By Leonard Henkin
The R.
J. Corman Railroad Co., which owns 2 rail lines in Kentucky and 7 short lines
operating principally in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia,
bought a 1911 Pullman car from the Detroit & Mackinac Railway, where it had
been parked for 20 years in the Steam Institute Museum near Flint, Michigan. The
car has been renovated and is now fully operational. The Pullman car will serve
as owner Rick Corman's personal car. (BLHS Bulletin)
Bob
Roy, Jr., the owner of the former Maine Central Railroad Station complex in
Lewiston, Maine, has renovated the passenger waiting room to its original
splendor. The main building has served as Lewiston's passenger depot from 1916
to 1960. (The 470)
The
Rock of Ages Monument Quarry has found someone who will take the 54000 tons of
waste granite off its hands. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is building
the Herbert Hoover Dike System along Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Florida, will
move the waste granite out of the quarries in Barre, Vermont, through
Montpelier, Vermont, and then to Florida. The shipments will bring two 10-car
trains through Montpelier five days a week with additional trains expected in
Barre and Barre Town from the Rock of Ages facility in Graniteville over a
period of three months. (Rutland Herald)
Union
Pacific is celebrating its 50th Steam Program Anniversary. Union Pacific #844
recently completed a 30-day trip which started in April at Cheyenne, Wyoming,
and made stops in Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. It was the first time
that 844 had ever visited Texas. The destinations for either 844 or 395 were
Denver, Colorado, and Cheyenne in July. Future destinations will be Portland,
Oregon, and Sedalia, Missouri, in September and Council Bluffs, Iowa, in
November. (NY RR Enthusiasts)
Haverhill,
MA is offering 7000 feet of rail free of charge to anyone who can remove it
along with ties on the Georgetown Branch which the Boston & Maine Railroad
abandoned decades ago. Pan Am Railways sold it to the city in 2008 for $500,000.
The city would like to convert it into a recreational trail. (Steel Wheels)
The
Maine Eastern Railroad has planned a special stop in Newcastle for 2 separate
events this season. The first was the annual Damariscotta Mills Pirate
Rendezvous when Maine Eastern ran its Eye Patch Express on June 12. The second
will be the Pumpkin Patch Special during the Great Pumpkin Festival and Regatta
on October 9 and 10. (The 470)
The
board of directors for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation has
approved the transfer of 9 new fuelefficient locomotives from the Utah Transit
Authority. Built earlier this year by MotivePower Inc., the MPXpress MP36PH
engines are 3600 horse power diesel electric locomotives. Each locomotive costs
$3.5 million. It's estimated the T will save about $78,000 annually per
locomotive because the new engines burn 36,500 fewer gallons of fuel each year.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is now working with the Utah
Transit Authority to determine how many trains it buys, leases, or leases to
buy. (MBTA)
The MassDOT Board of Directors
approved a contract with Motive Power Inc. of Boise, Idaho to supply 20 new
diesel electric locomotives at a cost not to exceed $114.63 million. MBTA
General Manager Richard Davey said the acquisition of new locomotives is a high
priority for the T, and is a critical element in improving commuter rail
performance and customer service. In line with this priority, we have
worked hard to expedite the procurement process, said Davey. Accelerating the
delivery of new locomotives will have an immediate positive impact on MBTA
Commuter Rail operations, fleet performance, and service delivery. The
contract will allow the MBTA to remove the 20 oldest and least reliable
locomotives from service, eliminating associated mechanical failures.
Delivery of the pilot locomotive will be within 29 months from notice to proceed
with delivery of the production fleet to begin at month 32 with 3 locomotives to
be delivered per month through month 38. The MBTA operates a fleet of 80 revenue
service locomotives, the oldest of which are the18 originally manufactured
between 1978 and 1980. Overhauled in 1989, these locomotives were
programmed for retirement in 2005. Locomotives generally have a useful
life of 25 years. By FY2013, 68% of the locomotive fleet will be scheduled
for retirement based on a 25 year service life. In addition to realizing
increased reliability, the MBTA will significantly reduce locomotive emissions.
The new units will be required to meet Tier 3 emission standards as
regulated by the EPA. Advancing the delivery of this cleaner technology
will reduce fuel consumption by approximately 730,000 gallons per year and will
reduce the following in emissions per year; particulate Matter 26 tons,
Hydrocarbons 38 tons, and Oxides of Nitrogen by 924 tons. Also,
the reduction in fuel consumption will save an estimated 1.5 million dollars
annually. The fuel savings is one of several significant cost benefits the MBTA
will realize with the addition of these new technology locomotives. Motive Power
has advised the MBTA that the proposed contract will create or sustain 1,246
union jobs. The breakdown is roughly 186 machinists, 374 welders, 374
mechanics, 187 electricians, among others. Locally, Motive Power will utilize
the Providence and Worcester RR facility for pre-delivery inspection,
preparation, and commissioning support services. The P&W shop will
also provide a location to establish a parts inventory and conduct warranty
repairs. The Motive Power relationship with the P&W in Worcester will
assist them in retaining 150 employees. (MBTA)
The
Association of American Railroads on July 29 reported that rail traffic
continues to maintain a steady pace with U.S. railroads originating 286,854
carloads for the week ending July 24, 2010, up 4.7 percent compared with the
same week in 2009, but down 13.5 percent from prerecession levels in 2008. In
order to offer a complete picture of the progress in rail traffic, AAR reports
2010 weekly rail traffic with comparison weeks in both 2009 and 2008. (The
Association of American Railroads)
Progress
Rail Services has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Electro- Motive
Diesel (EMD) for $820 million in cash from Berkshire Partners LLC and Greenbriar
Equity Group LLC. Upon completion of the transaction, EMD will become a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Progress Rail. Progress Rail is a whollyowned
subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT). Progress Rail Services is one of the
largest providers of rail and transit products and services in North America,
including: locomotive upgrade and repair, railcar remanufacturing, trackwork,
rail welding, rail repair and replacement, signal design and installation,
maintenance of way equipment, parts reclamation and recycling. (Progress Rail
Services)
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