At first glance, aggregates — stone, sand, and gravel — are unlikely darlings among railroad commodities. They’re low-value and they tend to move only short distances. But even though their revenue per car is low, they are nearly perfect freight: indestructible and relatively harmless if spilled. In fact, stones and sand not only make […]
Type of Train: Freight
Rolling stones: rock, stone, sand — aggregates that railroads make money hauling
At first glance, aggregates — stone, sand, and gravel — are unlikely darlings among railroad commodities. They’re low-value and they tend to move only short distances. But even though their revenue per car is low, they are nearly perfect freight: indestructible and relatively harmless if spilled. In fact, stones and sand not only make […]
Ann Arbor Railroad freight trains remembered
Ann Arbor Railroad freight trains and car ferries were the life blood of this Michigan-based shortline railroad, which is Classic Trains’ Railroad of the Month for December 2020. We hope you enjoy each of these freight train images from the David P. Morgan Library at Kalmbach Media. If you enjoy this gallery, you may […]
Hump engines at Willard
Bumped by diesels from front-line road-freight assignments, two S-1 2-10-2s work as hump engines at Baltimore & Ohio’s big yard at Willard, Ohio, in September 1955. Photo by Philip R. Hastings […]
Digest: Transport Canada plan to require more rail data begins comment period
Transport Canada opens consultation on collection of Class I freight data Transport Canada has begun the consultation period on a proposal to collect new data from Class I freight railroads, including service and performance information that would be available to the public. In addition to the weekly service and performance data, the proposal would require […]
Freight forecasters expect intermodal growth, slow going for carload traffic in 2021
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Intermodal traffic will grow in 2021 but carload traffic will continue to struggle to recover from the pandemic in the new year, according to a freight forecasting firm’s outlook. Todd Tranausky, vice president of rail and intermodal at FTR Transportation Intelligence, projects that intermodal volume will grow by 5.4% next year. […]
NTSB report finds train building method, use of hand brakes on empty cars led to 2017 CSX derailment (updated)
WASHINGTON — The National Transportation Safety Board has issued a half-dozen safety recommendations as a result of its investigation into an Aug. 2, 2017, CSX Transportation derailment in Hyndman, Pa. Thirty-three cars of a 178-car train derailed, resulting in an evacuation order covering about 1,000 residents and damage estimated at $1.8 million. The report […]
Railroads ride intermodal surge, with strong demand expected to continue
BNSF Railway, CSX Transportation, and Union Pacific all set intermodal volume records in November as imports surged, retailers continued to restock depleted inventories, and consumer spending and e-commerce remained strong. The other big Class I systems — Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, and Norfolk Southern — were handling intermodal volumes at near-record levels. “It’s a perfect […]
U.S. rail carload gap narrows in weekly AAR stats; intermodal remains strong
WASHINGTON — Total carload traffic is inching toward 2019 levels as 2020 nears its conclusion, while intermodal volume continues to boost overall rail traffic above same-week levels for 2019, according to the latest statistics from the Association of American Railroads. For the week ending Dec. 5, 2020 — the 49th week of the year — […]
Digest: Stockton Diamond project receives $100 million California grant
More Friday morning rail news Stockton Diamond gets $100 million grant from California The Stockton Diamond project, which seeks to replace a busy at-grade Central California rail crossing with a flyover, has received a $100 million grant from the California Transportation Commission. The Manteca Bulletin reports the grant will help fund a $237 million project that plans […]
Digest: Point Defiance Bypass service to resume in spring or summer 2021
Friday late morning rail news: Washington’s Point Defiance Bypass likely to reopen in spring or summer 2021 The Washington State Department of Transportation projects Amtrak train service will return to the Point Defiance Bypass in spring or summer 2021. The website Urbanist, reporting on an online presentation by WSDOT Operations Program Manager Jason Biggs, says Amtrak will begin testing […]
Digest: CP announces plans for Vancouver-area transload, logistics facility
Thursday morning Canadian Pacific and Canadian National news: CP announces plans for new Vancouver-area transload and logistics facility Canadian Pacific plans to build a transload and logistics facility adjacent to its intermodal rail facility in Pitt Meadows, B.C. The proposed facility, CP Logistics Park: Vancouver, is in the early stages of design and is subject […]