Hey guys,
I've been studying the network of Conrail before the CSX/NS split, and ran across this map showing the railroad's network and how it was to be distributed:
http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Conra ... ain_lg.gif" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
My question is, since Conrail is one of the major success stories of Northeast railroading, they obviously had to do a lot of abandonments to eliminate duplicitous routes, unprofitable branches, and slim down to become profitable. With all that said and done, I ask you this hypothetical question:
Do you think - in retrospect - there are any routes that Conrail abandoned that wasn't a smart strategic move? Perhaps if the railroad survived into today, given the shift in traffic volumes and commodities (i.e. ethanol boom), do you think Conrail would be banging its head against a wall for abandoning certain routes? I know this is all hypothetical, but figured it would be a fun discussion. Which routes should Conrail have kept from its predecessor roads instead of abandoning them, and why?
My answer: The line west of Manhattan to 65th Street Yard (which was sold to Trump for residential high-rise development). Even though the industries had left the High Line, the 65th St. Yard would have made for a strategically placed team yard facility and bulk transfer terminal for goods destined to Manhattan. (food ingredients, rebarb, steel I-beams, construction materials, etc.)
I've been studying the network of Conrail before the CSX/NS split, and ran across this map showing the railroad's network and how it was to be distributed:
http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Conra ... ain_lg.gif" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
My question is, since Conrail is one of the major success stories of Northeast railroading, they obviously had to do a lot of abandonments to eliminate duplicitous routes, unprofitable branches, and slim down to become profitable. With all that said and done, I ask you this hypothetical question:
Do you think - in retrospect - there are any routes that Conrail abandoned that wasn't a smart strategic move? Perhaps if the railroad survived into today, given the shift in traffic volumes and commodities (i.e. ethanol boom), do you think Conrail would be banging its head against a wall for abandoning certain routes? I know this is all hypothetical, but figured it would be a fun discussion. Which routes should Conrail have kept from its predecessor roads instead of abandoning them, and why?
My answer: The line west of Manhattan to 65th Street Yard (which was sold to Trump for residential high-rise development). Even though the industries had left the High Line, the 65th St. Yard would have made for a strategically placed team yard facility and bulk transfer terminal for goods destined to Manhattan. (food ingredients, rebarb, steel I-beams, construction materials, etc.)
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Less Traffic. Less Pollution. Better Future!
http://www.railnewyork.com
RNY Facebook Page