Rail Traffic Trends Down Again
Posted by Lou on Jun 29, 2009
U.S. railroads reported originating 261,717 cars, down 17.7 percent from the same week in 2008. Regionally, carloadings were down 11.9 percent in the West and 25.2 percent in the East.
Intermodal volume of 187,759 trailers or containers was down 17.8 percent from the same week last year. Container volume fell 12 percent and trailer volume dropped 39.0 percent. Total volume on U.S. railroads for the week ending June 20 was estimated at 27.7 billion ton-miles, off 16.6 percent from the same week last year.
Eighteen of 19 carload freight commodity groups were down from last year, with declines ranging from 1.8 percent for farm products other than grain to 65.4 percent for metallic ores. The lone group showing an increase was the catch-all category labeled “all other carloads” which was up 11.9 percent.
For the first 24 weeks of 2009, U.S. railroads reported cumulative volume of 6,323,360 carloads, down 19.4 percent from 2008; 4,458,136 trailers or containers, down 16.9 percent; and total volume of an estimated 671.0 billion ton-miles, down 18.3 percent.
Combined North American rail volume for the first 24 weeks of 2009 on 14 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 8,012,475 carloads, down 20.1 percent from last year, and 5,539,883 trailers and containers, down 16.8 percent from last year.
Source: Union Pacific / Railfax
Who was the real Casey Jones?
Posted by Lou on Jun 19, 2009
Credits: The infamous Ron Johnson, Local Chairman, Retired, has dug up a story that clears the air surrounding the oft sung about Casey Jones, Hoghead Extraordinaire.
Was Casey Jones really “Driving that train / High on cocaine,” or was this something the Grateful Dead just made up?
—Wright Blan, Sugar Hill, Georgia
Guest Contributor Elendil’s Heir replies:
The most famous railroad engineer of all time has been immortalized by musicians as diverse as Mississippi John Hurt, Josh Ritter, Joe Hill, Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash, Tom Russell, Kris Kristofferson, and the New Christy Minstrels, but leave it to the Dead to suggest that nose candy played a role in his demise. Their take on the subject, from the 1970 album Workingman’s Dead, is, to say the least, not a reliable account of Casey Jones’s last run. John Luther “Casey” Jones may have been going too fast that fateful night near Vaughan, Mississippi, but there’s no evidence that he was high on cocaine or any other illicit substance.
Jones was born March 14, 1863, in southeastern Missouri; no one’s quite sure where exactly. He came from a railroading family and was, by all accounts, determined to drive a locomotive from an early age. All three of his brothers became railroad men, too, but none came anywhere near his level of fame. Jones’s family eventually moved to Cayce, Kentucky, and the town’s name became, with a slight spelling change, his nickname – just about every railroader had one. He worked his way up through the Mobile & Ohio Railroad and then, beginning in 1888, the mighty Illinois Central, displaying a natural knack for the business as a telegraph operator, an engineman, and soon the top job, engineer. After just four years, according to the early Jones biographer Fred J. Lee, “Casey Jones had practically undisputed control over the road between Chicago and Water Valley, Mississippi.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Railfax Report
Posted by Lou on Jun 15, 2009
There is a slight improvement at the last Railfax Report. Not much to get excited about, but at last. Buddy’s in different Yards telling that the work is also improving and there are more trains out there. Should that be the turn we are all waiting for ? Without better news regarding economy – let’s wait for the next to Railfax reports before buying a new car or getting a 2 year contract cell phone 
Click the Graphic for a better view.
Updated
Posted by Lou on Jun 13, 2009
I’ve installed a new Software for “Lou’s Point” Website. There might be some glitches here and there but I expect that everything will work fine. If you find something, please let me know so that I can fix it. So far I noticed that, instead of showing a picture on it’s own window flow-ding over the others, Pictures are opened in a new Window. I don’t like that at all and I am working on that. Perhaps that feature will only affect old posts. Will see how that will work on the new posts.
Update 2: Glad to report that pictures are shown correctly. Everything bach to normal. Lou out.
New Downloads
Posted by Lou on Jun 10, 2009
The new San Luis Obispo Chalk Board for June 2009, Issue 10, is out. Information about the C.A.R.E. program, Retirements and much more. Fresh, new, only here and in the Crew Room. Go to the Download Section and browse to the Chalk Board Section. Or just press download from here.
Wondering
Posted by Lou on Jun 6, 2009
Hello Folks,
I am doing this Website since December 2008 and I am wondering if the Content I am providing here is interesting or not. What do you like, what do you not ? Finding ways to improve my Page is very hard. Now I am collecting Informations and News that I found while surfing the World. Mixed with some stories of my old Railroad life and handling the furlough situation is not an easy job. And I know my English needs a big improvement – sometimes you have to read twice to find out what I want to tell. Working on that – when English is not your native – its even harder. Most of the time I am still thinking German and put my thoughts down in another Language.
Just give me some feedback, how you are, how you found my page and what you like or dislike will help me a lot.
Thanks for your help and comments,
me, the Lou
Railfax Report
Posted by Lou on Jun 5, 2009
No comment …..
‘My’ German Railroad – ICE with Tilting Technology (ICE T)
Posted by Lou on Jun 4, 2009
The ICE is the flagship product of Deutsche Bahn. The range of fast ICE connections has been steadily expanded since 1991.
The Reason for an ICE with Tilting Technology
The first two ICE generations are able to achieve their short journey times, which have met with excellent response in the market, only when travelling on purpose-built track. However, there is also a demand for ICE connections on routes on which the construction of dedicated ICE tracks is unacceptable for economic reasons owing to the comparatively low demand. In order to offer shorter journey times combined with tried-and-tested ICE comfort and convenience on such routes too, DB introduced the ICE with tilting technology (ICE T) on 30 May 1999. This system, which has been in successful operation in Italy for decades, means that the train tilts inwards by up to 8° when travelling through curves, in much the same way as a motor cyclist. This allows it to travel at 30% higher speed in curves. Needless to say, this does not in any way impair safety or comfort for the passengers. Read the rest of this entry »
