Opening Your own rail Business

why not do a school project on running a shortline . Pick or make up a hypothetical line , and make a business case for it . Ot would be fun , educational , and give you an insight into the challenges of running a shortline .
june issue of trains has an interesting article on shortlines , particularily the costs of the right of way . and the difference between profitable ones and ones that aint going to make it .

That was a kick ass post there jg. Those work trains are something else for a hogheads arent they buddy. Good first hand account of moving the jordan there dude. "We aint got one of them there Do Dads here" but i have had a similar experience while dumping ballast with me shoving on the cars...."it aint no fun". lol "Theres alot of work, on a work train for us engineers."

I dont know about Aji's post though.... that type of work of "jacking" cars around is kinda fun i think. Like ive said before on here somewhere, besides dogcatching the mainline theres always alot work around here in this district. Thats why alot of guys jump on the mainline, not to say that Aji is like that, but alot of guys are scared of getting out there and doing some work. Theres more to railroading then riding and running trains.

What about owning just a set of rail cars, targeting a specific market, and getting another operating RR to haul your cars? Maybe a car mover for example? Or a WalMart mover for example? Would a "big RR" even negotiate a fair fee to haul your stuff, or would they try to charge such a high price that your business plan goes out the window?

CROR410 wrote:What about owning just a set of rail cars, targeting a specific market, and getting another operating RR to haul your cars? Maybe a car mover for example? Or a WalMart mover for example? Would a "big RR" even negotiate a fair fee to haul your stuff, or would they try to charge such a high price that your business plan goes out the window?

Any transportation rate depends on your origin and destination in relation to other freight flows. If you can help a trucking company or railroad make some money on what would otherwise be an empty or low-margin haul, you'll get a good rate. If you want a railroad to haul your cars on an already congested route, your rate will be outrageously high.

JD

UPRR - It would have been a little more fun if we were kicking them out on a lead but this was one of those railroads that was downhill in all the wrong places. Hanging on to 30 or 40 cars and shoving uphill to switch, it was a struggle - you had to use the air to stop them when you pulled ahead downhill, release for a few moments, put them in about 3rd notch, and wait for things to happen as the cars released. No point in trying to get aggressive, you're either going to slip the wheels or do somthing worse.

The problem was boredom, you'd spend a half hour or more with each track just going ahead 6 cars, back 6 cars and so on. I used to have a little entertainment, if we were pulling ahead for a longer move sometimes I'd practice making ONE reduction and seeing how close that got me without touching the air again, but the guys at the other end get a little PO'd if you're still a car from clearing the switch and crawling, or stopping with 3 feet yet to go. When that track was done you'd get the next one, and right back down the hill again. No houses in sight so no babes sunbathing, not even a highway to look at cars. It was not bad in short doses but when you did it day after day it made you want something else to look at for sure.

I applyed to the School Intern Program. And, they intern through CSX, NS, and CP through my area. So, I applied, and I hope to get picked.

Would that help??