Researching a crossing and freight line

[FLDreamin]

I'm looking at several properties in Tampa, Florida that are varying distances from a CSX line.  I hit the FRA website and found the nearest crossing, then dug up the map and reporting.  The crossing is 626910D.  According to the last filing there were 0 thru trains night or day and 5 "switching trains" per day.  What is a switching train?  Is there are better resource to find out typical loads (and length of train) on this line?  Also I know the one thing about train lines and freight in particular is that any time is train time, but can I find out what is typical for this line?

 

Thanks in advance for answers or pointers to where I can better educate myself!

[tree68]

A "switching train" is likely a local of some sort - either handling a specific customer or handling any and all industries along the line in question.

I would opine that one of two actions (or a combo of both) would serve your purpose.  

First would be to watch the line for a day or two, so you can see what traffic gets handled, or at least a sampling of same.

Second would be to do a little satellite sleuthing - get on a map program that has satellite images and follow the line to see where it goes.

I found that the tracks run to a sewage plant - a possible indication that the line may carry chlorine...

Or, you can hope that someone here familiar with the Tampa area has first-hand knowledge and can help fill you in.

[Murphy Siding]

Or ask someone who lives around there. Look for a retired guy sitting on the porch.

[dehusman]

Ask a local person or go look at it yourself.  Train length may not really help you that much.  A switch engine with 10 cars that stops for 20 minutes to switch an  industry may be shorter but block the crossing longer than a 130 car thru freight going 50 mph.

[caldreamer]

You also might want to call CSX customer service in Jacksonville and speak with someone that can provide you with more precise information.

 

 

[Cotton Belt MP104]

caldreamer: having done similar inquiry of UP.....wow, talk about a brush off /no information /"dis is nunna yo bidness"......good luck w/inquiry at CSX....I would be curious if another carrier would have better PR than UPRR......NOTICE: some UP representatives are very helpful......i.e. Rough Grade Crossing desk was tremendously helpful....they encouraged me to contact and gave information on who to contact higher up in UPRR to get help for our city endmrw0601171047

[matthewsaggie]

Simply because there are no trains at night now doesn't mean there won't be night trains in the future blowing for that crossing. You didn't say if sleeping was in your plans. 

[mudchicken]

MathewsAggie: It's called "ambiance"...

CottonBelt: train movement info is proprietary. With all the dimestore lawyers and dim-bulb foamers out there, the brush-off is appropriate.

Rough crossing reports often turn out to be the road agency's issue and not the railroad's as you may have seen in other parts of the forum (rubber-tired bubbas can be sooooo dumb)

 

 

 

[Cotton Belt MP104]

Mudchicken: reference the “road agency” I assume you refer to the street department…..our local city and state highway department will not get near any rr crossing as the MOW crew have made it be known that THEY are the ONLY ones to touch the crossing for repairs. We had a terrible crossing on a city street and the rr was an industrial spur. MTM is a jerk and the city threw up their hands to get him to repair anything. The city welcomed my help. Thus, as I referred to the RGXing desk, help came in the form of upward management making him do the work. And the other situation my blog referred to, involved a less than 90 degree intersect of roadway and rr. In fact FRA forms cited the angle was so shallow that it was of concern. Several accidents have occurred there and an attempt to rectify the problem was my inquiry (not propriety info)……answer = none of your business whether we are concerned or even know about it…….Well an FRA official sent a UPRR safety dude here and it got corrected. This is only the start of situations I have encountered. By The Way: Our mayor was contacted by a UPRR official and the mayor informed the UP dude, I am a Christian. What does that have to do with anything. The mayor said, “You guys at the RR think you are GOD. I worship God but it ain’t UPRR! endmrw0602171901

[Falcon48]

FLDreamin

I'm looking at several properties in Tampa, Florida that are varying distances from a CSX line.  I hit the FRA website and found the nearest crossing, then dug up the map and reporting.  The crossing is 626910D.  According to the last filing there were 0 thru trains night or day and 5 "switching trains" per day.  What is a switching train?  Is there are better resource to find out typical loads (and length of train) on this line?  Also I know the one thing about train lines and freight in particular is that any time is train time, but can I find out what is typical for this line?

 

Thanks in advance for answers or pointers to where I can better educate myself!

 

This is probably the "grade crossing inventory" information a railroad is required to file with FRA.  It just tells you what the present train traffic is, not what future traffic might be, and it in no way prevents a RR from changing its existing train operations, which a RR is entirely free to do at any time.  So, I wouldn't rely on this if you're worried about what future train traffic may be.  Also, I doubt if any railroad is going to give you assurances that future train traffic will be similar to current train traffic.  If there is any constant in railroading, it is that there are no constants.