Folks —
We on the TRAINS staff are about to begin preparing our annual report on the year’s Top 10 stories, which will run on News Wire at New Year. What are your thoughts? You guys came through with some great suggestions last year, and we’d love to get some help again this year.
Best,
I’m sure that the recent corporate changes at CP will have to rank right up there, for what it means down the road.
Infrastructure expansion continuing–BNSF Abo Canyon, UP Sunset line, UP Blair Sub, CREATE, and others.
Amtrak’s burgeoning expansion…well, in ridership and public acceptance, anyway!
How about these:
Boom in traffic from shale gas and shale oil drilling, tar sands processing, and transportation of the resulting gas and oil
BNSF’s order for 200 (?) more ES44C4’s, and NS orders its first (own) AC locomotives
NS restarts steam PR program
Paul North.
How about how the railroads (both Majors, and Regionals) beneited from the traffic generated by the Marcellus Shale Oil Recovery traffic, and what can be expected with the recent announcements of further Oil shale deposits in OHIO?
Would also like to see a comparative article referencing the successes and failures(?) of the EMD diesels vs. their counterparts from GE. : AC vs DC, How are the various locomotive trucking configurations working out ( additional orders or no repetitions?) not to mention what is the future looking like? Heavier locomotives/ by weight or horsepower. How is NS program of de-rating locomotives paying off (or not).
An article referencing Short Line growth, and how individual roads are coping with various issues of ROW, Power, managing assets for profitability.
*How are various Museum Operations coping with their specific issues, and with the economy down are they suffering as well?
^ Would like to see an article on some of the Professional MOW Companies, LORAM, Herzog,Harsco,etc. Specifically, the equipment they use. Problems they solve. Why do railroads use a sub-contractor, when they could do it in-house? Would like to see a monthly feature on MOW operations for the railroads; featuring equipment, and technologies involved.
Man, how’d I miss THAT one!
Flooding this spring in Ne & IA that disrupted BNSF and Amtrak
Ongoing contrevorcy over railfan rights vs TSA?
The new attitude and improved CSX, opening of New Baltimore Yard, Maersk contract and overall improved profits and operating ratio. Big gains and pressure on NS.
And the flooding on the east coast this past fall, as a result of hurricanes.
I was going to mention the new CSX intermodal yard, but somebody beat me to it.