Feds issue report re: CSX Grade Crossings in NY

The FRA has issued a report regarding CSX and its upkeep on grade crossings in NY. This comes following an investigation into the fatal accident in Henritetta. Details can be found at:

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/new ... news.shtml

This is really sad to see. I worked these lines between Selkirk and Buffalo
for ten years before retiring in the fall of 1987 and under Conrail, I do not
ever recall things being this bad. Once in a while we would get a form D
to protect a crossing but it was quite rare and we could bet that there
would be a maintainer on the way to repair the problem.
I hope CSX is not headed the same direction as Penn-Central was and we
all know the result of that disaster.
Noel Weaver

Noel, the older guys that remember Penn Central are already saying that they are seeing "the Penn Central days all over again"

Well, I worked the Penn-Central era both in passenger and freight service.
Some of that era was spent on the River Line between North Jersey and
Selkirk. You could not believe how bad things were, I have saved an old
B/O or two just to tweek my memory.
The PRR was in far worse shape than the NYC or the NH for that matter, it
takes a while for things to get as bad as they were then but the lack of
proper maintenance and care will accelerate the process.
I hope it never gets that bad but I am not so sure.
When you see slow orders where no work is taking place, watch out. Saw
much of that under Penn-Central for long stretches on the River Line, it
was hard to believe that a main freight line from the south to New England
could be allowed to get so bad, half of it was under a 10 MPH slow order
at one time.
Noel Weaver