The announced downgrade of the Clinchfield RR is somewhat puzzling. Often watched the 1:00 PM helper shuffle usually couple of F units to push loaded coal trains to Erwin.
A puzzle is why was there the annual maintenance blitz completed last summer on the Erwin south ROW and Bostic - Charlotte. Was this a case of lower management not knowing upper management's intent ? Certainly that track will probably need only very routine work for years.
blue streak 1annual maintenance blitz completed last summer
Russell
It's not clear from the news releases as to whether CSX is shutting down their Erwin operations or the Clinchfield/Eastern Kentucky route as a whole. At one point in the not-so-distant past, quite a bit of grain and few weekly trainloads of Illinois coal used the CRR to get to destinations in the Carolinas. I could see the line remaining in use, staffed by crews out of Ashland KY and some point on the southern end of the route. It would also make a nice target for another operator - they could coast on the improvements to the physical plant for another fifteen years (not to mention that CSX would recapture much of their investment in the sale). I could see a Montana Rail type of operation, with CSX guaranteeing "x" overhead moves a year.
blue streak 1A puzzle is why was there the annual maintenance blitz completed last summer on the Erwin south ROW and Bostic - Charlotte. Was this a case of lower management not knowing upper management's intent ? Certainly that track will probably need only very routine work for years.
If the "blitz" is annual, why would the track "need only very routine work for several years"?
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
From a posting by someone on another forum near one end of the Clinchfield, it sounds like the last blitz only did spot work, mostly on curves. The poster said he thought that unusual at the time.
Jeff
jeffhergert From a posting by someone on another forum near one end of the Clinchfield, it sounds like the last blitz only did spot work, mostly on curves. The poster said he thought that unusual at the time. Jeff
Highest wear rates on any line are in the curves. CSX has multiple 'Curve Patch' gangs that operate over the system dealing with worn curve rail, transposing and installing new rail where necessary.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
schlimmIf the "blitz" is annual, why would the track "need only very routine work for several years"?
If CSX is spinning the line off, as has been suggested, then the track can be allowed by the new operator to slowly degrade to a lower class. If they don't want/need 40 MPH, it doesn't really matter if the limit on the track drops to 25 MPH.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Hold on, time out. So is CSX actually mothballing/spinning off lines, or just closing the terminal? What happens to power stations that are still coal-fired, like Cliffside and Marshall in North Carolina?
Marshaw steam station has NS and CSX they will be ok Cliffside will need the Clinchfield and at the Cliffside spur is a new plant Horse Head metals opened up about three years ago.
CSX has endeavored to 'mothball' or downgrade other through routes in the past - sometimes successfully, sometimes not. All routes have a finite capacity. Many plans that work with pencil and paper (computers now-a-days) don't end up working the real world of humans, steel and horsepower. Time will tell.
dubch87 Hold on, time out. So is CSX actually mothballing/spinning off lines, or just closing the terminal? What happens to power stations that are still coal-fired, like Cliffside and Marshall in North Carolina?
According to CSX's press release, which anyone can go look at on their website, as a result of significantly decreased coal traffic, $1 billion over the last four years, they are shutting down "locomotive service center, project shop, car shop, and eliminating switching operations." Will elimate 300 positions.
In addition, "merchandise traffic, including unit grain trains will be rerouted."
Given the extent of coal traffic losses, it should be no surprise that they would eliminate costs where ever and when ever they can.
Does NOT say they are diverting all traffic, or contemplating sale or abandonment. They might be, but I do not know enough about the remaining coal traffic to offer an opinion.
Mac
CSX Press Release
The full quote also says remaining coal traffic will be rerouted. This article from the Johnson City Press on Thursday states that it was effective immediately, and has a few photos of the last coal train to depart Erwin.
Some context: The EIA estimates that coal's marketshare will drop from 40% to 30% of the U.S. electrical generation market over the next few years. Largely being squeezed out (and being replaced by NG) are smaller (and often older) demand plants (aka "peaker"). Base load facilities installed scrubbers and will keep on buring coal. But the hit on coal production is not spread out evenly. Now that they can burn high-sulfur product, coal fired plants in the Midwest and Southeast are going to far cheaper Illinois Basin coal.
CSX just opened a new yard (Casky) on the L&N in western Kentucky to inspect and service unit coal trains headed to and from the Southeast via the Dixie Flager routing. This is their only Chicago - Southeast route cleared for domestic stacks, and presumably they would like to maximize on that investment, before what would be a crazy spend on daylighting the KD sub or the Clinchfield.
According to employees who worked out of Erwin all coal traffic has been moved off the Clinchfield. Cliffside coal is being routed through Atlanta back up to Spartanburg, SC to Bostic where the crew will run around there train and then take it back to Cliffside. The Cliffside spur faces north hence the run around. I haven't seen a coal train on the Bostic to Charlotte line in over a month. I assume the Marshall trains are going through Hamlet. All the facilities in Erwin have been closed. The locomotive shop, car shop, etc are done. No switching will be done in Erwin either. A picture was posted on Facebook showing one lone boxcar in the entire yard at Erwin.
The only traffic moving is a few locals, some merchandise trains to serve Eastman Tennennsee Corporation and the NS trackage rights trains.
A little more info: All McClure coal is moving north to Russell, KY. There are 19 miles of track between McClure and St. Paul that has zero traffic and is effectively mothballed. NS has trackage rights from St. Paul to Frisco, TN and that is the only reason more mileage isn't mothballed. CSX has no customers north of Kingsport.
Not the Clinchfield, but... CSX to Close Mechanical Shops in Corbin, KY - October 20, 2015
Approximately 180 employees affected.
A partial reason for this is that some of the Blitz crews were taken from the Clinchfiled to clean up the "high profile" wreck in Nashville. A relation of mine is one of those who were sent from the Blitz to remove contaminated soil and reconstruct the track.
Cant wait for all of those "clean energy" jobs to start kicking in.
Ed
MP173Cant wait for all of those "clean energy" jobs to start kicking in.
CSX Gateway Following last week’s announcement regarding reduced operations at the Erwin, Tenn., terminal, CSX Engineer Joe Barr documented his last run on the Clinchfield Route.Written by Joe BarrLast night and into this early morning has been bittersweet. I want to keep this moment, this memory, for as long as I can, so I have chosen to document it here. It’s 4am and I have just completed my last run out of Erwin on APBR A202 pool turn on CSX's former Clinchfield Route.When all this came about with the closure of Erwin Yard, I was heading into my off days Wednesday and Thursday. The last trains out of Erwin had pretty much come and gone by the time I marked back up Friday at 00:01. It seemed my run was over on my beloved southend pool turn. I even noted on another post that, "If only I had known my last trip was my last trip, I would have savored it a bit more”... I called the Yard Office yesterday afternoon to see if there was anything else to go, maybe I could get just one more. The Yardmaster told me, "I'm sorry Joe, but there is not.” So that’s it. I am 1st out, and it’s over. I picked up my daughters from school, head home and resort back to staring into the void... My natural state for the last few days.Then the phone rang at 15:30, it was the crew caller calling me for a relief job to relieve Q69615 at 17:30. I was to taxi to Marion and take the train to Bostic. This was it, this is my last run. I got it. A short run, but a good one. Thank God. I show up at the yard office where there were a few guys coming in from their last run, others just came in to see who was there. The general conversation was asking what the others were thinking about doing, “Where you going, Nashville? Birmingham? Etowah? Tampa?”. Followed by the “It’s been good working with you”, then the handshakes, the hugs, the misty eyes, the turns and walks away. Same as it has been down here for the last few days.My Conductor and I finally loaded up our taxi with our grips and orders and headed to Marion. He's a fine man, a guy I went to school with who is also an Engineer that has been cut back to Conductor in recent months. He jumped in the front seat, and I got in the back. That’s the way it is. I am sure there is a story as to why, but if I have been told the story, I have since forgotten it. The Conductor sits in the front seat, the Engineer in the back, always, that’s just the way it is... There was some small talk, about where he might go, the kids, where would be the best place for the kids, and schools. But mostly quiet, a bit somber.We arrived at Marion where we relieved a seasoned crew, both were Engineer’s, one a few spots behind me in seniority the other cut back to Conductor. There was the typical chit chat you get when you relieve a crew, but this time it lingered a little more with finally, handshakes, firm hugs, keep in touch, and the it will be alrights...My Conductor and I loaded up, contacted the Dispatcher and started on our way. It was extremely sentimental to me. Not knowing what the future holds, this is my chance to savor the run. I ignored the Automatic mode (Trip Optimizer) and chose to run this train Manual, like I was trained to do years ago by men who were considered giants of the Clinchfield. We tore out of Marion with 4 locomotives (2 of them dead in tow) and 7400 tons of mixed time freight. I pulled them through “Jacktown" then I started to throttle off and set up the dynamics to hold us back down the hill to Prison Curve. Come back on the throttle a couple of notches, then back off to dynamic to get us through the dip at Muddy Creek, where you come off of them again and get back in the throttle. All while maintaining 45 mph. This is where he shared with me, “The fastest I have ever been on a train was right here". He told me what the speed was, it was pretty impressive, but he was a bit reluctant to tell me who the Engineer was. We laughed and he said, “I thought we was going to send it all out in to the cornfield when we hit the curve!”. That’s how most good stories go out here, they are always the kind that in the moment it’s pure terror, "we could die here", kind of stories, but after some time has passed, you can share them with that nervous laugh that comes out when you reflect on the fear, but cover it with the laugh.After the dip at Muddy Creek we started up the hill to “Fero", where you top it, then proceed down Vein Mountain. I set my dynamics up and proceed to bunch the train up against me gently like I have done so many times in the past. Like I was taught, when the slack comes in lightly. “You have to feel it in the seat of your pants” kind of lightly. He said, "this train is all messed up, empty's on the headend and rear, with loads through the middle". I told him, it felt fine. I could feel the loads in the middle of the train slightly come in on us and press us up to 40 mph where I held them with dynamic. Once we got by the 40 mph speed board I put 1st service train brake on and eased up the dynamics. The train responded perfectly, and we cruised down the mountain at 40 and hit the 35 mph speed board at “Sandfill" right on target. Now, this isn’t bragging. This is pride. We still have that on the Clinchfield. Some choose to do it, some choose to do it right.As we glided down Vein Mountain he says, "It's been a honor to work with such a great engineer like you." I buckled, it’s been an emotional week, and to get such a compliment at that moment was unexpected and moved me to tears in the darkness of the cab. I didn't say anything for a moment, then I told him he was one of the best out here, I never heard an ill word about him. My compliment was weak compared to his, but it was all I could muster. We went a couple of miles in silence when he said, "hey man, if you don't care, can I take 'em a couple of miles". This broke me down. Knowing that there may never be another chance again for him to run a train down the Clinchfield, I knew this trip was just as important to him as it was to me. I said, "I got what I wanted, I nailed both speed boards, you take 'em down the big rail. (Meaning, run them through Thermal and on to Logan, the 50 mph track.) He got in the seat, and said "I just don't think I'll ever get to do this again." I said, "take 'em as far as you want".We sat in silence both of us trying miserably to hold back tears as he ran them at 50 mph through Thermal and on to Tate where you hit a pretty good size dip called "Panic Dip” I finally spoke and said “When I started running I always feared this spot", He said, “ yea, I think they named it appropriately”, with a little bit of a chuckle, I had to lightly give a laugh too. He ran them like a champ through the dip right on 50, like he has done numerous times in his tenure on the Clinchfield. He finally spoke up once we were by “Dairy Farm” and said, “Thanks man, you can take them back now." I patted him on the back. We both sat down and continued in silence, I couldn’t dare look at him, the emotions were just too much.We got the train to Bostic, switched it for the outbound, and by the time we were done, the outbound crew showed up to take over and on to Hamlet, NC. We had to hang around there a little while waiting on our final taxi ride home, so we just kind of stood out there and watched our train pull out of the yard. The yard office sits right next to the track so when a train comes in or out, the noise is pretty loud, joints cracking, flanges rubbing the rail. Metal on metal noise… But then the rear comes by, the noise fades, and all you see is a blinking red light silently going the distance up the hill, then disappears in the darkness.After a little while, my Conductor says “I wish I had taken a picture of that engine. I have a picture of the first engine I ran, I would have liked to have one of this one too.” I had thought the same thing earlier, we should do a selfie, our last run on the Clinchfield with engine 233 in the background, but I blew it off. I regret that now…Our taxi finally showed up, and with it was the best driver Bostic has to offer. Just the man we needed for the quiet ride home. A quiet ride where memories play out in your mind knowing this is it, it will all be different now. The ride none of us wanted to take ended two and a half hours later, in the parking lot of the Erwin Yard Office around 3am. Just in time to see the last train of 20 some cars and 8 engines head out of Erwin.This is it. The yard is empty now, no crews, no engines, only a couple of cars for the industry we have left in Erwin, and lonely switch target lights. It’s over.God has been with me all day, I have felt it. Everything has been placed perfectly for this day. The pride held by every man doing the job today, that they have done for years has been immeasurable. Faced with what we have been given, every one of them continues to carry the Pride and Responsibility they have had placed on them by becoming Engineers, Conductors, Carmen, Electricians, Mechanics, Signalmen, Yardmasters, Clerks and so many other titles on the Clinchfield. I pray that where ever they go they have the respect they deserve, because they are simply the greatest people I have ever met. To put it in better words, my brothers and sisters of Erwin Terminal, we are the CLINCHFIELD.
Following last week’s announcement regarding reduced operations at the Erwin, Tenn., terminal, CSX Engineer Joe Barr documented his last run on the Clinchfield Route.Written by Joe BarrLast night and into this early morning has been bittersweet. I want to keep this moment, this memory, for as long as I can, so I have chosen to document it here. It’s 4am and I have just completed my last run out of Erwin on APBR A202 pool turn on CSX's former Clinchfield Route.When all this came about with the closure of Erwin Yard, I was heading into my off days Wednesday and Thursday. The last trains out of Erwin had pretty much come and gone by the time I marked back up Friday at 00:01. It seemed my run was over on my beloved southend pool turn. I even noted on another post that, "If only I had known my last trip was my last trip, I would have savored it a bit more”... I called the Yard Office yesterday afternoon to see if there was anything else to go, maybe I could get just one more. The Yardmaster told me, "I'm sorry Joe, but there is not.” So that’s it. I am 1st out, and it’s over. I picked up my daughters from school, head home and resort back to staring into the void... My natural state for the last few days.Then the phone rang at 15:30, it was the crew caller calling me for a relief job to relieve Q69615 at 17:30. I was to taxi to Marion and take the train to Bostic. This was it, this is my last run. I got it. A short run, but a good one. Thank God. I show up at the yard office where there were a few guys coming in from their last run, others just came in to see who was there. The general conversation was asking what the others were thinking about doing, “Where you going, Nashville? Birmingham? Etowah? Tampa?”. Followed by the “It’s been good working with you”, then the handshakes, the hugs, the misty eyes, the turns and walks away. Same as it has been down here for the last few days.My Conductor and I finally loaded up our taxi with our grips and orders and headed to Marion. He's a fine man, a guy I went to school with who is also an Engineer that has been cut back to Conductor in recent months. He jumped in the front seat, and I got in the back. That’s the way it is. I am sure there is a story as to why, but if I have been told the story, I have since forgotten it. The Conductor sits in the front seat, the Engineer in the back, always, that’s just the way it is... There was some small talk, about where he might go, the kids, where would be the best place for the kids, and schools. But mostly quiet, a bit somber.We arrived at Marion where we relieved a seasoned crew, both were Engineer’s, one a few spots behind me in seniority the other cut back to Conductor. There was the typical chit chat you get when you relieve a crew, but this time it lingered a little more with finally, handshakes, firm hugs, keep in touch, and the it will be alrights...My Conductor and I loaded up, contacted the Dispatcher and started on our way. It was extremely sentimental to me. Not knowing what the future holds, this is my chance to savor the run. I ignored the Automatic mode (Trip Optimizer) and chose to run this train Manual, like I was trained to do years ago by men who were considered giants of the Clinchfield. We tore out of Marion with 4 locomotives (2 of them dead in tow) and 7400 tons of mixed time freight. I pulled them through “Jacktown" then I started to throttle off and set up the dynamics to hold us back down the hill to Prison Curve. Come back on the throttle a couple of notches, then back off to dynamic to get us through the dip at Muddy Creek, where you come off of them again and get back in the throttle. All while maintaining 45 mph. This is where he shared with me, “The fastest I have ever been on a train was right here". He told me what the speed was, it was pretty impressive, but he was a bit reluctant to tell me who the Engineer was. We laughed and he said, “I thought we was going to send it all out in to the cornfield when we hit the curve!”. That’s how most good stories go out here, they are always the kind that in the moment it’s pure terror, "we could die here", kind of stories, but after some time has passed, you can share them with that nervous laugh that comes out when you reflect on the fear, but cover it with the laugh.After the dip at Muddy Creek we started up the hill to “Fero", where you top it, then proceed down Vein Mountain. I set my dynamics up and proceed to bunch the train up against me gently like I have done so many times in the past. Like I was taught, when the slack comes in lightly. “You have to feel it in the seat of your pants” kind of lightly. He said, "this train is all messed up, empty's on the headend and rear, with loads through the middle". I told him, it felt fine. I could feel the loads in the middle of the train slightly come in on us and press us up to 40 mph where I held them with dynamic. Once we got by the 40 mph speed board I put 1st service train brake on and eased up the dynamics. The train responded perfectly, and we cruised down the mountain at 40 and hit the 35 mph speed board at “Sandfill" right on target. Now, this isn’t bragging. This is pride. We still have that on the Clinchfield. Some choose to do it, some choose to do it right.As we glided down Vein Mountain he says, "It's been a honor to work with such a great engineer like you." I buckled, it’s been an emotional week, and to get such a compliment at that moment was unexpected and moved me to tears in the darkness of the cab. I didn't say anything for a moment, then I told him he was one of the best out here, I never heard an ill word about him. My compliment was weak compared to his, but it was all I could muster. We went a couple of miles in silence when he said, "hey man, if you don't care, can I take 'em a couple of miles". This broke me down. Knowing that there may never be another chance again for him to run a train down the Clinchfield, I knew this trip was just as important to him as it was to me. I said, "I got what I wanted, I nailed both speed boards, you take 'em down the big rail. (Meaning, run them through Thermal and on to Logan, the 50 mph track.) He got in the seat, and said "I just don't think I'll ever get to do this again." I said, "take 'em as far as you want".We sat in silence both of us trying miserably to hold back tears as he ran them at 50 mph through Thermal and on to Tate where you hit a pretty good size dip called "Panic Dip” I finally spoke and said “When I started running I always feared this spot", He said, “ yea, I think they named it appropriately”, with a little bit of a chuckle, I had to lightly give a laugh too. He ran them like a champ through the dip right on 50, like he has done numerous times in his tenure on the Clinchfield. He finally spoke up once we were by “Dairy Farm” and said, “Thanks man, you can take them back now." I patted him on the back. We both sat down and continued in silence, I couldn’t dare look at him, the emotions were just too much.We got the train to Bostic, switched it for the outbound, and by the time we were done, the outbound crew showed up to take over and on to Hamlet, NC. We had to hang around there a little while waiting on our final taxi ride home, so we just kind of stood out there and watched our train pull out of the yard. The yard office sits right next to the track so when a train comes in or out, the noise is pretty loud, joints cracking, flanges rubbing the rail. Metal on metal noise… But then the rear comes by, the noise fades, and all you see is a blinking red light silently going the distance up the hill, then disappears in the darkness.After a little while, my Conductor says “I wish I had taken a picture of that engine. I have a picture of the first engine I ran, I would have liked to have one of this one too.” I had thought the same thing earlier, we should do a selfie, our last run on the Clinchfield with engine 233 in the background, but I blew it off. I regret that now…Our taxi finally showed up, and with it was the best driver Bostic has to offer. Just the man we needed for the quiet ride home. A quiet ride where memories play out in your mind knowing this is it, it will all be different now. The ride none of us wanted to take ended two and a half hours later, in the parking lot of the Erwin Yard Office around 3am. Just in time to see the last train of 20 some cars and 8 engines head out of Erwin.This is it. The yard is empty now, no crews, no engines, only a couple of cars for the industry we have left in Erwin, and lonely switch target lights. It’s over.God has been with me all day, I have felt it. Everything has been placed perfectly for this day. The pride held by every man doing the job today, that they have done for years has been immeasurable. Faced with what we have been given, every one of them continues to carry the Pride and Responsibility they have had placed on them by becoming Engineers, Conductors, Carmen, Electricians, Mechanics, Signalmen, Yardmasters, Clerks and so many other titles on the Clinchfield. I pray that where ever they go they have the respect they deserve, because they are simply the greatest people I have ever met. To put it in better words, my brothers and sisters of Erwin Terminal, we are the CLINCHFIELD.
Wonderful, thanks.
The Clinchfield will be sorely missed.
Saw Q697 10/31/15 at 9.10 am in Cherryville NC heading toward Bostic now if the Clinchfield is no more running where will 697 go from Bostic?
csxns Saw Q697 10/31/15 at 9.10 am in Cherryville NC heading toward Bostic now if the Clinchfield is no more running where will 697 go from Bostic?
CSX is still running up to Tennesee Eastman in Kingsport, TN over the Clinchfield.
I wonder if CSX might lease parts or all of the former Clinchfield to a regional operator(s) but keep overhead running rights for it's own through trains (far fewer in number as they are)?
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
dekemd Tennesee Eastman
csxns dekemd Tennesee Eastman That is what i thought several tank cars and covered hoppers on that train the PPG loads were set off at Bostic and 697 had lots of loaded center beams and one wood chip hopper that was strange.
That is what i thought several tank cars and covered hoppers on that train the PPG loads were set off at Bostic and 697 had lots of loaded center beams and one wood chip hopper that was strange.
From what I understand they are still serving customers all the way up to Kingsport. There is still a shifter running out of Bostic as well as the Marion/Spruce Pine shifter serving various industries. I imagine they still have a few customers around Erwin and Johnson City as well.
In addition to the already announced Clinchfield and Corbin force reductions - yesterday it was announced that 24 headquarters operations managers positions had been elimnated as well as a outlying Coal Coordinators position. The belt is being tightened.
I would imagine that Tennessee Eastman @ Kingsport is still a pretty important CSX customer for Origin and destinations(?)
Remember the 1992 CRR Santa Train ? The sucttlebutt back in that Nov/Dec of 1992 was that the Cooperation of the UPRR and CSX [loaning out 3985 to run over in Va., Ky, and Tenn as CRR 676] was supposedly linked to requests from Tn Eastman and...just maybe a potential CSX/UPRR "arrangement". Of course THAT never happened, but 3985 cut quite a swath over int he Appalachians !
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