I found the news on the INRD Yahoo Group, from the CP website:
Click here
So it looks like the east end of the old Milwaukee Road is being handed off… another piece gone, but to a better operator at least! I wonder if INRD will make any “strategic acquisitions” anywhere along their new line…
I also noticed a rather interesting photo on CP’s “english” page:
http://www8.cpr.ca/cms/English/default.htm
(although the picture changes every time you load it, so let’s see if anybody finds it…) [}:)]
One observation is that much if not most of the sale involves the transfer of trackage rights, which implies primarily overhead traffic. This would be a major change in INRD’S traffic mix, since it has been primarily a terminating road for inbound coal. I’m also waiting to see where INRD will have its Chicago terminal.
Do you mean the Norfolk Southern locomotive?
It will be interesting to see if INRD makes the long trek to Chicago and Louisville. I would tend to think that their current method works pretty well. They have solid operations in place and interchanges set up.
If you want to see how difficult that Chicago and Louisville operation can be, check out the Latta Laments series by Mike Demmers. It is a dispatcher’s journal of the Latta Sub, and is written extremely well.
Not only did the CP have to deal with CSX north of Terre Haute, but then UP north of Woodlawn Junction and then IHB in Chicago. On the south end, they had to deal with CSX between Bedford and Louisville and then NS in the 'ville.
In the heated “Open Access” debate I suggested that Dave read the Latta Laments just to get an idea of what reality is when you DONT OWN THE RAILROAD. I dont think he ever did.
My guess is INRD will run the coal trains and that is just about it. Why would you want to get to Chicago, unless it was a solid train of coal?
Perhaps the Ameren Newton PRC might be routed “UP -INDR” now and cut out the CSX, other than that…I dont know.
Does anyone have an idea of current level of traffic on the Latta. Back inthe late 90’s when Mike wrote his Laments, it was pretty busy…dont know if it has slowed down.
ed
On the AAR site the data from 2003 says CP originated more coal in Indiana than any other road.
Ed,
The CP still runs regular freights, one north from Louisville to Chicago and another from Chicago to Louisivlle. On CSX the train ID’s are Z452 and Z453. I used to see them on a daily basis, but they have slowed down a little bit.
Paul,
I don’t think it will be necessary for INRD to have a Chicago Terminal right from the start. Their main flow of traffic is PRB coal that is simply interchanged in the Chicago area usually in the Blue Island area. And right now the INRD has a haulage agreement with CSX, where CSX crews out of Danville, IL run the trains to and from Chicago and then the INRD crews take them south. Even with the added CP traffic I still think the INRD will keep the same agreement with CSX, just add more trains to the agreement.
I’ve recently talked to one of the CP dispatchers at Latta named Mike, I don’t know if it’s Mr. Dettmers or not, but next time I talk to him I’ll ask. We last talked about the rerouted autorack trains that had been coming up from Louisville to Terre Haute east to Indy and onward. We’d interchange on the east side of Terre Haute at the Con-Mil connection. Every now and then he checks to make sure I run his coal train north through Preston interlocking to the power plant north of town. If the INRD folk were wise they’d keep the expertise of the CP dispatchers and crews and assimilate them into the company. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. Actually, come to think of it, I believe the CP already does dispatch a portion of the INRD from Latta. I belive that is mentioned in the Laments.
Nate:
Please do ask him if he penned the Latta Laments…and if he did, tell him I am a big fan.
It would be interesting to see an update of the operations. That sure seems to be one busy section of railroad down there. I need to make a trip down there sometime.
I have been to Williams, In…once about 25 years ago and it really was a nice little town with the river.
Nate, I hope things are going well for you on the job. Have things returned to normal in Terre Haute yet?
ed
The INRD at a meeting with CP employees in October indicated that they were not planning on operating on the trackage rights to Chicago, instead they plan on making a haulage agreement with CSX. The INRD does plan on operating into Louisville over the Monon just like the CP currently does, but is exploring other ways into Louisville also. Unless the INRD sweetens its offer to CP employees it will be lucky to get 5 of them to work for them. In Train and Engine service working for the INRD currently means taking a 50% to 60% cut in pay and no health insurance for 3 months. Also you would lose your seniority and vacation. Just doesn’t sound too appealing to most CP employees!
The Mike that Nate talked to is Mike Day, not Mike Dettmers the author of the Latta Laments. Dettmer left Latta for the great white north several years ago now.
Soo6049
Soo:
Can most of the CP employees transfer to the great white north?
That would seem to make the most sense.
ed
Ed,
Terre Haute will continue to be a major convergence point for trains and those reroutes from the UP are going to continue to run. Supposedly CSX saves 2 days of running time by diverting the trains and even having to run around them east of Terre Haute. There’s a lot of track work out between Adens and Teutopolis right now leading to a train curfew during daylight hours Sun-Wed. It means that 2nd and 3rd trick are swamped with trains. The diamonds at Smithboro and Effingham were also replaced in the past two weeks. And, there is also major track work occuring just east of Collinsville on the double main where 1,000’s of ties are being replaced. It’s a busy time on the St. Louis line, but it we need the repairs. There are many slow orders that I’d like to see go away.
Man, I was hoping that the CP folk would get a better deal than that. I’d go north too if I had to take that much of a pay cut. Best of luck Soo6049 and company. Talk to you over the radio, IB dispatcher out.