R J Corman Railroad Group summary
R J Corman Railroad Group is a privately owned holding company that operates multiple freight railroads and specialized services throughout the United States. It’s named after founder Richard Jay Corman who owned the company until his death in 2013. With headquarters out of Nicholasville, Kentucky, R. J. Corman Railroad Group owns short lines and field locations in 22 states.
History
As a high school graduate in 1973, Richard Corman began his business in railroad construction and rehabilitation. Borrowing money from his uncle for a pickup truck and rented backhoe, he went to work rebuilding and repairing railroad crossings while developing a revolutionary method of unloading ties to save time and increase safety for railroad employees. The business and operational skills from Corman lead to the ownership of a dozen backhoes, a few dump trucks and no debt within four years.
With expanding contracts in track and derailment services, Corman acquired the Bardstown short line and a portion of the Memphis short line from the former Seaboard Coast Line Railroad in 1987. The remainder of the latter line was later obtained by ex-SCL successor, CSX Transportation. These acquisitions established the growth and expansion of the R. J. Corman Railroad Group which continues today.
Operations
The R.J. Corman Railroad Group owns and operates 18 short line and regional railroads under the railroad operation subsidiary. The freight lines interchanges with all Class I railroads and many other short line and regional railroads.
An additional multitude of subsidiaries under R.J. Corman provides unique services outside the freight railroad business. Both Railroad Services Emergency and Storm Team specializes in emergency services associated with derailments and natural disasters. Switching is offered in industries as far west as Texas. The railroad services subsidiary has over 45 years in surfacing, track laying, welding, tunnel improvements, and tie replacement. Material sales provides support towards track material and distribution. The signaling subsidiary designs and installs highway crossing warning systems in specifications to the customer’s request.
In promoting goodwill and community support, R.J. Corman’s My Old Kentucky Dinner Train offers passenger excursions throughout the year. Established in 1988, vintage EMD F7 diesel locomotives and restored 1940s dining cars traverse the company’s Bardstown Line from the historic depot in Bardstown, Ky.
The bulk of the freight fleet includes EMD SD40-2s, GP16s, and an assorted number of switchers. A variety of GP9s, GP20s, and GP38 series are also mixed into the company’s wide-range roster. Motive power on the My Old Kentucky Dinner Train is provided by two F7A units.
Read more about the R. J. Corman Railroad Group in Trains’ April 2015 issue.
