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PRINCE RUPERT: Secret weapon for Canadian National p. 34

www.TrainsMag.com • April 2020

Lonely but
beautiful
Scenery and engineering on
BNSF’s Arizona Peavine p. 22

Executive train
adds a dome p. 30

Father, son, and

the Alcos they
tend together p. 44
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 FROM THE EDITOR

Hot spots of our

life and times
Jim Wrinn
Over the years: Tidewater, Powder River Basin, jwrinn@kalmbach.com
@TrainsMagazine
Long Beach, and now Prince Rupert. What’s next? @trains_magazine

A
mong the many college courses that
I enjoyed as an undergraduate was
economic geography. It intrigued
me, and it was well suited for my
early and ongoing railroad fascina-
tion. Today, 40 years later, it seems like I am think-
ing about that class every time I go into the field to
examine a railroad location where business is
brisk and traffic is heavy. In short, a hot spot.
In my years as a train-watcher, the hot spot of
the day has wandered across the map. At various
times, it’s been the export coal docks at Tidewater,
The Powder River Basin has been a major hot spot for decades, and new Where is the next hot spot? Stay
ones are on the way as traffic sources change rapidly. TRAINS: Jim Wrinn
Va., the coal mines in Wyoming’s Powder River BEST OF 2019 DVD
Basin, and the container ship port at Long Beach, We have a new DVD
Calif. And as Bill Stephens reports on pages 34- out now that is dif-
41, a new star is in the sky — that remote, myste- ferent from any-
rious place called Prince Rupert in British thing else we’ve
Columbia, where the sea mist blesses the transfer produced before.
of containers from oceangoing vessels to the The “Best of 2019”
Canadian National trains. We see the fruits of the is our take on 19
port’s efforts not far from our offices in Wiscon- great events that
sin, where one double-stack container train after took place dur-
another plies the main line of the former Soo ing the year that just
Line, once a regional railroad and now a part of a was. Steam, diesel, heritage units,
continental network. photo specials, old favorites on
So as you read Bill’s story, the way out, locomotives on the
think about that hot spot of way to restoration, and even a
2020, and then picture yourself short-lived Amtrak wrap are all
in the boardroom of your favor- part of this fast-paced, 100-minute
ite Class I railroad. Try to imag- DVD by Contributing Videogra-
ine what the future holds for the pher Kevin Gilliam. The opening
long-distance, heavy haul, trans- sequence in which Grand Canyon
portation business. Where will Railway 2-8-0 No. 29 rolls under a
trains run constantly in 20 years BNSF freight on the Transcon is
when Trains celebrates its 100th worth seeing. But there’s much,
anniversary? What traffic source much more. This DVD and many
will we be writing about then? others from our growing catalog
are available for purchase at
with us as we find out. KalmbachHobbyStore.com

Editor Jim Wrinn
Design Director Thomas G. Danneman
Production Editor Angela Pusztai-Pasternak
Senior Editor David Lassen
Associate Editor Brian Schmidt
Digital Editor Steve Sweeney
Editorial Assistant Diane Laska-Swanke
Assistant Design Director Scott M. Krall
Graphic Designer Samantha Primuth
Lead Illustrator Rick Johnson
Production Specialist Sue Hollinger-Klahn
Librarian Thomas Hoffmann
Columnists
Brian Solomon, Bill Stephens
Correspondents
Justin Franz, Steve Glischinski, Chris Guss,
Scott A. Hartley, Bob Johnston, Kevin P. Keefe,
David Lustig, Robert W. Scott
Contributing Illustrator Bill Metzger
Contributing Videographer Kevin Gilliam
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TrainsMag.com 3
In this issue
Features COVER STORY
The [Arizona]
Railroad Vision road less
traveled p. 22
2020: The next
Far less busy than the
generation p. 20 Transcon, BNSF’s Phoenix
Fixing existing issues
Subdivision features
is crucial to attracting astonishing scenery and
new railroaders impressive engineering
Dan Cupper Ray Lewis
Back to the
future p. 30
Dome car Selkirk joins
Canadian Pacific’s business
car fleet with classic lines
and modern amenities
Steve Glischinski
April 2020
Vol. 80, No. 4
Prince Rupert
rises p. 34
Canadian National
wants to duplicate the
big-time success of
this small-town port
Bill Stephens
An ‘Air Line’ at
ground level p. 42
The term for an 1875
railroad route that is
still used today
J.W. Swanberg
Family matters
p. 44
Father and son help
keep Buffalo Southern’s
Alcos running
Stephan M. Koenig
A chance
encounter, and
a moment of
clarity p. 48
Watching a routine
piece of railroading
is just plain fun
David Lustig
In My Own Words:
Close call at
Capreol p. 50
A ‘Bullet-Nosed Betty’ beats
down a row of boxcars
Gerald K. Holman
Gallery p. 62
CSX Transportation
Various photographers
<< Canadian National
SD70M-2 No. 8964 leads
train Q199 on the Albreda
Subdivision at Lucerne,
British Columbia, on
Feb. 24, 2011. Tim Stevens
In every issue
Online Content Code: TRN2004
Enter this code at: www.TrainsMag.com/code
to gain access to web-exclusive content

News Departments Commentary PRINCE RUPERT: Secret weapon for Canadian National p. 34

www.TrainsMag.com • April 2020

News p. 7 From the Editor p. 3 Bill Stephens p. 13

Interview with rail union’s Hot spots of our life and times Why not mothball
national legislative director; hump yards?
Lonely but
beautiful
Virginia’s passenger-rail deal Conversations p. 6
Comments from our readers Brian Solomon p. 14
Scenery and engineering on
Locomotive p. 16 When a train isn’t a train BNSF’s Arizona Peavine p. 22

Locomotive automation Preservation p. 52 and worse

Executive train
2020’s steam dreams adds a dome p. 30

Passenger p. 18 Father, son, and

the Alcos they
tend together p. 44
Is Amtrak the only state option? Train-Watching p. 54 PLUS
2020 vision: The next generation of railroaders p. 20
Short line: Bloomer ‘Air line’ time in New England p. 42

Shippers Line
ON THE COVER:
Ask TRAINS p. 56 BNSF train ZWSPPHX7-10
Class I railroad routes, rotary (Willow Springs, Ill.-Phoenix)
snowplow action, two-cycle rolls west near milepost 98
and four-cycle diesel engines between Hillside and Grand
View, Ariz., on Jan. 13, 2019.
Ray Lewis

On the web TrainsMag.com

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 CONVERSATIONS
RAILROAD
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COMMUNICATIONS Letter
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calls was to the Green Bay & Western,
and I was asked to meet with H. Weldon
NOW IN PRODUCTION FOR SPRING 2020 McGee, the railroad’s president. I was
invited into his office and explained the
fundraiser, and he kindly asked how much
THE CAMAS PRAIRIE RAILROAD we would like to raise. I told him $3,000,
and he replied that he would be happy to
IDAHO'S PANHANDLE RAILROAD help and wrote a check as I waited. He
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Pacific and the Union Pacific in 1909, the Camas THE CAMAS PRAIRIE RAILROAD side, I saw the check was written for
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railroad photographers. Jerry Gallagher, Green Bay, Wis.

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Page 27: The distance in BNSF Railway’s
UNION PACIFIC Join us in Cheyenne on May 13-16 expansion project was incorrect. BNSF is
double-tracking multiple segments of its Fort
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Worth Subdivision between Alliance and
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www.uphs.org Sherman Hill Model Train Club Show once complete.
February 2020
Pages 34 and 37: The proposed merger
between Siemens and Alstom was incorrect.
The transaction was vetoed by the European
Commission in February 2019. The two com-
panies remain competitors.

Join us

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6 APRIL 2020
News
LOCOMOTIVE P. 16 • PASSENGER P. 18
THE TRAINS INTERVIEW
Gregory Hynes
Legislative director for rail union offers labor’s view of key industry issues
GREGORY HYNES IS NOT A
STRANGER to railroading.
The national legislative
director of the International
Association of Sheet Metal, Air,
Rail and Transportation Work-
ers Transportation Division
(SMART-TD) is a fifth-genera-
tion railroader who hired out
on the Atchison, Topeka & San-
ta Fe Railway in Los Angeles in
1995. At the time, railroads
were pushing for remote-
control locomotive operations
in rail yards and Hynes thought
that was unsafe.
“I wanted to get involved
and so I started attending
union meetings,” he says. “Then
I ran for union office and now
I’m here.”
In 2003, Hynes was elected
READ THE LATEST RAIL NEWS. VISIT TRAINSMAG.COM
legislative
representa-
tive of Local
1081 at Glen-
dale, Ariz.
The follow-
ing year, he
became assis- Gregory Hynes
tant legisla-
tive director for Arizona, then
director in 2009. Hynes was
elected national legislative direc-
tor in August 2019, replacing
long-time official John Risch.
Trains spoke with Hynes
about Precision Scheduled
Railroading, crew size legisla-
tion, and other industry trends.
This conversation has been
edited for space and clarity.
Q Decades ago, it was com-
mon for railroad management In Vancouver, Wash., BNSF
to be made up of people who Railway employees prepare to
had worked in the field. Nowa- make a crew change on a stack
days, at least in most Class I train arriving via the Columbia
executives’ offices, that’s rare. River Gorge. TRAINS: David Lassen
Is that bad for labor relations?
A Absolutely. They used to
promote from within the ranks
for all management positions.
Now they’re hiring people with
zero railroad experience who
are managing people with 30
years’ experience, and it’s hard
for those railroaders to work
under people who have never
done the job.
Q Unions have spoken out
against the recent wave of
Precision Scheduled Railroad-
ing. Why is that?
TrainsMag.com 7
NEWS
A It’s a threat to jobs and the industry as a
whole. ... Accidents are up because they’re
doing fewer safety inspections, they’re
using fewer people so crews are continually
working on their rest, and they don’t let
people take time off when they’re fatigued
or sick because of non-negotiated availabil-
ity policies. ... And when they defer mainte-
nance or they do less maintenance, they’re
going to end up paying a cost somewhere
down the line.

Q SMART-TD has backed efforts in a

number of states to create minimum
crew-size laws, despite the Federal
Railroad Administration essentially
nullifying those laws when it withdrew
a notice of proposed rulemaking for a
crew-size law last year. Do you believe
legislation at the state and federal levels
will be effective?

A I really think it will, because I think the

more the general public hears about what
the railroads want to do, the more they will
be outraged. I don’t think the general pub-
lic will stand for [having one person on a
train carrying hazardous materials], just
like they wouldn’t stand for having one
pilot on a commercial airliner. It’s really
just a matter of educating the public.
Q In 2019, Rio Tinto began operating
autonomous trains in Australia. Do you
think that technology could come to the
United States?
A Where they have the autonomous train
out in Australia is on a route that doesn’t
have any grade crossings, there are no
people nearby, and it’s basically out in the
middle of nowhere. But if you try to do that
in the United States, where you have thou-
sands and thousands of grade crossings, it
will be a really bad thing. The people on a
train are the first responders in every cross-
ing incident. You won’t have that with an
autonomous train.
Q In your view, how will the 2020
presidential election impact railroads
and unions?
A Whoever is in the White House deter-
mines who’s at the head of the Federal Rail-
road Administration, and if we see a con-
tinuation of what we have right now, it will
not be good for rail safety or labor. This
current administration has not been
friendly to labor at all. Rail safety is not
their primary function any more, as we saw
in their decision to not implement a
national crew-size rule. How is that in the
best interest of safety? It’s all about protect-
ing the railroads’ bottom line, but that’s not
the FRA’s job. — Justin Franz
The Washington Monument looms in the background as a Virginia Railway Express train passes
through Arlington, Va. Virginia will invest $3.7 million to improve rail infrastructure. Alex Mayes
Virginia’s big deal
Plans for remaking rail service south of Washington
begins to take shape after agreement with CSX
THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA’S $3.7 “We’ve worked very well with CSX in
billion agreement with CSX Transporta- the past on adding service incrementally,”
tion, unveiled in late 2019, will dramati- says Jennifer Mitchell, director of the Vir-
cally expand rail capacity, setting the stage ginia Department of Rail and Public Trans-
for more Amtrak and Virginia Railway portation. “Then this opportunity came up.”
Express service. It could boost passenger- Virginia will pay CSX $525 million over
rail travel as far south as North Carolina, three years for property and track. The big-
if not beyond. gest part of this deal: acquiring 100 miles of
Projects in the agreement announced by CSX right-of-way between Washington and
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam will be com- Richmond. Essentially splitting the corridor
pleted over a 10-year period. The deal in- down the middle, the Commonwealth will
cludes acquisition of 225 miles of track and own all track within its right-of-way. CSX
350 miles of right-of-way from CSX. To will continue to own and operate its sepa-
help fund it, Northam in January proposed rate, but adjoining, right-of-way.
a 4-cent increase in the state’s gas tax. The Commonwealth also gets the CSX
When completed in 2030, improve- line from Doswell to Clifton Forge currently
ments will include a second two-track
bridge over the Potomac River, a fourth
mainline track between Crystal City and
Alexandria, a third track from Franconia to
Lorton, six new passing sidings, and a
Franconia-to-Springfield bypass for
passenger trains.
The first new service to result, likely in
2021, would be an additional Amtrak
round trip to Norfolk and one new VRE
round trip on the Fredericksburg Line.
Later, four more Fredericksburg runs are
planned, including new weekend and late-
night service, along with additional round A VRE train arrives in Alexandria, Va., as the
trips on the Manassas Line. Those won’t sun sets in January 2014. VRE operations will
begin until at least 2026. grow under the deal with CSX. George W. Hamlin

8 APRIL 2020
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“By 2030, once this is all built out, we
expect that we’ll be able to have more reli-
able service in addition to the additional
Switch Point Guard - Model FM
frequencies,” Mitchell says. The new bridge
alone will cost $1.9 billion.
The Virginia-CSX agreement is being
hailed as “transformational” and “a game-
changer,” but the deal isn’t quite done. The
Virginia transportation department and
CSX must conclude definitive agreements,
but Mitchell expects those to be done by
the end of this year.
One bottleneck likely to remain is in
Ashland, Va., north of Richmond, where
passenger and freight trains run on two
tracks down the middle of a street. “We’ve
committed to keeping that as a two-track • Innovative Design • Available for Most Rail
segment, so in Ashland, CSX will own one • More Service Life Sections and Gauge
track, and we’ll own the other track,” • Adjustable Plates
Mitchell tells Trains. That deference to the • Economical to Use
community’s wishes is likely to create a • Easy to Maintain
challenge to dispatchers when the state WESTERN-CULLEN-HAYES, INC.
eventually doubles the number of trains it 120 N. 3rd. Street • Richmond, Indiana 47374
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Purchase of the CSX tracks west of
Doswell could allow the state to establish
an east-west corridor from the Tidewater
region through Richmond’s Main Street
Station to Charlottesville, where it would
San Francisco’s
join the route of the triweekly Cardinal to The story of how America’s
Clifton Forge. An increase in Cardinal most exciting and successful new
service is not part of the agreement, Vir- transportation experience was built!
ginia spokesman Chris Smith says. “Once By Peter Ehrlich
the transaction is final,” he says, “the state 324 pages with hundreds of photos, mostly in color,
will examine the Doswell-to-Charlottes- including detailed information on every heritage
ville segment where no passenger-rail streetcar operation in the U.S. Both historical and
services currently operate.” contemporary, this book recounts the renaissance of
traction in America.
Virginia initially entered the passenger Write or email for a free brochure about CERA and the
game by augmenting Amtrak north-south A New Book from benefits of membership.
service with a state-sponsored Washington-
Richmond round trip, but its investment Central Electric
increased with creation of a dedicated Rail Railfans’ Association
Enhancement Fund in 2005. The state’s in-
Bulletin 150
volvement grew again and gained a steady San Francisco’s F-Line
flow of sales-tax money in 2011 when that 324 pages, $65 postpaid
fund became the Virginia Intercity Passen- IL residents add $4.06 sales tax
ger Rail Operating and Capital Fund. That Central Electric Railfans’ Association
triggered route expansions to Lynchburg, P.O. Box 503
then Norfolk, and a subsequent extension Chicago, IL 60690, USA
of the Lynchburg round trip to Roanoke. E-mail: CERA-Chicago.org Visit CERA-Chicago.org for a free book catalog,
Dealer inquiries invited. membership, monthly meetings & events schedule.

TrainsMag.com 9
NEWS
From Amtrak’s inception, the state has
benefited from service on long-distance
trains — a list which currently includes the
Silver Star, Silver Meteor, Palmetto, Carolin-
ian, Crescent, and Cardinal — and trains
serving the Northeast Corridor, in addition
to its state-supported service. Having so
many options for passengers has helped
patronage on the state’s trains jump more
than 100%, from 446,609 in fiscal 2009 to
924,657 in 2019.
Inclusion of the S Line right-of-way in
Virginia’s deal has regional implications.
That routing between Richmond and
Raleigh, N.C., lost passenger service in
1986 when CSX decided to move freight
traffic to a parallel, ex-Atlantic Coast Line
route farther east; it was subsequently
abandoned north of Norlina, N.C., and While much of the route to Richmond, Va., will expand to three or four tracks, the section in
downgraded to the south. Ashland, Va., will remain two tracks and be a potential bottleneck. Bob Johnston
The S Line has been considered the best
option for a higher-speed Southeast corri- 161-mile S Line to service — including pay for four projects totaling $83 million
dor since it was so identified in a 1997 environmental work and other related costs, through an increasingly congested area
study. Restored to service, it could shave up as well as construction — is $3.8 billion, between Raleigh and Wake Forest, N.C.
to an hour off Richmond-Raleigh travel more than the entire Virginia program. While North Carolina continues to seek
times and pave the way for increased train Still, North Carolina is already benefit- grants, Virginia’s move gives the project an
frequencies. Travelers as far south as Atlan- ting from the S Line plans. The 2017 com- invaluable boost and energizes the possibil-
ta could benefit if the states of South Caro- pletion of a Federal Railroad Administra- ity that it will someday be completed.
lina and Georgia elected to support passen- tion Environmental Impact Statement for — Dan Zukowski and Bob Johnston. This
ger-rail investment. the route enabled the state to win a article was abridged from a three-part series
But the estimate for returning the $10-million federal grant that is helping that appeared on Trains “News Wire.”

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Humps idled, crews cut as UP remake continues
Railroad touts improved metrics under its version of PSR
CHANGES CONTINUE AT YARDS across Union
Pacific as part of the railroad’s implementa-
tion of its version of Precision Scheduled
Railroading. The most recent move saw the
hump at Davidson Yard in Fort Worth,
Texas, shut down in January. It was the fifth
hump UP has idled since adopting E.
Hunter Harrison’s operating model.
The railroad also has shifted some
switching from Settegast Yard in Houston
to nearby Englewood Yard, and concentrat-
ed Kansas City-area switching at 18th
Street Yard after shutting down neighbor-
ing Armourdale Yard and previously idling
the hump at Neff Yard.
“Going forward, we will continue to
look for ways to reduce car touches, lead-
ing to additional terminal rationalization
opportunities on our network,” Chief
Operating Officer Jim Vena told investors
and analysts on UP’s fourth-quarter earn-
ings call. Classifying cars fewer times en
route improves service by cutting transit
times and boosting reliability.
UP’s key performance metrics — in-
cluding car-miles per day, terminal dwell,
and average train speed — improved dur-
ing the fourth quarter. Cars traveled 5%
farther per day, spent 13% less time in
yards, and train speed inched up 1%.
On-time performance, measured by car
trip-plan compliance, reached 76% for the
quarter, up nine points from a year ago.
UP continued to move tonnage on fewer
but longer trains. Average train length for
the quarter was up 16%, or by 1,100 feet.
The average UP train is now 8,200 feet long.
As a result, the number of crew starts
dropped by 20% — well beyond the quar-
terly 11% decline in traffic volume — and Days before it was shut down, cars are sent
the railroad had about 3,100 locomotives over the hump at Union Pacific’s Davidson
stored as of Dec. 31. Yard in Fort Worth, Texas, in January. UP
UP has sold 200 stored units and operational changes continue. Lance Lassen
scrapped 100 others. It can quickly fire up
“hundreds” of locomotives if volume re- lengthen and add sidings this year, mostly
turns, Vena said. in and around Texas, to accommodate
Extending sidings is a focus of this year’s longer trains.
smaller capital-spending plan, which does “These sidings will support our efficien-
not include money to complete Brazos Yard, cy initiatives by increasing the number of
a hump yard UP was building at the junc- long trains we can operate in each direc-
tion of seven routes near Hearne, Texas. tion, thus reducing demand for crew
UP has earmarked $150 million to starts,” Vena said. — Bill Stephens

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TrainsMag.com 11
NEWS

CEOs of CP, CN voice contrasting views of further rail mergers
Two railroad CEOs
took contrasting posi-
tions on further Class I
consolidation at indus-
try events in January.
At the NATIONAL RAIL-
ROAD CONSTRUCTION
AND MAINTENANCE AS-
SOCIATION Conference in Coronado, Calif.,
Keith Creel of CANADIAN PACIFIC (above)
said mergers were inevitable “to create ca-
pacity by eliminating handoffs and inter-
changes.” He said capacity gains created
by Precision Scheduled Railroading have
likely delayed when this will occur. The fol-
lowing week, at the MIDWEST ASSOCIATION
OF RAIL SHIPPERS conference in Lombard,
Ill., CANADIAN NATIONAL CEO JJ Ruest said
cost savings associated with PSR de-
creased the potential return from mergers.
Ruest said railroads were more likely to
grow through acquisition of short lines.
Also at the NRC conference, FEDERAL RAIL-
ROAD ADMINISTRATION head Ron Batory
NEWS BRIEFS
voiced support for autonomous track in-
spection — a concept some rail unions are
opposing on safety grounds. “We’re going
to find ourselves with a safer track structure
where those vehicles operate,” Batory said.
Attorneys general from 15 states and the
District of Columbia reported their opposi-
tion to a DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
proposal to allow the movement of liquefied
natural gas by rail [“DOT Advances Plan to
Permit LNG Moves by Tank Car,” “News,”
January 2020]. The opposition came in a
letter filed with federal regulators. The rule
follows an executive order by President
Donald Trump directing the Secretary of
Transportation to allow LNG moves by rail.
A traffic downturn and changes brought by
Precision Scheduled Railroading pushed
the number of people employed by railroads
below 200,000 for the first time since the
government began tracking job figures in
the 1940s. Preliminary numbers from the
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS showed
195,800 people employed by railroads in
November 2019. Numbers have steadily
declined since the industry employed more
than 1.5 million people in 1947.
CTRAIL’s Hartford Line, which debuted June
2018, carried its millionth passenger in
November 2019 and is well ahead of original
ridership projections, according to a release
from the office of Connecticut Gov. Ned
Lamont. Second-year ridership for the New
Haven, Conn.-Springfield, Mass., service is
now estimated at 750,000; original figures
projected 667,000 riders. Below, a CTrail
train passes the former station at Walling-
ford, Conn. TRAINS: David Lassen

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12 APRIL 2020
COMMENTARY

Why not mothball

hump yards? Bill Stephens
bybillstephens@gmail.com
@bybillstephens
Operational changes make some humps redundant Blog: TrainsMag.com

H
unter Harrison famously closed hump yards while
bringing his Precision Scheduled Railroading operat-
ing model to Canadian National, Canadian Pacific,
and CSX Transportation. Conventional wisdom says
this signature move of PSR is part of cutting costs to
the bone. But the conventional wisdom is wrong. The idling of humps
is a byproduct of operational changes that render them superfluous.
It’s easy to see why the cost-cutting misperception persists.
After all, Hunter helped create it. He was a man in a hurry when he
arrived at CSX in March 2017. He put the cart before the horse, say-
ing CSX only needed three or four of its dozen hump yards even be-
fore figuring which humps would stay and which would be convert-
ed to flat-switching facilities or closed outright. A couple of humps
were hastily idled only to be reopened. And then new CEO Jim
Foote ordered the hump bulldozed at Tilford Yard in Atlanta, put-
ting an exclamation point on the fact that CSX had just four active
humps at the time of the railroad’s March 2018 investor day.
When Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern jumped on the PSR Union Pacific Railroad now puts more car volume over the twin
bandwagon, the first question everyone had was: How many humps humps at Bailey Yard in North Platte, Neb. Chip Sherman
will they shut down? So far UP has idled the humps at five yards and
paused construction of its new hump yard near Hearne, Texas. NS, ine a Class I railroad being able to siphon as many as 10,000 cars per
meanwhile, has converted two hump yards to flat-switching. day out of its hump network. The math says that’s roughly the
Yes, idling humps saves money. But railroads don’t close humps volume that five hump yards might process daily. So the obvious
as some slash-and-burn exercise in rooting out costs. Rather, humps question becomes: Do we really have the volume to support humps
become unnecessary as operational changes shift their classification X, Y, and Z? If the answer is no, a hump gets mothballed.
work elsewhere or eliminate it altogether. PSR simply starves some Hump yards are great machines designed for classifying large
hump yards of the volume they need to survive. traffic volumes. But they aren’t flexible, which is one reason Class I
Unless you work in a hump yard, this is not a bad thing. Cars railroads are putting more emphasis on regional and local serving
spend 24 hours, on average, being processed through a hump. Then yards. These smaller flat-switching yards — which collectively might
consider that some cars were sent out of route to reach hump yards, comprise more than 80% of a railroad’s total switching capacity —
adding both cost and time. Every railroad wants to move freight are like a Swiss Army knife. They can classify traffic, block swap,
faster and more efficiently by reducing car-handling frequency. PSR hold safety stock of empty cars, and handle longer-term car storage.
reduces car handling by pre-blocking at origin — either at the cus- And since they serve local customers, you can’t do without them.
tomer’s facility or in a local serving yard — avoiding switching en These operational changes can snowball into a reduction in the
route, and emphasizing block swapping. Block swapping can save 18 number of cars online. When that happens, it creates added capacity
hours versus running a car over a hump. So the goal is to block swap in flat yards, allowing them to sort more and build more blocks. This
where you can, and switch only where you must. further eats into hump yards’ work. The upside is that the local yards
With this focus on doing more pre-blocking work, which in turn have more frequent departures due to their block swap options,
enables you to bypass intermediate switching, it’s not hard to imag- meaning cars can have new ways to reach their destinations.
As railroad operating plans evolve, the bottom line is this: Hump
WHICH HUMPS ARE IDLED? yards continue to play a vital role in moving rail traffic when they’re
Railroad Number of humps, locations idled under PSR at the right places and have enough volume. Otherwise, they’re toast.
CSX 7: Atlanta; Birmingham, Ala.; Cumberland, Md.;
Transportation Louisville, Ky.; Hamlet, N.C.; Toledo, Ohio; Willard, Ohio And let’s face it. The long-term decline of carload traffic — and
Norfolk Southern 2: Allentown, Pa.; Sheffield, Ala. corresponding rise of intermodal and unit trains that don’t require
Union 5: Chicago; Fort Worth, Texas; Hinkle, Ore.; classification — means the North American hump network was ripe
Pacific Kansas City, Mo.; Pine Bluff, Ark. for rationalization. Perhaps the question shouldn’t be why railroads
Source: Railroad presentations as of Jan. 30, 2020 are doing this now in such a big way, but why it took so long. 2

TrainsMag.com 13
COMMENTARY

When a train isn’t

a train and worse Brian Solomon
briansolomon.author@gmail.com
@briansolomon.author
Blog: briansolomon.com/trackingthelight/
Confusion blooms from muddled, modern language Podcast: TrainsMag.com

Y
ears ago, I was visiting a transportation photo library
in Leicestershire, England. A potential client called
looking for a photo. I only heard the librarian’s end of
the conversation that ran like this.
“You require a photo of the Flying Scotsman? Do
you mean the locomotive or the train?,” followed by a long pause
to let a now confused caller digest his request for clarity. However,
as anticipated, the caller asked to know the difference between a
locomotive and train (as if these terms were interchangeable).
With a slight smile the librarian offered this perfectly British re-
sponse, “Well, sir, the first is the famous locomotive 4472; the other
is the train that connects London’s Kings Cross and Edinburgh.
Also, if you desire a photo of the train, are you looking for the
historic Flying Scotsman or today’s service of the same name?”
I felt like I was on the set of Monty Python’s “Flying Circus,” yet I
couldn’t help but side with the librarian in what had become a lin-
guistic standoff. His point being that we must distinguish between
the equipment and the service that the equipment provides. Further
confusing matters for our friends across the pond was that histori-
cally engine No. 4472 occasionally was assigned to lead the service
with which it shared its name. This incident inspired me to examine
the problems modern readers face in understanding railroad termi-
nology, beginning with “railroad” itself.
In the past, U.S. railroads operated trains that served stations. In
the early days, the mode was sometimes spelled Rail-road or Rail
Road, which reflected the nature of the word (a road made of rails).
Consider that the Long Island Rail Road still maintains this obso-
lete spelling. In many instances, the British term “railway” was used
almost interchangeably with “railroad.” For example, when a com-
pany was reorganized, in the company name “Railroad” might be
exchanged for “Railway,” while preserving the specifics associated
with the company; so, Santa Fe Railroad became Santa Fe Railway.
In those formative days the entire mode of transport was collective-
ly known as “the railroads.” Later, in North American parlance as
lighter forms of rail transport developed, “railway” was often used
to delineate street-car lines, “street railways,” as well as elevated rail-
ways, “subways,” and other specialized railroads from the more
heavily built, commercial, full-service railroads — sometimes called
“steam railroads” for added clarity.
Historically, a railroad station was where a railroad conducted
its business. The station may have included improvements such as
station buildings (originally known as station houses), platforms,
storage facilities, etc. Later, the public blurred the distinction be-
tween place and structure, leading to “railroad station,” implying
just the building. The difference between place and structure be-
came unclear in the 20th century as railroads scaled back services
and closed stations. This led to large numbers of former railroad

14 APRIL 2020
station buildings being adapted for other purposes. It has become service to focus entirely on freight; and passenger services, which
common to refer to repurposed railroad station structures as rail- have become the domain of public organizations, are often viewed
road stations (or depots) long after they lost their so-named func- differently. The result? Mass media use muddled terms such as
tion. This situation becomes especially confusing if the platforms “rail companies” and “train operators,” which on the surface appear
remain in use (or when these are re-established after a parallel with “bus companies,” etc., but lack the
long hiatus). Should the place where a railroad pauses universal clarity of “railroad.” So instead of railroad
its trains to do its business remain known as the rail-
INSTEAD OF stations, trains now pause for passengers at “train
road station even when the building has been sold for RAILROAD stations” or “rail stops.”
use as a pet shop, coffee house, or whatnot? STATIONS, TRAINS If language follows this logical progression, should
Since too often we have ceased describing where a NOW PAUSE FOR we call ports “boat stops” and airports “plane stops?”
railroad’s trains do their business as stations, the public Although we can recognize the degeneration of
has grown more confused as result of the blurred hard-
PASSENGERS AT the railroad in common usage, how can we expect to
ware/software distinction between rolling stock and “TRAIN STATIONS” correct the way the culture speaks and writes? This is
trains and the roles and function of the railroad station.OR “RAIL STOPS.” especially a problem, since most people don’t care
The results are common terms that evolved from this about distinctions that once defined the historical
lack of clarity, fueled by ignorance, and perpetuated by mass media. terms. Must we continue to suffer with trains that aren’t trains,
There’s an added complexity, stemming from the evolving role of stations that aren’t stations, and accept the fact that when we need to
the railroad. Most traditional railroads have shed their passenger travel by rail we’ll board “train cars” at a “rail stop?” 2

What should we call this modern structure at Sturtevant, Wis.? How about the
‘Sturtevant Amtrak Station?’ That works fine until some other organization
assumes operation of the trains that stop here. Brian Solomon
LOCOMOTIVE
Locomotive automation
The changing role of the engineer in the cab
A modern locomotive cab
includes Wabtec’s Trip Optimizer
in front of the engineer on the
bottom half of the display and the
PTC display on the left side of the
engineer above the control stand.
Stan Henderson
16 APRIL 2020
ENGINEERS HAVE ALWAYS HAD
THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB when
it comes to running freight
trains. Every train is different,
from the number of locomo-
tives, the distribution of cars
and locomotives in the train, to
the environmental conditions
the train is traversing, but their
role is changing. With the ever-
increasing use of electronics,
computers, GPS, and wireless
technology in the industry, the
engineer’s job is slowly becom-
ing less relevant than any point A Norfolk Southern locomotive with New York Air Brake’s LEADER
in history. These advancements screen displayed on the right computer screen. New York Air Brake
allow a railroad to save money
that even the best engineer Air Brake’s LEADER software, a switch or crossover as to which
would have a hard time achiev- trip across a territory can now track the train will be using, so
ing. While the technology isn’t be more of a supervisory role it can slow down to the proper
perfect, the traditional role of when everything is running cor- speed if needed. With the right
an engineer in the cab has rectly. Energy-management sys- conditions, trains today can run
already begun to change. tems simply calculate the most hundreds of miles without
Today, for an engineer work- fuel-efficient run from end to intervention, with the engineer
ing for a railroad that employs end assuming clear signals all only taking control at the end of
an energy-management soft- the way. On multiple main their run to stop the train.
ware system such as Wabtec’s tracks, it will prompt the engi- For railroads running ener-
Trip Optimizer or New York neer at the approach signal to a gy management and PTC
NEWS PHOTOS

THE GREAT PUMPKIN, G&W Three Buffalo & Pittsburgh SD60I locomotives lead an empty coal train at Carbon Center, Pa., on Jan. 19, 2020. These
units, some of 13 comfort-cab SD60-series locomotives on the roster, are former CSX, originally Conrail, built in the mid-1990s. Brad Morocco

FRESH F Reading & Northern has repainted one of its new cab units, FOUND SPACE Union Pacific has taken advantage of its recently
former Norfolk Southern F9 No. 270. It is displayed at North Reading, closed hump yard at Neff Yard in Kansas City, Mo., by placing more
Pa., on Jan 12. Also new on the roster is F7B No. 275. Gary Pancavage than 100 locomotives not needed in the bowl tracks. Jeff Carlson

today, they are largely independent of each
other for now. Energy-management sys-
tems today only know the territory and any
temporary speed restrictions. PTC on the
other hand handles the enforcement of
speed restrictions, knows what each signal
ahead displays, and how far it will take the
train to stop, constantly updating these
parameters as the train continues down the
track. It will even blow the horn at grade
crossings if the engineer forgets.
The next step some railroads are work-
ing on is to integrate their energy-manage-
ment and PTC systems. This allows a train
to be more fully automated such as slowing
for various signal aspects. Other systems
being developed will allow a manager at a
rail yard to set an arrival time for a train,
with the request electronically delivered
and the train’s pace adjusted to allow arriv-
al at the requested time.
As more systems become operational
and refined, the engineer’s role will contin-
ue to decrease. Like any new system or
integration of multiple systems, there are
many bugs still being worked out which is
where the engineer’s knowledge of their
territory acts as the fail-safe to ensure the
train is operated properly and safely. There
may eventually come a day when the engi-
neer’s presence and expertise are no longer
needed in the cab, but for now that day is
still a long way off. — Chris Guss

TrainsMag.com 17
PASSENGER
Is Amtrak the only state option?
Costs, responsiveness invite consideration of other operators
A southbound San Joaquin LONG-SIMMERING UNHAPPINESS
calls at Fresno. California official of agencies running state-sup-
Stacey Mortensen oversees the ported Amtrak trains is now
San Joaquins and Altamont public, thanks to a California
Corridor Express commuter ser- transportation official.
vice. Three photos, Bob Johnston In a November hearing in
Washington, D.C., Stacey
Mortensen, who oversees both
Amtrak San Joaquin operations
and the Altamont Corridor
Express commuter service,
compared her frustrations with
Amtrak to the partnership
approach of ACE operator
Herzog Transit Services Inc.
Mortensen is executive di-
rector of the San Joaquin Joint
As seen from onboard the California car of one train, Amtrak San
Joaquins meet north of Merced, Calif., on Oct. 22, 2019.
18 APRIL 2020
Powers Authority, the with the Passenger
agency overseeing Rail Investment and
the Amtrak opera- Improvement Act. Its
tion, as well as the Section 209 provi-
San Joaquin Regional sions permit the
Rail Commission, the national operator to
commuter authority. Stacey recover almost all of
Testifying at a Mortensen its costs. “Nothing
U.S. House of Repre- can be uniquely done
sentatives rail subcommittee for one property [because] it
hearing on Amtrak operations, has to be done the same for
Mortensen said she found it all,” she says.
“absolutely astonishing” when In response to questioning
Amtrak officials told her in a by U.S. Rep Doug La Malfa
meeting “that service cuts or (R-Calif.), Mortensen urged
reducing the number of railcars Congress to investigate
used would not necessarily save Amtrak’s methodology for
us any money.” In contrast, dai- allocating maintenance costs.
ly collaboration with Herzog “It’s our equipment, and we
on the Stockton-San Jose ACE don’t even have a say in how it is
commuter service includes maintained,” Mortensen says.
adjusting bike-car deployment “The national program costs are
(more than 250 bicycles are assessed not by how much
often transported on four daily equipment we use or how much
trains each way), assessing labor is used to turn the
dwell-time issues, overhauling wrench.” Instead, they reflect a
schedules, and jointly evaluat- proportional share of Amtrak’s
ing capital expenditures. overall costs. “They just throw
Mortensen made it clear to [all expenses] in a barrel and re-
lawmakers — some of them spit them out to me. And now
tasked with revising Amtrak they have no relationship to
authorizing legislation this year how much work is being done.”
— that much of the blame lies On a cost per passenger-
mile basis, and using the Federal Transit
Administration’s National Transit Database,
her team found that Amtrak’s San Joaquin
annual costs in 2018 “were three times
more expensive than those of our unionized
private contractor for our ACE service.”
North Carolina, which operates three
Raleigh-Charlotte Piedmont round trips in
addition to the New York-Charlotte Caro-
linian, outsourced maintenance of its own
locomotive and passenger-car fleet to an
independent contractor decades ago. But
virtually all other state operating authori-
ties rely on Amtrak to do the work, which
often includes periodic overhauls that get
more expensive as equipment ages.
Amtrak provides the states with a na-
tional reservation system. However, other Herzog Transit Services operates the Altamont Corridor Express trains. This ACE train is
contributions it historically offered region- crossing Altamont Pass Road on the eastern end of the pass in March 2015. Alex Mayes
ally — such as advertising, community out-
reach, marketing, and management dedi- in terms of access agreements and mutual- raised the damages cap to $294 million and
cated to specific corridors — have steadily ly beneficial network improvements.” extended it to all carriers following the fatal
atrophied since the late 1990s. That was Bennett Levin, a veteran private railcar 2015 Philadelphia derailment of Northeast
when then-President George Warrington owner and frequent critic of Amtrak’s cur- Regional train No. 188.
eliminated a business-unit structure that rent management and board of directors, Cutting the Amtrak cord could eliminate
included Oakland, Calif.,-based Amtrak in December proposed to the Pennsylvania synergies now achieved on heavily intercon-
West. Like other customer-facing aspects of legislature that the state acquire Amtrak’s nected operations such as the three Califor-
Amtrak’s business, cost-cutting to reduce Keystone Corridor. nia corridors, which have a robust Amtrak
“operating” losses has gained momentum “The Philadelphia-Harrisburg example Thruway bus network; Northeast Corridor
during the last two years under CEO Rich- is about as textbook as you can get; the partners like Virginia; and Chicago-based
ard Anderson, Board of Directors Chair- pieces are right there,” Levin tells Trains. Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin services.
man Anthony Coscia, and Senior Execu- “If it gains ownership, all the state needs Yet even in the Midwest, two round trips
tive Vice President, Chief Operating, and to do is contract with SEPTA [commuter from the Windy City to Rockford, Ill., now
Commercial Officer Stephen Gardner. operator Southeast Pennsylvania Trans- in the planning stages, would be possible if
The primary factor tethering most state portation Authority] rather than Amtrak Illinois utilized commuter operator Metra
operators to Amtrak is the national carrier’s to run all the trains, and negotiate sepa- for equipment and Union Station access and
statutory right of access to the rail network rately with Norfolk Southern to add more was able to work out track compensation
at incremental cost, and its established, if service on the Pennsylvanian’s route to with UP west of Elgin, Ill. A state spokes-
not always cozy, relationship with host rail- Pittsburgh.” His presentation argues that man tells Trains such an arrangement has
roads. Crew training and 24-hour central- Pennsylvania and SEPTA are together not been discussed and “is not being con-
ized support from Amtrak’s Consolidated paying Amtrak more than $1 million per sidered at this time.”
National Operations Center in Wilming- week to run both services. In any case, heightened scrutiny of Am-
ton, Del., are rightly valued by the rail- Amtrak historically had a liability trak’s costs and responsiveness will clearly
roads. Most have flatly refused to even con- advantage over other operators, but Levin be a contentious element of upcoming re-
sider other operators for intercity corridors, points out that evaporated once Congress authorization discussions. — Bob Johnston
which is why Amtrak was still the operator
when Indiana contracted with Iowa Pacific
to provide equipment and food service on
the Indianapolis-Chicago Hoosier State in
2015. That effort to lower costs and en-
hance onboard service didn’t end well:
Overall operation eventually reverted to
Amtrak, then ended last year when fund-
ing was cut from the state budget. Also, an
effort to outsource up to three Amtrak
long-distance routes, through 2017 Federal
Railroad Administration rulemaking di-
rected by Congress, had no takers because
of embedded Amtrak concessions and a
lack of railroad support.
On the other hand, commuter authori-
ties must strike separate access agreements
with host railroads anyway. Speaking of her
experience with Altamont Commuter Ex-
press, Mortensen told lawmakers, “We have Amtrak’s Pennsylvanian (left) and a Keystone Service train at Harrisburg, Pa. A proposal would
a very successful history with Union Pacific have the state acquire the Keystone route, with commuter railroad SEPTA as operator.

TrainsMag.com 19
 THE NEXT
RAILROAD Two Canadian National

VISION
crews chat during a crew
change at Neenah, Wis.,

2020
in April 2015. Will the next
generation of railroader

GENERATION
be as durable as this?
TRAINS: Brian Schmidt
Fixing existing issues is crucial to attracting new railroaders
by Dan Cupper
ITEM 1: U.S. unemployment is at a
50-year low.
ITEM 2: U.S. railroad unemployment is
shooting upward.
When major railroads are laying off
mechanics and train-and-engine crews by
the hundreds, what incentives do they have
to attract new hires?
None, apparently, until Precision
Scheduled Railroading goes away, with its
emphasis on parking scores of locomotives
(so less need for mechanics) and running
3-mile-long trains with distributed power
(so no need for a second crew). With Wall
Street pressure on managements for
“enhanced shareholder value,” PSR could
be around for a while.
In the meantime, furloughs are becom-
ing common, and jobs are being abolished.
With downsizing, engineers are sometimes
force-assigned as conductors, while con-
ductors are laid off.
The Trump administration reversed the
Federal Railroad Administration’s previous
support for two-person crews, and several
Class I railroads make no secret of the fact
that they’d like to run trains without any
crew members at all.
Candidates for train-and-engine work
already face high barriers in hiring:
• Extensive background check, includ-
ing minor traffic violations.
• Willingness to forgo drugs (including
some prescription drugs) entirely, or alco-
hol any time they are subject to call.
• Being available 24/7 — nights, week-
ends, holidays, during family events.
• Willingness to minimize or cut ties
with family and friends because of being
constantly on call.
On the last point, one young conductor
hired on and after a while, his girlfriend
gave him an ultimatum: “It’s either me or the
railroad.” He chose the railroad. Recruiters
aren’t kidding when they say, “Every rela-
tionship you have will either change or end.”
A change in the federal Hours of Service
law gives employees guaranteed rest days
after so many hours of work per week or
per calendar month. But that isn’t enough to
balance the fact that many younger people
want nights and weekends free.
Many hiring sessions begin with 100-
200 candidates. When recruiters outline the
restrictions, the pool of interested people
drops to half, one-quarter, or even zero. If
anyone remains, testing begins — general
aptitude, psychological — and that further
narrows the field.
Those who are offered positions then
enter a probationary training period, with
classroom work and on-the-job experience
paired up with a (hopefully, but not always)
experienced railroader. One railroad cut
this time from five months to 90 days to
save money. Railroading is a big, complex,
dangerous workplace with its own safety
culture, its own language, its own geogra-
phy, its own rules, and its own procedures.
Nobody can learn that in 90 days.
A trainmaster in Pittsburgh once board-
ed a local freight to ride along with a crew,
but neglected to bring hearing protection.
The conductor offered her a pair of new
company-issued earplugs, which she ac-
cepted. That left him without any earplugs,
and she promptly wrote him up.
Many of these supervisors are hired off
the street or out of college, with little or no
practical experience. The fact that carriers
allow this caliber of junior or middle man-
agement to oversee frontline T&E person-
nel doesn’t help retention, and only
strengthens the case for union protection.
One thing management can do is to
eliminate a punishment-based
incentive system. Those who
write up lots of rule violations
NOBODY
— valid or not — are rewarded CAN LEARN
with bonuses, promotions, spe- RAILROADING
cial privileges, and preferred IN 90 DAYS.
vacation schedules.
A few bosses do buck the system, step-
ping in to say, “here’s how to do it,” rather
than immediately starting disciplinary
action. But they pay a heavy price in lost
bonuses and promotions.
A related hazard is the “weed weasel,”
a supervisor who hides in the bushes to
watch an employee at work, popping out
with a “gotcha” when he spots an alleged
violation — again, valid or not. An eager
assistant trainmaster, looking for more
notches in his holster, wrote up an engineer
who was tying down his train for failure to
completely close an engine’s window.
I have seen many young railroaders
go about their jobs diligently and taking
pride in their work, only to be tripped up
by a minor-violation “gotcha” or a bogus
infraction. Nothing destroys morale more
quickly than this.
A former Norfolk Southern vice presi-
dent became enamored with the idea of
making conductors keep signal logs —
recording time, signal name, and indication,
after passing each signal. This was sup-
posed to be a “silver bullet” that would
keep conductors awake and put an end to
stop-signal violations.
No sooner was the plan implemented
systemwide than road foremen of engines
and trainmasters seized upon it as a new
tool of discipline, with subjective and wildly
inconsistent levels of punishment.
When that vice president retired, NS
dropped the program, as if it were just a
whim. But it had been one with serious
consequences for people’s discipline
records, and sometimes income.
Many managers move on to other loca-
tions, but the conductors, brakemen, and
engineers left behind have black marks,
valid or not, on their permanent record. This
incentive program leads to raw, young
supervisors thinking that they understand
the whole of railroading because they can
vigorously enforce “the one or two rules
that they do know,” as one Amtrak engineer
told me. Reforming this culture would be
like turning around an aircraft carrier in the
middle of the ocean.
Also, some railroads routinely cheat
employees out of pay they are due by union
contract, which depresses morale further.
By contract, employees are per-
mitted to put in a claim docu-
menting that they’ve performed
certain additional work that
earns them extra pay. But some
accounting personnel and local
supervisors reject claims rou-
tinely, figuring that the employee won’t go
through the extra time and effort to resub-
mit it. This ends up saving a company
millions of dollars.
“You guys make enough money,” one
timekeeper told an engineer who called to
ask why his contractually valid claim was
disallowed. Another admitted to a conduc-
tor that “I just reject all of them.” Carriers
require crews to conform to their end of
contract terms; it would improve morale if
they were as rigorous in holding up their
end of the contract when it comes to pay.
If carriers want to attract or retain good
train-and-engine people, these are the
sticking points:
• Adequate training.
• Zero tolerance for arbitrary or incon-
sistent discipline.
• Honesty in paying what a union
worker is due.
Easily said, not so easily done. Aircraft
carriers don’t turn on a dime. 2
DAN CUPPER is a retired locomotive engi-
neer for a Class I railroad who has written
more than 20 features for TRAINS magazine
and 10 books on railroads and transportation.
TrainsMag.com 21
 THE

[ARIZONA] ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Far less busy than the Transcon, BNSF’s
Phoenix Subdivision features astonishing
scenery and impressive engineering

Story and photos by Ray Lewis

22 APRIL 2020
An unusually short train ZWSPPHX9-01
(Chicago-Phoenix) glides into Date
from Hillside as remnants of an over-
night storm linger on Oct. 3, 2018.
While Arizona gets plenty of sun, it’s
not uncommon for severe storms to
enhance the line’s beauty.
S
tanding on a section of abruptly interrupted the tranquility to de-
right-of-way aban- clare the approach of a westbound train.
doned long ago, a light The faint rumble of three General Electric
breeze cools the warm locomotives reverberates through Bells
sunrays and produces Canyon, and it isn’t long before the double
the only sound in a lo- horseshoe curves are filled with 9,000 feet
cation that seems thou- of merchandise destined for Phoenix. The
sands of miles from view at Grand View truly is grand.
civilization. The breeze The aptly named location of Grand View
and the sun evoke a re- is situated almost directly in the middle of a
freshing feeling of soli- 206-mile BNSF route that serves the
tude. At an elevation of sprawling and fast-growing city of Phoenix
4,230 feet, the vista is and its more than 4.5 million residents.
just as great with pan- Considered one of the most remote loca-
oramic scenes of the Weaver and McCloud tions along the Phoenix Subdivision, Grand
mountains in Central Arizona. Despite the View epitomizes the line’s grandeur, which
solitary ambiance, civilization isn’t far. Just is filled with astonishing scenery and im-
5 miles to the west is the tiny town of Hill- pressive engineering from end to end. Yet,
side. And 6.5 miles to the east lies the town when most people think about BNSF in
of Kirkland, and the site of a BNSF Railway Arizona, the Seligman Subdivision is often
trackside detector, that just seconds ago at the forefront of their minds. Stretched
24 APRIL 2020
across Northern Arizona, the busy former
Santa Fe transcontinental line boasts di-
verse scenery and plentiful trains, so it’s no
wonder why it garners so much attention.
What does come as a surprise is the lack of
interest in the Phoenix Sub. Overshadowed
by the main line that feeds it from the
north, the Phoenix Subdivision contains
dramatic and changing scenery that is
strikingly similar to, and in some cases
more impressive than, the Seligman Subdi-
vision. What the Phoenix Subdivision
lacks in train volume, it makes up for it
with a spectacular environment. Whereas
the Seligman Subdivision hosts an average
of 80 trains per day, the BNSF operates a
mere 4 to 10 trains a day through the
Phoenix Subdivision.
Long before BNSF, the line south to
Phoenix was completed on March 13,
1895, by the Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix
 BNSF
ARIZONA Daze

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© 2020 Kalmbach Media Co., TRAINS: Rick Johnson M E X I C O Nogales

On a beautiful October morning, westbound
train VCLOPHX1-02 (Clovis, N.M.-Phoenix)
crosses Little Hell Canyon bridge just south
of Ash Fork. The train is traveling through the
dense scrub spruce trees that engulf the
northern region of this line. In a few short
miles, the density of trees will diminish as
the train makes its way through Chino and
Williamson valleys.
Railway in order to meet the demands of
the booming Arizona mining industry and
the rapidly expanding city of Phoenix. The
new railway quickly earned the nickname
“the Peavine” for its twisting and winding
path through the southwestern terrain,
similar to how a pea vine would grow and
entwine itself on its host. Barely acceptable
for 19th-century railroad operations, the
route was archaic in nature and far from
being able to offer efficient service. As
such, the line to Phoenix has seen its share
of revisions, mitigating the most treacher- warrant control versus the more efficient
ous and grueling sections of the railroad. Centralized Traffic Control. For the next 26
Of note, three major improvements oc- miles, trains descend over portions of the
curred that forged the present-day railway. original Atlantic & Pacific/Santa Fe trans-
Let’s take a look at these. continental to Ash Fork. At Ash Fork, the
milepost immediately transitions from
MAJOR LINE RELOCATIONS 401.2 to 0, where the right-of-way makes a
The first major improvement was the hard turn south, picking up the former
Ash Fork-to-Abra line relocation of 1902, Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix line. From
which moved 26 miles out of the problemat- here, the rails guide trains in a general
ic Limestone Canyon to the more manage- southward direction for the next 145 miles.
able Hell Canyon. The second was the 1960 However, it is far from a straight shot, as
Santa Fe transcontinental Crookton line the right-of-way remarkably winds and
change, where the largest impacts were the twists along some of Arizona’s most
transfer of 26 miles to the Phoenix route and
the abandonment of the east-west main line
west of Williams through Johnson Canyon.
The final major improvement occurred in THESE EARLY PROJECTS
DRASTICALLY IMPROVED
1962 with the Abra-Skull Valley line change.
This realignment bypassed Prescott through
the steep and rocky Sierra Prieta Mountains,
creating a short-lived Prescott branch line OPERATIONS FOR A RAIL-
and slashing 14.4 miles off the timetable.
Combined, these efforts eliminated the
route’s steepest grades, countless wooden
ROAD THAT CONTINUES TO
bridges, numerous 12-degree curves, and its
tunnel clearance limitation. These early
SERVE A VITAL ROLE IN
projects drastically improved operations for
a railroad that continues to serve a vital role THE ARIZONA
in the Arizona transportation network.
BNSF trains bound for Phoenix diverge TRANSPORTATION
from the transcontinental route at Williams
Junction (MP 375.1), operating on track- NETWORK.
TrainsMag.com 25
On a stormy Oct. 3, 2018, dark skies
and a bright rainbow accentuate
the scene as train ZWINPHX9-03
(Winslow, Ariz.-Phoenix) is west-
bound near Drake. The daily
high-priority intermodal is assem-
bled at Winslow and consists of
cars from other transcontinental
train movements.

remote, scenic, and variable terrain before
it levels out near Castle Hot Springs (MP
150.3). The remaining 44 miles are pretty
much a straight shot that stretch across the
desert floor and onto the western (track-
west/compass-south) termination point of
Phoenix (MP 194).
On average, trains on the Phoenix Sub
weigh about 4,000 tons and are 5,000 feet
long, however, this can vary. Eastbound
trains cannot exceed 6,500 tons or 7,500
feet. For westbound traffic, freights operat-
ing between West Williams Junction and
Phoenix that exceed 7,500 tons must have
helper/distributed power and are limited to
9,100 tons. Currently, the only trains that
use distributed power are inbound (west)
unit ethanol and manifests that exceed
7,500 tons. In early 2019, BNSF experi-
mented with Precision Scheduled Railroad-
ing tactics when a Phoenix-to-Willow
Springs, Ill., Z-train left Glendale, Ariz.,
with an uncharacteristic three-by-two loco-
motive configuration, as well as running
two train symbols as one train (see photo
below). Early speculation suggested that
PSR would result in longer train lengths
and a lower daily train count, however, for
now it appears the Phoenix Subdivision is
back to its normal operations.
Nonetheless, today’s traffic levels are up
from years past. Despite train counts being
far from overwhelming, meets are common
and add complexity to operations due to
their limitations. There are 10 locations used
to deconflict traffic: Beardsley (double track;
6,784 feet), Castle Hot Springs (7,100 feet),
Matthie (Arizona & California main), Date
On Jan. 27, 2019, 9,088-foot BNSF train QCHIPHX6-23 (Chicago-Phoenix) had 38 auto racks tacked to the rear. Ordinarily solid container/trailer traffic,
the train with the additional auto racks, adding 1,500 feet to its normal length, hinted at Precision Scheduled Railroading at the time.
THE
TRAIN-WATCHER’S GUIDE
FIRST, FULL DISCLOSURE regarding the photographs included in this article: All
but one were captured with a drone. As much as I love to hike in search of new views,
there are so many photogenic locations along the Phoenix Subdivision where you just
cannot get the elevation needed without a drone. Additionally, access to the Phoenix Sub
can be tricky. Except for Tucker and Kayfour, you can generally follow the entire route from
Mobest yard in downtown Phoenix all the way to Williams Junction. However, it does take
some map familiarization and dirt-road travel to get closer to the tracks in most areas. Next,
insight to operations are critical to having success on the Phoenix Subdivision. Learning
traffic patterns can help tremendously, and there are some great public resources available:
Scanner Radio Pro, Phoenix Sub Group Facebook page, and the Robo-Foamer Williams
Junction alert (https://railfanaz.com/). The online scanner station (BNSF/UP Phoenix Area)
can be downloaded on smartphones. Coverage extends from Phoenix all the way to Con-
gress, sometimes as far as Hillside. I use that in conjunction with my handheld scanner no
matter where I am on the line. On Facebook, the BNSF Phoenix Sub Group is a great source
of “heads up”-type information from fans and employees. The last publicly available source
is the RoboFoamer track alert. The site sends notifications directly to email inboxes every
time a train enters and exits Williams Junction. — Ray Lewis
(6,252 feet), Hillside (8,200 feet), Skull Val- 206 MILES EQUALS 7 HOURS ON THE ROAD
ley (double track; 6,256 feet), Tucker (6,262 For nonstop trains, the 206-mile trip
feet), Abra (6,188 feet), Ash Fork (5,650 feet) takes 6.5 to 7 hours (on average) to travel
and Williams (5,600 feet). Meets are inter- in either direction. More specifically, it
esting as conductors hand throw all switch- takes roughly an hour (slightly over an
es. In fall 2019, the train holding the siding hour in some cases) to run between each
was required to realign the switch for main- of the following two points; Williams to
line movement and would be issued permis- Ash Fork, Ash Fork to Tucker, Tucker to
sion for a reverse movement under General Kirkland, Kirkland to Piedmont,
Code of Operating Rules, rule 6.6 “Picking Piedmont to Castle Hot Springs, Castle
Up Crew Member” once back onto the Hot Springs to the Phoenix area. Natural-
main. But a recent procedural shift allows ly, these times are tentative as several fac-
crew members to leave switches open fol- tors can extend travel time. It’s not un-
lowing meets, which saves time but forces common for a train crew to run out of
the next oncoming train to stop and realign hours, resulting in trains getting tied
the switch to continue on the main line. down. Additionally, track maintenance,
TrainsMag.com 27
On Sept. 22, 2018, train ZWSPPHX7-20 (Chicago-Phoenix) west winds through and fills up the enormous S-curve at Daze. At 1.8%, Daze
encompasses the steepest grade on the Phoenix Subdivision. This location was part of the original transcon alignment that was bypassed
as a result of the Crookton line change. While it has a siding, it is not used or maintained for meets.

TRAINS OF BNSF RAILWAY’S PEAVINE

WESTBOUND EASTBOUND
Scheduled Scheduled
HBELPHX – departs Belen, N.M., Wednesday-Monday around midnight (on BPHXLAC – every day/usually has empty containers. Runs on ARZC from Matthie
Phoenix Sub 2-3 days later) or up to Winslow, then back west to Los Angeles. (normally departs afternoon)
VCLOPHX – departs Clovis, N.M., every day except Wednesday and Saturday (on HPHXBEL – departs Phoenix every day except Saturday (arrives at Williams
Phoenix Sub 1-3 days later) around 6 a.m.)
QCHIPHX – departs Chicago Tues., Wed., and Sun. (on Phoenix Sub 2 days later) MPHXPHX – departs Phoenix every morning, interchanges with ARZC at Castle
ZWSPPHX – departs Willow Springs, Ill., every day except Sunday (on Phoenix Hot Springs
Sub 2 days later) QPHXCHI – departs Phoenix Sunday at 3 p.m. and Monday 8 a.m.
ZWINPHX – departs Winslow, Ariz., daily except Sunday, short train 100 axles/ ZPHXWSP – departs Phoenix Tuesday through Saturday at 8 a.m.
avg. (on Phoenix Sub same day) Unscheduled
ZALTPHX – departs Alliance Yard near Fort Worth Sat. (on Phx. Sub Sun. afternoon) BPHXCHI – empty containers
MPHXPHX – departs Phoenix every morning, interchanges with ARZC at Castle VPHXELP – empty auto (although unscheduled, an empty auto runs almost daily
Hot Springs at the time of this publication)
Unscheduled, as needed VPHXWAT – empty auto
HBARPHX – runs on ARZC to Matthie as needed VPHXKCK – empty auto
URAVPHX VPHXGUP – empty auto
UHKNPHX UPHXHKN – empty unit ethanol
VKCKPHK UPHXRAV – empty unit ethanol
VVAUPHX

28 APRIL 2020
crew changes, and the aforementioned
meets can all extend these approximate
train times. Still, travel time is much more
efficient today than on the A&P.
Back then, hoppers filled with mining
loads ruled. Today, BNSF’s traffic mostly
consists of intermodal trains. But BNSF
also operates a fair share of auto as well as
a few mixed freight, baretable, and unit
ethanol trains (see the table at bottom left
for train symbols/schedules).
In 2007, the aggregate weight of all
product traversing the line was 9 million
gross tons (6 million inbound/3 million
outbound). To add context, it accounts for
just under 10% of the traffic on the Selig-
man Sub. Included in the tonnage is regu-
lar traffic for a couple of BNSF Railway
partners, operating on former Santa Fe
branch lines. On weekday mornings,
BNSF and Arizona & California Railroad
exchange trains. The Arizona & California
actually enters BNSF territory at Matthie,
where it continues west to Castle Hot
Springs. Once the two railroads exchange
cars, the Arizona & California runs east
back to Matthie. BNSF also interchanges
traffic with the Clarkdale Arizona Central
Railroad at Drake every Wednesday and
Saturday. With this interchange, BNSF
simply drops off the cars at Drake where
the short line will transport the loads over
its own tracks.
Even with the shortline interchanges,
traffic on the Phoenix Subdivision pales in
comparison to its northern partner.
Although it lacks traffic volume, it more
Saguaros are synonymous with Arizona, and the Phoenix Sub has a fair share of them in the
lower desert regions. Empty auto rack train VPHXELP4-06 (Phoenix-El Paso) crosses the
Hassayampa River near milepost 147, entering the Hassayampa River Canyon on May 17, 2017.
BACK THEN,
HOPPERS FILLED
WITH MINING LOADS
RULED. TODAY,
BNSF’S TRAFFIC
MOSTLY CONSISTS OF
INTERMODAL TRAINS.
than makes up for it in scenery and track
engineering. In typical Southwest fashion,
visitors can witness a variety of Arizona
scenery (and weather) as the right-of-way
transitions from the dense ponderosa
pines in the Kaibab Forest, across the high
plains and rocky desert of Yavapai County,
down into the vast desert floor of the
greater Phoenix area. Embedded into the
Arizona landscape for nearly 125 years,
the line’s true charm resides in its topog-
raphy, where the existing curvature
engineered to negotiate the terrain is
simply exquisite.
If you’re interested in a less
frequented, yet scenic route, divert from
the main line, explore the back roads of
Arizona along the Phoenix Subdivision
and find your own “Grand View.” 2
TrainsMag.com 29
 BACK

Canadian Pacific reno-

vated and debuted dome
car Selkirk in June 2019.
The new car (center),
fabricated from a former
Southern Pacific tavern
car, is part of a business
train at Banff, Alberta.

30 APRIL 2020
TO THE FUTURE
Dome car Selkirk joins Canadian Pacific’s business/heritage car
fleet with classic lines and modern amenities
A
t the end of a pleasant trip aboard
Canadian Pacific Railway’s busi-
ness-car train in 2017, CP
President and CEO Keith Creel
stepped off and found Kevin
Hrysak, senior manager heritage opera-
tions, and Justin Tracy, manager heritage
operations and mechanical. Creel com-
mented on how wonderful the train was
and asked the two men what it was miss-
ing. Before Hrysak or Tracy could respond,
Creel said, “A dome car.”
Creel’s question (and answer) resulted in
the acquisition and rebuilding of former
Southern Pacific three-quarter dome No.
3605, Selkirk. The car entered service June
Photos by Canadian Pacific Railway
13, 2019, and for its first trip operated from
CP headquarters in Calgary, Alberta, to
Banff, Alta., and Golden, British Columbia,
and return, the route CP dome cars once
traversed when it operated passenger trains.
Canadian Pacific has a long history with
dome cars — arguably much longer than
you might think. In 1902 and 1906, CP’s
shops built four wooden cars that had large
cupolas at each end. In between were a
clerestory center with large windows and
revolving leather chairs. Passengers could
sit in the windowed cupolas, which project-
ed 3 feet above the roof line, and look out
in all directions. The cars were used
between Donald and Revelstoke, B.C.,
over the Selkirk Mountains. They were
scrapped in 1913.
In the modern era, CP only owned
“short” domes. In 1954, CP placed the
by Steve Glischinski
second-largest single order for the Budd
Co.’s famous short domes (the largest was
for the California Zephyr in the 1940s). The
cars were ordered to re-equip the Montre-
al/Toronto-to-Vancouver Dominion and
create a totally new train in 1955 on the
same route, the Canadian. CP ordered 36
of what it termed “Scenic Domes:” 18 Park
series dome-sleeper-observation lounges
and 18 dome-coach-buffet lounges. Most of
the cars are still in service today, but are
owned by VIA Rail. Now CP has returned
to its dome-car heritage, albeit with a car
unlike any it had previously owned.
FINDING THE DELOREAN
With Creel’s edict, Tracy began a search
for an appropriate car to add to the fleet.
He already had one type in mind: a South-
ern Pacific three-quarter dome. Back in
2002, he had walked through privately
owned No. 3604 at the Golden Gate Rail-
road Museum. “I had never seen a three-
quarter dome and never been in one. After

With side panels removed, the Selkirk undergoes rehabilitation at CP’s Ogden facility in
Calgary. The thin original skin and bad side sills necessitated the total skin-off restoration.
that walk-through, I said to myself, ‘This is
something special.’ There’s not another car
that has that open ceiling to it.”
Rather than having all seats under the
dome as most cars have, SP domes had two
levels. At “ground” level was a 20-seat
lounge with the dome high overhead. Stairs
then went from the lounge to the dome.
When in regular service, there was a disad-
vantage in this design for passengers walk-
ing through the train — they had to come
through the lounge, up the stairs to the
dome, then down another set of stairs back
to “ground” level to exit the car. In private
train service, the design has become a plus.
“It’s all free flowing, unlike some of the other
dome cars,” Hrysak says. Acquiring an ex-SP
dome was an easy sell to Creel, he says.
Selkirk is one of seven dome cars de-
signed by Frank H. Stengle Jr. and built by
SP at its Sacramento Shops during 1954
and 1955. The railroad claimed that most
dome cars were too tall to fit through its
tunnels and snow sheds, so it designed and
built its own domes out of older cars. They
32 APRIL 2020
weren’t full-length domes — the dome only
runs three-quarter of the length of the car.
They were built for service on the San Joa-
quin Daylight, Shasta Daylight, and the San
Francisco Overland, and were later used on
the Coast Daylight and the City of San
Francisco. Budd built the upper dome por-
tions of the cars. At 15-feet, 2-inches tall,
they had the shortest dome height of any
dome car. Four of the cars survive, but only
one other is operable: No. 3603 is painted
in Kansas City Southern’s “Southern Belle”
colors and used on Panama Canal Railway
passenger trains between Panama City and
Colón, Panama.
BUILDING THE DELOREAN
The Canadian Pacific car was fabricated
from SP tavern car No. 10312, built by Pull-
man Standard in 1937, and was outshopped
in May 1955 for Shasta Daylight service. It
became Amtrak No. 9374 in 1972, and was
retired in 1981. The car was sold to Mickey
Stanley of Colorado Springs and his Stanley
& Co. where it was used as an office. In
CP determined its twin-cupola, glass-roofed
wooden observation cars, like this one from
the early 1900s, became uncomfortably
warm. The Selkirk has three air conditioners.
1985, it was sold for a planned railroad mu-
seum in California and moved to Denver,
but the plans fell through, and in 1991, it
was sold again and placed in excursion ser-
vice in Mexico by Bananafish Tours. Even-
tually, it was used in Copper Canyon excur-
sion service. In 2000, the car was sold to the
Royal Gorge Route in Cañon City, Colo.,
where it ended up in storage when the rail-
road purchased three other full-length
domes. That’s where Tracy found the car.
Despite years of storage, most of the
components were in good condition: “It had
good bones,” Tracy says. The car was pur-
chased in May 2018 and shipped to Calgary.
It was essentially a shell, with most windows
missing and no interior furnishings. Tracy
says that actually was beneficial, since CP
planned to tear the car down to a shell any-
way before inspection and rebuilding could
begin. “In very short order, we could get
down to the business of doing further tear
down for the side sills that it needed and
reinforcement in the structure of the car,” he
says. “Any way you look at it, it was a ground
up restoration. You start out with bare bones
and work back.”
Work on the car began in August 2018
with a mix of CP employees and contrac-
tors. It really kicked into full gear that Sep-
tember at the former CP locomotive shop at
Ogden Yard in Calgary now used for work
on the heritage fleet. One of the first inspec-
tions that took place was where the dome
met the carbody. All the “skin” of the car
was pulled off so sandblasting and cleanup
could begin. The car frame and sills were
coated with anticorrosion material. There
was some water intrusion where the front
and rear of the dome met the car; that was
cleaned and repaired. Tracy and his crew
replaced sheet metal with thicker steel on
the outside of the car, and inspected and
repaired the side sills. The dome structure
itself needed little work. Tracy got in touch
with Pete Messina, who had worked on the
restoration of the Panama Canal Railway
dome, to bounce off ideas and to “make
sure we were in the realm of reality” for
some of the things he wanted to do.
One of the goals was to create a conver-
sation space for large group meetings. Parlor
observation captain’s chairs and recliners
were installed in the dome. Eight soft-leath-
er chairs with four tables were added in the
lounge section, but can be changed, depend-
ing on the type of meeting or event. A new
bar was built and installed. The car original-
ly did not have a bathroom so one was add-
ed where the storage room used to be. Tracy
wanted to leave a “little SP in the car” so in a
salute to its Southern Pacific heritage, the
exterior doors retain their round porthole
windows, SP-style speaker grilles were
installed, and it was numbered CP 3605.
Three photos at right: Leather-covered
captain’s chairs, booths, and tables are
available for group meetings inside Selkirk.
Below: At the Royal Canadian Pacific pavilion
at Calgary, Selkirk gleams with one of the
railroad’s F units in the background.
GREAT SCOTT! market the car to attract more charter cus-
CP wanted the car to be maintenance tomers, Hrysak says. If CP runs public char-
friendly, so renovators used “off the shelf ” ters, the car may be used, he says, but it will
components and planned for easy access to not be used on CP’s annual Holiday Train
maintenance areas. A Calgary-based com- because of subfreezing temperatures.
pany built a custom electric slide to replace Creel bragged about Selkirk at the rail-
the air slides for the entry doors. Three air- way’s annual shareholder meeting on May 7,
conditioning units, totaling 27 tons alternat- 2019. “This car is going to be ... the nicest
ing current, replace two units once powered heritage railcar in the world — not Canadi-
by Waukesha ice engine generators and pro- an Pacific, not North America — in the
pane tanks, saving weight. A 176-kw self- world,” Creel said. “A hundred and fifty
contained generator provides power for Sel- years from now, somebody’s going to be rid-
kirk and other cars, and serves as a backup. ing that car and say, ‘Gosh, those guys and
The car is used for comfort, so seating gals at CP back then really got this right.’
capacity was reduced, Hrysak says. “Where Because it’s special.” 2
the car used to seat around 60, it now has
11 seats in the lounge and 40 on the upper
lounge level for a total of 51.” Tray-style ta-
bles are located by the captain’s chairs. An
electrically driven, retractable flat-screen TV
folds into the wood-paneled ceiling above
the bar. Wi-Fi and a state-of-the-art sound
system are among the 21st-century ameni-
ties. The car was named Selkirk after the
British Columbia mountains in CP territory.
While CP wouldn’t share restoration
costs, Hrysak says the cost was “far less than
buying one brand new or what is being
spent on cars currently being restored by
others.” The car is only being used for inter-
nal company functions, Hrysak says, but is
available for charter trains. CP intends to
TrainsMag.com 33

YOU COULD CALL CANADIAN NATIONAL a lopsided railroad.
For 15 years it’s been the fastest growing of the big six railroads in
North America. But most of the growth has come in Western
Canada, where the railroad is bulging with intermodal, petro-
chemical, and bulk traffic. CN’s challenge has been to lay down
new track fast enough to keep up with the surging demand west
of Chicago and Toronto.
It’s a different story east of those cities. Glance at a traffic density
map and the problem leaps off the page: Tonnage lines get thinner
the farther east you go. By the time you reach Halifax, Nova Scotia,
CN’s main line hosts a grand total of four road freights per day.
34 APRIL 2020
Canadian National wants to
duplicate the big-time success
of this small-town port
by Bill Stephens
Doug MacDonald, who headed CN’s Eastern Region until Decem-
ber, put it this way at CN’s 2019 investor day: “It’s a nice anemic
little arm going out to Halifax.”
CN has adopted what CEO JJ Ruest calls a “Feed the Beast”
strategy to fill up the eastern half of the railroad. As manufacturing
and related carload traffic wane in Eastern Canada, Ruest wants to
more closely tie CN to the 125 million consumers living in Toronto,
Montreal, and the U.S. Midwest. And that means finding a way to
put more intermodal traffic on a railroad that Ruest says has
“capacity galore.”
A key to Feed the Beast is duplicating the success of CN’s service

to the Port of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, by turning Halifax
and Quebec City into Ruperts of the East. And why not? Prince Ru-
pert has been the fastest growing port in North America for more
than a decade. Since the Fairview Container Terminal hosted its
first ship in October 2007, the port’s tonnage has more than dou-
bled — and port officials expect it to double again within 10 years.
Prince Rupert now accounts for more than a quarter of CN’s in-
ternational intermodal volume. A third of the boxes that land there
are bound for Toronto, Montreal, and other destinations in Canada.
The rest — loaded with everything from auto parts to consumer
goods like furniture and clothing — are destined for Chicago and
The Fairview Container Terminal
at Prince Rupert can handle a
pair of the largest container
ships afloat today and is under-
going expansions that will boost
capacity 30% by 2022. Jan
Vozenilek, Prince Rupert Port Authority
other points in the U.S. Midwest.
Little of this volume is really new. Prince Rupert and CN have
simply picked the pockets of other West Coast ports. Boxes that
previously took BNSF Railway and Union Pacific trains from Los
Angeles and Long Beach, Calif., to Chicago, for example, now ride
behind CN power from Rupert to the Windy City, largely on
account of superior overall transit times.
Now CN is intent on doing the same thing on the East Coast.
CN hopes an expanded and upgraded container terminal at the
Port of Halifax, which should be completed this fall, can grab
some of the containers that land at the Port of New York and New
TrainsMag.com 35

Train Q199 from Chicago moves through Control Point 66.4, some 30
miles from Prince Rupert on Sept. 13, 2019. The Yellowhead Highway,
the only road out of Prince Rupert, follows CN along the Skeena River.
Jersey and ride CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern trains
to Chicago. CN also is a partner in a new container port that will
be built in Quebec City and could open as soon as 2024, giving
the railroad yet another way to bring goods from Southeast Asia
and Europe to the Midwest.
Rupert, Halifax, and Quebec City are an unlikely trio bound
together by CN rails. But what they have in common, CN says, is a
winning combination on any coast. First, CN is the only railroad to
serve each port. Second, the port authorities, terminal operators,
and CN work closely together to attract shippers and steamship
lines. Third, each port has on-dock rail service for efficient, low-
cost terminal operations. Finally, all of the ports have a speed ad-
vantage by virtue of reduced sailing times and a lack of congestion.
36 APRIL 2020
Canadian National C40-8 No. 2029, in service as the terminal switch-
er, trundles along the on-dock trackage at the Fairview Container
Terminal in Prince Rupert on Sept. 13, 2019. Two photos, Bill Stephens
Add it all up, says Lonny Kubas, CN’s assistant vice president for
supply chain, and it’s a recipe for service that’s faster and more con-
sistent. “Time to market is critical,” he says.
RUPERT ON A ROLL
It’s a 2-hour flight from Vancouver to the Prince Rupert airport
on neighboring Digby Island. Your lift from the airport, a retired
school bus still wearing yellow paint, rumbles off the ferry, up a
ramp onto Kaien Island, and immediately clanks across the CN
tracks in Prince Rupert. As the crow flies, you’re 450 miles north of
Vancouver, 30 miles from the southern tip of Alaska, and 70 miles
from the nearest inland town. It feels like you’ve arrived in the mid-
dle of nowhere. But you’re really in the middle of a thriving global
trade route that boasts the shortest sailing time linking China,
Japan, and South Korea with North America. Look to the left and
the end of CN’s BC North Line is just around the bend. Look to
your right and there it is: Fairview’s towering cranes unloading
containers from a pair of massive ships, one each from Maersk
and COSCO Shipping.
The next evening international containers roll by you at Port
Edward, B.C., where the CN main passes the North Pacific
Cannery National Historic Site, a jumble of buildings along the
Hecate Strait that once processed the local salmon catch. The
headlight of eastbound train Q198 slices through the September
drizzle and illuminates grading work for an extended siding that
will lead to the port. Behind just two units, the 12,000-foot stack
train is a dozen miles into its 2,600-mile journey to Chicago with
boxes destined for Chicago, Detroit, and, via Norfolk Southern,
Columbus, Ohio.
Prince Rupert’s container volume has ramped up year after
 Dawson Creek

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© 2020 Kalmbach Media Co., TRAINS: Rick Johnson

McBride
Dunster
Prince
Rupert Taverna Jasper
To Vancouver
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Thunder Bay City
Moncton An eastbound CN stack train is seen from the
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Saint John Halifax VIA Rail train No. 5 west of Prince George,
British Columbia. Bob Johnston
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FOR CN

year, filling stack trains like the Q198. During its first full year in
operation in 2008, Fairview handled 182,523 TEUs, or 20-foot
equivalents, the standard measure of international containers.
After a series of expansions, including a second berth and the
addition of the largest cranes, the terminal hit the 1 million an-
nual TEU milestone in December 2018. Container volume was
up 17% in 2019, to 1.2 million TEUs, even as volume fell at Los
Angeles and Long Beach. CN estimates it will see up to $350 mil-
lion of additional intermodal revenue through Prince Rupert by
the end of 2022.
Why has Prince Rupert grown so steadily? As the closest North
American port to Asia, sailing time is up to 60 hours shorter than
competing West Coast ports. It’s the first port of call on transpacific
shipping circuits. On-dock container dwell is low because there’s no
local market. Everything goes from ship to dock to train, so inter-
national boxes move a day or so faster from the dock to destina-
tions in the Midwest. Prince Rupert also boasts the deepest ice-free
port in North America.
Another Prince Rupert advantage: It’s the only West Coast port
with room to grow and a community that’s hungry for develop-
ment. Prince Rupert was hit hard by the collapse of the commercial
fishing industry and the 2000 closure of a large pulp mill. The town
of 12,800 — down from 18,000 when the mill was open — sees the
port as its future. “There’s a lot of support for growth and expan-
sion. That’s not an environment that you’d find in large urban
areas,” says Brian Friesen, the port’s vice president of trade develop-
ment and communications.
Major expansions are under way to support the ongoing traffic
boom. A pair of projects will boost Fairview’s capacity 30% by
2022, to 1.8 million TEUs. The terminal will be able to handle five
or six daily departures, along with an equal number of inbound
trains. That’s up from three or four in each direction today.
The port in May announced it was eyeing development of a sec-
ond container terminal between the Fairview terminal and Ridley
Island, which has been home to grain and coal terminals since the
1980s. The second terminal, dubbed SKIT, for South Kaien Island
Terminal, would have an initial capacity of 2 million TEUs. Ulti-
mately, Prince Rupert’s terminals could be expanded to handle up
to 6 million TEUs, which would make it Canada’s second-busiest
container port, trailing only Vancouver. “We’ve built up the first
million TEUs and now it’s about the next three. We’ve certainly got
line-of-sight of the next one,” Friesen says.
Several projects aim to make Prince Rupert a full-service inter-
modal gateway that will drive the next round of growth. “We see
the development of export logistics and import logistics as critical,”
Friesen says.
An import logistics center is being built on South Kaien Island,
where cargo from international containers can be warehoused
and then transloaded into domestic boxes. Transloading is be-
coming increasingly popular. About a third of the cargo landing at
the Port of Los Angeles, for example, is transloaded as retailers
seek to match inventories to inland destinations. Adding domestic
transload capability at Prince Rupert can only help volumes
because it will provide CN’s customers with more options, Keith

TrainsMag.com 37

Want to examine the line for yourself? VIA Rail
Canada’s now-unnamed service between Prince
Rupert and Jasper runs with this unique observation
car. Two photos, Bob Johnston
Reardon, the railroad’s senior vice president of
consumer supply chain, tells Trains.
The Ridley Island Export Logistics Platform
project will ring the south end of the island with
60,000 feet of loop tracks capable of handling unit trains. Trans-
load centers, warehouses, and an off-dock container yard will be
built within the loop, and a new $125-million private road net-
work currently under construction will tie the facilities together.
“As we look to build out Ridley, we wanted to do it in a very prag-
matic, measured way where you don’t have spurs going all over
the island,” Friesen explains.
Much of the new carload traffic headed Prince Rupert’s way —
including grain and other agricultural commodities, forest prod-
ucts, and plastics — is tied to intermodal. CN works with steam-
ship lines to find matchback loads for containers that otherwise
38 APRIL 2020
CN SD60 No. 5431 leads train Q192 past a tied down train M302 at
Geikie, Alberta, on the Albreda Sub. Tim Stevens
would return to Asia empty. Ridley Island is home to new trans-
load sites for grain, forest products, and plastics. CN sends two
unit trains per week of grain, lentils, and beans to the Ray-Mont
Logistics container-stuffing facility that opened at Ridley in 2017.
CN hopes to push volume to a unit train per day. Ray-Mont
opened a plastic pellet export facility in August that in just two
weeks sold out its capacity for the rest of the year. The covered
hopper loads of plastic resin are produced in the Alberta Industri-
al Heartland north of Edmonton.
BULKING UP
During a break in the ever-present
rain, grain train G867 creeps past the
Porpoise Harbor Marina in Port Edward
right on the heels of coal train C765’s dis-
tributed power unit. Their destinations,
towering terminals on Ridley Island, are
visible across the Hecate Strait. Not long
after they are tucked into the yard, along
comes coal train C761, followed by inter-
modal train Q141 from Chicago, capping
a busy September evening. Like intermo-
dal, bulk traffic at Prince Rupert is rising.
Today CN sends as many as four loaded coal and grain trains to
Prince Rupert each day, but they’re being joined by
other bulk commodities too.
AltaGas in May 2019 opened the first propane export terminal
on Canada’s West Coast to handle rising production from Alberta.
The Ridley Island terminal, which shares the coal terminal berth,
receives 60 tank cars per day. On neighboring Watson Island, a
Pembina propane export facility is slated to open summer 2020
where the pulp mill once stood.
More coal trains are heading to Prince Rupert as a pair of moth-
balled metallurgical coal mines have reopened in British Columbia
 GRAND TRUNK PACIFIC

CN SD40-2W No. 5338 switches the Aquatrain

THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE GRAND TRUNK
PACIFIC and its subsequent collapse in 1919,
just five years after opening as a through
route to Prince Rupert, ranks among the
bigger busts in railroading. You know things
didn’t go as planned when Frank Leonard’s
definitive history of the railroad is titled “A
Thousand Blunders.”
The biggest blunder? A financially fatal
combination of excessive building costs and
fanciful traffic projections. President Charles
Melville Hays insisted that the railroad through
the rugged mountains of British Columbia fol-
low the same engineering standards of the
Grand Trunk’s main linking Montreal and To-
ronto over vastly different terrain. That meant a
ruling grade of 0.4% in an era when rival
Canadian Pacific was still contending with the
4% grade through Kicking Horse Pass.
Hays didn’t follow the standard construc-
tion practice of the day, which was to lay rails
first and build the railroad later as traffic devel-
oped. He was convinced that Prince Rupert,
as the closest port to what was then called the
Orient, would immediately become the domi-
nant West Coast gateway. Hays wouldn’t live
to see the railroad completed. On his way
back from a 1912 meeting with financiers in
London, he perished aboard the Titanic.
When the railroad opened two years
later, traffic never materialized. Instead of the
projected 20 trains per week, the GTP han-
dled just four. Red ink mounted and by 1918
the railroad’s operating ratio was 156%,
meaning it spent $1.56 for every dollar it took
in. The GTP defaulted on its loans and was
nationalized in 1919, then became part of
Canadian National.
For the next six decades, CN’s line to
Prince Rupert remained North America’s best-
engineered branch line. There wasn’t even
enough traffic to and from Rupert to justify a
through train. Instead, CN relayed lumber,
pulp, and some mineral products to Rupert via
a series of way freights west of Smithers, B.C.
“It was a fairly sleepy, forest product-type rail-
road,” says Paul Miller, who retired from CN in
2011 as vice president and chief safety, sus-
tainability, and network transportation officer.
East of Prince George, the line saw one daily
manifest train in each direction.
Things began to change for CN’s BC North
Line in the mid 1980s, when coal and grain
terminals opened at Rupert. To handle the
one to three coal trains per day and two grain
trains per day, plus corresponding empty
movements, sidings were added or extended
to the then-standard 6,400 feet and the route
received centralized traffic control west of
Prince George, Miller recalls.
Two decades later CN acquired BC Rail,
which boosted traffic east of Prince George.
Rather than send traffic over BC Rail’s moun-
tainous line to Vancouver, CN diverted trains
over Hays’ gentle grades east of Prince
George to its main line at Taverna and then on
to Vancouver, reducing transit time by nearly
a third. CTC was added between Prince
barge slip, a fixture of marine traffic, at Prince
Rupert in April 2002. Today, intermodal service
dominates rail traffic on the line. Jeff Robertson
George and Taverna in 2006.
The game changer, of course, was the
debut of the Fairview Container Terminal in
2007. From that point on, Rupert became the
fastest-growing port in North America —
finally fulfilling the vision Hays outlined in
1902. And today CN enjoys a low-cost, water-
level route that boasts the easiest crossing of
the Continental Divide via Yellowhead Pass.
To scale the divide, CN must climb just 250
feet to reach the summit. “From Prince
George west, the joke is you really don’t need
a locomotive,” Miller says.
What this means is that at Rupert CN can
put just two units on the point of 12,000-foot
stack trains. In contrast, BNSF Railway or
Union Pacific stack trains moving from the
ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to
Chicago require five locomotives.
Leonard’s study of the Grand Trunk was
published in 1996, long before Rupert’s for-
tunes changed for the better. Was Hays ulti-
mately right about the potential of Prince
Rupert? “I still maintain that the Grand Trunk
was extravagant because its construction
largely led to its failure in 1919,” Leonard says.
“Surely the primary duty of a railway presi-
dent is to make decisions that would allow
the firm to survive in the short term. This
Hays did not do.” — Bill Stephens

and a massive new Alberta thermal coal mine all began shipping
coal last year. Although steelmaking coal volumes were down slight-
ly last year, the port’s thermal coal tonnage was up nearly 50%. CN
also snatched a Teck Resources coal contract from Canadian Pacific
and next year will begin hauling more metallurgical coal to Prince
Rupert from the CP interchange at Kamloops, B.C.
The westernmost customer on CN’s BC North Line, the West-
view Wood Pellet Terminal, is less than a mile from the end of track
in Prince Rupert. Built in 2014, the facility receives two unit trains
per week of wood pellets produced in Alberta and British Colum-
bia that are exported for use in power generation. Also along the
Prince Rupert waterfront: The CN Aquatrain rail barge service to
Alaska. Tonnage growth on CN’s once sleepy BC North Line has
mirrored Prince Rupert’s rise. In 2007, the single-track route han-

TrainsMag.com 39

CN ET44AC No. 3084 leads Prince Rupert-Chicago train Q192 across
the nearly frozen Fraser River at Redpass, British Columbia.
dled 23.2 million gross ton-miles. CN no longer breaks out precise
tonnage totals for various line segments. But if you do the math
based on the historic ratio of port tonnage to gross ton-miles, the
line now handles more than 50 million gross ton-miles annually.
In 2018-19, as CN raced to catch up to volume growth that
came in faster than expected, the line that links Prince Rupert
with the main at Taverna, B.C., gained six new or extended
sidings and a section of double track.
The next phase of capacity expansion involves trackage leading
into the port complex. CN is spending $120 million in the Rupert
area over the next few years. A federal grant, announced in Sep-
tember 2019, will help fund a new double-track bridge over the
Zanardi Rapids, where Hecate Strait tides rush in and out. CN’s
existing single-track bridge will be rebuilt, and the causeway to
Ridley Island widened, creating a triple-track route in and out of
the port by 2022. A second track will be added between the Fair-
view Terminal and Ridley as well. Look for CN to continue to add
40 APRIL 2020
Train Q199 rolls west on the Edson Subdivision at Devona, Alberta, in
April 2013 leaving snow-capped peaks behind. Two photos, Tim Stevens
siding capacity on the line as traffic ramps up beyond the 16 or so
trains that ply the line today.
RUPERTS OF THE EAST
A continent away and 4,008 rail miles from Prince Rupert, CN
dips its toes in the Atlantic at Halifax. It’s a lonely railroad: Only
intermodal trains Q120/Q121, Moncton-Dartmouth manifests
M407/M408, and VIA Rail Canada’s triweekly Ocean keep the rails
from rusting.
Despite the presence of a local market and a city that’s home to
410,000 people, Halifax is more similar to Prince Rupert than you
might think. Overall transit time from Halifax’s two dockside con-
tainer terminals to Chicago is a day or two faster than other port
and railroad routes due to shorter sailing times and an uncongested
port terminal.
But that advantage has not been exploited to its fullest poten-
tial, due largely to issues at the former Halterm container termi-
nal. CN and an unnamed partner failed in a bid to buy Halterm
in 2018, but CN is working closely with the terminal’s new owner,
Singapore-based PSA. PSA declined to comment, but Ruest
sounds confident that the terminal, now called PSA Halifax, will
be world-class and operate as smoothly as Prince Rupert.
A solution for the other limiting factor at PSA Halifax — it can
handle only one big ship at a time — also is under way. The Port
of Halifax is extending the dock so it can simultaneously handle
two ultra container ships, port spokesman Lane Farguson says.
The terminal will be what CN calls “big ship, big train ready” in
the fall.
Meanwhile, CN, PSA, and port officials are working together to
lure more traffic to Halifax. Last year the Port of Halifax handled
550,000 TEU through both of its container terminals, with volume
split 60%/40% between CN and trucks, respectively. PSA Halifax
has a 750,000 TEU capacity. “We’re going to get to 750,000 TEUs.
It’s not if. It’s when,” CN Chief Financial Officer Ghislain Houle told

investors last year.
Halifax has advantages over Montreal, the busiest container
port in Eastern Canada. Halifax is an ice-free, deepwater port
that can handle today’s big container ships and is on direct global
trade routes. In fact, it’s often the first port of call for ships head-
ing to North America from Europe and from Southeast Asia via
the Suez Canal.
Manufacturing and trade trends also favor Halifax. Today about
half of the boxes handled at the port come from Southeast Asia, up
from a third 20 years ago, thanks to the rise of manufacturing in
places like Vietnam. “As that trade moves farther south, that gets
right into the wheelhouse of the Halifax-Suez Canal connection,
and we feel very, very comfortable that we would be able to play in
that market,” Reardon told investors last year.
CN estimates that its Halifax intermodal revenue can grow be-
tween $50 million and $100 million by 2022. But CN is not putting
all of its eggs in one basket. “I’d like to see more than one Prince
Rupert of the East,” Ruest told the RailTrends 2019 conference.
“Two is better than one.”
So CN, Hutchison Ports, and the Port of Quebec plan to open a
new 700,000 TEU-capacity container port at Quebec City in 2024.
The deepwater terminal would be able to handle ships up to 13,000
TEUs, which are too big to reach Montreal. CN is investing $250
million in the $775 million project, betting that ships will run
directly to Quebec City carrying containers originating in Europe,
the Mediterranean, and Southeast Asia.
The railroad envisions operating 14,000-foot stack trains from
Quebec City to Toronto, Detroit, and Chicago. When you factor in
port-dwell and rail-transit time compared to New York/New Jersey,
CN says Quebec will save 42 hours to Toronto, 27 to Detroit, and
17 to Chicago.
CAN CN’S PLAN WORK?
The success of CN’s Prince Rupert of the East plan ultimately
will hinge on total transportation costs and convincing steamship
lines to call at Halifax and Quebec City, says maritime expert Lars
Intermodal train Q199 heads north near Theresa, Wis., in May 2015 en
route to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Ahead are a crew change at
North Fond du Lac and a sprint across northern Wisconsin. Matt Krause
Jensen, CEO of Copenhagen-based SeaIntelligence Consulting.
The trend toward bigger container ships means the ocean carriers
want to call on fewer ports, not more. And competition between
ports is intense, with each hoping to secure its slice of the same
international container pie. If more big ships do call on Halifax
before heading down the East Coast, there’s a good chance CN’s
plan will work, he says.
To make a go of it, CN wouldn’t have to grab all that many of
the 7 million TEUs handled annually in New York/New Jersey, in-
termodal analyst Larry Gross says. The Big Apple is ripe for pick-
ing because Halifax is about 20 hours of sailing time closer to the
Mediterranean than New York. “Plus, you will get through Halifax
and onto the train much faster and cheaper than congested New
York,” Gross says.
CN is at a significant mileage disadvantage, however, when
measured against either CSX or NS. Chicago is 1,622 rail miles
from Halifax versus 900 or so from New Jersey. Kubas says that’s
not an issue: “We can be 24, 36, 48 hours into our transit time of
moving into the Midwest even prior to the vessel starting to
discharge in New York/New Jersey.”
Independent rail analyst Anthony B. Hatch wouldn’t bet against
CN, although he doubts container volumes in the East could one
day rival those of Prince Rupert. But he’s confident that CN has
done its homework, has the right alliances in Halifax and Quebec,
and fully understands the market. “They’ve proven they can do
this,” Hatch says.
Also in CN’s favor: Shippers are increasingly taking a so-called
“four corners” approach to importing consumer goods to North
America. “Diversifying port options and providing an alternative
to shippers increasingly using East Coast ports to move things
into the country is a smart play,” says Todd Tranausky, an analyst
at FTR Transportation Intelligence. “It will likely take time to
develop, just like Prince Rupert did.” 2
TrainsMag.com 41
AN ‘AIR LINE’
AT GROUND
LEVEL

Top: Two locomotives in Genesee & Wyoming

colors lead a Providence & Worcester
local at Middlefield, Conn., on Feb. 19, 2019.
Left: A vintage stock certificate shows the rail
line’s corporate heritage as the “Boston &
New York Air Line.” Two photos, J.W. Swanberg

42 APRIL 2020
 THIS PROVIDENCE & WORCESTER
local is westbound at Middlefield,
Conn., on Feb. 19, 2019. Leading are Gene-
see & Wyoming General Electric B39-8Es
Nos. 3906 and 3904 — former LMX lease
units — while the third unit, ex-Conrail GP38
No. 2010, is still in P&W’s colors. This local
operates once a week, serving a steel sup-
plier in Middletown.
The train is heading to New Haven,
Conn., on the old “Air Line” route, opened in
1873 as the New Haven, Middletown &
Willimantic, thence becoming the Boston &
New York Air Line Railroad in 1875. It was
taken over by the New Haven in 1882. It was
part of the route of the famed New York &
New England Railroad’s Boston-to-New
York “White Train” in the 1890s.
Why call it an “Air Line” in 1875, when
aviation was far in the future? In that era, an
air line was the term for a straight railroad
route — the Seaboard Air Line Railroad was
the most recent user of the term.
The route faded to local use as the New
Haven preferred the Shore Line, but it sur-
vived even when I was a locomotive fire-
man and worked on it in 1961-62. The men
still called it the “Air Line,” 80 years after the
B&NYAL was taken over by the New Haven.
The New Haven itself was taken over by
the Penn Central, and the Air Line became
part of the Providence & Worcester, which it
remains. — J.W. Swanberg
TrainsMag.com 43
 Pat Connors Sr. works on hinges for Buffalo
Southern C424 No. 4212. Connors has
overseen repair and restoration of most
of the railroad’s fleet of Alco and
MLW locomotives.

Story and photos by

Stephan M. Koenig
Father and son help keep Buffalo Southern’s Alcos running

Pat Connors of the Buffalo Southern
Railroad displays a pin from a door latch he
is working on, one of several for access
doors on Montreal Locomotive Works C424
No. 4212. He and other members of the
Buffalo Southern have been working for a
few years to restore this locomotive to
service. It is not a historical restoration by
any means, but when the locomotive enters
regular service, it will likely be the most
modernized and improved C424 on the
rails. The project is taking so long because
every locomotive receives attention to detail
before entering service.
Pat puts the old pin on the work bench
and retrieves a metal rod that he soon
forms into a new pin, restoring the holding
ability of the latch to as-new status. “If you
don’t fix them,” he says, “they just rattle and
open up as you go down the line.”
A RARE BREED
Pat Connors is a rare breed. At 46, the
chief mechanical officer, who shares duties
as vice president of operations with Bert
Feasley, is one of a small number of
40-somethings maintaining locomotives
that are, in some cases, almost twice his
age. Now one of the most experienced rail
mechanics in his field, he is one of the few
that specialize in Alco locomotives.
“David Clark [former Genesee & Wyo-
ming chief mechanical officer] told me that
someday I will be the old man that people
call on,” Pat says.
He is now trying to pass his knowledge
onto the next generation — including son
Patrick Jr., who also works for the railroad.
Pat Connors Sr. and Pat Jr. use the batteries of Buffalo Southern No. 4212 to test cab heaters.
The men have put in many hours, often working together, to return the locomotive to service.
46 APRIL 2020
The elder Connors began work for the
Buffalo Southern in the early 1990s. He
came to the railroad as a laborer and soon
moved up the ranks. He has worn many
hats; in shortline life you have to do some-
thing different all the time.
His railroad is a small but healthy
all-Alco/MLW operation surrounded by
much bigger operations, such as the Livo-
nia, Avon & Lakeville group of railroads
(most notably the Western New York &
Pennsylvania), and the short lines of Gene-
see Valley Transportation (which include
the Delaware-Lackawanna). Buffalo South-
ern’s main operation is the Erie County-
owned former Buffalo & Southwestern
Railroad line from Buffalo to Gowanda,
N.Y. It also operates contract switching for
the Sumitomo Tire plant in Tonawanda,
N.Y.; Gateway Metroport at Buffalo’s for-
mer Bethlehem Steel plant; and for grain
mills at the former Pennsylvania Railroad
Burrows Lot Yard at the Buffalo waterfront.
Small but agile, the railroad mostly
operates Alcos, with a few small GEs and
one Whitcomb 35-ton switcher as a back-
up. Some people in positions like Pat — in
charge of day-to-day maintenance, upkeep,
and heavy overhauls — have experienced
increasing pressure to switch to more mod-
ern power, but for Pat and his machines,
this will not be the case. He says it is likely
the railroad will stay with Alcos. “People
think you can’t get parts for them,” he says,
“but it’s not true. There are plenty of parts
available for them.”
Aside from locating old parts from
scrapped or retired Alcos, Pat has
Buffalo BPRR NEW YORK
NS
Map area
BP
RR
X
CS Hamburg
Eden North Java
Center BSOR Buffalo Southern
ARA
ARA Arcade & Attica Curriers
BPRR Buffalo & Pittsburgh
BSOR
North NYLE New York & Lake Erie
Collins
BPRR
CSX CSX
NS Norfolk Southern
Arcade N
Collins
0 Scale 15 miles
Gowanda © 2020 Kalmbach Media Co.
NYLE
TRAINS: Rick Johnson
developed a strategy to help keep the fleet
rolling that has been proven many times.
“When you look for new or remanufac-
tured parts, you never tell them you are
looking for Alco parts,” he says. “Instead
you give them OEM [original equipment
manufacturer] part numbers, and they
usually have what you need. Otherwise
they tell you they haven’t had parts for
Alcos in years!”
Pat’s formula for longevity also includes
not working locomotives too hard. Opera-
tions rely on low speed and low-to-medi-
um horsepower. Pat favors the typical road
units because they can m.u. and spread the
workload. Most of the time, the railroad
uses a single RS unit for freight. Usually,
this means RS11 No. 5010, one of the old-
est members of the fleet, or RS18 No. 1847,
brought back to life under Pat’s watch.
He notes that on some of his locomo-
tives, previous Class I owners found ways
to standardize with readily available parts,
even with EMD and GE parts in a few
cases. It’s a practice Pat continues to boost
their longevity. “I really don’t see us retiring
any of these units,” he says. “If anything, we
will bring more to life in the years ahead.”
One that receives the most railfan atten-
tion is a unit in the railroad’s dead line for
more than 20 years, former Rock Island
C415 No. 523. Pat is optimistic that he can
get it to run, but shop time has been scarce
as the active fleet takes priority. Taking up
some of that time this winter will be one of
the oldest members of the fleet, S1 No. 701,
which will be returning to the Hamburg
shop for several life-extension repairs. The
701, built in 1942, bears the number of its
original owner, Tennessee Coal Co.
THE NEXT GENERATION
Patrick Jr. has been around the burble
of these 539 and 251 motors almost
since birth.
“He was 2 weeks old when Michelle
[Pat’s wife] brought him for a ride in an
S2,” Pat Sr. says. “They would come to meet
me for lunch at the shop. One time, his car
seat was set next to the engine we were
working on. Bert, our general manager, was
RS11 No. 5010, a former Delaware & Hudson unit built in 1961, works north on the line to Hamburg, N.Y., with Pat Connors Jr. at the throttle. The
short line has been able to retain its rustic charm and family-like atmosphere for its workers.
Pat Connors works on ex-Rock Island C415
No. 523. Restoring the unit to operating
condition is an occasional project.
afraid we would run him over!”
His sons, Patrick Jr. and Nicholas,
would visit the railroad often and would
accompany their dad on the job at times,
often in the summer when they were off
from school. When Patrick Jr. was old
enough, he began following in his father’s
footsteps — first as train crew on the
Arcade & Attica, where Pat Sr. is secretary,
and later on Viscose Co. No. 6, a traveling
0-4-0 tank locomotive owned by Scott
Symans. Often, both father and son would
be part of the crew for the steam locomo-
tive, built by Baldwin in 1924.
When Patrick Jr. turned 18, he went to
Jamestown Business College and received a
degree in marketing and business manage-
ment, but the life of the shortline railroad
brought him back. Today Pat Jr. is a regular
employee of the Buffalo Southern and
often works beside his father. When the
railroad is operating, his face is usually one
you see in the cab of one of the Alcos, as
was the case with his father for many years.
“I love it here, because it is something
different every day,” he says. He had an
opportunity to work on a Class I, but
turned it down because the culture did not
agree with him; at the Buffalo Southern, he
says, “I get to be home every night.”
In the past few years, Pat Sr. has been
working to pass on his knowledge to his
son, as they work on the same locomotives.
Pat Jr. says he has learned a deep apprecia-
tion for Alcos and their abilities and wants
to be part of the reason you will still see
them in daily operation for decades to
come. “I would rather work on these than
anyone else’s junk,” he says.
Although railroads like the Buffalo
Southern are looking at replacing their
fleets with newer GEs, the consensus is that
won’t happen here. “Simply, there will be
no need to replace them,” Pat Sr. says.
Pat and Pat Jr. continue to be involved
with Viscose No. 6 and the Arcade &
Attica, and to learn and grow in expertise.
Pat Jr.’s younger brother, Nicholas, is fol-
lowing a similar but not identical path. He
has different interests, including comput-
ers, but in summer 2018, he began working
as a crew member on Arcade & Attica
excursions. Last summer, he also began
working part time at Buffalo Southern.
“We may see him here someday, too,” Pat Connors Jr. sprays primer on one of the
Pat says. If so, it would keep the Buffalo completed hinges for No. 4212 while Pat Sr.
Southern mostly Alco and a family affair shows shop worker Jeff Wolski how the unit’s
for years to come. 2 cab heaters are wired.
TrainsMag.com 47
A CHANCE
ENCOUNTER,
AND A MOMENT
OF CLARITY
 SOMETIMES WE NEED a short, self-
imposed break. Nothing extreme,
mind you, just a little downtime to take a
breath, relax, and clear the mind before
getting back to the day’s itinerary. I’m
no exception.
I was having trouble with a project that
wasn’t coalescing in my mind, and I
couldn’t figure out why. Was there some-
thing I was missing? Was I taking the wrong
approach? Maybe I was in over my head.
I needed to get away.
Watching a train go by sometimes
helped. So I sought out a spot on Union
Pacific’s Coast Line not too far from my
home. A good friend, John Wade, a former
UP employee, joined me. We agreed to
meet at the beautifully restored Southern
Pacific station in Santa Susana Park that
overlooked the main line.
The Coast Line between Northern and
Southern California can normally be pret-
ty quiet. On this day, over the course of
a few hours, we were treated to an
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, the Coast
Starlight, and a pair of Metrolink commuter
trains. They were fun to watch, but I didn’t
photograph any of them.
And then, all by itself, a former SP GP60
light engine rolled by heading north.
“It’s the yard switcher from Gemco,”
John explained. “It’s part of their job, and
they only come this far north when a local
lumber yard needs switching. It’s the only
industry left in Simi Valley.” This was one of
those days.
Over the next few minutes, the unit
sawed back and forth by us as it removed
a trio of empty center-beam flats from the
just out-of-sight industry, before being able
to spot loads already positioned there.
Finally, it backed up again to pick up the
empties before the crew, one of who saw
John and waved to him, headed home
to Gemco Yard, some 20 miles south in
Van Nuys.
For some reason, I found that simple
snippet of railroading fascinating. It was a
throwback to the train-watching I grew up
with, and through rose-colored glasses, en-
joyed immensely. In my mind, it was clarity
at its simplest. It wasn’t the Big Boy, it
wasn’t a mile-long freight train struggling
up Cajon Pass, and it probably wasn’t even
all that profitable for the UP.
But for me, watching a routine piece
of railroading on a sunny day was just
plain fun. I even took a photo during one
of its passes. It was then I realized I totally
forgot about my up-to-now knotty problem
waiting for me back home. I knew I’d have
to take care of it, but for a few minutes I
could relax and enjoy the scene unfolding
before me.
Throughout my entire life, I have always
enjoyed watching trains. This, I realized,
was one of the reasons why. — David Lustig
TrainsMag.com 49
IN MY OWN WORDS

CLOSE CALL AT
CAPREOL

Canadian National 4-8-2 No. 6077 races toward the low sun. The locomotive, involved in the incident relayed
here, is preserved at the Northern Ontario Railroad Museum & Heritage Centre in Capreol. Philip R. Hastings

A ‘Bullet-Nosed Betty’ beats down a row of boxcars

by Gerald K. Holman

AS I LOOK BACK ON MY CAREER,
I am sometimes surprised to
find that I made it to the end
safely and in good health. A
close call at Capreol, Ontario, is
case in point.
In summer 1946, I was
working in the engineering de-
partment. My boss, Chester
Barr, and I had been surveying
on the Ruel Subdivision west of
Capreol, living in a boarding car,
which was set up as an indepen-
dent, self-contained home for
up to four people. I can still re-
member the number of the car,
Canadian National No. 87995, a
class of car that had been used
during the war as “guard cars”
posted for watchmen at loca-
tions sensitive to sabotage.
We had finished our work
on the line and had been
picked up by an eastbound
freight and brought in to Cap-
reol. Our car was sitting with
the consist in Capreol Yard in
the early evening, waiting for
the yard engine to come and
put us away in the house track.
After a long day in the car, we
decided to stretch our legs with
a walk up the main line. After
our walk, Chester headed
downtown, and I went back to
the boarding car.
I was just getting ready to
shut down for the night when I
decided to wait at the door and hammer. I remember moving
watch the eastbound Super back to the mainline side door,
Continental, train No. 4, come only to see the boiler of a huge
in to the station for its sched- engine going by, just inches
uled 20-minute stop. away, steam flying, air hissing,
Right on time, the train bell clanging, and a blurred
came down the main line west white face going by. The only
of the station.
Suddenly, I realized he was
turning, coming toward me,
the headlight pointed al-
most at me. I guess I
must have reacted to
this instantly by run- O N T A R I O
ning to the far side door
to try to jump out to get
clear, but the door was Capreol
bolted with a stubborn
bolt that required a

50 APRIL 2020

thing I heard then was a
tremendous crash and then
relative silence. I could have
reached out and touched the
side of the tender, which at this
point was no longer moving.
After taking a hammer to
the bolt on the far-side door, I
got out and down to the
ground and went to see the
damage or if anybody needed
help. Locomotive No. 6077, a
big, beautiful “Bullet-Nose Bet-
ty” semi-streamlined 4-8-2, had
grazed the next car east of me
and cut out another three cars
and set them rolling down to
the far end of the yard where
they derailed at an opposing
switch. By this time, there was
confusion and yelling all over
the place. The engine did not
appear to be too badly dam-
aged, although the big brass
bell off the front of the engine
was lying on the ground, and I
remember thinking that it
would make a wonderful sou-
venir, but that was out of the
question and, anyway, it would
have been way too heavy.
For those people who love
engines, I followed up on the
pedigree of these Mountain-
type locomotives and found out
that we had ordered 20 of
them, numbered 6060 through
6079 just a few years before the
Sister 4-8-2 No. 6076 rolls toward Hamilton, Ontario, with train No. 75
near Bayview Junction in July 1958. CN had 20 such Montreal-built
locomotives, numbered 6060 through 6079, in the U-1-f class. Don Wood
time of this story, and engine lamps were lit usually by kero-
6077 was the only one to be in sene of limited intensity. Train
an accident or sustain any dam- No. 4 would have only seen the
age. Coincidentally, No. 6077 is switch lined against him at a
preserved at the Northern On- short distance. If this would
tario Railroad Museum & Heri- have happened out on the main
tage Centre in Capreol. line at high speed, it would
In those days, a passenger have been a disaster.
train had the right to come If my boarding car had been
down the main line, through sitting two car lengths farther
yard limits to the station, ex- east, it would have been game
pecting the line to be clear and over for me, I think. 2
all switches properly lined for
him. Its only speed restriction GERALD K. HOLMAN died in
was to be prepared to make an October 2015. This is his second
orderly station stop. Switch Trains byline.
TrainsMag.com 51
PRESERVATION
2020’s steam dreams
Big engines are back, new favorites fresh from the shop
Fort Wayne (Ind.) Railroad
Historical Society’s Nickel Plate
Road 2-8-4 No. 765 does the
honors on Ohio’s Cuyahoga
Valley Scenic Railroad in
September 2018. The Berkshire
will return again in 2020, as it
has for many years. TRAINS: Jim
Wrinn
52 APRIL 2020
IF 2019 WAS THE YEAR of the Railroad Museum, this will be Interstate will run one of its
articulateds (two out of three a once-in-a-lifetime gathering. Chinese-built 2-10-2 QJ types
under restoration made it into Elsewhere, last year’s big in September to benefit emer-
steam: Union Pacific’s Big Boy steam success, UP’s Big Boy, will gency responders.
No. 4014 and privately owned return, this time with a trip to Other engines whose resto-
2-4-4-2 Skookum ran; Western the Pacific Northwest; in the rations are near completion:
Maryland’s 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 did southeast, Tennessee Valley • Santa Fe 4-8-4 No. 2926 in
not), then it was all about super- Railroad Museum’s day-long ex- Albuquerque, N.M.
sized steam. cursions on its shortline part- • Black Hills Central’s 2-6-6-2T
Accordingly, we’ll dub 2020 ner in north Georgia will be No. 108 in South Dakota
the year of going small. The back; and in the upper Mid- • U.S. Sugar 4-6-2 No. 148 in
main place you ought to be is west, Nickel Plate Road 2-8-4 Clewiston, Fla.
Colorado, where two significant No. 765 will return to Ohio’s Going down this year is
projects are coming to a conclu- Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Rail- Nevada Northern 4-6-0 No. 40,
sion and one big party is on tap. road in September; and in the which needs a 15-year inspec-
The projects: Durango & heart of the Midwest, Iowa tion. — Jim Wrinn
Silverton’s oil-burning K-37 was
finished Jan. 24 and will run this
year, and Colorado Railroad
Museum is finishing the restora-
tion of legendary Rio Grande
Southern 4-6-0 No. 20.
The party: Cumbres &
Toltec’s 50th anniversary cele-
bration Aug. 22-30, when the
Victorian Iron Horse Roundup
features pre-1900 locomotives.
The gathering is the No. 1
steam event this year just like
Promontory was in 2019. With
Denver & Rio Grande 2-8-0
No. 315 backdated to No. 425,
newly rebuilt D&RG 4-6-0
No. 168 in a starring role,
visiting 4-4-0 Eureka from Las
Vegas, and 1875 2-6-0 Glen- Durango & Silverton K-37 No. 493 debuts Jan. 24 at the Durango round-
brook from the Nevada State house after an extensive restoration and conversion to oil firing. Jerry Day
 In Maine, a reunion of 2-footers

On the weekend of Jan. 18-19, the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum, in conjunction with the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad
Co. & Museum of Portland and the Maine Locomotive & Machine Works of Alna, sponsored a sensational steam locomotive gathering. This
represented the best opportunity to witness examples of the Forney type at work in years. Five of the surviving Maine 2-foot-gauge steam
locomotives were gathered at WW&F’s Sheepscot shops, with three under steam. Working engines were resident WW&F 0-4-4T No. 9, and
visitors from the Portland museum: former Monson Railroad 0-4-4T No. 3, and Bridgton & Saco River 2-4-4T No. 7. WW&F operated three trains
north from Sheepscot via Alna to Top of Mountain, where it staged a variety of photographic opportunities. Brian Solomon

New England Eight Scenic Lines in Autumn

• Conway Scenic (both Crawford Notch and Valley lines)
• Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington 2-foot gauge
Fall Colors • Mount Washington Cog, the world’s first cog railway
• Downeast Scenic with rare Alco and GE diesels
Rail Tour • Hobo Railroad dinner train along the Pemi River
• Winnipesaukee Scenic lunch train along the lake
• Geared steam at White Mountain Central
Two Truly Unique Collections
• Charming Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum
• Legendary Seashore Trolley Museum, oldest & largest
One Spectacular National Park
• Rugged and beautiful Acadia on the Atlantic coast!
Peak fall colors everywhere you look!
Sept. 27 - Oct. 5

Details: 727-330-7738 or
www.specialinteresttours.com
TrainsMag.com 53
TRAIN-WATCHING
Short line: Bloomer Shippers Line
A long-successful short line operates in Central Illinois
The Bloomer Line rolls toward ONE OF THE EARLIEST FORMED
Cullom, Ill., with an empty grain and most popular short lines
train for loading at Alliance Grain operating in the Midwest, the
Co. in November 2013. Four photos, Bloomer Shippers Connecting
Steve Smedley Railroad, known as the Bloom-
er Line, is a 21st-century
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Roster Railroad look-alike.
The Bloomer Line operates
No. 7504 50 miles of trackage in East
Model: GP10 Central Illinois, in McLean,
Build date: 1956 Livingston, and Ford counties.
Lineage: ex-Illinois Central The railroad serves eight Alli-
No. 9222 ance Grain Co. elevators. It also
serves Farm Services elevators
No. 7549 in Anchor and Charlotte. Corn,
Model: GP10 soybeans, and wheat are the
Build date: 1955 main commodities hauled
Lineage: ex-New York behind four-axle Geeps.
Central No. 7515 In addition, the company
serves the Colfax Potash Cen-
No. 7561 ter and a farm tile manufactur-
Model: GP10 er in Chatsworth that receives
Build date: 1956
plastic pellet loads. Rounding
Lineage: ex-New York out the railroad’s business is
Central No. 7402 car storage.
The railroad was formed in
No. 7591 1985 when Illinois Central
Model: GP9 Gulf announced a line aban-
Build date: 1958 donment, which saw local
Lineage: ex-Northern grain elevators band together
Pacific No. 370 to assure continued rail service.
That line was known as the
No. LTEX 3801-3802 “Bloomer,” an old Illinois
Model: GP35M Central nickname for the line
Lineage: ex-Texas & Pacific running between Bloomington
No. 646 and ex-Missouri and Kankakee. The original
Pacific No. 625 Bloomer Line operated
between Cooksville and
54 APRIL 2020
Cullom. The farthest west ship- changes traffic with Norfolk
per in Cooksville was sporadic, Southern and Canadian
and the line was cut back to National at Gibson City.
Colfax in 1989. Limited interchange occurs in
Starting with one former Chatsworth, where the railroad
Northern Pacific GP9, the rail- crosses the Toledo, Peoria &
road has grown rapidly. Again Western on a diamond.
in 1990 the Bloomer Line
faced the possibility of losing WHY VISIT: Sharply
an outlet to its grain market dressed rebuilt early
when Norfolk Southern an- Geeps are a consistent
nounced an abandonment of attraction for the Bloomer.
the former Wabash main line While “Chinese Red” was
that included trackage between
Risk and Gibson City.
Bloomer Line
Map
LOCATION: Headquarters area ILLINOIS Kempton
in Gibson City with a 116 Cullom
two-stall enginehouse along the
0 Scale 10 miles
former Wabash main line north 47
of downtown. © 2020 Kalmbach Media Co.
TRAINS: Rick Johnson To Logansport, Ind.
TPW Chatsworth
TYPICAL DAY: As on most 24
To Peoria
OL
short lines, operations
BL
vary daily, but the busiest time Risk
N Strawn
for this railroad is fall harvest.
One day an engineer could be To Chicago
165 Sibley
operating a train, the next
Anchor
BLOL
patrolling track or operating Colfax
54
track equipment. Radio traffic
CN
9
can be monitored on AAR
To Bloomington Gibson City
channel 26, 160.500. NS 47
54
CN
BEST VIEWING: The line is
NS
To Springfield
To Decatur
easily followed along Illi-
nois Route 47 between Gibson BLOL Bloomer Line
City and Risk, where it con- CN Canadian National
nects with the original Bloom- NS Norfolk Southern
er Line. The Bloomer inter- TPW Toledo, Peoria & Western
The temperature is 0 degrees as Bloomer Line moves 28 grain cars Bloomer Line GP10 No. 7549 blasts southbound past old code line
for loading at the Farm Services Anchor Elevator in January 2018. alongside the former Wabash main line at Strawn, Ill., in October 2019.

worn on the Burlington Route, the
Bloomer uses the original CB&Q Imron
paint number for its Geeps. A former ICG
Paducah Geep, along with two former
Conrail GP10 rebuilds, make up the back-
bone of the fleet, joining the first Bloomer
Line unit, No. 7591. Two LTEX lease
units, both de-turbocharged former
GP35Ms, also help with traffic.
DON’T MISS: A rolling track profile
between Strawn and Sibley make for
interesting angles. A few sections of old
pole line remain in Strawn. In addition to
the railroad, One Earth Energy, one of the
first downstate Illinois ethanol plants, is
located on the west side of Gibson City,
alongside Norfolk Southern’s Bloomington
District. The company is switched week-
days by the Bloomer. The daily output
Monday-Friday is 15 cars per day. The
plant assures a consistent appetite for the
Bloomer’s main commodity, corn.
NEARBY: The former Illinois Central
“Mainline of Mid America’’ is East of
Gibson City at Paxton. In addition, the
Monticello Railway Museum operates the The sun is just minutes from rising above the
Illinois Central Historical Society’s building frozen farm fields along the former Wabash
in Paxton. — Steve Smedley main line near Sibley, Ill., in January 2018.

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TrainsMag.com 55
 ASK TRAINS

Q When a train is ready to depart,is the

route it takes predetermined? — Dale Dickerson, Rancho San Diego, Calif.

An eastbound BNSF stack
train, led by four locomotives,
summits the Arizona Divide near
Flagstaff, Ariz., in October 2019.
The route for such a train head-
ing east is planned out well in
advance before its departure
from its city of origin.
Two photos, TRAINS: Jim Wrinn
A All Class I railroads schedule
each of their trains, even if it’s a
special one-off train movement
not to be regularly repeated. Ev-
ery train is assigned a symbol,
or number, and an origin and
destination. And each train has
a schedule, whether or not it op-
erates even close to plan. These
routings and schedules are what
railroads call their “transporta-
tion plan.” So the idea of a BNSF
Railway train leaving Southern
California for Chicago but with
no destination is simply not re-
alistic. That’s not to say that
trains won’t be rerouted due to
derailments or other events, or
that they won’t be terminated or
combined with other trains en
route, as operating conditions
dictate. Don’t bother asking a
railroad for its transportation
plan. Rightly or wrongly, they
are closely guarded trade secrets.
— Fred W. Frailey
A The rotary snowplows at the
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Rail-
road are what are known as
Leslie style and are very much a
locomotive in a boxcar, albeit a
large one. The frame of the ma-
chine was built of channel or
I beam and supports a boiler
with the firebox end facing the
rear. The smokebox is located
behind the front compartment
of the machine, oftentimes re-
ferred to as the “wheelhouse.”
Under the smokebox is a cast
cylinder saddle in a manner
similar to normal locomotives,
but in this case the pistons, pis-
ton rods, and guides face for-
ward. The standard main rod
arrangement drives a crank
disc on each side of the ma-
chine, concealed inside the car-
body behind the access hatches
seen low on the front third of
the carbody. These crank discs
drive short shafts with bevel
gears that engage a main large
bevel gear mounted on the fan
shaft. This main shaft is ap-
proximately 10 inches in diam-
eter on Rotary OY, with the
main bevel gear being about
4 feet in diameter. This main
shaft runs under the wheelhouse
floor to drive the main fan that
is so visible on the front of the
machine. The rotary has a throt-
tle, Johnson bar, valve gear, etc.,
just like a normal locomotive.
The fireman’s area is also like a

Q As built, rotary snowplows

are laid out like a “locomotive
in a boxcar” with the cylin-
ders/pistons parallel to the
boiler. How is the engine’s
reciprocating action changed
into the rotating of the rotary
action of the snow thrower? A Leslie rotary snowplow shows the boiler, pistons, and gears that
— Evan T. Luka turn reciprocating action into rotary action. TRAINS collection

56 APRIL 2020

normal locomotive with injectors, water
glasses, try cocks, lubricators, etc. These
machines even have their own air compres-
sor and brake system to control the consist
behind them, even though they are not self
powered. In operation, it is a complicated
balance between the rotary crew and the
pushing locomotives to balance the feed rate
into the snowbanks, as well as the rpm of
the rotary to keep operation at a steady and
safe speed. — Stathi Pappas, C&TS special
projects manager
Q What is the difference between a two-
cycle and a four-cycle diesel engine? — Bill
King, North Reading, Ma.
A In a diesel engine each piston motion, up
or down, is described as a “stroke,” while
“cycle” refers to the entire sequence of
strokes. A four-stroke-cycle engine requires
two complete crankshaft rotations and thus
two up-and-down piston sequences of the
pistons within the cylinders to complete a
full combustion sequence, while a two
stroke-cycle engine accomplishes the same
with just one crankshaft rotation. A 1971
Erie-Lackawanna guide describes the
stroke-cycles events: A four-cycle engine
stroke sequence is intake, compression,
power, and exhaust, while in the two-cycle
These Mass Central units, a Geep and a rare
NW5, both contain 567 engines that are two-
stroke designs.
sequence, intake and exhaust take place
during parts of the power and compression
strokes. Every down stroke of the piston is a
power stroke. The compression stroke is an
upstroke that compresses air in the cylinder
that raises its temperature to the combustion
point. At the precise moment, diesel fuel is
mechanically injected into the cylinder and
it ignites, causing an explosion that forces
the piston down in the second cycle — the
power stroke. In the third cycle (second up-
stroke) the piston forces exhaust gases from
the cylinder, while in the fourth cycle the
piston draws fresh air into the cylinder to
complete the cycle. Where General Electric
and Alco diesels used four-stroke-cycle de-
signs, Electro-Motive’s classic engines (567,
645, and 710 designs) were two-stroke-
cycle engines. — Brian Solomon
☛
In the May issue
Narrow gauge nirvana
Our annual issue about tourist railroads
and museums takes us to Colorado’s
DURANGO & SILVERTON to climb on board
newly rebuilt K-37 No. 493. We’ll also visit
the Cumbres & Toltec on its 50th anni-
versary for a look at the challenges and
opportunities that lie ahead. Then, come
with us to New Hampshire, where fabled
CONWAY SCENIC continues passenger
railroading traditions. John Hankey looks
at a troubling aspect of AMERICAN
RAILWAY PRESERVATION, and we’ll also
visit the LITTLE HEISLER ON THE PRAIRIE.
All that and much more are on the way!
On sale April 14, 2020

GERMANY
Insider’s Rail Tour of

From TRAINS,
Railroad Development Corp.,
and Special Interest Tours
Sept. 20 - Oct. 3, 2020
Join us on this tour featuring special access to unique
rail experiences across Germany. This tour has it all —
history, culture, and of course, trains!

Highlights include:
• Private charters, including freight-only mileage
• InnoTrans — two miles of the newest
locomotives and cars. A peek at the future!
• Narrow gauge steam near Dresden
• Autozug “car train”
• OBB Night Jet overnight sleeper journey For details, pricing, and
• Miniatur Wunderland model railroad reservations: 727-330-7738 or
And More! www.specialinteresttours.com
TrainsMag.com 57
 Great American
Private Car Adventures
Experience Yesterday’s Fabulous
Passenger Trains Today!

4 Reasons
why you should take the increasingly rare opportunity
to ride a mainline passenger train in private car splendor!

1. Classic Routes
Î New Orleans – Los Angeles on the Sunset Limited, April 20-24
Î LA – Seattle on the Coast Starlight, April 25-28
Î Seattle – LA on the Coast Starlight, April 29-May 2
Î LA - Chicago on the Southwest Chief, May 3-5
Î Chicago – Saratoga Springs - Montreal - Albany
on the Lake Shore Limited and Adirondack, May 6-11

2. Historic Passenger Cars

Î Milwaukee Road Super Dome
Î Sleeper Cimarron River
Î Sleeper Pacific Union

3. Special Hosts
Î Fred Frailey, Twilight of the Great Trains author
Î Bob Johnston, TRAINS Magazine Passenger columnist
Î Kevin P. Keefe, author and lecturer
Î Rob McGonigal, CLASSIC TRAINS Editor

4. Participate in the Filming

of the new CLASSIC TRAINS documentary for PBS,
“Pullman, America’s Hotel on Wheels”

All that’s left to make this great trip even better is you!
Details, pricing, and reservations:
www.SpecialInterestTours.com or 727-330-7738
 TRAINS Magazine’s
80th anniversary
celebration is
coming this Fall!
Food, fun, friends,
celebrity speakers,
a peek at the future,
and of course, trains!

Milwaukee, Wis.
Save the date!
Nov. 14-15, 2020

The 1940s
A Decisive Decade for American Railroads
New from Classic Trains, this compilation of articles from Trains magazine tells how America’s
railroads helped win World War II, then looked ahead to a prosperous peacetime.

Featured Stories Include:

• A Soldier’s Wartime Memories • Midwestern Time Freight:
Minneapolis & St. Louis keeps
• Rapid Exhaust: Firing a 4-8-4 on shippers happy
P37067

Southern Pacific
• Heroes on the home front
• Vermont Short Line
• The ’40s in Photos
• ACF’s First Postwar Streamliners
• And more!

$1 OFF Rare Color Photos • 108-page Special Issue

+FREE Reserve Now at KalmbachHobbyStore.com/CS09

SHIPPING Offer expires 4/16/20 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Free standard shipping to U.S. addresses only.
Sales tax where applicable. More Trains of the 1940s will arrive in April 2020.

TrainsMag.com 59
 RAILROAD ATTRACTION
WISCONSIN Trego
WISCONSIN GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD
N6639 Dilly Lake Road

DIRECTORY
STEP BACK IN TIME to experience the golden age of railroading.
North America’s railroad museums and tourist lines provide afford-
able fun for the whole family! Plan your complete vacation with visits America’s Only Moving
BED & BREAKFAST DINNER TRAIN
to these leading attractions. For information on advertising in this The train departs Tuesday through Saturday evening
at 5:30 pm year round. The train features a choice of
section, call Mike Yuhas toll-free at 888-558-1544, Ext 625. traditional Pullman double bedrooms or deluxe suites
in our 1914 Pullman Private Car. Enjoy complimentary
COLORADO Leadville INDIANA Connersville hors d’oeuvres in the lounge and then move to the
LEADVILLE COLORADO & SOUTHERN diner for a scrumptious 4-course chef prepared meal
WHITEWATER VALLEY RAILROAD
326 East 7th 5th and Grand from our onboard kitchen. When the train returns to the
May 26 – June 15 1:00pm. June 16 – August 17 10:00am station view the starlit sky while trading railroad tales
& 2:00pm. August 18 – October 7 weekdays 1:00pm,
weekends 10:00am & 2:00pm. Spectacular trip travels into with other passengers around our gas fire on the patio.
the high Rocky Mountains, the railroad follows old C&S Wake up to a hot breakfast buffet in the diner. Also,
roadbed & 1893 restored depot. Family friendly, pets allowed.
For more info visit our web site. Family Pizza Train & Sightseeing Excursion.
www.leadvillerailroad.com 1-866-386-3936 www.spoonertrainride.com 715-635-3200
FLORIDA Fort Myers
WEST INDIES St. Kitts
SEMINOLE GULF RAILWAY
1-75 exit 136 at Colonial Blvd. ST. KITTS SCENIC RAILWAY
Travel through time on Indiana’s most scenic railroad.
Murder Mystery Dinner Train 33-mile round trip to Metamora, May through Oct.
Special events Feb through Dec. Vintage diesels:
1951 Lima-Ham 750HP SW, 1954 EMD/Milw. SD10,
1948 Alco S1. Gift Shop.

www.whitewatervalleyrr.org 765-825-2054
PENNSYLVANIA Marysville
BRIDGEVIEW BED & BREAKFAST
810 S. Main St.
Enjoy a comical murder mystery show while our chef
Lately, train watching Include St. Kitts in your Eastern Caribbean cruise
prepares your five course dinner with a choice of 3 entrees.
around The Bridgeview itinerary. Narrow gauge St. Kitts Scenic Railway Tour circles
The Murder Mystery Dinner Train operates 5 nights a week all
B&B has been extremely this unspoiled island paradise, 18 miles by train, 12
year from the Colonial Station (2805 Colonial Blvd, Fort Myers,
exciting with motive miles by bus. Twin- level observation cars, fully narrated,
FL 33966). Get-Away packages with hotel stay available with
power from BNSF, UP, complimentary drinks, a cappella Choir. One of the Great
special pricing available only through Seminole Gulf Railway.
KCS, CP, CN, CSX and Little Railways of the World.
www.semgulf.com 800-SEM-GULF (736-4853) Ferromex often leading, plus add NS heritage units into the
mix and you have some amazing lashup possibilities!  Trains
www.stkittsscenicrailway.com (869) 465-7263
FLORIDA Plant City entering or exiting Enola Yard pass right by our front porch. 
From the spacious decks and sitting room, you can watch
ROBERT W. WILLAFORD RAILROAD MUSEUM the Susquehanna River, Blue Mountains and train action on
102 N. Palmer St. Rockville Bridge!  Plus, visit Hershey, Gettysburg, and PA Dutch
Country!  Comfortable rooms all with private baths, A/C, Wifi,
and a tasty breakfast are included with your stay.  Take a virtual
Don’t Miss
tour on our website and check us out on Facebook for daily
updates, pictures and guest comments. a Single Issue!
www.bridgeviewbnb.com 717-957-2438
RAILROAD ATTRACTION DIRECTORY

PENNSYLVANIA Strasburg FOLDOUT MAP: TRAIN RIDER

S’ GUIDE TO TORONTO p. 20

RAILROAD MUSEUM OF PENNSYLVANIA

www.TrainsMag.com
• March 2018

300 Gap Road ‘Cascades’

501 crash
SPECIAL REPORT details p. 6

SPEED
• US plays
catch-up p. 23
• California’s
big risk p. 34
• Tilt train
technology p. 42

Located at the “diamond” of the PLUS

Preventing
“A” line and “S” line for CSX Railroad Real Trains. Real History. Real Excitement. Experience an death by
train p. 48

In the Historic 1909 Union Station Depot. Visit our fully amazing, world-class collection of 100 historic American Hunter Harrison’s legacy
Where you can run a locomo
p. 10

restored 1963 Seaboard Caboose and 1942 Whitcomb locomotives and railroad cars in our 100,000 square-foot, tive p. 60

switch engine. Museum is open Mon thru Wed from 12:00 climate-controlled exhibit hall. Climb aboard a caboose, take
to 4:00 and Thurs thru Sat from 10:00 to 4:00. Platform the throttle in an authentic locomotive cab, inspect a 62-ton
is open 24 hours a day, every day for great train viewing. engine from underneath and go hands-on in the delightful
railway education center. Family friendly, open year-round. Every issue is packed with:
CSX freight, Tropicana Juice Train, Ethanol, TECO Coal, Special events, restoration shop, exhibits, tours and virtual tours,
Amtrak are daily arrivals orientation video, library and archives and museum store.
• In-depth feature • Ideas and insights
www.willafordrailroadmuseum.com 813-719-6989 www.rrmuseumpa.org 717-687-8628
articles • News and analysis
ILLINOIS Union TEXAS Galveston • Preservation and of industry trends
ILLINOIS RAILWAY MUSEUM GALVESTON RAILROAD MUSEUM railroad worker and developments
Home of the Santa Fe Warbonnets
7000 Olson Road 2602 Santa Fe Place Galveston, TX 77550 stories • and more!
Former Headquarters Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe Depot
One of the Largest Railroad Museums in Southwest.
Approx. 5 acres of 50 vintage rail cars, locomotives,
freight, passenger. Indoor & Outdoor displays. One of the largest China
& Silverware collection. O & H/O model Layouts. Free Parking with
Admission. Open seven days a week.
www.galvestonrrmuseum.com

TEXAS Rosenberg
409-765-5700 Subscribe
Home of Nebraska Zephyr. Steam, diesel trains, electric
cars. Send $5.00 for 32 page Guide Book; or #10 SASE
ROSENBERG RAILROAD MUSEUM
1921 Avenue F, Rosenberg, TX  77471
The Rosenberg Railroad Museum is dedicated to the pres-
Today!
for color brochure with schedule & discount coupon. ervation and education of railroading history in Fort Bend
Trains operate Sat: May-Oct, Sun: Apr-Oct, Daily:
Memorial Day-Labor Day. Museum open Apr-Oct. Lodging:
County.  Exhibits include 1970’s MOPAC caboose, 1903
Tower 17, 1879 passenger car, Garden railroad, HO layouts
Call 877-246-4843
847-695-7540 and 815-363-6177. and more! RRM is open Wed - Sat, 10 - 5 and Sundays 1 - 5. www.TrainsMag.com
www.irm.org 815-923-4000 www.rosenbergRRmuseum.org 281-633-2846

60 APRIL 2020
CLASSIFIEDS
Word Rate: per issue: 1 insertion — $1.57 per word, 6
insertions — $1.47 per word, 12 insertions — $1.37 per word.
$35.00 MINIMUM per ad. Payment must accompany ad. To
receive the discount you must order and prepay for all ads at
one time. Count all initials, single numbers, groups of
numbers, names, address number, street number or name,
city, state, zip, phone numbers each as one word. Example:
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All Copy: Set in standard 6 point type. First several words
only set in bold face. If possible, ads should be sent
typewritten and categorized to ensure accuracy.
CLOSING DATES: Jan 2020 closes Oct. 23, Feb closes
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number and when using a P.O. Box in your ad, a street
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53187-1612 Toll-free (888) 558-1544 Ext. 551 Fax:
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LODGING
GO BEYOND MODEL TRAINS Our B&B has antique
Pullman train cars as your guest suite. All cars with
modern amenities. Central Minnesota, 800-328-6315,
www.whistlestopbedandbreakfast.com
INN ON THE RIVER: Book your stay for a relaxing get-
away overlooking the beautiful Mississippi! Guests
are minutes from quaint restaurants, stores and many
outdoor opportunities. Each room has a private balco-
ny for stunning views of the Mississippi River and the
Burlington Northern-Santa fe Rail Line. Reservations:
608-534-7784 www.innontheriverwi.com or email:
innontheriverwi@gmail.com
‘OVERNIGHT IN HISTORY’ EXPERIENCES: Book a night
in an authentically-furnished 1981 Burlington Northern
caboose. Learn about Montana railroading including an
interlocking plant, relax overnight in Caboose 12424,
and enjoy a hearty breakfast! Discover our other experi-
ences at www.glaciermuseum.org - just 50 miles from
Glacier National Park. Reservations: 406-450-0999 or
glacierhistorymuseum@gmail.com
BOOKS AND MAGAZINES
CAN DAN AND HIS CLUB SAVE Their favorite engine from
the scrap yard? Read the Deltic Disaster and Other Tales,
available at Amazon.
COLLECTIBLES
DIESEL ERA MAGAZINE BOUND VOLUMES #’S 1-21:
Excellent condition. Sold only as a set. $1500 or best
offer plus buyer pays actual UPS Ground shipping.
bslomazzi@att.net 916-782-6587
TOP DOLLAR PAID for steam/diesel or electric builder
plates. mr_slides@hotmail.com Telephone: 216-321-8446
ADVERTISERS
The Advertiser Index is provided as a service to TRAINS magazine readers. The magazine is not
responsible for omissions or for typographical errors in names or page numbers.
80th Anniversary ................................. 59
Big Boy DVDs ...................................... 55
Canadian National ................................68
Central Electric Railfans Association.......9
Colorado Tour ..................................... 12
Dirk Soulis Auctions ...............................6
George Swimmer ...................................9
Germany Tour...................................... 57
PHOTOS, PRINTS AND
SLIDES
DIESEL NEGATIVES. For sale: AT&SF, B&O, Erie, EL, LV,
N&W, PC, P&LE, SCL and many other roads from 1960’s
and 1970’s. The Garys, 505-982-6178.
TOP DOLLAR PAID: for 35mm slide collections especially
pre-1980. Mr. Slides, mr_slides@hotmail.com Telephone:
216-321-8446
MISCELLANEOUS
1971 MORRISON INTERNATIONAL ALL STEEL CABOOSE:
Restored 2008. Located in Texas, $25k. Formerly Burlington
Northern (BN10593) Repainted in Santa Fe livery.
936-851-0147
RAILROAD PATCHES: Engineer caps with insignia. 1,000
designs. Catalog $5.00. Patch King, Box 145, York Harbor,
ME 03911.
WANTED
ARE YOU GETTING THE BEST PRICE FOR YOUR TRAIN
COLLECTION? Our list of discriminating buyers grows each
day. They want bigger and better train collections to choose
from! We specialize in O Gauge trains- Lionel, MTH, K-Line,
Williams, Weaver, 3rd Rail, etc. as well as better trains in
all scales. We also purchase store inventories. Plus, we
can auction your trains with rates starting as low as 15%.
We travel extensively all over the US. Give us a call today!
Send us your list or contact us for more information at
www.trainz.com/sell Trainz, 2740 Faith Industrial Dr.,
Buford, GA 30518, 866-285-5840, Scott@trainz.com Fax:
866-935-9504
LOOKING FOR A COPY: Limiteds Along the Lakefront: The
Illinois Central in Chicago. Published by Transport History
Press. 814-467-7344
ORIGINAL SLIDE COLLECTIONS Black & white nega-
tive collections, and Hi-Res Scans. Any railroad or railroad
subjects. Call 732-774-2042
PRR LW PULLMAN CAR Cast-iron door nameplates, 1938-
1950. J.H. STEVENSON, Rocky River, OH 440-333-1092
jhstevenson8445@gmail.com
RAIL SHOWS AND EVENTS
MARCH 7-8, 2020: Rocky Mountain Train Show. Denver
Merchandise Mart, 451 East 58th Avenue, Denver, 80216.
Saturday, 10:00am-5:00pm, Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm. 2-1/2
acres of model trains-all scales, 30 layouts, 700 sales tables,
clinics and more. Admission $10.00 under 12 Free, Free-
Parking. 303-364-0274 www.RockyMountainTrainShow.com
information@RockyMountainTrainShow.com
MARCH 8, 2020: Southern Connecticut Model Train Show.
Greenwich Civic Center, 9:00am-3:00pm. Adults $7.00,
under 12 free. Valley HO Trak Layout & more. Clinics, 150+
tables including trains, books, artwork, DVDs, gifts and
collectibles! Door prizes, free parking, refreshments. Ron’s
Books, PO Box 714, Harrison, NY 10528, 914-967-7541.
ronsbooks@aol.com, www.southerncttrainshow.com
Greg Scholl Video Productions ...............9
Monte Vista Publishing ......................... 10
More Trains of the 1940s ..................... 59
Morning Sun Books, Inc. ...................... 10
New England Tour ................................53
Pullman Experiences Tour ....................58
Railcom .................................................6
MARCH 14-15, 2020: Chicago O Scale Meet (2-Rail),
Westin Lombard Yorktown Center, 70 Yorktown Center,
Lombard, IL. Friday dealer set-up, show open to public
Saturday 9:00am-5:00pm, Sunday 9:00am-2:00pm. Buy,
sell, trade, clinics, discussion groups, layout tours, model
contest. Largest dedicated O Scale show (2-Rail) out there.
$20.00 for entire weekend. Info: Melissa 630-745-7600 or
www.marchmeet.net
APRIL 4, 2020: Central Indiana Division/NMRA announces
the Franklin Spring Train Show. New permanent location
at the Johnson County Fairgrounds, 250 Fairground St.,
Franklin, IN 46131. Saturday, 10am-3pm. Admission $3,
Family $5. Clinic and CID Annual Meeting, Door Prizes,
Displays, Operating Layouts, Free Parking, Food avail-
able. Info/table rental: Michael Roderick 317-833-3556,
mdrghost@hotmail.com or www.cidnmra.org
APRIL 4, 2020: Greater Tulsa Area Train Show, Bixby
Community Center, 211 N. Cabaniss Avenue, Bixby, OK.
Saturday 9:00am-3:00pm. Admission: $5.00 adults, under
12 Free. For info: TTOS-Sooner.org
APRIL 27-MAY 4, 2020: “The Louisiana” StL-CHI-
New Orleans-CHI-StL 4/27 thru 5/4 aboard private car
“Hollywood Beach” with three nights in the Crescent City
with the car as your hotel rear-most on Trains 304,59,58,
& 303. Venues on your own in NOL might include casino
gambling, cruise aboard paddle-wheeler “Natchez”, trolley
rides, WWII Museum, the garden district, Jazz Fest, fine
dining, Bourbon Street venues, shopping, and more! Meal
service commensurate to time of day with beverages and
snacks continuous. Apply to: onecniccat@prodigy.net ALL
major credit cards accepted. Expected sell out.
MAY 2, 2020: Second Annual Columbia PA Railroad Day.
9am-4pm. All-day Railroads In the Civil War presenta-
tions by noted historians, extensive model railroad dis-
plays, Railroad Mechanical Services, Inc open house.
Unlimited Hop-On Hop-Off trolley between sites. Bill Lesjak,
wclesjak2@comcast.net or 717-751-2391.
AUCTIONS
AMERICA’S PREMIER RAILROAD AUCTIONS: Consign
your quality items. One piece to an entire collection. Large
8-1/2 X 11” auction catalogs contain full descriptions and
hundreds of photographs. Auctions are jointly sponsored
by the Depot Attic and Golden Spike Enterprises. The
combined knowledge and experience of America’s largest
railroadiana firms will earn you “top dollar”. Mail and fax bids
are accepted. Information: Railroad Auction, PO Box 985,
Land O Lakes, FL 34639. Phone: 813-949-7197.
REAL ESTATE
ARIZONA MOUNTAIN ACREAGE: Adjacent BNSF
Transcon. Remote, 4 seasons, spectacular vistas railway/
mountains, small cabin. Dabneytavern478@gmail.com
TRAIN ENTHUSIAST’S DREAM INVESTMENT!!
Approximately 3.1 acres. Office Complex. Truck Scales.
Several Warehouses and Shop Buildings. Railroad Spur.
Adjacent to the La Plata Missouri Amtrak Station. Prime
location! Incredible opportunity! Call 660-341-9081 and ask
for Birney.
railroadbooks.biz ...................................9
Ron’s Books ........................................ 10
Turbine Power .......................................2
Union Pacific Historical Society ..............6
Western-Cullen-Hayes, Inc. .....................9
Wheel Rail Seminars ............................ 11
Whitewater Valley Railroad .....................6
TrainsMag.com 61
GALLERY: CSX

62 APRIL 2020
Mountain
majesty
GE ES44AH No. 866 leads
train H750 across the New
River at Sewell, W.Va., in the
soft evening light in
September 2019. The train is
on the former Chesapeake
& Ohio main line between
Hinton, W.Va., and Russell,
Ky. Samuel Phillips
GALLERY: CSX

64 APRIL 2020
River city
railroading
A southbound CSX inter-
modal train flies high over
downtown Covington, Ky.,
in August 2018. Across the
Ohio River lies Cincinnati
and famed Queensgate
Yard. Marshall W. Beecher
GALLERY: CSX

Monon Route
memories
Under stormy skies, north-
bound CSX local J772 trun-
dles past the upper quad-
rant semaphore signals
near Smedley, Ind., in April
2009. This was one of the
last weeks of CSX opera-
tion on the former Monon
between Bedford, Ind., and
Louisville, Ky. Aaron J. Border

B&O CPL
stronghold
Train K596 passes the color
position light signals at the
south end of the siding at
Ottawa, Ohio, in January
2017. The Toledo Sub,
between its namesake city
and Cincinnati, is home to
the last installations of

CSX
SYSTEM MAPS: 1979 AND TODAY

such signals. John Curtright

AT 40
SPEC
COLLECTIAL
OR
EDITION ’S

Powering
through history
toward a bright
blue tomorrow
Motive
power
review
ORDER YOUR COPY OF CSX AT 40
Looking back:
• Chessie
• Seaboard
• Conrail
AND THE COMPANION DVD AT
With family tree!
KALMBACHHOBBYSTORE.COM

66 APRIL 2020
Southbound
snow squall
CSX train Q241 has 95 auto
racks in tow as it passes
the “88” crossovers in
Fostoria, Ohio, on the
former Chesapeake & Ohio
route to Toledo in January
2012. The train will turn and
head west to Deshler then
south again to Cincinnati.
Dale A. DeVene Jr.