Author Topic: Indiana Sub update (Read 345637 times)

HoosierVirg · « **Reply #40 on:** February 21, 2009, 10:31:38 PM »

Yes, and in some parts of the US it is causing some problems with the local citizens. We know from postings here the feelings of the residents of New Castle and the storage of cars there and I just posted on Trainorders my feelings of the problem out there on the old GN from Helena to Great Falls. Here is a link to the feelings of the local politician and the residents of the area. I lived out there for four years and I can relate to both sides of this debate.

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/090220/mt_idle_rail_cars.html?.v=1

scraphauler · « **Reply #41 on:** March 06, 2009, 11:11:16 AM »

Should be seeing an extra westbound on the Indiana Sub today - this will be first train since ?? Empty unit coal train headed from Cincinnati to the CMPA at North Vernon for storage. Power probably will return lite to Cincinnati. Rumblings are that there may be another one headed that way in next couple weeks.

scraphauler · « **Reply #42 on:** March 08, 2009, 03:08:26 PM »

Crossed the line at Milan today and it did not look like the empty coal train ran as planned. So, I logged into CSXT and traced the train (E434-03) - last movement on train still shows arrival Queesgate at 8:09 PM Thurday 3/5. Trip plan still shows next event as depart Queensgate 6:20 AM 3/6, then arrive North Vernon mid day and power return to Queensgate, but that obviously has not happened. Not sure if train has been terminated at Queensgate and cars are moving via Louisville, Hoosier Sub, Mitchel, then back over to North Vernon, or if it will move as planed directly to North Vernon later today or tomorrow, or ?? E-434-03 Still shows as an active train though.

Train is all empty coal cars - not sure if all CSXT mark or mix of CSXT and Privates, or all Private. Train is coming out of Toledo Docks. There is supposed to be at least one more of these, maybe more (unless they change their minds) - believe cars are mainly coming off lease with CSXT and are being returned to lessors (a.k.a., being put in storage). We have quite a few JTSX marked cars headed to CIND coming off CSXT lease. Some are in Toledo and are supposed to come through Cincinnati on rear of a future E434 (none made the E434-03) which would be cut off in Queensgate and forwarded to CIND via Trautman. Don't believe they'll build up enough of our cars to run a E434 (or another unit train mark) to CIND, but they certainly have enough headed our way that they could.

HoosierVirg · « **Reply #43 on:** March 08, 2009, 07:04:54 PM »

I figured the Madison Railroad was getting ready for some more cars for storage, a couple of weeks ago they moved cars around in the JPG to make more room, looks like they could handle about four more sets of cars, around 400 maybe. Saw where the CCT in California will soon have over 20 miles of their line full of stored cars, unused lumber ones.

KM9X · « **Reply #44 on:** March 16, 2009, 08:43:15 AM »

3/11/2009 2:00:00 PM

A rare sight. (pic on website)

CSX train a rare sight
A rare westbound freight train rounds a banked curve on the CSX Transportation tracks east of North Vernon Friday. The last time a CSX train traveled all the way through Jennings County on the old Baltimore & Ohio main line was over three months ago. The crew on this train dropped off several dozen rail cars in the CSX yard on the city's west side off O&M Avenue. Railroad officials report the slumping economy is the reason for the lack of trains on the CSX line in Jennings County. North Vernon's motto is "City of Railroads" and at one time it was the third busiest rail center in Indiana.

http://plaindealer-sun.com/main.asp?SectionID=3&SubSectionID=40&ArticleID=8277

HoosierVirg · « **Reply #45 on:** March 16, 2009, 11:20:27 PM »

I went through the Proving Grounds today and I think those coal cars have arrived Scraphauler. Looks like over fifty coal hoppers most of them being Conrail with the NYC (CSX) markings. I got up close and personal with one of the CTCX new black tankers, # 729197 to be exact. It looks like about thirty or more of them, it had a build date of 6/08. Like I said before they look like they have never been in revenue service, still has the blue paint around the roller bearings on the axle. It looks like they have room for maybe 150 more cars in the JPG for storage.

scraphauler · « **Reply #46 on:** March 17, 2009, 07:43:58 AM »

CTCX is one of CIT Group's reporting marks. Of course, CIT Group is part of Citi Corp, and you know the financial condition they are in. My guess is this is a new ethanol service car that never got delivered to whomever ordered it due to the rash of bankruptcies and closures in that industry - lots of new tankers and high cube covered hoppers stored all over the place account if this. Storage is a prime commodity right now, and those that have it, know it.

HoosierVirg · « **Reply #47 on:** March 17, 2009, 08:59:03 AM »

I thought the same thing about the tankers, figured they had been built to haul ethanol and since the market went south they were being stored. The tankers are also in a string of the covered hoppers of which you speak, they have shown up the last couple of months. I was just informed that the LNAC is full of stored cars too. Signs of the times.

glendale · « **Reply #48 on:** March 18, 2009, 06:58:55 PM »

Heard a rumor from a very trustworthy source that CSX will be running an empty coal train up the LIRC and then will handoff to the Madison RR. No other details other than an early AM call time from Louisville.

I assume these are the coal cars for storage that scraphauler was talking about.

scraphauler · « **Reply #49 on:** March 18, 2009, 10:18:59 PM »

Quote from: glendale on March 18, 2009, 06:58:55 PM

Heard a rumor from a very trustworthy source that CSX will be running an empty coal train up the LIRC and then will handoff to the Madison RR. No other details other than an early AM call time from Louisville.

I assume these are the coal cars for storage that scraphauler was talking about.

Heard there was supposed to be another CMPA "coal train" this week - sounds like this is it. Beleive this is all NYC ex CR equipment, but not 100% sure. Been working with their coal folks tyring to get 161 cars back that the lease expired in December on. They are just have been having fits trying to get these off lease cars back - they got so much equipment stored in the traditional coal classification yards (i.e. Russell KY), and so many yard jobs cut off that they just can't seem to get the trains stopped, the 4 or 5 cars in the train off lease switched out and replaced with other cars. Causes some real "upper management" issues - here you have equipment who's lease has expired, but you are still paying for because you are still using, and owned equipment that should take this leases equipment's spot parked simply because you can't switch it out. Oh well. So far in 90 days, they successfully switched out and returned less than 3 dozen of the 161.

HoosierVirg · « **Reply #50 on:** March 19, 2009, 11:13:51 AM »

Thanks for the updates, I shall be heading to Madison tomorrow and I"ll check and see if the next "coal train" has arrived. Interesting about not being able to "weed out" the expired lease cars.

speedyd · « **Reply #51 on:** March 20, 2009, 08:16:25 AM »

I was in North Vernon on Wednesday about 12:30. The Madison local came south from the north industrial park. He disconnected his train and ran though the CSX interchange. Then he back into the CSX yard and pick up 6-7 Gondola's. The local back onto Madison main to the rest of the his train and headed south to Madison. The train had about 10 coal cars, 12 flow hoppers and 8 tanks cars plusthe gondola's he pick up. Unless they are storing the cars? the Madison RR has a mix freight to Madison.

HoosierVirg · « **Reply #52 on:** March 20, 2009, 11:50:56 PM »

The train you saw going south out of North Vernon had cars for storage, I would say 99.9% of all cars that go south of North Vernon are for storage as the only customer south of there is the plastic plant at the top of the incline is far as I know. It gets a hopper once in awhile. I found the cars in the JPG that you saw. I had not seen the large number of coal cars that scraphauler said was headed to the Madison in the JPG so on a hunch drove through to the west side and sure enough, just south of the switch into the JPG on the track down to Madison was a string of the coal hoppers. There are probably over fifty of them in that string. They had moved the passenger car into the shop and had the SW outside the shop when I went by today, the caboose in the attached picture was their office for a few years till they moved out to the JPG.

HoosierVirg · « **Reply #53 on:** March 22, 2009, 11:58:06 PM »

As I headed up to Connersville Saturday I drove along the Indiana Sub and found the whole string of box cars stored in the Butlerville siding. I checked out North Vernon and found more cars to be taken down to the JPG for storage, more gondolas, covered hoppers and some more tankers. I also found a set of GEAX coal hoppers, probably more than fifty of them there, must be the "coal train" I missed from scraphauler's updates. Hi Lex Poly Co., the Madison Railroads #1 customer north of CSX in North Vernon had eight covered hoppers in the plant. Sad to see the rusty rail on the Indiana Sub. I rode a caboose train on the Whitewater on Sunday and have attached some photos from the trip, beautiful day and great trip.

CIND 2254 · « **Reply #54 on:** March 23, 2009, 10:57:11 AM »

HoosierVirg, I didn't know you were on that trip. I was on the southernmost caboose.
Christian

storrs19 · « **Reply #55 on:** March 23, 2009, 12:54:29 PM »

So that's where XN Tower wound up. I never knew that. It looks beautifully maintained. Is it open for visitation? I may have to venture up that way.

HoosierVirg · « **Reply #56 on:** March 23, 2009, 08:20:09 PM »

Ah, the Shelby County caboose, right? I was two up from you, I was in the "orphan" caboose, all individuals not a group. Storrs, one of the guys took the tower as his project and with help has done an excellent job of restoring it, probably could see it this summer on a weekend. Call the office and check with them. I was in the JPG today and saw the SW waiting so stayed for a minute and sure enough the Geep showed up from North Vernon and had the GEAX hoppers I saw up there on Saturday. There were forty of them, the SW hooked on the end and shoved them on the north end of the east loop, JPG is starting to get full now.

CONRAIL1981 · « **Reply #57 on:** March 24, 2009, 03:07:44 AM »

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing. I need to get out there again soon.

storrs19 · « **Reply #58 on:** March 24, 2009, 09:54:07 AM »

Virg:

Thanks for the info on XN. I remember seeing it in action in 1988 and early 1989 I believe. I seem to think it was still open in March 1989 as I have a few photos of it from the inside that I need to dig out of storage to confirm the date. I had a nice chat with the operator and hung around for about 3 hours that day. I will certainly check it out this summer. Looks like he has done a great job with it. I assume the "tower" at Milan is still there as well?

Chad

KM9X · « **Reply #59 on:** April 17, 2009, 10:22:58 PM »

I swear I heard the Delaware scanner trip about 830pm tnight(Friday night). Never heard anything else.. Maybe I was dreaming!? Hasnt been a train on the IN Sub for a long time.

News:

Author Topic: Indiana Sub update (Read 345637 times)