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Moderator: Aa3rt

 #203535  by dconlive_
 
Not sure about the Metter - Dover line. But the Sylvania line is still going. GMR (or Gee Mister as it's called in the biz) hauled 200-250 cars in 2004 to that fertilizer place in North Sylvania. They are expecting to haul about 40% less than that in 2005. So it's still trucking, but no new life to speak of.

Not sure about their other lines (Perry - Ft. Valley and Roberta - Ft. Valley).

 #203660  by G&Fman
 
Roughly 30 or better loads a week so far, although it fluctuates according to how many empties we can get to Martin Marietta. The NS sales/car distribution people are projecting the loads in tons, not individual carloads, so when I get to work tonight I'll try to remember to get the actual ton numbers they are expecting for January.

Millen yard has tapped into the rock business also, as the same company (Reeves Construction) is unloading it at the east end of the yard. Martin Marietta's track can only hold about 25-30 of those Southern/N&W rock aggie hoppers at a time, so they try to split everything evenly more or less between Midville, Millen, and Dover, or load according to the most demand between all 3.

I know the old G&F line is considered the HOG, it's just hard for me to call it that since the other 3 lines (Ardmore-Sylvania, Dover-Metter, Ft Valley-Perry-Roberta) are all considered GMR, and the HOG is way down in Americus.

Oops, I had left out Midville Warehouse as a customer on the old G&F, my fault. Although they hardly take cars, they're still considered a customer.

Those estimates sound about right. I do most of the interchange reporting at Midville and Dover.....sometimes Ardmore.

Both the Dover and Midville lines use a former N&W/NS GP35 each. The 1325 is used on the Dover line, and the 1320 is used on the Midville side.

It's great to have a RR forum that has the same interest in Georgia railroads as I do, moreso about railroads in my area.

 #203761  by G&Fman
 
Ok, here are the figures on what can be expected on the Midville line the next couple of months:

32,000 tons is what the facility at Kirby is expecting to unload between now and through February, with the possibility of an additional 7,000 tons if the shaker is installed in time. Otherwise, the trucks will transport that.

Each SOU/N&W rock aggie/hopper has about an average of 110 tons of rock when it leaves Martin Marietta.

Now, take 32,000 tons (providing the shaker doesn't get installed in time), divide by 110 tons....and you're looking at about 290 loads of rock delivered to the GMR...oops, I mean HOG :-D ......at Midville in this time frame, possibly more. Not too shabby.....

We'll have 15 loads delivered to Midville later on today, the first loads of rock for Kirby since before the holidays. So actually, around 275 more loads can be expected...
 #203835  by ashley2771
 
Thanks for all the info on the HOG/GMR. I thought they were a little busier they you all are saying, but apparently even the current action is an improvement. Do you expect any rock coming out of Midville on next Monday, Jan. 16 (MLK Day)?

Also, Ga DOT is widening US 25 from Millen clear to Augusta, which may be the reason for the increased rock to Millen.
 #203837  by ashley2771
 
Statesboro and Register still have customers on the Dover-Metter line. Statesboro has Bulloch Fertilizer, Howard Lumber and Reeves Construction. I have also seen cars spotted at a grain elevator in Register.

The trackage goes right next to Wal-mart distribution, but they don't serve it. That would be great business...

 #204376  by G&Fman
 
G&Fman wrote: We'll have 15 loads delivered to Midville later on today, the first loads of rock for Kirby since before the holidays.
Gotta correct myself. Those 15 were the SECOND cut of loads since the holidays.
 #204384  by G&Fman
 
ashley2771 wrote:Do you expect any rock coming out of Midville on next Monday, Jan. 16 (MLK Day)?
Not sure, I don't think so. If the GMR/HOG is working MLK day, they may just bring the empties back to Midville, but that also depends if Reeves Construction is going to unload any over the weekend/MLK day. They may be off too.

We have 10 loads in the yard at Millen right now. The Millen switcher, G32, will take them to Midville sometime this afternoon. The job that pulls the loads from Martin Marietta, G31, is off on weekends. I'm not sure if they'll pull any for Midville from the quarry this morning, but if they do, G32 will probably hold them in Millen until Monday instead of taking them to Midville on Saturday (which they have done before).

 #204546  by crazy_nip
 
where did you get a dash 9 from?

I assume you are borrowing it from someone?

 #205361  by ACLfan
 
The Dash 9 is a NS unit

ACLfan

 #217189  by G&Fman
 
Yeah, although it has slowed down significantly (maybe for now), especially for Midville. We already sent a bunch of the empties somewhere else for other customers, seeing as how we were running out of room to store them for Martin Marietta.
 #247372  by ashley2771
 
Kudos to the Georgia Midland Railroad. Here's a piece from the Americus-Times Recorder:

Americus-based railroad named Short Line Railroad of the Year
From Staff Reports

AMERICUS — Railway Age magazine has named Americus-based Georgia Midland Railroad, as 2006 Short Line Railroad of the Year, and Rochester, N.Y.- based Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad as 2006 Regional Railroad of the Year. The awards will be presented at the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association’s annual meeting on April 24 in Orlando, Fla.

“This year’s award winners epitomize short line railroading at its best,” said Robert P. DeMarco, senior vice president and group publisher of Railway Age’s parent company, Simmons-Boardman Publishing Corp.

“The turnarounds experienced by both carriers were more than just financial. Their impressive maintenance, operations, safety, and productivity improvements are thanks to the employees’ dedication, teamwork and perseverance. In all respects, their efforts paid off. Railway Age is honored to present these railroads with the industry’s top small-road achievement awards.”

The winning entry for short line railroad of the year was submitted by Georgia Midland Railroad (GMR) President and CEO Brad Lafevers. The railroad is a subsidiary of Atlantic Western Transportation, Inc. (AWT).

“During the due diligence phase of our acquisition of GMR in 2003, we found a deteriorated physical plant, discouraged customers who were seeking other transportation modes, and employees who did not possess the training to perform in a safe and efficient manner,” said Lafevers. But this did not deter them.

Lafevers and AWT’s Vice President and COO Duane Broxterman recognized the potential of the 100-mile railroad, which operates in four central and eastern Georgia segments. In February 2004, they set out to turn it around.

Intense marketing and safety-training efforts began, and GMR took on extensive maintenance work. According to Lafevers, the first day of hi-rail inspections produced more than 20 slow orders, and in many areas, maintenance-of-way employees had to walk due to broken rails and striped rail joints. But the work was completed, and GMR re-established lost traffic and rebuilt customer relationships.

“We found customers eager to utilize the railroad and willing to commit to rail shipments,” Lafevers said.

After just 10 months, GMR achieved its first profitable year, and has operated for the past two years without a personal injury or reportable train accident. In 2005, GMR saw carloads grow 39.5 percent, freight revenue rise 51.1 percent and total revenue increase 52.7 percent over 2003 results. It’s operating ratio improved by 40.2 percentage points, dropping to 77.8 percent.

The GMR is a sister line to the Heart of Georgia Railroad (HOG), and Lafevers pointed to the effort that employees of both railroads undertook to make this award possible.

“In order to gain inherent synergies, many HOG employees perform the same tasks for the GMR, and I would like to recognize the employees of both AWT properties that were so instrumental in this achievement, said Lafevers.

Customer Service, Beck Maloney; accounting, Leisa Howell; safety, training and train management, Dusty Carnes and Jamie Hagens; track repair and maintenance, Calvin Jarriel and Mike Lee; signal repair and maintenance, Mark Orsino and John Clark; train operations, Rob Reason, Bennie Givins, Brian Terry, David Womack, Ken Mills and Mark Lewis.

“As we enter 2006, we are excited about the future,” summed up Lafevers. “Several new industrial prospects could announce facilities on the railroad this year, and our customer base continues to bring more business to our line. With a renewed vigor of the railroad, we have the resources to continue improvements to the track, and the railroad employees are committed to their superlative safety effort.”

The awards will be announced in the April issue of Railway Age. Railway Age is a monthly magazine circulated at the management levels of North American freight and passenger railroads. Published since 1856, it is the transportation industry’s oldest trade magazine. Emphasis is placed on technology, operations, strategic planning, marketing and other issues such as legislative and labor/management developments of interest to railway management, railway suppliers and consultants.

 #250382  by G&Fman
 
Well deserved for the GMR!

I must say, after handling/reporting the interchanges at Ardmore, Dover, and Midville well before the GMR took over from the Ogeechee RR, traffic has definitely increased on all 3 of these lines under GMR control. The old S&A line from Ardmore to Sylvania has seen a few more cars than when the OGEE had it, and the line still has just one customer, Boddiford Farms located in Sylvania.

They're even going to Metter a little more often now from Dover. Before, Metter would hardly see a train, with most of the traffic being generated in Statesboro and nearby Jimps/Register. The past few years Metter, like Sylvania, had one customer, Growers Supply, but recently Reeves Construction had setup a facility there to unload rock, plus Growers Supply is taking in more loads of potash/fertilizer than before, and that includes during the planting season.

Congrats GMR.........keep up the good work. Besides, their increase in traffic has a big part in keeping my bills paid! :P

 #495605  by Jeff Smith
 
I just moved not far off this line last August, near the stretch that passes the WalMart DC. I have, however, been visiting S'Boro since 99. The siding in Register appears to be OOS and is paved over (the switch may still be in place north of the crossing, I haven't ventured over there). I ocassionally hear the train heading down there, to Metter, I assume. I'm not sure if there are any customers between Register and Statesboro. I can't say with any certainty what the frequency is between S'Boro and Mettter. Haven't seen any freight cars in Metter in a while, once in a while I'll see GMR power switching at the wye in Metter.

 #513805  by Jeff Smith
 
Statesboro area activity: was at a park the other day, and saw GMR using a branch of the Dover - Metter line they don't often use. They branch off the Metter line, head up to Howards Lumber, and then shove single cars backwards off of a wye straight through downtown which then crosses back over the Metter line heading in the opposite direction. I knew they were still using the branch up to Howard's, but didn't think they were still shoving backwards. I've got to do some more "recon" of the area.

I do have one question: the area where the "branch" line crosses back over the "main" line: the frog is smack dab in the middle of a heavily travelled intersection (Main/US 301 and Fair/GA 67). The crossing warning does not seem to be working well: the lights either don't activate, or don't turn off, and the gates also don't seem to be operational, which means they must protect the crossing (GMR usually has one of their pickup trucks out there). What are the rules regarding short lines and crossings in these situations? I assume the rules are more relaxed then Class I's and commuter lines based on line speeds, etc.
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