Past News Reports
(Yesterday's News is Tomorrow's
History)
CSX
J.E. Landrum, Kevin Andrusia
March 2007: Troubled
Bridge Over Waters – On November 13, the movable bridge spanning the
Anacostia River in Washington, DC was removed from service when the
structural integrity of underwater steel supports were determined to be
unstable. Crews from CSXT and Corman-Imbach Marine began repairs that took
until December 7, when the first train was able to pass. Approximately 30
trains a day use the bridge, resulting in detours throughout the system and
via connecting railroads.
New GE ES44DCs in 2007 – CSXT will receive an additional 100
Evolution Series locomotives from GE Transportation Systems in 2007,
bringing the fleet total to 400. A CSX official recently commented that the
ES44DC's have performed well with a failure per locomotive year rating of
1.2, which is best in the fleet. The new locomotives will be equipped with
video event recorders, GPS, automated wireless event recorder download, and
an automatic engine start/stop to reduce idling and conserve fuel. They are
to be numbered after the previous ES44DC locomotives in the 5400-series.
Motive Power Shorts … In November, 18 former NS, nee-Conrail
B40-8s were acquired by CSX upon expiration of their lease to NS. They are
numbered CSXT 5962 to 5979. Eleven of these units are in Conrail paint and
the remaining 7 are in NS paint with the NS lettering removed … There is now
only one Seaboard System painted unit left on the CSX, GP38-2 2667.
Likewise, there is still one C&O painted unit in service, SD40 4617. Three
RCO control RCPHE4's (ex-GP40's) wear Chessie paint numbered 9120 through
9122. All former Conrail SD70MAC's have been repainted into CSX paint, the
last unit being repainted in November, 2006 … As of December 1, 2006 there
are two remaining EMD SD45-2's with 20 cylinder prime movers, CSX 8954 and
8974. The railroad still rosters five former SD45-2's which have been
rebuilt to SD40-2 specifications … One of the unique locomotives on the CSX
roster was recently sold to the Ohio Central System (OC). Former Monongahela
Railway B23-7R 3185 was delivered to the OC in December. CSXT 3185 is a
former Western Pacific U23B rebuilt by General Electric to Dash-7
specifications in 1989.
Capacity Projects Progressing … CSX completed nine of the
first twenty major capacity improvement projects for 2006 by the end of
September, 2006, with 57 miles of track laid, 48 miles of which were new
track and the balance in siding extensions and upgrades. The railroad spent
150 million on the Southeast Corridor, the primary route between Chicago and
Jacksonville, where traffic is expected to increase significantly over the
coming years. Most sidings were lengthened to 10,000 feet, and some 20,000
foot sidings with universal crossovers were added. Projects in 2007 include
a bypass around downtown Waycross, Georgia, a six-track mainline fuel pad at
King, Indiana, and double tracking the approach to Birmingham, Alabama's
Boyles Yard.
Schedule Changes … During late 2006, CSX established two new
road switcher schedules on the Nashville-Atlanta route. Southbound Q585 is
scheduled out of Nashville at 23:00 and is due into Widows Creek, Alabama by
09:30 the next morning. Counterpart Q584 is due out of Widows Creek at 16:30
and scheduled into Nashville by 03:45 the next day. Both trains are
scheduled to operate daily, but are sometimes annulled on Sundays or
Mondays.
April 2007: Quantico
Bridge Opened … CSX's bridge over Quantico Creek on the former Richmond
Fredericksburg & Pacific south of Washington, DC, was placed in limited
service during late January with expectations of being fully operational by
February. This will provide more fluidity for Virginia Railway Express,
Amtrak and CSX freight trains over what was a single-track bottleneck. Begun
in October 2004, the double track width concrete span is 1753 feet long.
Initially, only one track will be placed on the bridge as the original
bridge remains in service next to the new one. A second track can be placed
as need dictates providing three tracks over Quantico Creek. The total
project cost was almost $27 million.
Tropicana Expansion … Tropicana is seeking to expand its
Bradenton, Florida, facilities to accommodate growing traffic. In
conjunction with CSX, Tropicana expects to add additional capacity at its
primary distribution facility. The company plans to build approximately
1,150 feet of track and an 8,600-square-foot covered off-loading dock,
according to the Manatee County Planning Department. "The additional
railroad tracks and dock will add in increasing the capabilities and
efficiency of the Tropicana train and the train backhaul services,"
explained Karen May, Tropicana's manager of public relations. "Specifically,
the additional track and dock infrastructure will facilitate the growth of
the backhaul process." The company currently uses the same docks for both
outbound and inbound services. "The additional dock and track will help us
increase efficiency and expand backhaul capabilities," she said. Tropicana
hopes to complete the project by 2010.
Kentucky Runaway … Shortly before noon on Monday, January 15,
2007,a cut of cars rolled free out of Patio Yard at Winchester, Kentucky,
southbound on the former L&N EK Division toward Ravenna. Meanwhile
northbound coal train N252-14 departed Ravenna for Patio. Quick
communication by the train dispatcher alerted the crew to the approaching
danger and they were able to stop and escape to safety just north of Ravenna
at Calla. The runaway cars soon arrived and collided with the stopped train.
"We had to work with the time and situation that was presented to us, and
that meant directing the train to stop at that point and getting the train's
crew to clear it," CSX spokesman Gary Sease said. "We were obviously
concerned about public safety." A tank car of butyl acetate was damaged and
caught fire, but was soon extinguished. Engine CSXT 151, which lead the
N252, was severely damaged in the collision, while trailing unit CSXT 403
suffered heavy damage.
Brooks, Kentucky, Derailment … One day after the incident at
Winchester, an even more dramatic accident occurred 100 miles west at
Brooks, Kentucky, on the Mainline Subdivision between Louisville and
Nashville. Train Q502-16 (Birmingham, Alabama to Louisville, Kentucky)
derailed 25 cars, 13 of which contained hazardous materials. Several fires
burned, resulting in local evacuations. The train crew was not injured and
11 local residents were examined and released at area hospitals. The initial
reported cause was a broken flange on one of the derailed cars. Detours were
implemented across the western half of the system to maintain service levels
during the closure of the line. Automotive traffic in particular was
impacted as Louisville's Osborn Yard is the principle automotive
classification yard in the Northern Region. Most detours operated via
Evansville, Indiana, or Cincinnati, Ohio.
Monon Semaphores In Danger … Recent copper wire thefts in
southern Indiana on former Monon trackage have threatened many of the
remaining semaphores south of Salem. Thieves have routinely stolen spans of
up to a quarter mile at a time. In January, CSX suspended signal rules from
the south end of Fogg Siding at Salem to the south end of Vernia Siding at
New Albany. Anyone with information on the recent thefts is asked to contact
CSX Police.
Albany Division Radio Changes … Beginning March 1, the
following changes will be made to the Albany Division radio system. A
multi-channel system will be activated in conformity with standard CSX
practice. Routine communication such as switching, signal calling, defect
detectors, and such will be conducted on the road channel. Dispatcher
communications will be conducted on a separate channel. Implementation will
begin in Erie, Pennsylvania, and move east across the division. The new
frequency breakdown for the division is as follows (Road / Dispatcher): NH
Dispatcher - Lake Shore Subdivision 160.860 / 161.340; NG Dispatcher – Belt,
Buffalo Terminal, Lockport, Niagara, and Somerset Subdivisions 160.800 /
160.950; NF Dispatcher – Rochester and West Shore Subdivisions 160.800 /
161.400; NE Dispatcher – Baldwinsville, Fulton, Montreal, and St. Lawrence
Subdivisions 161.070 / 160.650; ND Dispatcher – Fairgrounds and Mohawk
Subdivisions 160.800 / 161.250; NC Dispatcher – Carman, Hudson, Schodack,
and Selkirk Subdivisions 160.800 / 161.070; NB Dispatcher – Berkshire and
Post Road Subdivisions 160.800 / 160.560; NA Dispatcher – Boston, Fall
River, Fitchburg, Framingham, Middleboro, and New Bedford Subdivisions
160.800 / 160.680; NJ Dispatcher – Bergen, Castleton, Port, and River
Subdivisions 160.980 / 160.260; NI Dispatcher – Trenton Subdivision 160.980
/ 160.740 and Landover, Herbert and Popes Creek Subdivisions 161.070 /
161.340.
Intermodal Terminal to Close … CSX Intermodal's (CSXI)
Lincoln Street terminal at Kingsport, Tennessee, is slated to close due to
the loss of the terminals only customer, Eastman Chemical. The company
elected to switch the traffic that previously moved via CSXI to trucks due
to recent changes in port arrangements at Charleston and Savannah. Bulk
products will continue to be handled by CSXT for Eastman.
Atlanta Division Defect Detector Changes … On January 24, the
Lineville Subdivision had several defect detectors retired and new ones
placed in service. The retired detectors were at Cragford, Weathers, Shocco,
and Westover. New detectors were installed at Lineville, Weathers, Carara,
Shocco, Coosa Pines, and Watkins. The Lineville Subdivision is CSX's
mainline between the Birmingham, Alabama, area and Manchester, Georgia,
south of Atlanta.
Eastern Massachusetts Lines For Sale … CSX and the state of
Massachusetts are in negotiations to transfer ownership of CSX's former
Boston & Albany lines east of Worcester to Boston, south to Fall River and
Bedford, and north to Somerville. CSX would retain trackage rights, while
the state through Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority would own,
maintain and operate the lines.
Roundhouse Report … The latest batch of GE ES44DC's began to
arrive on the property during the first week of January. Numbered in the
5400-series, the new units will enter the general locomotive pool. The
number of unrebuilt SD40's on the roster continues to dwindle. As of the end
of January, the following six units remain in service: 4607, 4609, 4612,
4617, 4618, and 4621. -Boston Globe, VRE, Bryan Jones, CSX, Kentucky
Railfan, CincyRails, SERails
May 2007: Waycross Bypass
Construction Begun … On February 16, CSX and City of Waycross, Georgia,
officials celebrated and broke ground on an ambitious project to construct a
rail bypass around the city. Once finished, the double track bypass will
result in 25 grade crossing closures, improve four crossings that will
remain open, clear the city's business district of rail traffic, increase
train speeds, and provide additional capacity for trains arriving and
departing the large Rice Hump Yard located on the south side of town. "Today
we're seeing a growth opportunity that the railroad hasn't seen in many
years," said Clarence Gooden, executive vice president, chief commercial
officer and native of Waycross. "We're experiencing a rail renaissance, and
it means that CSXT, Waycross, Ware County and the state of Georgia together
have a prosperous future."
Charlotte Intermodal Terminal Upgrade … CSX Intermodal
announced it will expand its terminal at Charlotte, North Carolina, at a
cost of over $8 million.
"The Charlotte terminal is a key link in our eastern network,
and upgrades will help us provide better service to our customers while
enabling us to meet increasing demand in the area," said Jim Hertwig,
president, CSXI. "Intermodal efficiently moves freight in a fuel-efficient
and environmentally responsible way."
Included in the expansion plans are 10,000 feet of extended
track, additional loading and unloading equipment, expanded parking and
storage, and improvements to rail and highway access to the facility. CSXI
terminal expansions or improvements are planned and underway in Buffalo, New
York, Tampa, Florida, and Chicago, Illinois, and a new facility in
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, is scheduled to open in September.
FRA Finds Defects in 170 Railcars … Federal Railroad
Administration inspectors in Jacksonville, Florida, acting on tips from
railroad workers, inspected and removed from service 170 railcars citing
defects of various types including brake systems and wheel wear. Many cars
could be repaired in place, while others were moved to the nearest CSX car
shop in Baldwin, Fla. for repair. While it is unknown whether the railroad
will be subject to fines as a result of the action, it was determined that
contract inspectors at a shipper were not qualified to perform car
inspections and lack of training of some CSX personnel.
Roundhouse Report … New GE ES44DC locomotives continue to
arrive on the property. At the beginning of March, 5400 through 5445 had
been delivered. The total number of the locomotives, which cost $2.1 million
apiece, to be delivered in 2007 is 100, with another 100 ES44DC's planned
for 2008. As a result of the new power deliveries, CSX has begun returning
leased power. First Union Rail SD40-2's FURX 3000–3029 have been stored in
preparation for their return. Many Helm Leasing units are in storage at
various locations around the system until they are needed.
In February, CSX took delivery of National Railway Equipment
"Generator Set" GS14B demonstrator 2007 at Jacksonville, Florida, for
testing. Powered by two 700 HP Cummins diesel engines and constructed on the
frame of a first generation EMD four-axle unit, the GS14B is EPA Tier 2
emissions compliant. Union Pacific currently has 60 of these locomotives on
order from NRE. -CSX, Bryan Jones, Florida Times-Union
