Last month CSX ran an inspection train, a good sized one, from St. Louis to Cincinnati, then on up to Crestline Ohio. Does anybody have any info on what this was about? At present time there is only a local between Mitchell and Seymour IN. Some traffic from Louisville to Mitchell then onto St. Louis. Then there are 3 autorack trains running between Cincinnati and Seymour IN then run south on the L&I to reach Louisville. Before this inspection train came through there was a lot of maintenance, survey crews around the line. This was an inspection train with UP officals on board. Rumors were flying about haulage agreements to bypass the congessed Chicago and Memphis Gateways. Also rumors of Powder River Coal running to the east over this line. Has anybody heard of any info on it?
They are trying to figure out how to get the task of moving Honda vehicles West, so I’ve been told.
Maybe, but not for what little traffic that would generate. I think they’ll move western Honda moves to Chicago and St. Louis via Indianapolis. This inspection train had very high executives from UP. This brought on a lot of speculation about haulage rights to an all out purchase of the line by UP.
I really cant understand why CSX would sell the line. How else would they move their Louisville to St. Louis traffic? They tore up the L&N line in Illinois.
Last summer there was quite a bit of work in Southern Illinois on the line…lots of tie replacements. I saw quite a few trains in one day - about 5 including auto racks and a coal train. Having grown up near the line, I have always had a fondness for it. Rode the passenger trains to St. Louis back in the 60’s. There was never much traffic tho. Glad to see some interest now.
Save the color position light signals!
ed
CPL’s are still intact on the hole line[:D]. Back in the early 1950’s there were 12 scheduled freights a day both ways, also a fair amount of passinger trains. There were 9 freight trains a day plus extras, the coal trains, the double stack trains all before the Conrail purchase. It was strange to see CSX picking up old ties that were in and out of bundles that were laying around sinse the last major tie program back in the early to mid 1990’s. The cutting of unused line poles on the Cincinnati Terminal section. Even the dispatcher was nervious the hole time that inspection train was running over the line. Only time will tell I guess.
I need to get back to Southern Illinois this summer and take another look.
Thanks for the update.
ed
Had a conversation with a friend last night who informed me that most of the CPL’s in Illinois have been replaced this year[:(]. He also told me that they may have started in Indiana. Get your cameras.
I heard that UP wants to run coal trains from St. Louis to Cincinnati. [:D]