Taking Care of Business: Morristown & Erie Railway, Part 2

A man with high-visibility clothing stands near tracks and a red-painted diesel locomotive.

If you enjoyed the first episode of Taking Care of Business featuring Morristown & Erie Railway crews, just wait ’til you see the second! In this exclusive, contributing editor Charlie Conway continues capturing real railroad operation, and its challenges, as work proceeds throughout a day on the rails! […]

Read More…

Diesel locomotive pooling

TRNAT0515_02

Two Canadian Pacific trains, with motive power from CP, CSX Transportation, and Norfolk Southern, meet near Oconomowoc, Wis., in November 2014. Brian Schmidt Q It is common to see a train from one railroad which is powered, partially or fully, by locomotives from another railroad. Why does this happen so frequently and how is the […]

Read More…

IPS Cranes acquires American & Ohio Locomotive Crane NEWSWIRE

Crane

Norfolk Southern crane No. 514892MW displays its Ohio Locomotive Crane heritage at Lawrenceburg, Ky., in August 2011. Thomas E. Hoffmann ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota-based IPS Cranes has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire American & Ohio Locomotive Crane Co. of Bucyrus, Ohio. IPS will provide customers with a greater range of services that […]

Read More…

Ross Rowland revives American Freedom Train name for proposed veterans’ tour NEWSWIRE

CS1M1111_614B

POTTSTOWN, Pa. – Ross Rowland is the man behind some of the biggest steam events ever organized during the diesel era. Now he is reviving the name of his most iconic effort to help promote a proposed three-year, cross-country tour behind steam. Rowland first proposed what he dubbed the Yellow Ribbon Express back in 2015. […]

Read More…

Class I railroad employment down in 2017 NEWSWIRE

ScreenShot20170524at124556AM

A Norfolk Southern conductor rides a tank car during a switching move at the CSX Transportation-NS interchange in Point Pleasant, W.Va., in September 2013. Chase Gunnoe WASHINGTON — There are 4,000 fewer Class I railroad employees than there were at this time last year, according to new data published this week by the Surface Transportation […]

Read More…

UPDATE: The numbers behind CSX Transportation’s hump shutdowns NEWSWIRE

CSXHumpMap

CSX Transportation Yard hump map CSX Transportation NEW YORK — CSX Transportation CEO E. Hunter Harrison has said that hump yards can justify their existence only when they classify more than 1,400 to 1,500 cars per day. One glance at the volume levels at CSX’s top 10 terminals shows why the railroad is quickly moving […]

Read More…

Norfolk Southern to end Chattanooga hump yard operations NEWSWIRE

ns_logo_image

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Norfolk Southern will do away with its hump yard operations at its DeButts yard in Chattanooga, the Times Free Press reports. The decision to close down its hump yard operations will result cut about 74 of the 495 jobs assigned to the facility. The job cuts affect 42 car repair employees, 23 […]

Read More…

Report: Medical condition often forces Hunter Harrison to work from home NEWSWIRE

CSX CEO E. Hunter Harrison Associated Press BOSTON — E. Hunter Harrison has an undisclosed medical condition that has frequently forced the 72-year-old CSX Transportation chief executive to work from home, The Wall Street Journal reports. The disclosure could complicate the advisory vote on Harrison’s request to be reimbursed for $84 million in salary and […]

Read More…

CSX to possibly close Selkirk hump yard, convert to flat switching NEWSWIRE

2323

CSX yard jobs serve Selkirk’s east end departure yard tracks in this May 7, 2017 view of Selkirk Yard. Gary R. Schermerhorn SELKIRK, N.Y. — CSX Transportation may be in the earliest stages of converting its Selkirk hump yard to a flat switching facility. Labor groups representing local train service workers sent out notices to […]

Read More…

Canadian Pacific, Canadian retail company unveil 60-foot intermodal container

CP_CT2

CALGARY, Alberta — Canadian Pacific and retail giant Canadian Tire Corp., recently debuted North America’s first 60-foot intermodal container, according to a CP news release. The 60-foot container, which was developed by the Canadian Tire team in partnership with the railroad, provides an additional seven feet from the current 53-foot container standard. It will allow […]

Read More…

Big Boy braking power

TRNAT0514_04

Ten hoppers coupled to the Big Boy consist in January 2014 were used for additional braking power. Steve Sweeney Q Why was there a string of hopper cars in the consist moving Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 from Pomona to West Colton, Calif., in January 2014? – David Tritenbach, Kerrville, Texas A Although Union […]

Read More…

Harrison says operations streamlining will continue; ‘I’m not a one-man crew advocate’ NEWSWIRE

CSX CEO E. Hunter Harrison Associated Press JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — New CSX Transportation CEO E. Hunter Harrison gave some broad-brush outlines today on his plans to cut costs, streamline operations, and improve service. Wall Street analysts quizzed Harrison for nearly two hours during the railroad’s first-quarter earnings call this morning. While Harrison said many details […]

Read More…