WASHINGTON — A bill that would include yardmasters among railroad employees covered by the Hours of Service Act was recently filed in the U.S. House of Representatives. Yardmasters often work shifts as long as 16 hours, and more 24-hour shifts are on the rise, according to the bill’s sponsor, U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan, D-Minn. Yardmasters […]
Train Topic: Railroad Operations
Locomotives’ minimum speed
An ammeter in a GP40-2 with the short-time rating plate below. Note the duplicate time chart listed on the gauge as well. Chris Guss Q Why is it that a D.C. traction locomotive can stay below its continuous full-power minimum speed limit for only 30 minutes while an A.C. traction unit can grind away in […]
CSX operations chief says transformation remains on target NEWSWIRE
A lower priority train waits out the passage of a group of higher priority trains rolling through a work zone near North East, Pa., in August 2010. Marcus W. Stevens JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The implementation of precision scheduled railroading continues to drive operational improvements at CSX Transportation, even if the results are not reflected in […]
Batory picked to lead FRA NEWSWIRE
Ron Batory joined Conrail in 1998, 15 months before the big railroad was split between CSX and Norfolk Southern, to oversee the Shared Assets operation. Fred W. Frailey WASHINGTON – The Trump White House Monday announced Ronald L. Batory of New Jersey to be the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, Department of Transportation. Batory […]
CSX reduces workforce at Huntington locomotive shops NEWSWIRE
CSX’s Huntington locomotive shops repair and rebuild EMD and some GE locomotives. The facility is located on the railroad’s ex- Chesapeake & Ohio main line in West Virginia. Chase Gunnoe HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — CSX Transportation is furloughing nearly 70 workers at its locomotive repair shops in Huntington, NBC affiliate WSAZ-TV reports. The reduction in workforce […]
Taking Care of Business: Morristown & Erie Railway, Part 2
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! […]
Taking Care of Business: Morristown & Erie Railway, Part 2
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! […]
Diesel locomotive pooling
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 […]
IPS Cranes acquires American & Ohio Locomotive Crane NEWSWIRE
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 […]
Ross Rowland revives American Freedom Train name for proposed veterans’ tour NEWSWIRE
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. […]
Class I railroad employment down in 2017 NEWSWIRE
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 […]
UPDATE: The numbers behind CSX Transportation’s hump shutdowns NEWSWIRE
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 […]
