VALUABLE YOU ARE TO CUSTOMERS.” ROB KREBS, RETIRED BNSF RAILWAY CEO

Norfolk Southern train No. 227 heads north near Culpeper, Va., on the railroad’s Crescent Corridor in April 2007. The corridor would not have been possible without the 1999 acquisition of parts of Conrail, which extended NS’s haul into southeastern Pennsylvania. Alex Mayes

two years — is the industry’s most vocal merger proponent. He insists that railroads need to provide seamless service from coast to coast in order to gain market share. “he real competition is the highway, and we are going to be able to extract our share of the highway,” Harrison told an investor conference in May. he Holy Grail of railroading — uniting an Eastern and Western U.S. railroad — remains an elusive goal. But it would be a game-changer. And never mind which railroads pair up. How you combine the systems — BNSF with NS, UP with CSX, or vice versa — doesn’t matter because they all it together well. “You’d have two strong transcontinental systems, just as much competition, and better service,” Krebs says. Merger advocates say transcontinental systems are essential if railroads are to grow. “Some of the strength that the rail industry has developed over the last 10 to 12 years is fading a little bit,” Harrison said in an interview with Trains. Indeed, traic has yet to return to the peak levels of 2006. So where do you go if you’re that railroad CEO?

DEVELOPING NEW MARKETS “It appears that the industry is in zerogrowth mode at best. So at some point new markets must be created,” says Jim McClellan, a retired NS executive who was involved in the creation of Conrail, the merger of Norfolk & Western and Southern Railway, as well as the Conrail breakup. he industry’s last major merger — the Conrail split — created eicient routes that neither NS nor Conrail could have cobbled together independently. he prime example is the Crescent Corridor, which features 30 new intermodal lanes linking the Southeast and Northeast, supported by new terminals in Birmingham, Ala.; Memphis, Tenn.;

Three GP38s lead a northbound Burlington Northern freight in Atmore, Ala., in March 1984. The Frisco’s 1980 merger with BN extended its reach in the Southeast. Rick Morgan

Charlotte, N.C.; and Greencastle, Pa. “In my time, the railroad ‘black hole’ was north-south,” McClellan says. “For the NS, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, and New England might as well have been the moon.” Conrail ignored the short haul between the NS interchange at Hagerstown, Md., and Northeastern terminals. Single-line service changed that. Crescent Corridor traic has grown faster than the rest of NS’s intermodal network. Last year, when NS’s domestic intermodal volume was down 3 percent, the Crescent Corridor grew 4 percent. A transcontinental merger would do the same thing for the country’s midsection. “he trans-Mississippi market is a similar opportunity — not just for new traic but to create new, more eicient routes,” McClellan says. Intermodal traic would particularly

Mergers, including the 1972 creation of Chessie System, led to the reduction of surplus real estate. Thomas Della Por ta www.TrainsMag.com

27

INTERMODAL’S “DONUT HOLE” Length of haul in miles 0-500 501-750 751-1,000 1,001-1,500 1,501-2,000 2,001-2,500 2,500+

and the incentive problem goes away,” Gross says. Filling the donut hole would mean more than a million additional loads annually. “It’s a pretty big number,” Gross says of his back-of-the-envelope math. Matt Rose, the executive chairman of BNSF, tells Trains that this so-called watershed traic is an opportunity today’s railroads can’t tap. Suppose, Rose says, that there’s a load of Amazon shipments that wants to move from the mid-Ohio Valley to Minneapolis. “It can easily be done with single-line service,” Rose says. “It will never be done with interline service through Chicago.”

“People have recognized that we have some problems in Chicago with infrastructure,” Harrison says. “I don’t think that’s going away.” He hasn’t heard anyone come up with a way to ix Chicago absent a merger. CP’s contention that its takeover of NS would ease congestion and create capacity in Chicago had operating oicials from other railroads baffled. he traic lows were too small to bring meaningful change. But it’s an entirely diferent story if Eastern and Western railroads combined. “A transcontinental merger would go a long way toward ixing Chicago,” Krebs says, citing the huge traic lows. Other gateways also would improve. Or they might vanish as their role as middlemen goes away. In 1970, Krebs was terminal superintendent for the Cotton Belt in East St. Louis, Ill., which was parent Southern Pacific’s primary Eastern gateway. “It was a nightmare,” Krebs recalls of 20-hour shits, a phone glued in each ear, battling connecting railroads, and trying to get traic through Valley Junction Yard. Two decades later, Krebs found himself in East St. Louis and decided to visit Valley Junction.“I was devastated,” he says. “It was a ghost yard.” Mergers had rendered it obsolete. “Once you become merged, you ind ways to build run-through trains, move equipment faster, bypass crowded yards,” Krebs says. Still, there’s more to the thorny Chicago problem than the Class I railroads. Metra commuter trains conlict with freight traic, particularly on the west side. And that’s something no merger will ix. “Certainly Chicago is going to have to be addressed over the long term,” Rose says.

A FIX FOR CHICAGO?

RAILROAD OPPOSITION

A quarter of North American rail traic crawls through Chicago, where all six of the big systems converge. Railroads have increased cooperation and coordination in the Windy City over the past decade. hey’ve also ixed a few chronic bottlenecks. Yet when traic surges, bad weather hits — or worse, a combination of both, as seen in winter 2013-14 — then Chicago grinds to a halt. Delays ripple throughout the rail network.

Despite the potential beneits of a major merger, the oicial industry consensus can

A Canadian National crew swaps trains at Wallace Yard in Freeport, Ill., on Feb. 15, 2014. Railroads already realize greater operating efficiencies by running through the Chicago gateway without changing motive power. Steve Smedley

beneit. “It’s one of the few places where a transcontinental merger would be useful,” says Larry Gross, a senior consultant at FTR, a transportation research irm. When you look at domestic intermodal traic by length of haul, some igures pop out. About a quarter of this traic falls in the 750- to 1,000-mile range. And about a third is in the 2,000- to 2,500-mile range. he space in between — the 1,000- to 2,000-mile hauls Gross dubs “the donut hole” — is where the opportunity lies. Only 14 percent of domestic intermodal moves fall into this category. It’s no coincidence that the dominant lengths of haul match the current railroad map. he shorter hauls are in the East, longer hauls in the West and Canada. Hauls of 1,000 to 2,000 miles — a distance that favors rail — are only half of what they should be because of railroads’ gateway and interchange problem, Gross contends. Handing of traic in Chicago adds complexity. And consider traic that could move from Minneapolis to Atlanta. At roughly 400 miles, Minneapolis to Chicago is simply too short to attract the attention of BNSF or CP. “If you had a transcontinental system, then the interchange problem goes away 28

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

Domestic intermodal share, Q1 2016 6% 14% 26% 9% 5% 31% 10%

“IT APPEARS THAT THE INDUSTRY IS IN ZERO-GROWTH MODE AT BEST. SO AT SOME POINT NEW MARKETS MUST BE CREATED.” JIM MCCLELLAN, RETIRED NS EXECUTIVE

THE MERGER THAT WASN’T: BNSF AND CN IN 2000

In Omaha, Union Pacific CEO Richard Davidson assembled his inner circle. He got an earful. UP would be put at a distinct competitive disadvantage with its historic competitor BNSF if the other railroad hooked up with Canadian National, locking up the stronger of the two Canadian companies. But nobody knew how to stop the juggernaut. “Well, it sounds like stopping this thing is impossible,” Davidson said. “So how are we going to do it?” Michael Hemmer, then UP’s outside merger lawyer and eventual vice president of law, later called Davidson’s challenge to the troops his boss’s finest hour. It was Hemmer, musing one afternoon in his office with an underling, who had the simple inspiration that would soon blow up the merger: If BNSF+CN is all but certain to pass muster under current law, then change the law! With that, the battle was truly joined. UP gathered other Class I railroads in a jointly orchestrated (and legal) plan to incite opposition among shippers and demand new rules. UP’s Washington, D.C., office joined those of other railroads to descend like locusts upon office holders and government agencies. So successful was this effort that

Krebs sought for weeks to get the ear of U.S. Rep. Bud Shuster, a Republican from Pennsylvania and chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. When Krebs finally collared Shuster, he says he got ignored. The campaign was brilliantly executed. The STB held a hearing on the idea in March 2000. U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, asked for a pause to develop a comprehensive approach to review merger proposals. The opposing Class I railroads argued for a five-year moratorium. Ten days later, opponents got their wish. The STB imposed a 15-month halt to any merger proceeding while it developed new criteria for approving them. If it appeared the whole thing was orchestrated by STB Chairman Linda Morgan at the behest of Union Pacific and its allies, well, maybe it was. The Surface Transportation Board is as politicized as any other agency of government and funded by Congress, a clear plurality of whose members were unfriendly to the merger. And the bitter pill Krebs had to swallow was that his biggest customer, United Parcel Service, whose every whim BNSF bent over backward to satisfy, announced its opposition as well. BNSF and CN sued in federal court to upend the moratorium but were rebuffed. On July 20, 2000, without ever having the chance to file merger documents with the STB, they called off the merger. Subsequently, the STB adopted new rules that significantly raised the bar to mergers of Class I railroads. A decade and a half later, when Canadian Pacific pursued NS in an unfriendly attempt at merger, some of the same tactics were employed to ensure it never happened. No, the law wasn’t changed, because it is now plenty tough. What was the same as before was the organized carpet-bombing of CP’s bid to marry Norfolk Southern. Other railroads lobbied shippers and government to say publicly that it was a bad idea. Canadian Pacific, which had a minimal presence in the U.S. capital, was caught totally off guard. Frustrated and friendless, it gave up. — Fred W. Frailey

Harrison cries foul over this opposition, noting that the four U.S. systems previously touted mergers and credited them for their success. “I thought that was unfair on their part. hey get their merger done, it’s a beautiful thing,” Harrison says. hen others want to merge “and they come out vehemently opposed.” CN remained relatively quiet as CP-NS unfolded, and a company spokesman declined to comment on mergers. But its marketing chief, Jean-Jacques Ruest, was asked about the railway’s position at a conference in May. On paper — and in a vacuum — railroad mergers may make sense, Ruest says. But that view changes once you

factor in the other parts of the equation: fewer railroads, the efects on competition, and whether a merger would be good for the economy. With the rail network running well, and railroads inancially strong, Ruest says it’s tough to make a compelling case for consolidation. BNSF takes a similar stance. Rose says mergers would improve service and cut transit times, but he hasn’t heard shippers say they see reasons for the industry to become just two go-everywhere systems. Eventually, Rose says, the marketplace may demand faster, more consistent delivery than today’s railroads can provide without single-line service. But not now.

BNSF and Norfolk Southern locomotives lead a Pasco, Wash.-to-Galesburg, Ill., freight over Montana Rail Link near Noxon, Mont., on Feb. 8, 2014. TR A I NS : Tom Danneman

The proposed merger of Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Canadian National railroads, unveiled in December 1999, was not the one that BNSF chief Robert Krebs wanted. Rather, it was the one he thought he could get. Earlier in 1999, Krebs had flown to Norfolk, Va., to beseech David Goode, his counterpart at Norfolk Southern, to partner with BNSF to form a truly national network, touching almost every part of the U.S. Goode, focused on combining NS with big parts of the former Conrail, was preoccupied and uninterested. But Paul Tellier, chairman of Canadian National, was anxious to break out of Canada and into the larger U.S. market. Initial reaction was, at best, tepid. Shippers had no tolerance for another big merger, believing they led to months of chaos. Investors fled, as rail share prices fell, on average, by 25 percent in a few months. The late Robert L. Banks, a pioneering railroad consultant, was prophetic: “It’s going to be rough sailing. There’ll be opponents coming from many different quarters, here and in Canada.” Yet the BNSF+CN deal, an end-to-end marriage, seemed to satisfy existing legal requirements.

be summed up like this: No way, no how, and certainly not now. Listen to what chief executives said while CP’s battle for NS was under way. Lance Fritz, UP: “We don’t want Class I railroad mergers to happen. We’ll do everything in our power to make them not happen.” Michael Ward, CSX: “I really think the Class I railroads have great opportunities to create shareholder value without mergers. I think mergers could actually be destructive of shareholder value.” Jim Squires, NS: “Even if the merger were approved, the STB would likely require a wide range of signiicant, onerous conditions that would undercut the value of the transaction.”

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CN spent $114 million on mitigation projects, like these sound walls at Matteson, Ill., for its 2009 acquisition of EJ&E.

Whatever railroads may say publicly, internally they do their merger homework. “All of us do economic studies of potential mergers,” former NS CEO Wick Moorman said in a June 2016 interview. “Everyone looks at this on a regular basis.” heir analyses show that mergers aren’t what they used to be. Ward says the mergers of the 1980s and 1990s eliminated duplicate routes and facilities. “Today, mergers would be end-to-end, but there just aren’t many synergies to be had,” he told Trains earlier this year. “What you perceive of as traditional synergies ... are there, but not as compelling as what they used to be when you got rid of shops and duplicate trackage,” Moorman says. “You wouldn’t run a transcontinental railroad with one locomotive backshop, for example.” Indeed, CP found only $495 million in direct NS merger synergies, plus $200 million in tax reductions from being based in Canada. he rest of the $1.8 billion in value creation came from pre-merger improvements made with Harrison running NS. Mergers also present a pitfall: Early on, the big ones tend to go wrong. “A well-executed large railroad merger is an oxymoron,” Moorman says. “Every rail merger of 30

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

signiicant size, and a couple that weren’t, have been extremely disruptive for a period of time. Is it impossible to execute one? Of course not. But it’s very diicult.” Far and away the two biggest obstacles to mergers, most executives say, are the regulatory risks and shipper opposition.

REGULATORY HURDLES he service problems that followed the mergers of the 1990s — plus the ill-timed BNSF-CN merger proposal of 1999 — prompted the STB to revisit its merger review rules. he tougher rules place the burden of proof on merging railroads. hey must show the merger is in the public interest and enhances competition. he railroads also have to consider whether the merger would spark the inal round of consolidation. he board has wide latitude to impose conditions on a merger — such as various forms of open access — as well as mitigation for afected communities. Not a single major merger application has been iled since the rules were introduced. And any application would be dead on arrival, says independent rail analyst Anthony B. Hatch.

TR A I NS : Brian Schmidt

Are the regulatory obstacles insurmountable? “My opinion is, today, yes,” Moorman says. “he conditions regulators would impose would, in all likelihood, destroy the fundamental economics.” CSX, NS, and UP agree. (hey declined Trains’ interview requests for this story.) CP, of course, has a diferent take. What would a winning combination look like? “I think it would look a lot like our NS proposal,” Harrison says. CP ofered reciprocal switching and more freedom to choose interchange gateways, which have long been on shippers’ wish lists. Proposing limited open access was a hotbutton issue. “It’s a term that scares people to death and I don’t know why,” Harrison says. “Competition is good, in my book.” In terminals, any shipper unhappy with

“A WELL-EXECUTED LARGE RAILROAD MERGER IS AN OXYMORON.” WICK MOORMAN, RETIRED NS CEO

MERGERS SINCE 1980

All eyes were on the industry in early 2016 when CP sought merger with NS. Here the railroads’ power teams up on an intermodal train in Toledo, Ohio. Michael D. Harding

the combined system’s service or price would have been able to ask a competing railroad to step in. CP’s proposal even went beyond what shippers have sought. In July 2011, the National Industrial Transportation League petitioned the STB to revise competitive switching rules. he proposal would, under certain circumstances, allow captive shippers served by only one Class I to seek service from a second railroad. he STB in July generally sided with shippers and began a new rulemaking process for reciprocal switching. he Association of American Railroads calls this the “mother lode of bad ideas,” saying it could afect up to 7.5 million shipments annually and cost railroads billions of dollars. Railroads say mandatory competitive switching would degrade service by increasing congestion and adding complexity to busy terminals. And they say the proposal would boost the need for investment in terminals while reducing the incentive to invest. “We don’t see this as an onerous option ... because we are in charge of our fate here,” James Clements, CP’s vice president of strategic planning and transportation services, told analysts in December 2015. “If we do a good job ... then we’re not going to be faced with the other carrier coming across our networks.” he combined CP-NS also would have ended so-called bottleneck pricing by allowing shippers to choose where their shipments could connect with other railroads, essentially creating new routing options. Today, railroads don’t have to quote rates for all gateways. hey typically quote movements over the longest haul, thus providing the most revenue. Krebs says CP took the right approach on open access. “My view is we’re going to run the best railroad, with the best costs, so we don’t care if there’s open access,” Krebs

says. “More and more of the business is intermodal, which is open already. I would have been willing to take a risk on at least partial open access.” Regardless, it’s unlikely that regulators would approve a major merger today, former STB commissioners Francis Mulvey and Charles Nottingham argued in a paper they wrote for NS in December. “We strongly believe that the STB would be disinclined to allow railroads to merge down to just two transcontinental carriers, especially in the current climate where all of the large railroads are inancially healthy, investing substantially in infrastructure, and providing generally good service,” they wrote. he last thing regulators want to do is disturb a good situation for all stakeholders.

MITIGATION CONCERNS Mergers and acquisitions put railroads under the regulatory microscope. As part of the process, communities get the unprecedented opportunity to weigh in on railroads’ impact on their neighborhoods. If merging railroads can’t reach mitigation deals with communities, regulators can impose conditions. hese can include operational restrictions, such as the number, length, and speed of trains. hey also can include footing the bill for things like sound barriers and road-rail grade separations. Environmental mitigation costs are no longer rounding errors. Case in point: CN’s acquisition of the EJ&E, which linked its former Wisconsin Central, Illinois Central, and Grand Trunk Western routes, and formed a congestion-free belt around Chicago. CN spent $300 million to acquire the EJ&E in 2009, but it spent $114 million more — an amount equal to nearly 40 percent of the purchase price — on mitigation. CN spent $62.8 million for mitigation stemming from agreements with 26 of the

1980 – Burlington Northern acquires St. Louis-San Francisco 1981 1982 – Union Pacific acquires Missouri Pacific and Western Pacific – Norfolk & Western and Southern Railway merge to form Norfolk Southern 1983 – Grand Trunk Western acquires Detroit, Toledo & Ironton 1984 1985 1986 – Chessie System and Seaboard System merge to form CSX Transportation – Soo Line acquires Milwaukee Road – Proposed Southern Pacific Santa Fe merger rejected by regulators 1987 1988 – Union Pacific acquires Missouri-Kansas-Texas 1989 – Rio Grande acquires Southern Pacific; keeps SP name 1990 – Canadian Pacific acquires Soo Line 1991 – CSX acquires Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac – Canadian Pacific acquires Delaware & Hudson 1992 – CSX acquires Pittsburg & Lake Erie 1993 1994 1995 – Union Pacific acquires Chicago & North Western – Burlington Northern and Santa Fe merge to form BNSF Railway 1996 – Illinois Central acquires spin-off Chicago, Central & Pacific – Canadian National integrates Grand Trunk Western into network – Union Pacific acquires Southern Pacific 1997 1998 1999 – CSX and Norfolk Southern acquire Conrail – Canadian National acquires Illinois Central 2000 – BNSF and Canadian National call off proposed merger under regulatory scrutiny 2001 – Canadian National acquires Wisconsin Central 2002 2003 2004 – Canadian National acquires BC Rail – Canadian National acquires Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 2005 2006 2007 2008 – Canadian Pacific acquires Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern and Iowa, Chicago & Eastern 2009 – Canadian National acquires Elgin, Joliet & Eastern 2010 2011 2012 – Genesee & Wyoming acquires RailAmerica 2013 www.TrainsMag.com

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

33 communities along the EJ&E, spokesman Mark Hallman says. CN voluntarily assumed 108 separate mitigation conditions and did not object to 73 additional STBmandated conditions. he STB also ordered CN to pay $49.1 million to cover most of the costs for two highway grade-separation projects. CN fought this, arguing the STB exceeded its authority. But the railroad was stuck with the tab when it lost a federal court case in 2011. CN expects to pay an additional $1.9 million in 2017 related to the grade separations. What does this mean for Class I mergers, which would afect far more communities? “he price of doing them is going to be a lot higher,” Krebs says.

POLITICS AND SHIPPERS he regulatory environment is intertwined with politics, making it more diicult to get a major merger through Washington. “hey make a lot of sense from a business standpoint,” Krebs says. “he question is are they politically doable now. I’m not sure that they are. Big has become bad.” he CP-NS proposal ofered a glimpse of the current political climate. he STB received 49 letters from members of Congress — including the entire delegations of several states — as well as missives from state and local oicials. No politicians backed the merger proposal. “It shows you the power, to some degree, of lobbyists in our country. It’s too bad,” Harrison tells Trains. Congress established the STB as an independent agency, reafirmed its role last year, and should stay out 32

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

of merger reviews, he says. For a Class I railroad merger to win approval, the combining roads will have to get shippers on their side. hat’s a tall order. Some shippers aren’t thrilled with the status quo — much less further consolidation. Roughly 70 percent of shippers oppose any Class I rail merger, according to a February 2016 survey by investment banking irm Stephens Inc. he results mirror those from a December 2015 survey by another investment irm, Cowen & Co., which found that 71 percent of shippers opposed CP-NS. CP wrapped the NS merger proposal with a nice big bow for shippers. Yet many shippers and their trade groups still opposed CP-NS and seem likely to ight any rail merger. In letters to the STB, large shippers dismissed CP’s attempts to improve competition. Automakers were particularly skeptical. “Further consolidation will substantially enhance the already signiicant commercial leverage of the rail industry, reduce service options for shippers, and increase rates,” wrote Mitch Bainwol and John Bozzella, who head the automakers’ trade groups. hey doubted that an end to bottleneck pricing would work when the rail system is reduced to two railroads. hey also rejected reciprocal switching. “Terminal access rights are devalued when they come at the cost of greater consolidation,” Bainwol and Bozzella wrote. Consol Energy, a major coal shipper, told regulators that transcontinental service was of

little value to it or other coal producers. Even intermodal customers UPS and FedEx — who can shit their business — fretted about service, pricing, and the potential negative impact on consumers. Harrison insists that CP had the support of shippers — and that once shippers understood what was in the merger for them they would have lined up behind a deal. “If you had taken a vote, they would have been for it,” Harrison tells Trains. Nonetheless, Harrison says the rocky integration of previous mergers still haunts shippers. “heir view of mergers was not so much about what it would do for the future but the ghosts of the past,” he says. “I used to get spanked for something my sister did,” Harrison adds. “hat’s kind of what we’ve been through.” Hatch says that unless shippers want rail consolidation to enhance service or expand capacity, the beneits of merger are outweighed by the regulatory, inancial, political, and mitigation risks.

MERGER CATALYSTS CP-NS showed that there’s little appetite

“I USED TO GET SPANKED FOR SOMETHING MY SISTER DID. THAT’S KIND OF WHAT WE’VE BEEN THROUGH.” E. HUNTER HARRISON, CANADIAN PACIFIC CEO

Two Canadian Pacific freights, one with power from regionals acquired in 2008, at right, pass at Homer, Minn., in October 2013 on former Milwaukee Road trackage. CP acquired the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern and Iowa, Chicago & Eastern in 2008. Mat t Krause

for merger today. But if there’s one thing that proponents and skeptics of major mergers agree upon, it’s this: he entire picture changes if railroads run into capacity constraints or inancial trouble. Aside from chronic issues in Chicago, railroad executives don’t see capacity problems looming on the horizon — particularly amid this year’s traic downturn. hey also don’t predict inancial distress in the short term, despite the serious and sustained decline in coal traic. “It’s not so dire that I believe it’s going to bring any railroad to the point where the only way we can be viable is to merge,” Moorman says. “It won’t be easy, but is it that bad?” Rose sees a third potential merger catalyst: Unfavorable regulatory changes, should they occur, could shackle railroads, tilt the balance in favor of highways, and prompt consolidation. Harrison looks at long-term trends and concludes that mergers are the only way the industry can thrive. he status quo is a recipe for trouble, he argues. Take projections that traic will grow by 40 percent over the

next three decades. Add that to Chicago congestion. hen factor in community opposition to increased rail traic — and the new infrastructure required to handle it. he outcome? Deteriorating service, loss of traic, increased costs, and lower revenue. And politicians, regulators, shippers, and the public all demanding solutions. “We know it’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of when,” Harrison said while pitching the NS proposal. “We need to learn how to take the existing infrastructure and move more over it. And so I think it’s very critical to customers, to railroads, to the economy, the whole circle, that we see something change. Our response is consolidation.” here’s also an argument that we’re seeing the twilight of the rail renaissance that dawned with the Staggers Act of 1980, which freed the industry from overburdensome regulation. Since then, railroads have combined, cut costs dramatically, improved service, and become much more proitable, thanks to pricing discipline. he problem? On the cost side, most of the low-hanging fruit has been picked. On

the revenue side, railroads can’t raise rates faster than inlation forever without driving away traic or inviting a regulatory response. “Railroads have to get more volume. hat’s the only lever that’s let,” Gross contends. But that’s diicult without seamless service. “Ultimately, you may end up being forced into that merger scenario,” he says, and then have to live under a diferent regulatory system. A national freight rail duopoly has been a fact of life in Canada for nearly a century. Whether or how CN and CP would join with the U.S. big systems in a inal wave of consolidation remains to be seen. But could the U.S. follow Canada’s example? “Canada has had two systems for a long time. I don’t see what the diference would be if there were two transcontinental systems in the U.S.,” Krebs says. “Clearly it makes the case that this could be done in the appropriate way and you could certainly have two systems,” Harrison says. He predicts two railroads will ile a transcontinental merger application within ive years. 2 www.TrainsMag.com

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Train time at Summit

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Situated at the relatively low pass in Oregon’s Coast Range is the station site at Summit on the former Southern Paciic Toledo Branch. Today’s Portland & Western Railroad Toledo Hauler runs on this route between the Oregon towns of Albany and Toledo, carrying wood products from the large mill at Toledo. he site at Summit lies at the top of a short but stif

2.58-percent eastbound grade. A curving route of just over 5 miles is required to cover the 1.9mile straight distance between Nashville and Summit and includes two horseshoe curves. A usual damp November day in 2014 inds this eastbound Toledo Hauler reaching level track at Summit with six units, its 39 loaded cars still stretched down the grade. — Robert W. Scott

MAP OF THE MONTH

Grade-crossing accidents, 2015 A state-by-state look at Federal Railroad Administration data for incidents, injuries, and fatalities

WASHINGTON

NORTH DAKOTA

MONTANA

OREGON

IDAHO SOUTH DAKOTA WYOMING

NEBRASKA

NEVADA

UTAH COLORADO

CALIFORNIA

KANSAS

OKLAHOMA ARIZONA NEW MEXICO

ALASKA

TEXAS

© 2016 Kalmbach Publishing Co. TRAINS: Rick Johnson.

Rank by state (number of incidents) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 14 15

State Texas California Illinois Indiana Georgia Alabama Ohio Florida Louisiana North Carolina Kentucky Pennsylvania Iowa Michigan Missouri Arkansas Virginia

36

Crossings 13,835 9,118 11,598 7,567 7,499 4,519 8,465 5,008 4,978 7,051 4,599 6,024 6,867 7,053 5,684 3,976 4,412

Incidents Injuries 224 98 148 42 141 84 118 42 98 46 90 34 83 36 78 40 78 37 67 99 57 32 56 24 50 10 50 11 49 21 47 23 42 20

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

Fatalities 19 31 21 12 9 5 12 10 13 8 6 5 2 3 8 4 5

16 17 18 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 27 28 29 29

State Kansas South Carolina Minnesota Tennessee Oklahoma Washington Wisconsin New York Mississippi Nebraska New Jersey Arizona Colorado Oregon Maryland Montana North Dakota

Crossings 7,849 3,889 6,739 4,587 5,022 4,752 6,293 5,298 4,284 4,964 2,062 1,153 2,746 3,904 1,256 3,097 4,706

Incidents Injuries 41 15 40 20 39 18 39 8 38 17 37 9 35 12 34 62 31 17 27 9 26 17 21 7 20 7 20 3 16 6 15 2 15 25

Fatalities 3 7 4 3 1 4 2 8 1 2 5 0 2 5 1 5 3

30 30 30 31 31 31 32 33 33 34 35 35 35 35 35 35

State Crossings Idaho 2,349 Massachusetts 1,401 West Virginia 3,308 New Mexico 1,212 South Dakota 2,921 Utah 1,253 Delaware 391 Maine 1,656 Wyoming 1,085 Nevada 537 Alaska 276 Connecticut 626 District of Columbia 26 New Hampshire 562 Rhode Island 118 Vermont 861

Incidents Injuries 12 2 12 7 12 5 11 2 11 5 11 6 6 2 4 4 4 1 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 1 0 1 1 1 0

Fatalities 3 1 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

MAINE MINNESOTA MICHIGAN

VT.

N.H. MASSACHUSETTS

WISCONSIN NEW YORK CONN. RHODE ISLAND MD.

NEW JERSEY

PA. IOWA

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

OHIO WEST VIRGINIA

INDIANA

ILLINOIS

DELAWARE

VIRGINIA KENTUCKY

MISSOURI

50

TENNESSEE SOUTH CAROLINA

NORTH CAROLINA

ARKANSAS

MISSISSIPPI

ALABAMA

GEORGIA

0 Incidents Injuries Fatalities

LOUISIANA

FLORIDA

0.025

15,000 Incidents per crossing

Median incidents per crossing

No. of crossings 12,000

0.015

9,000

0.010

6,000

0.005

3,000

0.000

0

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

0.020

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Is this 0-4-0 the oldest conventional American locomotive? by Jim Wrinn

Disassembled and naked, Mississippi, most likely the oldest horizontal-boilered American-built locomotive left, rests in a Knoxville, Tenn., shop in April 2016. Looking on are Pete Claussen, left, and Scott Ogle. TR A I NS : Jim Wrinn

Pete Claussen inspects Mississippi in storage in April. To the right is the tender, and in the foreground is the smokestack. The engine’s extra-wide firedoor and two steam domes are prominent in this image made at Knoxville, Tenn., the locomotive’s new home. TR A I NS : Jim Wrinn

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

T  This is the locomotive after J.A. Hoskins restored it and presented it to the Illinois Central in 1893. Hoskins, believed to have worked with the engine during the Civil War, is in the cab. IC

40 Trains NOVEMBER 2016

little known. Except for John White’s masterful 1972 book, “American Locomotives, An Engineering History, 1830-1880” little scholarly work has been published about these irst American locomotives, the elders of railroading, the tribe from whom all others have descended, the founders. Now, new research has identiied what may be the oldest conventional (horizontal boiler) American-made locomotive, the Mississippi, an 0-4-0 of 1836 vintage, that new owner Pete Claussen likes to say has been hidden in plain sight for more than 75 years at one of the nation’s most prominent institutions, Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. Ater buying the Mississippi at auction in 2015, Claussen moved the locomotive to Knoxville, Tenn., where his Gulf & Ohio Railways’ shortline group is headquartered. Long a vigorous proponent of historic preservation and a past chairman of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History board and a member of its national board, and with three steam locomotives (two 2-8-0s and a 4-4-0) — two of them operable — already in his collection, Claussen wanted to give a home to what he thought was an early British-made locomotive, one with a rich southeastern history, and one that last ran in 1925. What he got was completely unexpected.

Where the oldest was, 1836-2016 Displayed at Museum of Science & Industry, 1938-2015

Donated to Chicago Museum of Science & Industry, 1932 Displayed at Chicago Centennial Exposition, 1933-1934

Returned to the IC in 1925 and taken to Burnside yard at Chicago

Built, New York City, 1836

Displayed at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago

Displayed at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair

Stayed at B&0 roundhouse at Martinsburg, W.Va., from 1904 to 1925

Shipped from St Louis to Warrenton, 1873 Sold to the Grand Gulf and Port Gibson Railroad, 1844. Reportedly used as power for rail monitor, siege of Vicksburg, 1863

Sold to Gulf & Ohio Railways, Knoxville, Tenn., 2015

Displayed at Louisiana State Fair, Shreveport, 1935 Arrived Mississippi Valley & Ship Island Railroad, Warrenton, Miss., 1873 Delivered, Natchez, Miss., 1836

Sold to J.A. Hoskins for sawmill railroad, Brookhaven, Miss., 1880 Donated to Illinois Central, Brookhaven, Miss., 1893 Not to scale © 2016 Kalmbach Publishing Co. TRAINS: Rick Johnson

Unraveling a complicated mystery Earlier this year, Claussen provided Trains an exclusive interview about Mississippi, its revised history, its acquisition, and its potential future. He announced the acquisition and his indings at a gathering of transportation historians in September, and his own detailed story will appear in the spring-summer 2017 issue of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society’s quarterly publication, Railroad History. “We did not know what we were getting when we bought it,” Claussen says of the locomotive. “But we had lots of questions about where it had come from.” he locomotive represents a signiicant link in the evolution of American locomotive design, says Scott Ogle, chief mechanical oicersteam for the Knoxville & Holston River Railroad, G&O’s short line in its headquarters city, and its tourist railroad, the hree Rivers Rambler. Claussen did much of the investigation himself and enlisted researchers in the state of Mississippi, where the engine had worked. Historians had long questioned Mississippi’s origins since it doesn’t look at all like a typical English locomotive of the period, which, like the John Bull, had a haystack boiler, outside plate frame, and a copper irebox. Mississippi has a Stevensontype boiler, inside bar frame and a wrought

>> One Mississippi To see a video interview with Pete Claussen and learn more about Mississippi, go to www.TrainsMag.com

iron irebox. Nonetheless, in 1893 it was described by a British historian as a British import, built in 1834 by Braithwaite, Milner & Co. of London and shipped to Dunham & Co. of New York for assembly there. Further study showed that there is no record of Dunham & Co. or any other locomotive builder of the period — including Baldwin, West Point Foundry, Norris, Camden & Amboy, Locks and Canals — using English kits or even any English parts for their locomotives. Various historians, notably Smithsonian transportation curator Jack White, raised questions about Mississippi’s lineage, hypothesizing that she was a surviving Dunham engine. Even an authoritative English source, the secretary of the Newcomen Society, the prestigious UK-based organization dedicated to the history of engineering and technology, said in a letter to Claussen: “... we have no records to associate it with Braithwaite, Milner & Co. And what details we can see do not support that irm’s manufacture.” he conirming “aha” came when the boiler was ultrasounded in Tennessee, revealing that it was made of ive-sixteenths inch thick wrought iron. he English never used iron less than three-eighths of an inch in thickness. “Until we did the ultrasound,

nobody ever knew what the thickness was, and that contributed to the speculation and misinformation about its origins. he locomotive is clearly American, from the historical side, the design and construction side, and the material side,” Claussen says. He believes the new locomotive cost $2,000 to build and started its career on a 2-mile line that eventually grew to 26 miles. Claussen says the engine then went to work for a second railroad in Mississippi, and may have been a part of a major national conlict, the American Civil War. During the siege of Vicksburg in 1863, a light artillery company under the command of Capt. J.A. Hoskins of Brookhaven, Miss., used the locomotive at Grand Gulf. Hoskins created one of the irst rail monitors — an iron-clad boxcar with an artillery gun inside. According to local legend, the Mississippi pushed the sheathed gun to its shelling location and then pulled it back to safety before it could come under ire. Moving on once again, another railroad, the Mississippi Valley & Ship Island Railroad bought the engine in 1872, where the engine ran, derailed, and was abandoned for six years, before its sale to its old friend, J.A. Hoskins, who was now running a sawmill at Brookhaven, Miss. Hoskins rebuilt the locomotive and used it in the construction of the www.TrainsMag.com

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Would you put a fire in it?

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

Everyone who has ever cared for a historic steam locomotive in the emotional, managerial, or fiduciary sense (and in some cases, all three or combinations of two at once), has raised the obvious question: Should we steam it? Operating, of course, is the best way to explain steam to a new generation and to make it real to everyone who can witness the power, the sounds, the smells, and the feelings. Or is it? After all, everyone who has rebuilt, operated, or been in charge of an operating steam locomotive has asked this question at least once, whether he or she admits it: Should we be doing this with what is now a one-of-a-kind artifact? The debate has been going on for decades and almost certainly will continue, whether the power is the oldest or even the latest built in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The new owner of the 1836 0-4-0 Mississippi planned to steam the engine, but decided otherwise. Pete Claussen says the boiler shell was thinned in places that would have necessitated patches and welding that would have resulted in an unacceptable amount of alteration to a historic piece. So it will remain an artifact. Others have been cautious but found ways to run. The 1831 Britishbuilt 2-4-0 John Bull, exhibited at the Smithsonian since 1885, has only operated on four occasions in the last 123 years: A cross-country trip in 1893 to the World Columbian Exposition in Chicago, 1927 for the Baltimore & Ohio’s Fair of the Iron Horse centennial celebration, and lastly on a test run in 1980, and again on short moves for its 150th birthday in 1981. At the end of the last run Smithsonian transportation curator John H. White Jr. noticed a leaking tube and doubted that the Bull would ever steam again. “The poor thing shouldn’t be run,” he said. Other historic locomotives have been called on to do more in the modern preservation era. Louisville & Nashville pulled 1855 4-4-0 No. 3, the General, out of Chattanooga (Tenn.) Union Station to repair, update, and steam for Civil War centennial celebrations, 1962-1965. The co-star of the Great Locomotive Chase, which hadn’t steamed since 1914, was converted to burn diesel fuel, injectors were added, and an air pump and brakes were discreetly installed to bring the engine up to standards for a tour that included 9,000 operational miles in its first year. The

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engine got a thorough overhaul, thanks to the L&N, which tried to baby the engine by moving it from one display and operation site to the other by using a flatcar, says retired spokesman Charles Castner, who hired on just as the engine was starting its tour. Castner rode the engine’s last trip, Sept. 20, 1966, on Illinois Central rails near Gilbertsville, Ky., for the Southern Governors’ Conference. At the end of the event, the engine ran 35 and 40 mph back to Paducah, Ky., where it tied up. “We high-tailed it and flew,” Castner says. The locomotive, as it was when it was steamed 50 years ago, is preserved today at the Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Ga., where its daring chase story began. To run or not to run: Look for that question to be asked as museums need more “wow” to get the public’s attention. — Jim Wrinn

In 1981, the Smithsonian fired up and ran the British-built John Bull to celebrate that locomotive’s 150th birthday. George Forero Jr.

2-mile Hoskins & Hamilton Railroad, connecting the mill and the Illinois Central. IC bought the railroad in 1882 and contracted with the two men to extend the railroad east, which they failed to do. hat resulted in the IC iling a lawsuit in 1888, a judgment in IC’s favor, and a foreclosure. hrough it all, the Mississippi remained at the mill.

Into the Illinois Central’s hands Possibly as a goodwill gesture, Hoskins gave the locomotive to the IC for display at the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Before doing so, he performed a major cosmetic overhaul, adding a roof and rebuilding the tender with the lettering “Natchez & Hamburg R.R. 1836-7, & 8.” Photos made of the locomotive ater this rebuild, with Hoskins in the engineer’s seat, are believed to be the oldest of the locomotive. Claussen believes this is where Mississippi’s story became blurred. Maj. J.G. Pangborn of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad headed up the transportation section of the exposition. he B&O provided locomotives along with other borrowed engines, including the Mississippi. For background, the B&O turned to English railroad historian Clement E. Stretton, who wrongly identiied the locomotive as British, a label it would carry for the next 125 years. Upon examination in Tennessee, the 19,600-pound locomotive is yielding fascinating details. Most startling: It contains no welds. All of the repairs are of a mechanical nature. A second steam dome, believed to have been installed post-construction to improve the engine’s performance, was screwed into place. he Knoxville team used a selie stick to perform an interior inspection of the boiler, which includes a wide iredoor (for wood slabs) and rigid grates. Claussen wonders how much of the original locomotive remains. Its Stephenson valve gear is an add-on, and the boiler tubes, of course, have been replaced more than once. he boiler is interesting, as it contains two steam domes, one original, and one an add-on. Inside the original steam dome is a collection pipe attached at the bottom to the original dry pipe. It also has four wrought iron straps riveted to the side of the dome at the top and to the crown sheet at the bottom. he irebox opening is slightly of center to the right. It has three tri-cocks, with a fourth hole illed in. he backhead has been modiied and seven holes illed in, including one where the throttle once was. he boiler shell is only 26 inches in diameter and instead of a telescoping design, it has a small course in the middle inserted into larger courses on either side. he locomotive had valve gear under the boiler that was connected to cylinders located inside the smokebox, a common practice in the U.S. and England.

Baltimore & Ohio 0-4-0T No. 1 John Quincy Adams, with an upright boiler, was built in Mount Clare shops in 1835 and is on display at Carillon Park in Dayton, Ohio. David P. Oroszi

Reassembled and primered, Mississippi looked like this in late summer 2016. The Gulf & Ohio crew plans to finish a cosmetic restoration and display the locomotive. G&O: Kris Wysong

he Mississippi, with its story revealed, can now take its place among admired locomotives of antiquity in America, including the John Bull, a 2-4-0, the oldest locomotive on American soil and a British product that dates back to 1831; it is enshrined inside the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. In Dayton, Ohio, is Baltimore & Ohio’s John Quincy Adams, an 0-4-0T on display in Carillon Park. It is a year older than Mississippi, but has an upright boiler. And what of Mississippi’s future? Claussen says he would like to complete a cosmetic restoration and build a permanent

home for the oldest of the old and his three other steam locomotives, 1890 Southern Railway 2-8-0 No. 154, 1925 Washington & Lincolnton 2-8-0 No. 203, and 1922 San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railway 4-4-0 No. 60. “We have to do something to put them on display. I imagine a roundhouse setting,” he says. Life has been long and misunderstood for Mississippi, and it deserves a proper retirement in a place where the engine can be itself as America’s oldest conventional steam locomotive, an ancestral great-greatgreat grandparent to all those locomotives that pull our nation’s trains today. 2 www.TrainsMag.com

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West end will-o’-the-wisps A check of U.S. Naval Observatory data indicated that I could expect to catch the crescent moon rising right down the bore of one of my favorite stretches of track. So 5 a.m. on an otherwise clear Saturday morning found me trackside with a problem — thick patchy ground fog. Since there was no hope for catching the moonrise under those conditions, I decided to try my luck about 20 miles away in Willard, Ohio. It was still dark when I arrived at the west end of the CSX Transportation yard. The crescent moon had risen higher and was blazing forth in the sky above. The yard proper was shrouded in sodium vapor-lighted ground fog, but my position on the west end was clear. As the sky to the east began the transition to the deep blue and orange of the coming dawn, I could see a blob of light moving through the yard fog in my general direction. It grew in size and brightness and gradually morphed into a pair of ghost-like locomotives. The orbs of light reminded me of the will-o’-the-wisps phenomenon, mysterious lights that form naturally above wetlands, which startled and intrigued travelers centuries ago.

As I was taking pictures, I noticed another blob of light moving through the yard. It, too, gradually revealed itself to be a headlight attached to the lead of a pair of locomotives. They, however, did not escape the yard fog’s embrace and came to a halt at its western edge. Nothing moved and there was no sound, save the quiet thrumming of the prime movers and the click of my camera shutter. A minute or two passed and then, like a ghost being called back from the world of men, the distant pair of switchers quietly reversed direction, moved back into the folds of the fog, shed their diesel switcher appearance, and became, once again, a moving blob of light that faded from view. The instant they disappeared, the units near me began to drift back down toward the yard. They, too, returned to the fog’s embrace, reverted to their will-o’-the-wisp status, and then vanished. The silence was total and the vista returned to what it had been: glistening polished rail, distant illuminated ground fog, a colorful predawn sky, and the brilliant crescent moon, the callboy that had first summoned me trackside at that early hour. — Robert S. Butler

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

ou don’t just start running passenger trains. Not if the stations are gone, capacity was slimmed down to mostly single track 50 years ago, and there aren’t any cars, locomotives, or people to operate them.

But hey, that’s a good thing! Just ask Gene Skoropowski, senior vice president, railroad operations, for All Aboard Florida’s “Brightline” service. “We’re in the luxurious position of being able to write our own criteria from the beginning,” he explains to Trains

during a March session in a Miami conference room with other managers. “he beauty of this project is that the private sector makes the decisions — what works economically for business purposes. It’s a very diferent avenue when there is not this big wad of public mon-

ey being sought to put into a project, which would then have private beneit.” Skoropowski is a passenger train veteran whose resumé includes calling the shots as managing director of Amtrak’s Sacramento-San Jose, Calif., Capitol Corridor. He also con-

Rewritingg the Privately funded ‘Brightline’ service aims to change passenger rail starting in 2017 Story and photos by Bob Johnston

sulted on previous Florida high speed rail projects [see “Not So Fast,” page 52]. He and others have signed on because they see a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a new product without being tethered to a “we always do it this way” mentality. All Aboard Florida Presi-

dent Mike Reininger and Florida East Coast Industries President and CEO Vince Signorello made a key decision in early 2015: the subsidiary could best control its product by running the trains, designing the passenger experience, and controlling the station environment it-

self, rather than contracting out to third-party operators. he management team was assembled in mid-2015 with the idea that the self-contained organization would be separate from Florida East Coast Railway, its sister company under Fortress Investment Group LLC.

Yet the goal from the beginning was to take advantage of the railroad’s engineering, construction, and operations expertise to create a physical plant that anticipates signiicant growth for the recently branded Brightline speedsters, as well as FEC business in everything www.TrainsMag.com

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from lumbering rock trains to intermodal lyers. “We are committed to building infrastructure that will allow us to run our service and the FEC to run its service while allowing for future expansion of both businesses,” Skoropowski says. he partnership minimizes the otherwise adversarial relationship between a host railroad and Amtrak or other operator that festers elsewhere. Joint-capacity modeling is already working to determine schedules for up to 18 daily Brightline round trips between Miami and West Palm Beach by mid-June 2017. here is special emphasis on making room for mostly unscheduled shuttles between FEC’s Hialeah Yard and the Port of Miami. he railroad must also meet 141 Federal Railroad Administration protocols to certify the passenger carrier as a separate operating entity. Toward that end, it is testing an Alstom positive train control overlay to its existing cab signal-equipped locomotives, and conducting tests on rules and the route’s physical characteristics for All Aboard Florida managers. FEC also holds the key element in All Aboard Florida’s 48 Trains NOVEMBER 2016

business plan to attract investment and much-needed cash low: real estate [see “Miami’s Valuable Legacy,” page 51]. Florida East Coast Industries estimates over 4 million square feet of transit-oriented development will mushroom around new stations now under construction at Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach. his includes oice towers, condominiums, parking garages, restaurants, and other retail establishments. Some land acquisition has been required at each location, but construction of those facilities and accompanying buildings is well under way.

Details are king Both Reininger and Skoropowski are trained architects (“We are notorious nitpickers,” Skoropowski says), so it’s not surprising that the management team they assembled to design and operate every aspect of the new service shares a passion for mining its experiences to get things right. “If you give guys who have worked a long time in the industry a chance to draw up their dream trains,” says Manager of Operations Planning

Mike Lefevre, “of course [Chief Mechanical Oicer] Tom Rutkowski here gets in the room and says, ‘What I remember from New Jersey Transit is that the drain pipe was never big enough.’ Gene [Skoropowski] says ‘People got cramped in the aisle on the Capitol Corridor,’ so we’ve just got to make those aisles bigger!” Rutkowski, a 22-year veteran of NJ Transit, says, “All Aboard Florida is an organization that worries about branding and the customer experience [as the equipment and stations are being designed], something you don’t ind in commuter organizations or Amtrak, which are transportation-, mechanical-, and engineer-oriented.

A bridge plate mechanism will extend below the doorway in the foreground on Brightline cars, as seen on this stainless steel shell at Siemens’ Sacramento, Calif., plant.

Here we have people who do worry about those details to collectively come up with something unique.”

Passenger cars Nowhere do ideas translate into reality more forcefully than in the collaborative efort between All Aboard Florida’s staf and Siemens Mobility, as evidenced by a June Trains tour of the locomotive and passenger-car builder’s Sacramento complex. Starting with a frame similar to its carbon steel European Railjet counterpart, Siemens is building a stainless steel car 87 feet long and 10 feet wide at platform level. It expands outward above that by 6 inches on each side, the same envelope required for trains to it through Northeast Corridor tunnels. (his detail caught the attention All Aboard Florida President Mike Reininger in the cab of the company’s first locomotive.

Siemens’ Michael Cahill and All Aboard Florida’s Gene Skoropowski at Sacramento.

of Amtrak President and CEO Joe Boardman on a May visit.) Because stainless and carbon steel fabrication processes don’t easily mix, Siemens built a separate 125,000-square-foot shop for assembly of roofs, side and end walls, and underframes. A semi-automated machine utilizes 55,000 spot welds during an 18-hour sequence to attach the stainless skin to frames, creating a smooth-sided car. Assembly takes eight weeks, and the facility is designed to produce four cars per month. “he design of the coach uses as many long proiles as possible,” explains Siemens Rolling Stock President Michael Cahill. “It helps in manufacturing and complying with the 800,000 pounds of buf strength Federal Railroad Administration requirement.” On the day of the tour, one of the coaches passed an FRA-compliant hydraulic cylinder compression test, which mandates that a car can’t have any lasting deformation ater that force is applied. Initially, 20 cars are being built to launch the service next June. Another 50 are to follow by 2018 for the extension to Orlando. Conigured according to seating and trainset position [see table, below right], all have groundbreaking innovations built by American manufacturers that All Aboard Florida and Siemens engineering strategists jointly produced ater three years of design meetings. hese include: • Self-contained bridge plates on each car. hese “gap illers,” created by Bode North America of Spartanburg, S.C., extend at stops to high-level

FEC locomotives bring Atlantic Coast Line’s “East Coast Champion” into FEC’s Miami station in August 1950 (top). An illustration shows Brightline’s Miami Central Station, which is going up at the same site. Eventually, it will also host Tri-Rail commuter trains. Top, James G. La Vake; All Aboard Florida.

platforms to provide roll-on access not only for wheelchairbound travelers, but also for ubiquitous rolling suitcases and strollers. hey are designed with a minimal-height outer lip and can support 900 pounds. As a result, station platforms can be situated up to 12 inches away from the train, allowing all but high and wide freight

traic to pass through stations. (Bypass tracks have been built for that scenario.) • 32-inch-wide aisles and car-to-car end doors. his allows true on-board accessibility, not a segregated separate area for people with disabilities. It also accommodates wide suitcases. Airline aisle width minimums are 15 inches at

loor level. “On an airplane, they put you in a special wheelchair and they leave,” Skoropowski says. “hat’s not us.” • Wide seats. In the premium Select class, which features two seats on one side of the aisle and one on the other, the seats are 21 inches wide, while in the Smart class with two-bytwo seating, they are 18.3 inch-

Brightline passenger cars Type Smart Smart-end* Select-end Select Food & Bev.

Seating config. 2-2 2-2 2-1 2-1 --

Seat width (inches) 18.3 18.3 21 21 --

Capacity

Initial order

Total order

Position in trainset

66 58 50 50 --

10 5 5 0 0

30 10 10 10 10

mid-train end of train end of train mid-train mid-train

Seat pitch is 39 inches and aisle width is 32 inches for both Select and Smart seating. “End” cars are designed to run next to the locomotive, so have no end passage doors *Contains baggage compartment

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All Aboard Florida Brightline’s route

Brightline service to begin in 2017 Future service Tri-Rail/Amtrak Brightline stations Tri-Rail stations Other cities (no Brightline stops planned) Orlando Orlando International Airport FEC to Jacksonville New track (includes Cocoa 12 miles of single track)

F L O R I D A 0

Scale

50 miles

© 2016 Kalmbach Publishing Co., TRAINS: Rick Johnson

Sebastian

ply chain of American manufacturers with which to execute the “dream” ideas that the All Aboard Florida team has come up with. For instance, for vestibule doors it tapped IMI Precision Engineering of Littleton, Colo., which has 50,000 such systems installed globally. Since All Aboard Florida is privately funded, Siemens did not have to comply with federally mandated “Buy America” provisions for public projects. But the fact that the shells, labor, and components comply gives the company a signiicant leg up on competitors for other orders.

N

Fort Pierce

Locomotives

An interior mock-up in a Brightline shell shows the wide “Select” (business) class seat.

trainset is hardly necessary for the four-car launch versions, the procedure solves the crash energy management problem and ensures there will never be an air-conditioning failure in the sultry Florida climate should head-end power fail. he only variation from locomotives built for state-supported trains are the Brightline units’ coupler-covering streamlined shroud and diferent positive train control equipment. One is assigned to each end of the trainsets in push-pull operation, so they can aford to sport a sleek look and don’t require head-end power connections. he nose is to be adorned with relective yellow decals to match the yellow side panel once the locomotives are placed into service.

Siemens is also supplying its 4,400-hp Charger locomoSt. Lucie River tive, the same 125-mph-caSingle-track Stuart lift bridge pable unit that California Loxahatchee River Lift bridge (second and Washington are actrack to be added) Jupiter quiring; Illinois is also CSX/Amtrak to Orlando, Brightline buying for regional Tampa, and Jacksonville running repair facility passenger service on Mangonia Park West Palm Beach behalf of other MidwestLake Worth Boynton Beach ern states. Equipped with Delray Beach Cummins Tier 4 emissionsBoca Raton Deerfield Beach compliant QSK95 diesel enPompano Beach Fort Lauderdale gines, Brightline’s irst CharFort Lauderdale-Hollywood Fort Lauderdale gers will be the eighth and Brightline stations under International Airport Lift bridge (2 tracks) Hollywood ninth out of the plant. Two construction in early Metrorail Transfer Station North Miami early locomotives went to the March 2016. Top: West Miami International Airport Planned Tri-Rail Transportation Technology Palm Beach. Center: Miami connection for service Center’s test track near Pueblo, Fort Lauderdale. Bottom: to Miami Central Colo., in June for several Miami Central (from the months of shakedown and adjacent Metrorail Splashy colors are an inteperformance runs, so the Flor- gral part of the passenger expeplatform). passengers ida locomotives can beneit don’t have to rience, from the time a traveler from any changes that are place cords across enters a station and boards a deemed necessary. anyone’s lap. train to the way it screams Even though running a lo• Windows at evthrough bustling trackside comotive at each end of a ery seat. Windows are arcommunities like Deerield and ranged so that no passenger gets stuck looking at a post ines between the arm rests — stead of the scenery, virtually widths comparable to airline impossible to avoid on Amtrak seats. To maintain the 32-inchwide aisle, a special cantilevered or commuter trains. Initially, Select passengers bracket had to be attached to will be served food and beverthe side wall. Kustom Seating ages at their seats and SmartUnlimited of Bellwood, Ill., class coach passengers will manufactures the seats. have cart service for the hour• 39-inch pitch. he distance between both Select- and long trip between Miami and West Palm Beach, but when Smart-class seats exceeds most service expands to Orlando, a domestic airline irst- and yet-to-be-designed lounge car business-class seating dimenwill be added. sions. he Brightline cars also Siemens’ extensive light rail A Brightline car shell takes shape at Siemens’ Sacramento factory have various table conigurations in both classes and multi- business has clearly allowed it in June. Frames, sides, ends, roofs, and underframes are to develop a dependable supple USB and electric outlets so assembled from different work stations at the complex.

Brightline’s brand

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Delray Beach. With the help of architect David Rockwell, whose design group has worked on everything from hotel interiors to Broadway sets for shows like “Kinky Boots” and “On the Twentieth Century,” the Brightline identity was introduced last November with illustrations showing trainsets in ive diferent colors: red, orange, green, blue, and pink. Like the locomotives’ yellow decals, these are to be applied to each of the ive initial four-car trainsets and expanded to the rest of the leet when the seven-car Orlandoservice versions appear. he “bright” color theme is also relected in lighting at stations, though the overarching theme at each is carried out with imposing V-shaped concrete columns. he reason for this is practical: the 70-foothigh structures can be cast lat on the ground and raised into place as they are completed, rather than being custom cast standing upright. Publicist AnneMarie Mathews has used such raisings as promotable newsworthy events, which help keep the company in the local media with its steady progress toward launch. he V-shaped architectural theme carries through to the station platform canopy supports. Most impressive is the crown jewel, Miami Central, where three rows of columns support ive tracks, three for Brightline trains and two for future Tri-Rail service that will be extended to the downtown venue once it is completed. Passengers enter this hub adjacent to the Government Center Metrorail station and new commercial and residential high-rises at street level, where they may choose to check baggage. Only ticketed passengers are allowed to proceed to the waiting area, then via escalator or elevator up to trainside when it is time to board. Checked luggage is placed on destination-speciic carts rather than transloaded.

Miami’s valuable legacy Henry M. Flagler’s Florida East Coast led the Florida development charge all the way from Jacksonville, Fla., to Key West, reached shortly before his death in 1912. Virtually all settlements south of St. Augustine owe their existence to the FEC, but none more than the one created around the railroad’s swath through what became downtown Miami. Though the Key West extension eventually succumbed

to the sea in the infamous 1935 Labor Day Hurricane, by then the FEC had begun fielding a robust passenger service that morphed after World War II into a streamliner fleet over “Florida’s only double-track route,” as a 1955 timetable proclaimed. A 1963 strike in response to the FEC’s implementation of reduced crew-size work rules exiled through trains to and from the north over to the single-

track Seaboard Air Line (which later became Seaboard Coast Line and CSX into the Amtrak era); a statemandated JacksonvilleNorth Miami stub train ended in 1968. Later, FEC sold its rail corridor south of downtown to provide the seeds for Miami’s Metrorail heavy rail system while retaining valuable land at the former station site for trackage to the Port of Miami. After the property sat dormant for many

decades, a number of elements combined to make Brightline’s Miami Central Station the city’s foremost transitoriented development anchor: the subsequent creation of a nearby hospital complex, a transit hub joining Metrorail and Metromover (a free downtown people mover), and a hot realestate market. Without Henry Flagler’s vision and land, it wouldn’t have been possible. — Bob Johnston

Office and residential development is already under construction around Miami Central Station.

Service plan “We see ourselves as more of a hospitality business than a

A cutaway view shows how Brightline’s Miami Central Station accommodates street-level entrances and concourses, with trains above. Two illustrations, All Aboard Florida www.TrainsMag.com

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Not so fast Prior attempts to build a network of fast, frequent passenger trains in Florida have showed promise, but each publicly backed project ultimately fizzled when politicians pulled the plug. The 200-mph Tampa-Orlando-Miami Florida Overland Express proposed under Democratic Gov. Lawton Chiles in 1995 had an operating agreement in place, contingent on a $70 million annual state

investment for 30 years, when Republican Gov. Jeb Bush vetoed the deal in 1999. The following year, Floridians approved a constitutional amendment to create a high speed rail network, but with no specified funding. A “starter” route proposed by the newly created Florida High Speed Rail Authority would have linked Tampa and Orlando. That plan died with repeal of the amendment in 2004, again led by Gov. Bush, who characterized it as a “$25 billion mistake.” The Tampa-Orlando project was revived with $2.4 billion of 2009 federal stimulus money, but Gov. Rick Scott turned back the grant in

2011, claiming contract overruns of $3 billion would ultimately cost taxpayers, even though eight private consortia were competing to assume all revenue and construction risk to get a foothold on a future Orlando-Miami extension. Gene Skoropowski and others with All Aboard Florida were involved in the Overland and stimulus endeavors, so they understand Florida’s political landscape. All Aboard Florida critics, mostly in the Treasure Coast north of West Palm Beach, have persuaded Martin and Indian River county politicians to allocate $5.1 million in public funds toward lawsuits against the venture.

Former American Airlines CEO Robert Crandall, a member of Citizens Against Rail Expansion, told a League of Women Voters meeting that Brightline trains “would decimate” the town of Stuart and “people who walk across the tracks now will be in danger,” according to Palm Beach Post blogger Sally Swartz. Wealthy boat owners are said to be concerned about more frequent drawbridge closures. But the railroad has committed to adjust schedules to minimize closures, and is following Federal Railroad Administration sealed corridor guidelines for 110-mph operation. — Bob Johnston

A unique V-shaped theme, carried through all of the design elements in Fort Lauderdale, will be shared by all three new stations. A parking facility is being built to the left. All Aboard Florida

transportation business that moves people,” says Reininger, who once worked for he Walt Disney Co. and had a hand in the development of Denver Union Station. Yet developers of the new service are determined to break down barriers that have deterred prospective customers elsewhere. Fares have not been released, but some of the all-in52

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clusive options will include proprietary Brightline shuttles from areas like Miami Beach and local colleges and an oncall service, which will provide door-to-door delivery at both ends of the train trip. “Our goal is to take the angst out of not only ‘what do I do when I get to the station’ but also the parking situation, which we will control,” Skoropowski

says. Part of that equation is to implement hourly service on “memory schedules” — with trains arriving at the same time each hour at each station. he June 2017 Miami-West Palm Beach ramp-up will break in with less than a dozen round trips in the irst couple of weeks. Frequency will then increase to 18 round trips on weekdays and 16 on weekends.

Tracks: 1 to 2 Florida East Coast-supervised track gangs have been busy for the last year, rebuilding highway crossings and returning single-track sections to a two-track alignment. “We have been able to take advantage of the underlying hard pan that was there 50 years ago when most secondtrack sections were removed,” explains Adrian Share, All Aboard Florida’s executive vice president of rail infrastructure. When that $13 million track project is inished, nearby residents will have a continuous 66-mile quiet zone, because the railroad was able to leverage its own mobilization, construction management, and engineering work, along with about $1 million of locally contributed highway money. Once that work is completed in 2017, crews will turn their attention to doing the same thing north of West Palm Beach. Towns have the option of making improvements necessary to qualify for horn-less highway crossings, but the railroad is committed to turning the route into a 110-mph sealed corridor with quad gates and a vehicle presence detection system that notiies engineers if a crossing is blocked. Meanwhile, a running repair facility recently completed on FEC-owned land north of downtown West Palm Beach will serve as the initial maintenance base. Once the cars and locomotives arrive on the property, all will be tested together along with FEC’s version of PTC on a 10-mile test-bed section south of town.

What’s next In March, Reininger emphasized, “We don’t need a dollar from anyone” to begin Miami-West Palm Beach service next June. It’s not clear what the total build-out to Orlando will actually cost; oicials declined to break out the price tags on the Siemens-built cars and locomotives, while allowing that the new rolling stock represents the most sig-

niicant part of the company’s investment to date. However, company managers are still attempting to solidify a capital structure through the sale of $1.75 billion in private activity bonds or other inancing options before construction commences north of West Palm Beach. When the bond market became turbulent in 2015, “We had the lexibility to not do a deal that wasn’t in our best interest,” Reininger tells Trains. Bad timing wasn’t the only impediment. “Four years ago when we started talking about this, it was all concepts and intentions,” Reininger says. “Even the most supportive [investors] asked, ‘What about contracts, what about the A Brightline car shell undergoes a compression test at Siemens on June 7, 2016.

trains?’ Fast forward to today and we can show the physical reality: elevated walkways are rising at stations, cars and locomotives are rolling out of the Siemens factory, and they can see we are thinking about the milestones we need to reach each week before we welcome our irst paid guest.” Reininger is convinced that the inancing landscape has changed signiicantly, especial-

ly as terminals are completed and test trains begin running. It’s easy for anyone watching all the activity in South Florida to be skeptical. And why not? Passenger trains don’t make money, right, so what’s diferent here? To twist around the title of a 1969 Peggy Lee song, “hat’s not all there is.” With its builtin real estate component at stations, and minimal construction interference from the existing FEC north-south right-of-way along the Beach Line Expressway to its publicly inanced Orlando International Airport terminal, this new start has few of the obstacles that confront even higher-speed upgrades of existing passenger routes. And it aims to link teeming population centers in a relatively painless 3 hours, compared to well-known

Yellow decals will be applied to the nose of this Charger locomotive. With locomotives at each end of trainsets, no visible couplers or head-end power connections are needed.

onerous alternatives of I-95 and airport security lines. Most of all, this experiment has a cadre of dedicated managers and staf fully committed to reinventing their product for the beneit of travelers, not the demands of a crusty, moribund organization. As Reininger puts it, “he product we ofer will evolve up until the minute when we serve the irst customer, and (based on the response) it will continue to evolve ater that.” With this group of professionals at the controls, it’s a good bet All Aboard Florida will add a new chapter to the passenger playbook. 2 www.TrainsMag.com

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TRIP WITH A CAPITAL

T An epic railfan trip from New York to Chicago in 1968 included a cab ride, a steam engine, an all-access pass to a tower, and more Story and photos by Kenneth L. Hojnacki ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS, John Tomandl, lived in the Chicago suburbs and invited me to come out for a fantrip behind ex-Reading Co. T-1 No. 2102 on the Grand Trunk Western from Chicago to South Bend, Ind., in July 1968. he only way to get there from my upstate New York home, in my estimation, was by train. I booked my ticket on Penn Central from Syracuse to Bufalo on No. 61, then across Canada, through Detroit, to Chicago on No. 17. A few years earlier, we had made the acquaintance of Lawrence Baggerly, then New York Central division superintendent in Rochester, N.Y. I wrote to him hoping he would intercede on my behalf for a cab ride somewhere along the route. he letter arrived a day before my trip and said that he had arranged with the superintendents in Detroit and Jackson, Mich., and Chicago, to permit me to ride the cab of train No. 17 from Detroit to Chicago. 54 Trains NOVEMBER 2016

On Wednesday, July 24, I boarded in Syracuse, N.Y., and caught what sleep I could in the coach seat. Arriving in Bufalo, N.Y., at 2:40 a.m., not only did I need to change trains but I was instructed to see the chief dispatcher to sign my release and obtain my cab pass for my ride out of Detroit. Wandering through those dark, cavernous halls in the Bufalo Central Terminal, I was illed with awe of that magniicent concourse and trepidation at not being able to ind the holder of my pass in time to make my next connection. he dimly lit concourse was eerily quiet, with few people waiting for No. 17’s 3:15 a.m. departure and fewer people to ask for directions to the chief dispatcher’s oice. Luckily, I did ind him and I was on the train and again slept in my coach seat until morning light. Before we arrived in Detroit, I notiied the conductor that I

would be leaving my suitcase in the coach while I headed to the head end for the rest of the trip. I’m not sure he fully appreciated the excitement in my voice. Mounting the ladder to the cab, I presented my credentials to the engineer, who then announced that an oicial was also scheduled to ride. When the oicial arrived, he never conirmed whether this was a routine trip for him or if he was there to watch me. In any event, we took turns standing against the electrical cabinet as there were seats for only three people. While the engineer and a workman attempted to ix the horn cord, another was cleaning our windshield, no doubt to help with my photography. hen of we went. At Town Line Tower, we received train orders on the ly. he engineers and iremen, who changed at Jackson and Niles, Mich., had a great time telling stories about trains hitting gasoline

Grand Trunk Western GP9 No. 4539 on the eastbound Maple Leaf threads the railfans mobbing the ex-Reading Co. T-1 No. 2102 at Valparaiso, Ind., in July 1968.

trucks and a washout that occurred two weeks previous, west of Ann Arbor, Mich. We had a rolling inspection at BO Tower in Kalamazoo, Mich., where a GP7 and a wooden caboose were switching. here were beautiful stations on the line, like Grass Lake, Battle Creek, and Niles, and the coaling towers were still standing near Kalamazoo and Michigan City, Ind. Train No. 354 was on the siding at Mattawan, Mich., waiting to meet us, with lots of other trains and switchers along the way. In Michigan City, we passed the Pullman-Standard shops where I saw side-rod GE switcher No. 5. (I would meet her sister, No. 4, 20 years later when I joined the North Freedom, Wis.-based Mid-Continent Railway Museum’s operating www.TrainsMag.com

55

What appears to be Rock Island AB6 No. 750 makes its way out of LaSalle Street Station, leading a commuter train.

crew. It remains one of the active locomotives.) As we got closer to Chicago, we began to see trains and locomotives of other railroads — Elgin, Joliet & Eastern and Chesapeake & Ohio in Gary, Ind.; Great Northern Baldwin S12 No. 27 near Inland Steel; Northern Paciic F3A No. 6003A, which would be traded in to GE the following year; and a Pennsy switcher. Penn Central shared LaSalle Street Station with the Rock Island, and a number of old cab units, including E6 No. 630, E8 No. 650, and what looked like AB6 No. 750 were seen on the way into and out of the station on commuter trains. John and I had decided to do some railfanning on Saturday and ride the 2102 trip on Sunday, so we proceeded to John’s favorite spot, Blue Island Tower, south of Chicago. John knew the operator, so we had free run of the tower and information on incoming trains. Indiana Harbor Belt NW2 No. 8725 and another similar unit headed across the Calumet Sag Channel bridge and crossed the Grand Trunk Western main line, followed closely by a Milwaukee Road job headed by F7 No. 109C with additional A-B-A units trailing. hen Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal SW900 No. 9426 and transfer caboose C1896 trundled by, and lots of Rock Island commuter trains were visible on the overpass to the south. Of to the north, a whistle sounded the arrival of Reading 2102 moving right along on Saturday’s excursion. We took our shots of the 2102 from the tower, then headed of for other pursuits. A visit to Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry introduced me to New York Central No. 999 and Santa Fe 4-8-4 No. 2903 (now at the Illinois Railway Museum). All were outside, along with the Burlington Zephyr, and facing Lake Michigan. Access to the Zephyr’s interior wasn’t possible other than looking through the doors in one vestibule so we contented ourselves with seats in the locomotive cabs. he next morning, we arrived at Dearborn Station to learn that during the previous night’s arrival, the 2102 was slightly damaged while passing through a switch. No one thought it was a big deal.

he excursion train departed, and from it we saw Penn Central and Chicago & Eastern Illinois passenger trains, a C&EI freight, and locomotives of other railroads along the way. Everything seemed ine until we got to Valparaiso, Ind. We pulled into a siding and the local ire department watered the engine. Everyone was out along the tracks to watch — no crowd control back then, people were all over the main line. We sat there for what seemed like 2 hours, with GTW’s eastbound Maple Leaf and freights crawling through the crowd. Finally, the word came — a lubrication line had been pinched during the preceding night’s incident. We would need to turn back to Chicago, our excursion over. To say we were disappointed was an understatement. We were provided one runby at slow speed, then it was limping back to Dearborn. Our excursion train arrived back in Chicago in the evening as the sun set, and all of the passengers slowly iled by the ailing 4-8-4 as we walked toward the station. he next day, while John worked, he had told me the Santa Fe ran not far from his home in Oak Lawn, Ill., and gave me directions to walk there. On the way, I stopped to watch a Belt Railway of Chicago Geep switch at the Argo Corn Starch plant. In those days before GPS devices, however, I took a wrong turn and ended up in Argo Yard on the Soo Line. Despite not seeing a Santa Fe train, I was treated to Indiana Harbor Belt SW1500s Nos. 9204 and 9201 on a transfer job, and then a Soo Line train came through with my irst view of the white-and-red paint scheme on GP30 No. 705, GP35 No. 730, and F3B No. 2200C, looking pretty sharp, all clean and shiny. hen B&OCT SW9 No. 9604 came through with a short cut of cars. Further into the yard, there was a long row of units on a dead line, including several Santa Fe RSD5s, a Union Paciic RS2 and Penn Central Baldwin DS4-4-1000 No. 7963, still lettered for Pennsy. I was going for a closer look when some unsavory looking characters appeared from behind the locomotives and started yell-

MY EPIC TRIP FROM NY TO CHICAGO, 1968 Kalamazoo

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Jackson

Mattawan

I boarded Erie Lackawanna train No. 15, the Owl, at Hornell about 9 a.m., after spending a long night sleeping in the depot.

A Milwaukee Road job, led by F7 No. 109C and trailing A-B-A units, crosses the diamonds at Blue Island.

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© 2016 Kalmbach Publishing Co., TRAINS: Rick Johnson

Marion

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Youngstown

EL Erie Lackawanna GTW Grand Trunk Western PC Penn Central

ing at me, so I decided to seek out safer environs and invited myself into Argo Tower where the understanding operator allowed me to spend a couple of hours watching the parade outside his window. Penn Central and B&OCT sent some trains through, then the same Soo units returned for an encore. On another day, we caught a short Milwaukee Road passenger train at Northbrook, Ill., with a ribbed-side combine, a smoothside coach, and a ribbed-side baggage car trailing the lone E unit. To make up for the loss of a full trip behind 2102, I decided to switch my return ticket so I could ride the Erie Lackawanna’s overnight Lake Cities back home. I purchased a ticket to Hornell, N.Y., and then from Hornell to Bufalo on the Owl, an overnight mail train. From Bufalo, I would use the remainder of my original Penn Central ticket to ride the PC back to Syracuse. he EL was a class act and dinner in the diner provided a wonderful pork-chop entrée. As I looked out the window, I saw Nickel Plate Road 2-8-2 No. 624 at Hammond, Ind., but no other trains shared the tracks that day. At Youngstown, Ohio, I got of and watched the switcher tie oice car No. 2 onto the rear of our train as the light faded, while a lagman used kerosene lanterns to lag the crossing. hen we were of into the night and in the wee hours of the following morning, I was awakened and told I had reached my destination: Hornell. Hornell had been a big railroad town, with the old locomotive shops close by the large, red-brick, two-story depot. he large, dimly lit Hornell waiting room was quiet and empty. I dropped down on a bench, put my Erie Lackawanna foam pillow under my head, and went back to sleep. A short while later, I heard the westbound Lake Cities pull in. he conductor came into the depot and woke me up, asking if I was waiting for that train. I told him no, I was waiting for the Owl, and he gave me a strange look. He let and I heard the train start to move, and then the brakes went on. he rear trainman came running in to see if I was missing my train, and when I responded to him in the negative, he stormed of, waving a wild highball, and the train disappeared into the night. Just as I settled down again on the bench, the agent came in and told me I had to leave, he was locking up the depot. I explained that I was waiting for the Owl and asked him where I could go, but he had no suggestions, just not in the waiting room.

My first view of the white-and-red Soo Line paint scheme on GP30 No. 705, GP35 No. 730, and F3B No. 2200C looked pretty sharp passing Argo Tower in 1968.

I irst tried to sleep on the stairs to the second loor of the depot where the dispatchers were located, but stair treads do little for back comfort. Eventually, I found the crew room with a big table and some chairs. I sat down, lowered my head to the tabletop, and was out like a light until daylight. If any crewmen came in while I was out, I never knew, and they kindly let me sleep. he Owl, train 15, was a mere shadow of its former self when it arrived around 9 a.m. with ex-Erie E8 No. 823, a baggage car, and one coach. I boarded the coach, and when we let for Bufalo, there were 10 people on the train: the engineer, ireman, conductor, trainman, a baggageman, the maintenance-of-way supervisor for the section, three other passengers, and me. I spent a good deal of time in the rear vestibule with the supervisor, looking back at where we had been. I remember crossing the high trestle over the Letchworth Gorge and making a stop in Warsaw, N.Y., but there was no other train activity until we arrived at the East Bufalo yard in Bufalo. he train stopped at the Babcock Street yard oice and I had just a few minutes to catch a shot of EL U33Cs Nos. 3306 and class loco 3301, U25B No. 2517, C&O GP35 No. 3525 and GP30 No. 3028, and an unidentiied Norfolk & Western unit. GP9 No. 1262 in its old Erie black-and-yellow scheme kept company with N&W ex-Wabash F7s Nos. 3725, 3666, and 3671, all in a blue-and-gray paint scheme, a sign of the recent inclusion of the Erie Lackawanna into the N&W holding company Dereco. here was one taxi waiting for passengers desperate enough to take this train to bring them to their destination, so I shared a taxi that eventually brought me to Bufalo Central Terminal and my train for home. I had time to grab a shot of PC steam heat car XH-7, still lettered New York Central, which was providing steam for the few remaining passenger trains calling here. I don’t remember the ride to Syracuse on PC or how I got from there to my home in Auburn. EL discontinued the Owl on May 23, 1969, and the Lake Cities in January 1970. No. 2102 is under restoration at the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern in Pennsylvania, but this trip still ranks as one of my most memorable fantrip adventures. 2 www.TrainsMag.com

57

IN MY OWN WORDS

Westbound Canadian National train 387, en route to Toledo, Ohio, leaves St. Clair Tunnel, between Sarnia and Port Huron, on Aug. 13, 2010.

They don’t train them like they used to Two experienced railroaders move a train out of a tunnel in Ontario Story and photos by Charles H. Geletzke Jr. On Pearl Harbor Day 2003, my conductor, Larry Williams, and I were sitting in the book-in room at Tunnel Yard in Port Huron, Mich., on Canadian National’s former Grand Trunk Western Railroad, waiting for our train to arrive. We were regularly assigned to train No. 384/383, working seven days a week. his trip began at 6:30 a.m. the previous day at Flat Rock, Mich., and we took train No. 384 to Sarnia, Ontario. We tied-up at 6:07 p.m. and taxied to the hotel in Port Huron for rest. Ater spending only 8 hours and 27 minutes in the hotel, we were ordered back 58

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

on duty for No. 383, reporting at 2:30 a.m., and would take the train to Lang Yard in Toledo, Ohio, and then taxi back to Flat Rock. We obtained an advanced consist for our train, read the bulletins, and secured the proper clearance for our trip to Toledo. Our paperwork told us that we were going to have four units, CN SD75I No. 5652 in the lead, with CN SD40-2 No. 5320, Wisconsin Central SD40-3 No. 6948, and CN SD70I No. 5615, which equaled 14,300 hp. he consist stated we’d have 120 loads and 10 empties, totaling 16,977 tons, and be 10,080 feet long, slightly longer than nor-

mal. hen, we waited for our train to arrive. We were alone in the room and were probably discussing plans for the upcoming holidays or maybe the signiicance of this day 62 years ago. Ater all, Larry had been a tin can sailor in Vietnam, and I had been one of Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children. Ater waiting about 45 minutes, the Sarnia trainmaster, Teresa Edwards, came charging into the room while pulling on her coat and mittens. She announced to us that No. 383 had “gotten a knuckle and was in two pieces in the tunnel [the St. Clair Tunnel linking Sarnia with Port Huron].

And that’s not the worst part,” she proclaimed. “My husband is the conductor!” Not showing much sympathy, Larry chimed in. “Aw, he’s got nothing to worry about; he wasn’t running the train!” And out the door she went. We began to speculate on possible causes. he temperature was about 24 degrees Fahrenheit with a clear sky, and the wind at about 4 mph, gusting to 12 mph, which was not much of a factor. hey might ind that the knuckle was previously cracked or broken, deferring the blame. But more than likely, the road foreman would be called from home to download the unit’s event recorder to establish culpability; 90 percent of the time it was engineer error. he St. Clair Tunnel is a momentum tunnel constructed beneath the St. Clair River, and with most trains, if you enter at the proper speed and begin to stretch out the train just as it begins to decelerate, the train’s momentum will push you right in and out. However, we do have some artists of true throttle experimentation. Maybe he tried to go through at full throttle; tried to use the air or the dynamic brake; started to throttle out too soon or too late, causing excessive slack action; or combined all of these techniques. Time would tell, but Larry and I agreed that the odds were that the engineer would be found at fault. Suddenly our discussion was interrupted by a call on the radio. “Conductor on outbound CN train No. 383, this is the Port Huron trainmaster calling. Over.” (Canadian crews and oicials always begin their radio transmissions in the exact opposite manner to which Americans do.) Larry grabbed his radio handset and responded. “his is the conductor on outbound CN train No. 383 answering. Over.” Trainmaster Edwards then told Larry that neither her husband nor she was able to install the new knuckle in the defective car. She asked if Larry would assist. Larry agreed and asked if she would drive to the yard oice and pick him up as the train separation was about a mile away, just outside of the west tunnel portal. In a few minutes, Trainmaster Edwards arrived. From the time the two arrived at the scene of the delay, Larry had the new knuckle replaced in less than one minute. Trainmaster Edwards returned Larry to the yard oice while the Sarnia crew tied the train back together and prepared to pull it out of the tunnel and up to the west end of Tunnel Yard at Tappan interlocking where we would change crews. Larry came into the yard oice and illed me in. He guessed that neither Edwards family member had ever changed a knuckle before and didn’t know how to properly position the lock-lit to insert the knuckle. We agreed that this was probably not their fault

in this era of little hands-on training. Suddenly, Trainmaster Edwards called again on the radio. She said that the young CN engineer was unable to pull the train out of the tunnel. He was justly afraid that he might once again pull the train in two, causing more delay. She asked if I would get two more units from the yard, tie-on the train, and try pulling it out of the tunnel. I asked Larry where the lead unit was ater the train was put back together and calculated that as the train now stood it had .859 horsepower/ton. I looked at Larry and said. “I think we can pull it out as it is!” Larry looked at me, rolled his eyes, and asked. “Are you sure?” “Larry, how many years have we been working together?” Larry then told Trainmaster Edwards to come and get us and that we would pull the train out of the tunnel just the way it was. She too asked. “Do you really think that you can?” Larry responded, “Let us give it a try.” With that, she picked us up and drove us to the train. As was normal, we exchanged pleasantries with the Canadian crew, inquired about anything that might hinder our progress, and any other problems that they may have encountered while en route from Toronto. We then climbed aboard the train. I performed my usual walk-through inspection of all four units. Over the years, I’ve corrected a number of problems on units that I have received from inbound engineers. his morning, I took no exceptions to anything. hen, Larry and I discussed our strategy. At this point, the air was cut-in on the train, but the brakes were still applied. As I sat in my seat, I could see the trainmaster’s SUV with the inbound crew inside monitoring our performance. I needed to put on a good show. I turned on the sanders, bailed of the independent brake, and allowed the units to roll back against the train. My goal was to make sure that there was sand under as many wheels as possible. I then put the throttle in Notch 1 and released the automatic brake valve. In this era with an entire train of ABD and ABDW brakes, I knew that the brakes on the entire train would be released in about 17 seconds. Now was the critical part of the equation. Fortunately, because the tail end of the train was still hanging out the east end of the tunnel, I still had communication with my marker almost 2 miles away in Canada. I watched as the air pressure began to increase on the rear end and simultaneously the numbers on my air low indicator decreased. As this occurred, I increased throttle position and amperage going to the traction motors, being careful not to allow the wheels of the units to slip. I stuck my

head out the window and stared at the ground, trying to detect motion. Slowly, almost imperceptible, we began to move. I increased the throttle a little more. I heard the chirp on the telemetry receiver indicating that the rear car was moving. I gave it a little more throttle and soon was in Notch 8. hat train of lumber and paper out of the Maritimes, aluminum and nickel ingots from Sudbury, and every hazardous chemical produced in Southern Ontario was on the move. I looked across the cab at Larry and saw a big grin on his face. his was what we loved about railroading. As we slowly crept by the trainmaster’s vehicle sitting at the 16th Street crossing at the top of the grade, Larry and I noticed the dropped jaws and wide-eyed expressions on the faces of Trainmaster Edwards and the inbound crew. While Larry and I took the train to the west end of the yard to clear U.S. Customs, Trainmaster Edwards took the Sarnia crew to the yard oice. Ater stopping the train at Tappan, we once again saw the white CN SUV approaching. he vehicle stopped next to my side of the cab, and she waved us over to her vehicle. Larry and I walked over, and Trainmaster Edwards rolled down the driver’s side window and asked, “I want to know how you two were able to pull that train out of the tunnel when the Canadian engineer could not?” Larry and I looked at one another, and then I answered. “You want to know what we used to repair that knuckle and get this train out of the tunnel? I’ll tell you (as I spoke I dofed my frayed black Kromer cap with its faded red, white, and blue button proclaiming Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers) ... gray hair!” CHARLES H. GELETZKE JR. retired from CN in 2011. He is the author of “When Deadhead Counted as Rest and Other Railroad Stories.” He lives in Temperance, Mich.

Canadian National westbound and eastbound trains meet at Tunnel Yard in Port Huron, Mich., on May 13, 2011. www.TrainsMag.com

59

PRESERVATION

BY KEVIN P. KEEFE

New home for a Nickel Plate jewel Fort Wayne, Ind., organization envisions a roundhouse to house 2-8-4 No. 765

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

Fresh from years of successful mainline excursions, the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society is pursuing a bold plan for a new home for its star, Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 No. 765. he society has a grand vision for Headwaters Junction, a historical and recreational park to be built north of downtown Fort Wayne along the St. Marys River. A roundhouse and shop would serve as the new base

No. 765 wears sister No. 767’s markings this fall to remember the engine that made its preservation possible. Greg McDonnell

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for the group’s big 1944 Lima-built Berkshire. “he 765 was preserved by the city of Fort Wayne to recognize how a successful railroad elevation project in the 1950s inspired a half-century’s worth of progress,” says Kelly Lynch, society vice president. “Today, the engine has become an international attraction and can be the centerpiece in a new era of development.” Headwaters Junction is planned as a $14to $18-million project, to be constructed in three phases and designed to draw approximately 120,000 visitors annually. he railroad historical society assembled a blue-chip group of local business and non-proit leaders for fundraising. “Our board is excited at the possibilities that Headwaters Junction represents for future riverfront development. We are aggressively pursuing ways to make this a reality,” says Don Steininger, a developer and project chairman. Initial concept illustrations show a mixed-use destination that also includes a 1940s-inspired restaurant, a rail-theme park, and a small-gauge tourist railroad linking the park to the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo. Lynch says the society hopes to make Headwaters its operating base, relegating its existing New Haven, Ind., complex to longterm storage, maintenance, and repairs. he project site is the location of a Pepsi distributor and an ex-New York Central de-

For t Wayne Railroad Historical Societ y

pot used by a local recreation outitter. Steininger says negotiations are underway to buy and raze the Pepsi plant. And then there’s a twist on the project. Lynch’s reference to Fort Wayne’s historic elevation project recalls Nickel Plate’s massive 1955 relocation of its main line through downtown, liting it from grade level to a series of bridges and ills, including a new passenger station. At the dedication, the railroad sent 2-8-4 No. 767 to break the ceremonial ribbon, completing the dream known locally as “Elevate the Nickel Plate.” Years later, the city requested No. 767 for display at Lawton Park. However, railroad management determined that the Berkshire in the best condition for preservation was 765, a favorite with crews operating between Fort Wayne and Chicago. So with a simple switch of paint, number boards, and number plate, the 765 quietly became No. 767. It was installed in the park in May 1963. he substitute number remained until the society got the engine in 1974 and began restoration. In a nod to that history, the society renumbered the 2-8-4 as 767 for the rest of 2016, including September trips on Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. he new look includes a 767 number plate, lighted number boards, and magnetic numbers. he crew also returned a Mars light to the smokebox, matching 1950s Nickel Plate Road practice.

Former International Railways of Central America 2-8-0 No. 111 steams again at Georgetown Loop Railroad. Nick Hovey

Colorado steam railroading has a deserved reputation for timelessness, and an enviable concentration of steam locomotives trundling on in deiance of passing time. Most are deeply rooted in local history, but there are surprises in the Rockies, as well. International Railways of Central America No. 111, which returned to service at the Georgetown Loop in August, is one such outlier. he Baldwin 2-8-0’s history forms a stark contrast to abundant K-28s and K-36s and their near-century of service in Colorado: It was built for export to Guatemala in 1926, and spent four decades running there. Fortunately for No. 111, the end came as Colorado tourist railroads began to coalesce.

In 1973 Don Drawer bought No. 111 and moved it to the U.S., but plans to steam it never materialized, and the engine was sold for display in Breckenridge, Colo. In 2007, History Colorado bought No. 111, and assigned it to the Georgetown Loop. he mechanical staf in Silver Plume, Colo., began restoration in 2013. he threeyear task culminated in No. 111’s return — the irst time the engine hauled a train under its own power in almost 50 years. As an example of Baldwin’s foreign market, No. 111’s restoration has historic signiicance. hroughout the irm’s existence, the foreign market formed a small but reliable niche. Baldwin produced and exported locomotives to distant destinations such as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Russia. Only Beyer, Peacock & Co., the manufacturer which supplied locomotives for the nations that formerly composed the British Empire, reached the same level of international distribution. No. 111 is not the only Baldwin repatriate in the state — Colorado Railroad Museum has a similar locomotive on display, and a 2-8-0 that served in Mexico sits in Black Hawk, Colo. — Hayley Enoch

P

AWARD ON

Cosmopolitan side of Colorado steam

SERVATI RE

2016

TRAINS’ $10,000 preservation award

TRAINS is accepting proposals through Oct. 28 for its annual $10,000 preservation award. The grant will go to a nonprofit educational group in the U.S. or Canada for the restoration or repair of a locomotive, rolling stock, or a structure; or for archives. 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, 2017. Projects nearing completion are preferred. Proposals should be no more than 200 words, and include a basic project budget and up to five images. Applications should be sent by email to [email protected] or mailed to TRAINS Preservation Award, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187. Editor Jim Wrinn will announce the winner Nov. 12 at the Association of Tourist Railroads & Railway Museums’s annual meeting in Savannah, Ga., and on TRAINS “News Wire.” The winner will be profiled in the January 2017 issue.

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61

HOT SPOTS

BY NOLAN WALLENKAMP

CN’s Matteson connection New railfan park ofers an elevated view of Illinois mainline action

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

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FOR YOUR FAMILY: Passing through Matteson just north of the Metra station is the Old Plank Road Trail. This 22-mile paved bike trail connecting Joliet and Chicago Heights started out as the right-of-way for the Michigan Central Railroad in the late 1800s. For more information, go to www.oprt.org. To Interstate 57 Matteson

ILLINOIS N

To Chicago

Front Street Old Plank Road Trail

Metra station

Metra Electric District CN Matteson Sub CN Chicago Sub

Railfan park To South Bend, Ind.

CN

To Joliet To Kankakee

Lincoln Highway

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TRAIN-WATCHING: There are three key locations to view trains around the new Matteson connection. The first is the new park that lies northeast of the connection. Opened in 2013, the park provides great views of train action on the connection tracks. The 35-foot-high elevated observation platform has several benches under its canopy and is a great place to hang out while waiting for the next train. Aside from the platform, a 500-foot-long boardwalk also offers unique photo angles. A retired EJ&E caboose and crossing gate are on display, marking the park entrance. The second location is the Metra Matteson station. With service between Millennium Station in Downtown Chicago and University Park, the Metra Electric District is a busy corridor with several north/south movements every hour, and fewer on weekends. The station also provides the best views of the Chicago Subdivision and is great for afternoon photos of trains traversing the connection. The third location is the grade crossing of the Matteson Sub and Main Street. This spot

RADIO FREQUENCIES: CN Matteson Sub, 160.920; CN Chicago Sub, 161.190; Metra Electric District, 161.025

Homan Avenue

A former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern caboose marks the entrance to the boardwalk that leads to the elevated viewing platform.

Following its acquisition of the EJ&E, CN invested in a $30 million connection that enables trains to travel in any direction. Completed in 2010, this engineering marvel enables routing many of CN’s trains on the former EJ&E belt line and around much of the city’s rail congestion.

0

CN

LOCATION: Chicago is still the U.S. railroad capital. With stations, interchanges, and yards all over, Chicagoland offers much for visiting railfans. Canadian National and the Village of Matteson, Ill., realized this tremendous railfan draw and have responded by building a railfan park with an elevated view of the action. Located about 30 miles south of the Loop, Matteson is host to the intersection of two busy Canadian National main lines, as well as the Metra Electric District commuter rail line. Until CN purchased the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern in 2009, Matteson consisted of a gradeseparated crossing of the east-to-west-running former EJ&E Matteson Subdivision and the northto-south Illinois Central Chicago Subdivision and the Metra Electric District and one connection.

Main Street

THIS MONTH: MATTESON, Ill.

An elevated viewing platform provides the best sight of the action. Here, a CN freight comes off the former EJ&E and onto the Illinois Central. Three photos, Nolan Wallenkamp

provides the best views of the Matteson Sub as well as the southeast connection track. In total, CN runs about 50 trains through the area in 24 hours. The traffic includes a mix of intermodal, ethanol, grain, and other unit trains. Manifest trains frequently operate to or from Kirk Yard, located at the eastern end of the former EJ&E main line in Gary, Ind. Amtrak makes an appearance with its daily City of New Orleans, Illini, and Saluki on the elevated Illinois Central route. Two trains operate north and one train operates south in the morning, while one train operates north and two trains operate south in the evenings.

Scale

1⁄ 2

mile

© 2016 Kalmbach Publishing Co. TRAINS: Rick Johnson Not all streets shown.

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LLC

Pacific Electric from Monte Vista Publishing PE v2

Hollywood-Venice Line

Annual rail events set 2017 dates It’s never too early to plan your next railfan adventure. A number of popular railfan events already have dates for next year. Here’s what’s set so far: • Perennial multimedia show and railroadiana sale Winterail returns March 18, 2017, in Corvallis, Ore. he event, which ran for more than 30 years in Stockton, Calif., is a full day of sights and sounds. • he Madison, Wis.-based Center for Railroad Photography & Art will hold its annual “Conversations About Photography” conference at Lake Forest College in suburban Chicago April 28-30, 2017. Conversations draws a number of high-proile railroad photographers and authors each year, and it’s a great way to network and learn how they made their images. • Ohio multimedia show and sale Summerail will return to the Palace heatre in Marion, Ohio, for the second year on Aug. 12, 2017, following a successful opening there this year. Summerail is normally held in Cincinnati, but has moved temporarily while its regular venue, the famed Cincinnati Union Terminal, undergoes a multiyear renovation. Keep your favorite railroad museum in mind for special events, too. For example, the Lake Shore Railway Museum in North East, Pa., hosts an annual “Night at the Railroad Museum” the third weekend in June each year. he event, which is scheduled for June 17-18, 2017, includes a nighttime train-watching session along the town’s busy CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern main lines. Other museums sponsor recurring events to watch for, such as the Illinois Railway Museum’s summer Diesel Days event and autumn Museum Showcase Weekend. — Brian Schmidt

>> Santa returns

LA to Santa Monica Begin in Downtown Los Angeles, north thru the tunnels to Sunset, Hollywood, Santa Monica Blvds. additional cities, W. L.A., Beverly Hills and Brentwood. Several types of trolleys 600s, 950s, Box & Freight Motors Full page, black & white photographs, Roster & Action available from fine railroad book stores & hobby shops

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STEAM LOCOMOTIVES ARE HUNGRY FOR GOOD COAL

• May 2016

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

www.TrainsMag.com

63

ASK TRAINS

>> This Month: • Animal-feed trains • Blue bearing caps • Switch heaters

This blue roller bearing cap is a Brenco Class K 61⁄2 x 9 model. These are more common as half of the freight-car fleet is made of heavier cars. Bucyrus Railcar Repair A Cargill unit feed train rolls through Shawnee, Kan., in June 2009. The train consists of covered bathtub gondolas pulled from coal service. Zach Pumpher y

Q

While traveling near Atchison, Kan., I noticed a BNSF Railway train with covered bathtub coal gondolas. What were the covers for, and could they be removed should they be rotary dumped? — Lyle Sentel, Arthur, Ill. hat was likely a unit train of Cargill Sweet Bran, a brand of cattle feed, A and not coal at all. his is a product created from the corn wet-milling process conducted at plants within the Midwest. he commodity is moved in bulk between the mills and Cargill’s distribution centers in Dalhart and Bovina, Texas. BNSF Railway, Canadian National, and Iowa Interstate operate the trains, which originate at various plants in Iowa. he cars are aluminum Bethgon Coalporters, usually with a majority sporting Burlington Northern mark-

ings, reassigned from coal service. hey are equipped with Shur-Lok brand roll tarps, similar to ones manufactured for use on grain-hauling semitruck trailers, to prevent the slurry-like product from being exposed to the elements and spoiling en route. When the trains arrive at a Texas distribution center, they are unloaded with a rotary dumper on a loop track in a method similar to a coal train for consumption at area feedlots, and the empties return north. — Zach Pumphery, locomotive engineer

Swing nose frog

Q

Why are the roller bearing caps of some freight cars painted blue? —

Nathan Penn, Monmouth, Ill.

In 1988, the Association of American Railroads sponsored the Heavy Load A Research Program to provide guidance to the railroad industry and its plan to increase the loaded weight of railcars. Increasing the weight of loaded railcars would increase railroad productivity by allowing trains to transport more freight via a decrease in trains, railcars, train crews, and fuel. By 1991, the railroad industry started accepting railcars with a 286,000-pound gross weight in interchange service. Within 20 years, virtually all unit trains of coal, sand, and rock were running on 286,000-pound capacity trucks. he blue bearing caps you are spotting identify Brenco Class K 61 ⁄2 x 9 bearings manufactured for 286,000-pound trucks. hese bearings are a double-row, tapereddesign, fatigue-resistant unit for heavy haul application, using a low torque seal option that increases fuel eiciency. hese bearings are becoming more prevalent as 50 percent of North America’s rail freight is now moving on 286,000-pound-compatible trucks. — Thomas Cathcart, Bucyrus Railcar Repair

Q

The picture on page 42 of the March 2016 issue shows some interesting trackside equipment. It looks like they could be switch heater propane tanks, however, I don’t see any switches. — Bruce Bussert, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Switch heaters Switch points

A northbound BNSF coal train passes Coal Creek Junction, Wyo., in July 2008.

64

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

Steve Glischinski

>> Questions? Email [email protected] to have your question considered for a future issue!

RAILROAD

IN THE DECEMBER ISSUE

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Railcom Box 38881 • Germantown, TN 38183

901-755-1514 • www.railcom.net email: [email protected]

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NEW! Premium Dot-to-Dot Collection

Update on double-tracking: Finishing the Transcons

TAKE A TRIP ON

Photo worth getting soaked for

ROUTE 66 Historic Route 66 continues to captivate travelers from Chicago to Los Angeles with its small-town charm, roadside attractions, and sense of whimsy. Our NEW Cruisin’ Route 66 dot-to-dot book includes 30 individual, iconic sites.

ON SALE NOV. 8, 2016 he propane tanks are indeed for switch heaters (see photo on page A 64). In fact, each switch has two heaters,

Connolly, Minot, N.D. he Northern Alberta Railways Co. was incorporated in June 1929 as a A joint venture of Canadian National and Canadian Paciic. It operated four railroads previously owned by the province beginning July 1, 1929. In 1980, CP sold its share of the railroad to CN, and the latter incorporated the smaller road into its Peace River Division on Jan. 1, 1981. — Brian Schmidt

• Pr em

ot-to-Dot Co ll e

Cruisin’

•

Q

What happened to the Northern Alberta Railways? — Michael

D ium

on cti r

ROUTE 66 ne

one for the switch points and one for the swing-nose, or moveable, frog — where the rails converge. Propane or natural gas power switch heaters and keep the switch points clear during winter storms. hey are especially common on busy main lines, like the Powder River Basin coal line shown. Many installations are dispatcher controlled, which requires a dispatcher to have current weather information along the territory. Other installations have weather-sensing technology that will turn on the burners when snow falls. — Brian Schmidt

Each illustration contains 600 dots for a challenging — but doable — visual puzzle. Printed on premium art paper with a perforated edge.

A da

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ClassicTrains SPECIAL EDITION NO. 19

GreatTrains EAST

The golden age of American rail travel

Save $1 + FREE SHIPPING* Rediscover the golden age of railroad travel in America’s busiest region: the East.This special collectors edition takes you back to an era of optimism when luxurious trains transported passengers to the country’s leading cities including Boston, New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.

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Curated from the archives of Trains and Classic Trains magazines, this special collection honors the great trains of the classic-era with fresh layouts and photography. A sampling of featured trains include New York Central’s 20th Century, Seaboard’s Silver Meteor, B&O’s Royal Blue, CNJ’s Blue Comet, Southern’s Crescent, Pennsy’s Broadway, and more! A wonderful companion to Great Trains West.

*Free standard shipping to U.S. addresses only. Great Trains East will arrive in mid-November 2016.

Reserve your copy today at KalmbachHobbyStore.com/GTEast P28683

A Year of Inspiration Trains across America

2017

Our NEW 2017 calendar offers the perfect planning tool for train enthusiasts. Printed on premium paper stock with an easy-to-read format, eathisch full-size calendar features a curated collection of photographs from the pages of Trains magazine.

TRAINS ACROSS AMERICA 2017 This beautifully photographed calendar presents a variety of moving trains, including Class I, shortline, and heritage units, in breathtaking scenes across America. A bonus spread features the restoration of Norfolk & Western’s No. 611 passenger locomotive.

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NS/Virginian

Photo by Samuel Phillips 9, 2013, Norfolk Southern In this tranquil scene on August through Lafayette, Virginia, train 756 drops downgrade No. 1069 treading original with Virginian heritage unit motive power has Virginian Railway tracks. Although the gorgeous scenery evolved from the days of electrics, line has changed main along the previously electrified September 2014 Issue: little through the decades.

P28958

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Check our entire selection of calendars online.

West Texas & Lubbock

Photo by Mike Cleaver

18

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

19

November

A West Texas & Lubbock train slowly emerges from an unexpected sandstorm created by high winds Whiteface, Texas, in November near purchased in 2015 by Watco 2013. The short line was and renamed the Lubbock & Western. It operates from from Plainview to Dimmit. Lubbock to Whiteface and It carries chemicals, fertilizer, grain, animal feed, and oil. Issue: September 2015

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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 afordable fun for the whole family! Plan your complete vacation with visits to these leading attractions. For information on advertising in this section, call Mike Yuhas toll-free at 888-558-1544, Ext 625. CALIFORNIA

COLORADO Leadville LEADVILLE COLORADO & SOUTHERN

GEORGIA Ringgold RINGGOLD RAIL VIEWING PLATFORM

326 East 7th

5282 Evitt Street (behind the Depot, next to Fire Dept)

May 28 – June 17 1:00pm. June 18 – August 19 10:00am & 2:00pm. August 20 – October 9 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.leadvillerailroad.com 1-866-386-3936 FLORIDA Fort Myers SEMINOLE GULF RAILWAY 1-75 exit 136 at Colonial Blvd.

Murder Mystery Dinner Train

Clear Lake/Nice

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. he 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.

www.featherbedrailroad.com

1-800-966-6322

CALIFORNIA Santa Cruz SANTA CRUZ & MONTEREY BAY RAILWAY

he Paciic 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
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888-978-5562

COLORADO Alamosa RIO GRANDE SCENIC RAILROAD 610 State Street

FLORIDA Plant City ROBERT W. WILLAFORD RAILROAD MUSEUM

877-726-RAIL

COLORADO Golden COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM 17155 W. 44th Avenue

Union ILLINOIS RAILWAY MUSEUM 7000 Olson Road

Located at the “diamond” of the “A” line and “S” line for CSX Railroad In the Historic 1909 Union Station Depot. Visit our fully restored 1963 Seaboard Caboose and 1942 Whitcomb switch engine. Museum is open Mon thru Wed from 12:00 to 4:00 and hurs thru Sat from 10:00 to 4:00. Platform is open 24 hours a day, every day for great train viewing. CSX freight, Tropicana Juice Train, Ethanol, TECO Coal, Amtrak are daily arrivals www.willafordrailroadmuseum.com 813-719-6989 GEORGIA Folkston FOLKSTON FUNNEL

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

Winter Rail Watch 2016 ~ December 3rd he “Folkston Funnel” is CSXT’s double track line which serves as the main artery for railroad traic to & from Florida. Visitors can watch upwards of 60 trains a day pass through this charming, southeast Georgia town. he platform is equipped with wii, scanner, fans & loodlights for night train watching. Diagonally across the street is the restored Train Depot, home of the Train Museum, the “Cookie Williams” Model Train Room, the radio exhibit & museum git shop. he Depot has a covered pavilion perfect for cookouts. Open areas are perfect for taking pictures or video. If you love trains, you’ll love Folkston. www.folkston.com

INDIANA Connersville WHITEWATER VALLEY RAILROAD 5th and Grand

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. Git Shop. www.whitewatervalleyrr.org

765-825-2054

MASSACHUSETTS Hyannis CAPE COD CENTRAL RAILROAD 252 Main Street

912-496-2536

GEORGIA

Folkston THE INN AT FOLKSTON B&B

3576 Main Street (Formerly 509 West Main Street)

here’s something amazing about trains. he familiar whistle has always promised adventure. Experience it again with a visit to the Colorado Railroad Museum, one of the top 10 railroad museums in the United States with one of the largest collections of narrow-gauge equipment. he 15-acre rail yard also features a roundhouse restoration facility and renowned library. Train rides throughout the year. Group rates and programs available. ColoradoRailroadMuseum.org 800-365-6263

ILLINOIS

102 N. Palmer St.

3795 Main Street

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

www.coloradotrain.com

Enjoy a comical murder mystery show while our chef prepares your ive course dinner with a choice of 3 entrees. he 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)

he Ringgold Rail Viewing Platform is located on the east side of the single track and Historic Ringgold Depot. From the rail viewing platform, visitors can expect around 20 trains during a 24 hour period. his is the North/ South CSX W&A (Western & Atlantic) Subdivision. he platform is an elevated covered platform with benches, lighting and a radio scanner feed to tune into the local railroad chatter. he hotbox detector will help you know when a train is approaching. here is a grade crossing at the north side of the park. he park consists of an open grass ield, picnic tables and lighting for evening viewing. You are also less than a ive minute drive from Historic Downtown Ringgold where you can take advantage of our many local eateries, nature trails, antique shipping and our Ringgold Information Center located at Doc Steve’s Place. Parking is free. www.cityofringgold.com 706-935-2451

Bed & Breakfast at he 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

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. • Brunch and Dinner Trains • Beer tasting trains • Holiday theme trains www.capetrain.com 888-797-RAIL

When visiting these attractions, mention you saw their ad in www.TrainsMag.com

67

NEBRASKA North Platte GOLDEN SPIKE TOWER & VISITOR CENTER

PENNSYLVANIA Marysville Bridgeview Bed & Breakfast

1249 N Homestead Rd

810 S. Main St.

Eight story tower offering a panoramic view of the Union Paciic’s Bailey Yard, the world’s largest classiication yard.  housands 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

Lately, train watching around he Bridgeview B&B has been extremely exciting with motive power from BNSF, UP, KCS, CP, CN, CSX and Ferromex oten leading, plus add NS heritage units into the mix and you have some amazing lashup possibilities!  Trains entering or exiting Enola Yard pass right 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, Wii, 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 PENNSYLVANIA Stewartstown STEWARTSTOWN RAILROAD Come and ride on an Authentic American Antiquity – the Stewartstown Railroad. Operating from May through December, ride on our historic locomotives, cabooses, coaches, or even on our motorcars! See the gorgeous southern Pennsylvania countryside. Rides start at our historic 1915 station. www.StewartstownRailRoadCompany.com (717) 746-6052

NEW YORK Saratoga Springs SARATOGA & NORTH CREEK RAILWAY

www.SNCRR.com

Route 52 (Between Eckman & Kimball)

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, ireplace, vintage quilts, art, antiques & git shop/museum room. Meals available. Sat TV, VCR, slide-viewer, studio & Wi-Fi internet. On Route 52, 30 minutes from Blueield WV/VA. See our “railfan” pages on our web site. Local phone: 304-862-2031 www.elkhorninnwv.com

800-708-2040

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 Paciic Cheyenne Depot built in 1887. Cheyenne is home to the Union Paciic Steam program and illed 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

WYOMING

26 Station Lane

For more advertising information, please call 888-558-1544 Ext. 625

he Adirondacks offer four seasons of beauty best seen along breathtaking waterway vistas in heritage cars with exceptional service and classic rail dining. • Summer and Fall excursion rides • Snow train to winter resorts • Holiday theme trains

WEST VIRGINIA Landgraff ELKHORN INN & THEATER

TENNESSEE THREE RIVERS RAMBLER

Douglas

DOUGLAS RAILROAD INTERPRETATIVE MUSEUM & VISITOR CENTER

121 Brownfield Road Douglas

Knoxville

2560 University Commons Way

877-726-7245

Douglas Chamber of Commerce and Visitor’s Center, in the historic FE & MV Railroad passenger Depot, is home to the Railroad Interpretative Museum. Seven historic railcars, including the #5633 Steam Locomotive are on display. Modern day trains can be seen hauling coal from the Powder River Basin to the East. Open year round, 7 days a week, the museum and visitor center are available for viewing. Seasonal hours apply.

www.jackalope.org

NORTH CAROLINA Thomasville HISTORIC DOWNTOWN THOMASVILLE

1-877-937-4996

Say you saw their ad in Trains magazine!

44 West Main Street (I-85 Exit 103)

WEST INDIES

ST. KITTS SCENIC RAILWAY

LIVE TRAIN CAM 24/7 AT www.TVilleNC.com Ideally situated on Norfolk Southern’s busy ex-Southern Railway Main Line between Washington and Atlanta, homasville delights its visitors with some of the best trainwatching in the United States, with over 35 trains daily. homasville Visitor’s Center, a restored 1870 passenger depot, offers trackside viewing, free parking and restrooms. Located in the heart of Historic Downtown homasville, within walking distance of restaurants and antique shops.

FB: TVilleNC Twitter: @tvillenc [email protected] www.TVilleNC.com 1-800-611-9907 OREGON

MOUNT HOOD RAILROAD

Hood River

All aboard the hree Rivers Rambler steam train ride in Knoxville, Tennessee! Join us on our Vintage Baseball, Hoot ‘N Holler, or Christmas Lantern Express Trains. For more information, or to purchase merchandise, please visit our website. www.ThreeRiversRambler.com TEXAS

110 Railroad Street

865-524-9411

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 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. • Excursions to Odelle • Holiday themed rides • Dinner and Brunch trains www.mthoodrr.com YOUR STATE

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

Rusk & Palestine TEXAS STATE RAILROAD PO Box 166

Your City

Contact Mike Yuhas at 888-558-1544 Ext. 625

68

409-765-5700

800-872-4661

Advertise your tourist railroad here!

St. Kitts

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

Trains magazine is available in

DIGITAL! You can read TRAINS anytime, anywhere!

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. • Lunch and dinner trains • Holiday theme trains • Full campground facilities

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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. 2016 issue closes Oct. 21, Feb. closes Nov. 23, Mar. closes Dec. 18, Apr. closes Jan. 21, May closes Feb. 25, June closes Mar. 24, July closes Apr. 27, Aug. closes May 24, Sept. closes June 22, Oct. closes July 27, Nov. closes Aug. 24, Dec. closes Sept. 22. For TRAINS’ private records, please furnish: a telephone number and when using a P.O. Box in your ad, a street address. magazine – Classified AdSend your ads to: vertising 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]

LODGING GO BEYOND MODEL TRAINS Our B&B has antique Pullman train cars as your guest suite. All cars with modern amenities. Central Minnesota, 800-328-6315, www.whistlestopbedandbreakfast.com STATIONINNPA.COM View live mainline action on our website. Plan a visit, The Station Inn IS railfans. 814-886-4757 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.

BOOKS AND MAGAZINES LOCOMOTIVE BUILDER RECORD BOOKS 80 books available, with more coming, offering fully detailed builders’ records. Send SASE for list to RH Lehmuth, 104 N. 2080 E. Circle, St. George, UT 84790 or eMail [email protected] for details and costs.

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. TOP DOLLAR PAID for steam/diesel or electric builder plates. Mr. Slides, PO Box 18625, Cleveland Hts., OH 44118. [email protected] Telephone: 216-321-8446

PHOTOS, PRINTS AND SLIDES TOP DOLLAR PAID for 35mm slide collections especially pre-1980. Mr. Slides, PO Box 18625, Cleveland Hts., OH 44118. [email protected] Telephone: 216-321-8446

RAILROAD EQUIPMENT WANTED: DIAMOND ARCH BAR type boxcar wheel trucks. Circa 1912, 24” wheel diameter for a 42” gauge track. If none available, larger would be considered up to standard gauge. Restorable condition preferred for display. Contact: 919-920-1886

MISCELLANEOUS RAILROAD PATCHES, 1,000 designs. Catalog $5.00. Patch King, Box 145, York Harbor, ME 03911.

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 ORIGINAL SLIDE COLLECTIONS and black & white negative collections. Any railroad or railroad subjects. Call 908-755-5454.

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.

7Idea Productions ..................................63 Activity Book ..........................................65 Aldon Company ...................................... 17 Amsted Rail ............................................76 Big E Productions ................................... 19

RAIL SHOWS AND EVENTS OCTOBER 16, 2016: 25th 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 OCTOBER 30, 2016: Burlington Route Historical Society Annual Railroad Sale & Swap Meet. Days Inn, 101 Sky Harbour Drive, Airport Exit 2. La Crosse, Wisconsin. 9:00am3:00pm. Admission $5.00, under 12 free. Information: 608-781-9383 [email protected] NOVEMBER 6, 2016: 39th Annual Gaithersburg Railroad and Transportation Artifacts Show and Sale. Montgomery County Fairgrounds, Gaithersburg, Maryland. Over 600 tables of railroad and other transportation (steamship- trolley- bus and airline) artifacts for sale. 9:00am-4;00pm. Over 275 dealers from the U.S., Canada and Europe. Largest selection of railroad and transportation memorabilia found anywhere. Located 15 miles NW of Washingtion, D.C. Three day early admission pass available on Friday at 12:00pm. Information: LSSAE Miller, 3106 N. Rochester St., Arlington, VA 22213. 703-536-2954, E-mail: [email protected]. Web: www.gserr.com.

Borden Perlman ......................................15 C R Scholes ...........................................65 Calendars...............................................66 Cit Rail ................................................... 11 Classic Trains Special Issue ....................66 Four Ways West ...................................... 19 George Swimmer ......................................8 Greg Scholl Video Productions ................65 Heimburger House Publishing....................8 Herron Rail Video ....................................63 Highball Productions .................................8

AUCTIONS

Lat-Lon LLC ............................................ 16

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.

McMillan Publications.............................. 15 Monte Vista Publishing ............................63 Morning Sun Books, Inc. .........................63 National Energy Equipment, Inc. ................7 New York Air Brake ...................................9

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE Modern brick ranch style family home in desirable Coeur d’Alene, Idaho neighborhood includes finished basement with 12 x 27 HO layout with scenery under construction. Includes craft workshop. E-mail: [email protected] Tel: 208-620-0781

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NY Central System Historical Society ........8 Plets Express ...........................................8 Railcom ..................................................65 railroadbooks.biz ......................................8 Retlif Testing Laboratories ......................21 Ron’s Books .............................................7 Signature Press ...................................... 15 Society of International Railway Travelers ..7 Softrail, Inc. ...........................................23 Start Pac................................................ 10 Trains magazine Tour ..............................61

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www.TrainsMag.com

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

PHOTO SPE CTACULAR: British Colu mbia 2016

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Our Locomotive 2016 METRA MU SCLE! annual has a feature inFrothem Geeps to EVOs City of Ang els story on the AC44C6M units shown here! Power to keep 150, commuters 000 on the mov daily Chicagoland e

INSIDE old Das LOOK: Turning h 9s into new AC Ontario locos Southlan d’s celebrity FP9s

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

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Trains NOVEMBER 2016

www.TrainsMag.com

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

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

>> Want more photos? 74

Trains NOVEMBER 2016

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

Evening interlude Amtrak AEM-7 No. 934 rests at the Race Street Engine Terminal in Philadelphia on May 30, 1997. Less than 30 years later, Amtrak would say goodbye to the venerable electric workhorses with a farewell excursion in June 2016. — Photo by Gary Pancavage

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