Pan Am Southern / Patriot Corridor Discussion

Tonnage is up, at least out West, to require two full track patrols per week. Prior to this it was 1.

johnpbarlow wrote:Was this business originating on R&S in upstate NY and then interchanged to NS/CP/VRS for Bellows Falls? So now it's going to be routed R&S/NS/PAS/VRS?

In the past NS has run trains 674/675 from Ithaca to Whitehall with cars loaded at American Rock Salt in Lansing NY. A large amount also comes from the American Rock Salt mine just outside Mt Morris NY on the RSR. Not sure who is sending what where now but CSX did have a play in the RSR traffic at one time.

Would love to see some run through ponies on the B&R.

The only American Rock Salt traffic the VRS handles is on the NYOG to the shed at Norwood. Currently, all the other salt that terminates on the VRS is from Cargill.

rovetherr wrote:The only American Rock Salt traffic the VRS handles is on the NYOG to the shed at Norwood. Currently, all the other salt that terminates on the VRS is from Cargill.

Rovetherr, thanks for clarifying, Cargill owns the mine in Lansing NY not ARS.

Speaking of CP, albeit slightly offtopic. I see James Riffin is still pumping the STB with multiple filings per week about the D&H sale. That guys is a such a con-artist.

Look at this language:

"3. WHEREFORE, Riffin would pray that the STB consolidate AB-156 (Sub. No. 27X) with
FD 35873, and for such other and further relief as would be appropriate."

Try reading some of his filings, grab the popcorn.

Now that guy is a piece of work! Wonder where he gets the money to keep filing all those petitions? I read the D+H stuff, seems he is trying a slightly different tactic from the last time he tried to tender an Offering of Financial Assistance on a trackage rights case (he tried to purchase the rights, not subsidize them as the law stipulates) and got spanked down. Still very tenuous and full of BS of course.

Started the morning off with EDPO 600-603-608 and 47 cars leaving Gardner after a P&W setoff about 0830. Right behind them was 14T with NS 8821-2735-1035. I chased EDPO to the Willows. At Wachusett they met a freshly canning POED with 335-605-502 and a decent train. At Ayer SEPO pulled off the east wye right behind EDPO. SEPO had CSXT 3183-5006 and 68 cars by CPF WL at 1000. At the Willows EDPO & SEPO met AY4 with NS 9054-8898 and 40 rax. They brought the 287 train to OX and pulled in on the west side and tied up. In the Hill yard was AY1 working with the 615. An FI-1 recrewed 14T met AY4 at Fitchburg yard at about noon time. 14T had 39 rax for Ayer. 23K NS 9218-8913 and 123 T/COFC was out of Ayer around 1330. POED was recrewed about 1430 or so and had problems quickly. Left their train on the single iron somewhere around South Ashburnham with the 502 pumping air. Then brought the 335-605 to Gardner to meet the Gardner Fire Dept. for a refill. Also there was a LCT getting recrewed at Royalston about 1400, and another SEPO with 30/32 was east out of Burncoat around 1400 also.

rovetherr wrote:Now that guy is a piece of work! Wonder where he gets the money to keep filing all those petitions? I read the D+H stuff, seems he is trying a slightly different tactic from the last time he tried to tender an Offering of Financial Assistance on a trackage rights case (he tried to purchase the rights, not subsidize them as the law stipulates) and got spanked down. Still very tenuous and full of BS of course.

Here's another filing by Samuel Nasca of SMART union related to NS acquisition of D&H South which I really don't understand as it attempts to tie NS/IHB/CP issues in Chicago to the D&H South acquisition:
http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/ ... 238258.pdf

Excerpt:

...It is likely that the alternative remedies involving CP 502 [in East Chicago],
and other remedies, also indicated under seal in the NS/D&H
application, together with the added IHB trackage to be acquired
by IHB, by improving movement at and through Chicago, may avoid
any necessity for approval of the NS/D&H transaction with its
damaging impact upon rail transportation in the U.S. Northeastern
area presently served by D&H...

As part of the D&H sale, CP should have worked out a deal with NS for ownership of a better line between Detroit and Chicago, possibly via the old Michigan Central line to include NS' trackage rights on the Amtrak owned portion of the line between Kalamazoo, Michigan and Porter, Indiana.

Is there any major MOW work being planned for the West End this year? Seems traffic is up..

Rail replacement Shelburne to XO.

I must say, one thing I am very curious to see play out is the CSXT vs. NS freight contracts/routings to and from New England moving forward. Although I know quite a bit of tonnage running on the respective routings (Q426/427) and the MOED/EDMO originate and terminate on the interchanging railroads, but there is also a lot of business that can go either way.

With NS coming in on the D&H Southend shortly, Freight service to and from PAS should be like a rocket ship in comparison to what it is today. The presumption is NS 11/12R will begin running direct from Enola, PA to East Deerfield, MA with a brief block swap stop at Binghamton Yard. With that being the case, it should be on average an 18 hour trip from Enola to EDY. I can't imagine CSXT can offer anything close to that for mixed car load traffic into New England from the Philly area and points South(comparable to Enola and points South for NS distance wise). Not to mention the likely increases in the P&W interchange as well as interchange with NECR/VTR/GMRC, etc. that could come from NS's ownership of the D&H.

Additionally, I would not be surprised to see NS make a valiant effort in the future of chipping in on the North/South lanes into New England as well. CSXT currently holds the monopoly on this lane, but if NS can get track speeds, capacity and operations improved in the Harrisburg to Ayer corridor (only a matter of time before that happens) they may eventually hold the time advantage in that lane as well.

The future looks to be shaping up quite interestingly.

Jim Cerulli

newpylong wrote:Rail replacement Shelburne to XO.

Is NS planning to run more rail trains up to PAS this summer? If not, where is the rail coming from? Any idea as to how many miles of rail are being installed?

No answer for any of those questions.

CSXT traffic is down (mostly gas) per usual this time of year. EDRJ going to one side (every other day.)