Class I railroads have begun closing some automotive ramps to inbound multilevel traffic due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with BNSF Railway taking the unusual step of placing embargoes on all 23 of its auto distribution centers. “As a result of the quickly developing conditions related to COVID-19, some car dealers and distribution […]
Two Geeps (center left) bring a train into Chesapeake & Ohio’s sprawling coal storage yard at Newport News, Va. Cars are stored here until needed at the nearby port facilities where they are mixed with various other grades of coal while loading into oceangoing vessels. Chesapeake & Ohio, John B. Corns collection […]
A refrigerator car rolls into the bowl of Union Pacific’s North Platte, Nebr., hump yard. The box to the right contains a radar speed-monitoring device. Union Pacific photo […]
Santa Fe mechanical reefer No. 51164, built in 1966, is from the railroad’s largest group of mechanical cars, the 700 57-footers of class Rr-89. It wears the late all-orange scheme. J. David Ingles collection […]
A clear signal over track 2 beckons the Pennsylvania’s St. Louisan near Radebaugh, Pa. On track 1, a J1 2-10-4 pushes on an eastbound freight while a set of Baldwin Sharknose helpers approaches on track 3. Philip R. Hastings photo […]
New York Central’s Flexi-Van system, unveiled in spring 1956, employed truck trailers with detachable wheels that locked on special flat cars, saving time, weight, and height. Other railroads that bought into the concept included Illinois Central and Milwaukee Road. Jim Shaughnessy photo […]
Passengers pour from an NJ Transit commuter train with Arrow III equipment at Elizabeth, N.J. The 1970s-era equipment is subject to frequent breakdowns, according to a New York Times article. TRAINS: David Lassen Thursday morning rail news: — New Jersey State Senate President Stephen Sweeney is questioning the fitness of NJ Transit’s CEO to run […]
Association of American Railroads WASHINGTON — The Association of American Railroads today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending March 7, 2020. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 462,303 carloads and intermodal units, down 9.1% compared with the same week last year. Total carloads for the week ending March 7 were […]
A Pacific Harbor Line train works at the Port of Los Angeles in January 2018. Traffic at the port was down significantly in February, and railroad officials anticipate a significant decrease in international intermodal traffic, because of the coronavirus. TRAINS: David Lassen NEW YORK – The full impact of the global coronavirus epidemic will soon […]
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has been negotiating a sale of its dormant Tennessee Pass route with Rio Grande Pacific, the short line holding company that would operate a new railroad proposed to haul heavy crude oil out of Utah’s Uinta Basin. The information was accidentally disclosed in a filing posted briefly to the Surface Transportation […]
The Wednesday morning rail roundup: — In a significant blow to the fledgling commuter rail service, California voters in Sonoma and Marin counties have turned down a measure extending the quarter-cent sales tax that funds Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit. Approval of the measure would have guaranteed funding through 2059, the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat reports; without […]
New MARS President Stefan Loeb, left, is congratulated by outgoing president Tom Surma, who was honored for his leadership at the 2020 Winter Meeting in January. MARS submitted photo CHICAGO — The Midwest Association of Rail Shippers (MARS) elected its 2020 slate of officers at the annual winter meeting earlier in January. The 2020 MARS […]
