…Another unusual train {for me to see}, was eastbound this evening on our double track CSX. It was a train of double stacks…TOFC…COFC…and all orange trailers and containers from Schneider Trucking Co…All of them. About 3/4 mile of it…2 6- axle engines in command.
Nice catch! You didn’t happen to get a couple of pictures, did you?
…No Willy, sorry I did not. Actually we were over at the McDonald’s parking lot having a coke {sitting in the truck}, and the NS, Frankfort district track is right next to it, so we do that quite often in the evening but this evening it was quiet.
So heard this {Schneider train}, coming {scanner, etc…}, and we could go that way to head back home and the highway/steet parallels CSX there and it passed just as I got to the tracks. We were driving west and it was headed east…2 engines in command. It was an unusual looking train…all of one co. boxes and trailers, all the same color…Quite a site.
I should start putting the little digital in the truck. Do keep the scanner in it.
I believe this train runs pretty regularly and is joint CSX/KCS train. Q107/106 on CSX, IVNKC/IKCVN on KCS and it runs between Marion OH and Kansas City. CSX turns this train over to KCS in St. Louis.
I’ve always wanted to catch this train myself. Solid orange is something I long to see…
Tyler
…Yes, it was a neat sight to catch.
Yeah, that is neat to see. Wisconsin Central used to run all-Pumpkin trains out of Green Bay (which is Schneider’s HQ) to Chicago. But that ended when CN took over.
Schneider basically “charters” daily trains between central Ohio and Kansas City.
Because of its central location in relation to the US population the Columbus, Ohio area is a major distribution region. I’ve heard it said that “if you’re going to have one distribution center for the US, put it in Columbus, Ohio.”
A lot of those Asian imports need to get near Columbus. A good way to do this is on existing rail service from the Pacific port to KC, then on to the Columbus area. But there was no adequate rail intermodal service between KC and central Ohio.
So Schneider bought their own train. I’m glad to hear it’s doing so well.
I live by the CSX Vandalia line and see Schneider trains passing through here several time a week, east and west. Sometimes there’ll be an KCS in the mix, mostly its CSX or UP engines pulling. I thought I had some photos, but can’t find them if I did. I know I didn’t have any of the KCS, but I have tried to catch one
inch
…I can say a CSX GE was in the lead but really can’t recall what the 2nd engine was. It was running east and I was driving west here on a parallel street/road and actually was shocked of seeing a mix of Containers, both double stacked, singles and TOFC’s and all painted orange. So didn’t really pay attention to who’s engines were in command. The CSX unit was up front though.
[;)][;)][;)]I believe CSX calls it “the on time orange”. I see it pass through Terre Haute frequently. I believe there is one East bound & one west bound every day.
Every once in a while the engines will be Mexican
Rob
Most often the train runs w/ CSX power, but KCS power will be used sometimes and they’ll sub in KCSM (former TFM) power at times as well. Train runs 6 days / week. It started up in June 06. If you look for pics on http://www.railpictures.net/ you’ll find a bunch of photos, but the key is to search in multiple directions (use keywords Schneider - but also use Schnieder (mispelled) as well as the train symbols mentioned above Q166, KCVN, VNKC.)
The other big leap, in addition to the all orange train is that Schneider has a private ramp in OH. All orange there too. Its at the Marion Industrial Center. Their switcher provides power to move cars around (see link below for ramp pic.)
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=150212&nseq=21
W/ new paint scheme KCS
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=187000&nseq=1
A few other nice shots
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=190057&nseq=0
…Yes, a bunch of nice pic’s.
I am thinking of going to marion,oh does anybody now what time Q106 and Q107 go by the depot in marion. thankyou.
…Can’t answer the Marion question but it was between 8 and 9 pm as it passed {east}, thru Muncie.
I wonder if it was a result of that construction on the interstates?
Must be all those “Orange Barrels” reaching critical mass. =)
Heck I didnt know the Orange folks had trailers able to go that fast on the railroad. In fact I think they used the railroad to go faster and meet thier schedule.
I better shut up now and go back under my wheel.
Normally expect the westbound to be released at Marion about 8 PM. CSX can go west any time after that… but it may not be immediately. The EB train will have a little more variability as delays anywere from KC to Marion could slow it down. Should be there by 0300, so probably through town between midnight and 3.
The deal is that at the loads being handled by that train would normally move on the highway between Columbus and St. Louis or Chicago. I believe that the western and eastern lines have some intermodal trains that run through the east/west gateways. However, if there isn’t enough traffic moving between a pair of terminals, one east and one west, any loads moving between such points will be rubber transfered at the gateways.
Lets say you have a load coming from some far west point on the BNSF going to say, Lancaster, Ohio (which is maybe 35 miles southeast of Columbus) via the Chicago gateway. If you wanted to go beyond Chicago via rail you would have the cost of offloading at Chicago, carting through Chicago, reloading on an eastern carrier intermodal train, offloading at Columbus and carting to Lancaster. Bottom line is it’s likely to be cheaper to haul the load over the road from the BNSF Chicago terminal direct to the consignee.
The good news is that the Schneider traintakes a few loads off of I-70 between St Louis and Columbus and probably some off I-65 between Chicago and Indy. Not that you would miss them…
Most of the traffic reduction would be Chicago to / from the Columbus area. As you note, most of this traffic would have to flow though Chicago prior to the routing the Schneider/CSX/KCS put together. Then the freight suffers the delays associated w/ the Chicago rail congestion.
Quick math - the train runs 6 x per week x 2 trains each day (1 east, 1 west) x has been running since last June x 75 loads per day each way (estimate) = over 50,000 loads off of the highway.
…I have been traveling I 70 for decades from Richmond east…and I’ll say…any…reduction of semi’s on that route would be helpful. Sometimes it’s not too bad, but many comparable times it’s infested with 18 wheelers and traveling in strings, and one pulls out to pass doing a half MPH more, and one must set, and wait until it is once clear again to move on beyond them.
So, in my opinion, any reduction in the lines of truck traffic is helpful.
As a frequent traveler on I-65 between Gary and Indianapolis, I wouldn’t mind if there were even more trains to pull loads off that piece of highway. Instead of one, say ten or twenty.
I might as well wish that Chicago and the surrounding cities were moved 50 miles west so they wouldn’t be between here and my travel destinations. (Some of my neighbors, especially those who are Packer Fans, might prefer Chicago moved about 15 miles east, but that’s another subject.)[:D]