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Freelanced Railroad News Bulletins

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  • From: St.Catharines, Ontario
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Freelanced Railroad News Bulletins
Posted by Junctionfan on Monday, August 30, 2004 3:19 PM
Since other railroads have news to report, why don't we have news on our layouts. Pretend or not, it would be entertaining to report if say the Great Lakes & Atlantic has a derailment or a financial report from the Allentown, Scranton & Northern etc. We can even develop bashers for our railroad like its done with UP and other.........well maybe we shouldn't.
Andrew
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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 30, 2004 5:07 PM
the Oklahoma Mexico & Gulf has been bought by the Rock Island and the MKT. the RI is to put a small streamliner , the Sooner State Rocket, in sevice between Oklahoma City & Dallas where it will be attached to the texas special.
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Posted by Junctionfan on Monday, August 30, 2004 5:33 PM
The Greatlakes and Atlantic Railroad announced that it will be taking legal action against CN Rail for derailing a train on their diamond near Fort Erie, Ontario. It was reported that the cause was the result of poor maintainace on the CN Stamford Subdivision which caused the derailment of 2 locomotives and 1 car carring autoparts and 3 tankcars carring sodium hydroxide solution. The busy G&A Simcoe Subdivision traffic was forced to seek trackage rights on CSX. G&A is sueing for compensation of their delay of 50 trains and the cost for the CSX lease. As CP Rail was also effected, it is suspected that they will seek litigation for the inconvience.
Andrew
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Posted by BRAKIE on Monday, August 30, 2004 6:40 PM
Cumberland,Kentucky News releases.
The CDB Industries is please to announce that it has bought the Toledo & Grand Rapids Railroad..This line run from Toledo Ohio to Grand Rapids Mich and will be jointly operated my our Cincinnati & Lake Erie and Columbus & Hocking Valley under the Michigan Subdivision and anticipates moving approximately 42,000 carloads.
CDBI also announces that trackage rights has been granted over the Jackson & Springfield RY.This will give the C&HV a direct route to join the C&LE at Springfield...A new connector track is being built at Springfield from the J&S to the C&LE.
CDBI announces a new switching road in Beavercreek Ohio..The Beavercreek Railroad will serve a industrial park and anticipates moving 1800 carloads.
The BC connects with the NS.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Embargoed. The Murphy City Branch of the C&HV has been embargoed due to the Haver Coal Mine 1 & 3 closing..
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Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 30, 2004 7:22 PM
GE, Allegheny Mercer and Lake Erie RR Agree to Contract
Ends 86 year feud

ERIE, Pennsylvania (4-7-1997)

General Electric Transportation Systems (GETS) and the Allegheny Mercer and Lake Erie Railroad (AM&LE) announced today that the railroad would purchase ten AC4400CW locomotives.

"We are pleased that the Allegheny Mercer and Lake Erie Railroad chose to purchase our locomotives," a GETS representative said, "This is a step in the right direction for both companies and for the city of Erie."

The AM&LE has purchased locomotives exclusively from GE's main competitor, General Motor's Electro-Motive Division, since diesel engines emerged as the primary means of railroad power. This stems from what the AM&LE considered a snub by GE in 1911. The railroad, whose Lakeshore Yard is less than five miles from the GE plant, lost out in a bid for serving the factory.

One of the locomotives is to be painted in a special scheme designed to mimmick the look of the AM&LE's steam locomotives, for the railroad's 150th anniversary in 1998.

The AM&LE is an Erie-based company, serving Erie, Greenville, Butler, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania since 1848.
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Posted by Anonymous on Monday, August 30, 2004 8:20 PM
From the North Country Times:

More Strange Occurances Reported.
Authorities doubt train crews bizzare stories.

For the second time in less than a week, the crew of the work train laying track on the logging line north of the village of Muddy Creek suffered a derailment and its members again claim a supernatural re-railing of the loco and cars. Engineer Horace Crump from up on Otter Creek told the Times' reporter "It was the same as last week. It was like the hand of God reached down. We barely had time to climb down from the cab before a giant hand lifted the Climax and set 'er back on the rails. I know it sounds crazy and believe me, it took a bit of drink to settle our nerves." Railroad authorities suspect that drink may be involved in the strange account though occuring earlier in the tale.

Unusual Rock Deposits Studied
Geologists converge on area to investigate mysterious pink mineral.

Geologists and mining experts from such far-flung universities as the Colorado School of Mines and the Shandong Institute of Mining and Technology have set up labs and dug test pits in an attempt to determine the properties and possible uses for a previously unknown mineral, discovered while cutting the new railroad bed through a rock outcropping near the sawmill west of town. The pink-colored mineral is extremely light in weight and both mining and railroad officials are hoping to exploit it's commercial value, should any be discovered. It's light weight and ease of crushing raised hopes it might be a replacement for coal, whose weight is a disadvantage for shipping. "With this pink stuff, it's like shipping carloads of air," said mining expert Rusty Orr, from the Bureau of Mines. Early combustion testing was not promising, however. It burns much too quickly according to preliminary reports. The researchers that were overcome by fumes during the testing of the yet unnamed substance are expected to recover their health, though their mental facilities seem to be much compromised. In his report Mr. Orr said "It's very strange how this sedimentary rock lies in uniform layers of multiples of 160 inches. It's as if large sheets were laid flat on the bedrock."

Prolific Forest Under Investigation.
Fast growing trees offer hope to struggling timber industry.

Recent reports of acres of clear-cut or burned mountainside suddenly regenerating overnight with full grown hardwood & evergreen trees have State Forestry officials baffled. Barren land is being instantly reforested almost daily. Much of this arboreal phenomena is occuring in the vicinity of the sawmill, where the recently discovered pink mineral occurs. The trees have the outward appearance of Ash, Oak, Spruce & Pine, though their value as lumber is in question. According to sawmill foreman Woody Hazelnut, "The trunks are like bamboo and sawing through the upper limbs is like sawing through a damn cotton ball." Timber executives are hopeful that they will find a commercial use for the trees. Agricultural officials however are expressing growing alarm at the speed with which these invasive species are spreading. A local farmer was overheard as saying "If they don't find a way of controlling these things we're all going to have to find a way to eat 'em pretty soon."


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Posted by ClinchValleySD40 on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 9:15 AM
Ya'll should be over on the pfm (protofreelance modelers) group on yahoo. They do this all the time, post press releases.
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Posted by Junctionfan on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 10:56 AM
Greatlakes and Atlantic Railroad had finnished clearing CN's property from obstructing their line. Their Simcoe Subdivision will be opened later on approximately 3pm eastern standard time. No word on the litigation processes but it is expected that CN will settle out of court. The G&A have filed a complaint against CN to Transport Canada regarding the incident demanding that all CN lines that cross with their's, must be derailment free. Transport Canada has refused to comment on the issue. All premium service intermodal including the "trailer express" will commence service at 3pm.

Andrew
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Posted by AltonFan on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 11:41 AM
I wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to have a special forum just for this sort of thing.

Dan

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Posted by Junctionfan on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 1:34 PM
Do you mean another sub-forum in the model railroader forum?
Andrew
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Posted by ClinchValleySD40 on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 1:54 PM
Originally posted by Junctionfan

Do you mean another sub-forum in the model railroader forum?


There already is, the PFMSig group on Yahoo. If anyone here has not checked out all the different groups over on Yahoo, you're in for a real big surprise. There are litterally 100's of them.
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Posted by MAbruce on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 2:36 PM
Bizarre Train Collision Claims Life of Unknown Animal

UPI – Belmar Valley WV. Investigators in this sleepy whistle stop valley are still guessing at what a Norfolk & Western express freight train struck yesterday. According to officials, the lead locomotive of a fast moving freight train struck and killed an animal that was in the tracks approximately 50 yards inside a tunnel leading into the Belmar Valley. Exactly what they struck remains a mystery.

“We were close to the end of the tunnel at the maximum posted speed when we felt a thud.” Clarence Jones, the Engineer explained, “I put the train into full emergency and stopped a couple minutes later. We walked the train but only found remains of something scattered all over the place. It couldn’t have been a person because it was too big a strike. The nose of my engine was a mess, and I understand the shop is still pulling the guts of something out of the lead trucks.”

Local police and state animal control specialist examined the remains at the scene a short time later. They confirmed it was not a person, but were unable to identify the animal involved. “My first guess is a cow, but there hasn’t been a working farm around here in many years.” Explained police Sergeant Iam Blind, “But there was no red blood, just tan goo all over the place.”

State animal control specialists denied finding any odd body parts, and offered no explanation for their special armed SWAT escort in the tunnel.

“There be some awful strange things on that there mountain.” A local resident reluctantly explained, “This is not the first time this has happened. They had a whole [expletive deleted] Marine battalion here the last time.

A search of local news stories failed to turn up any account of previous animal strikes. The investigation continues.
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 2:40 PM
The RI and the Katy have decided to begin deiselization on The Oklahoma Mexico & Gulf. They have purchased 4 GP7s for the line as well as leasing a number of thier own locos to thier new subsiderary. It was originaly planned that the OM&G become part of the Katy and the Rock, but it was decided that the line would keep it's name and managment. another line, the Chapel Hill Northern has bought the OM&G's clarksvill branch and has begune operations from clarksvill to Oklahoma City. The OM&G will continue to run trains on the line, to get to It's Line Between Dodge City, KS and Altus, OK.
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 3:11 PM
The WRRM's recent "2 Generations" festival proved a great success. For those who did not attend, the festival featured the latest mainline equipment on show alongside our classic diesels. Our "new" FP7 worked on our set of Metrolink commuter cars, alongside the Erie-Built on its usual consist of C&NW gallery cars and control cab. The Erie's re-engining (and HEP fitting) seems to have been a complete success, even if the new EMD powerplant, fitted to replace the damaged Fairbanks-Morse original, sounds rather different to the original unit!

Mainline operator CSX provided a Dash 9-44CW as a showpiece, though it was also pressed into service on demonstration freights and MU'd to our Dash 8-40B. The pair of C&NW Dash 9-44CWs were also used on a few passenger runs, coupled to the Erie which provided head-end power.

The festival also marked the first public appearence of our Dash 8-40B, which we purchased at auction as a non-runner having been dumped at the back of the local mainline yard for three years. For the past four months it has been laid up in our workshops while our repair crews worked to rectify problems with the front truck and the power unit. The truck problems were mainly due to missing bolts, and some problems relating to incorrect re-assembly after servicing (probably dating back to the unit's last overhaul by a now-defunct workshop business while still in mainline service). The power plant has had all oils and filters replaced, and now runs sweetly, though the smokescreen effect of starting up for the first time in over three years had to be seen to be believed! We have managed to secure the agreement of CSX Transportation to retain their paint scheme on this unit, and it was seen working in multiple with their Dash 9-44CW during the festival - those hours overhauling the MU equipment were not wasted!
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 31, 2004 3:45 PM
ASNI Folded Into North American Rail Corp

Allentown Scranton & Northern Industries has announced that North American Rail Corp will take over 51% of ASNI stock, NARC already owns 49% of ASNI and owns 100% of the Mojave Western Railroad, headquarters for the Allentown Scranton & Northern Railroad will move from Allentown, PA to
Los Angeles, CA.
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Posted by Pennsy58 on Thursday, September 2, 2004 6:20 PM
UNION MEMBERS FILE GREVIENCE !!!

The Bessemer and Erie Railroad recently announced a major upgrade of its North Union Repair Yard with the intorduction of electrically operated turnouts. Construction has been halted as yard crews have filed a grevience with the labor relations board. Fears abound that once the yard has been modernized with the Tortoise machines massive layoffs of employees will result. Joe "left index finger" Smith a union spokeman, has vowed to do what ever it takes to pull the plug on this.

A company spokeman has stated that the railroad will move forward in its plans to modernize despite cut wires, faulty soldering, DPDT toggles damaged by spilled coffee and other acts of vandalizim. He did refuse to blame anyone person or group for the problems and it appears the majority of the problems are the result of crews trying to read the installation directives without their glasses on.

Other delays have occurred as a result of the construction of a Super Wal -Mart in the vicinity that has resulted in an increase in sick leave usage from the project. Union representatives say this is a mistake as these should be listed as " the wife has spoken days" not sick days. The railroad appears to be ready to include this type of leave into the contract as they realize that funding is essential to the success of the project. They conceeded that more than funding could be shut off if the leave is not approved.
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Posted by Junctionfan on Thursday, September 2, 2004 6:34 PM
G&A to ship trash!!
-----------------------------

At 6:30pm today est, the Greatlakes and Atlantic Railroad annouced that it will be running tra***rains between Toronto and Chicago. The trash will be loaded at a facility near Brampton and than taken by rail to an incineration plant near Chicago.

This move comes in wake of Toronto City Council getting flak for wanting to dump waste in the old Adam's Mine which would have caused environmental damage to well water for nearby residents. Toronto Mayor David Miller said that he hopes Toronto will start recycling more but for now is happy that the city has a short-term solution to a very trashy problem. The Chairman and Owner of Great Lakes and Atlantic Railroad said that this was a great chance to demonstrate how diverse and willing the railroad is and that he would be glad to serve other cities for waste management.

Toronto Works Department estimates it will require operation of the tra***rains twice in a week.
Andrew
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Posted by trainfan1221 on Thursday, September 2, 2004 6:43 PM
Somewhere in the central US:
Eastern Central railway still not agreeing to buyout offer from other roads. Though CSX and NS both own shares, the railroad will remain an independently operated company. In other news, we have recently leased long-term an SD60 locomotive from EMD to help alleviate a motive power shortage. We also recentl ran an empty platform train to interchange with BNSF and CN(former IC). Business is picking up, and there are plans to survey areas for possible installation of new sidings. All for new.

PS This was fun!
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Posted by Junctionfan on Thursday, September 2, 2004 7:22 PM
Hopefully I will see my logo now.
Andrew
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Posted by FThunder11 on Thursday, September 2, 2004 9:39 PM
Just a few more months till Amtraks new Cross-Country Limited will finally open for passengers. Running from NY to LAX, it cost $85 billion. Amtrak says they will allow BNSF and Union Pacific to use the rails, but must make way for all Amtrak trains.
Kevin Farlow Colorado Springs
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Posted by GDRMCo on Friday, September 3, 2004 2:04 AM
From the Townsville Bulliten:
"The GDRM&MCo, the largest mining company in QLD recently announced that operations on the new quad track main from Cairns to Brisbane has recently been opened. Also the railroad has begun to change from standard gauge 4' 8 1/2" to the QLD standard 3' 6" to be able to interchange with Queensland Rail more freely and without double handling the shipments and products. With this change the GDRM&MCo has also electrified the whole system to take advantage of the new electric locomotives of 3900 class on Queensland Rail. These new "motors" as they are referred to will be a more efficient model that will generate up to a maximum of 9000HP a far cry from the two new test units from GE, the AC30000DDW-9s which generate a total of 30000HP alone."

ML

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Posted by Junctionfan on Sunday, September 5, 2004 1:56 PM
Great Lakes and Atlantic Railroad has announced that it has on order 60 ES44AC from General Electric. This move comes as the beginning for the railroad to attempt to replace their locomotive fleet with more fuel efficient and modern locomotives. The number series will be 7000-7059.
Andrew
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Posted by Junctionfan on Sunday, September 5, 2004 3:08 PM
Greatlakes and Atlantic unveils its corporate structure
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today the railroad has revealed it has revamped its corporate structure to accomidate the increasing demand for better rail service. It presently had but a CEO, CFO, COO and Cheif of Security. The new positions are as followed

Chief Executive Officer
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Operating Officer
Vice President of Security and Legal Services
Vice President of Intermodal and Development
Vice President of Agriculture and Development
Vice President of Mining Commodities and Development
Vice President of Tourism and Public Relations
Vice President of Chemical, Petrochemical and Waste Management
Vice President of Real Estate and Property Management
Vice President of Research
Vice President of Human Resources
Vice President of Supply Logistics and Development
Vice President of Marketing and Customer Services

The Great Lakes and Atlantic hopes that this move will ensure the healthy expansion it has had already and secure its future to becoming a class 1 railroad.
Andrew
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Posted by joseph2 on Monday, September 6, 2004 8:41 AM
You guys might want to read the saga of Toenail Ridge.Every couple months the author adds a chapter of what goes on in a small imaginary western town.Here is a link www.trainweb.org/toenailridge/book.html Joe G.
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 3:22 PM
EASTERN RAILROAD's offices are located in Darby,Pa. Dated in the 1940 and the 50's.
A 4 by 16 ft, HO scale layout. Using E7's and E8's. Also F7 and GP9's. RDC's are used on local services. Bulletins are great and well be senting Eastern bulletins on a later dates.
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 3:31 PM
Yet another atempt to dieselise the Hootervill Cannonball ( running between Oklahoma City and Hootervill first over the RI then over the Hootervill and Chapel Hill RR ) failed. I was proposed that the train use RDC cars, howver this proposal did not go far.
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Posted by Junctionfan on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 3:53 PM
Great Lakes and Atlantic releases 3rd quarter
----------------------------------------------------------------

The Great Lakes and Atlantic Railroad announced today that the 3rd quarter came short by $12 dollars due to aggressive investing. The Chairman and CEO of the company said that the fouth quarter would be very profitable because of such a small loss in the third. He predicted that profits will almost double if not double by the end of it. He said that the increase demand on the company to be aggressive against the class 1s was the culprit but promised that the shareholders would not be sorry. As a result, today's stocks on the S&P went up by 0.09 cents a share. Last year they made 46 million U.S in profits but the final quarter predictions are 89.91 million.

The Chairman and CEO said that his final investment for this year is to invest in more steel loading cars, trash gondolas and hire more track gangs.
Andrew
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 8, 2004 6:07 PM
From the North Country Times:

Unusual Locomotive Abandoned
New-fangled machine to be converted to steam

The strange locomotive that found its way to the tracks of the Muddy Creek Railroad and caused great consternation among the crew is today facing the cutting torch. The machine was apparently abandoned on company property some time ago and the train crew and mechanics attempted to place it in service with little success.

The machine, fueled by a petroleum-based substance and similar in design to one championed by the late inventor Rudolph Diesel has never proved itself to be useful to the train crews. "The trucks are pretty good, but the rest of the thing was just too damn tricky to run and getting fuel up here in the woods was impossible. We tried converting it to run on corn-squeezins but no luck there," reported engineer Bud "Steamer" O'Toole. "We took a vote & the result was either the damn thing goes or we go."

Following management's decision that the crew can go, a compromise was reached and the strange machine, whose builder's plate indicates it is a class SW9/1200, will be converted into a reasonable facsimile of a Class A Climax locomotive and sent to join the roster of geared locomotives working in the woods north of Muddy Creek. Though pleased with the addition of the new boiler, Engineer O'Toole conceded that the open wooden cab configuration of the new Climax would not have the comforts of the strange machine from which it is being transformed. "That thing was pretty weird, even for 1917, but damn, those seats were a mite comfortable and I'm gonna miss them windows."
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Posted by Junctionfan on Thursday, September 9, 2004 10:40 AM
G&A watches for floods
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With flood warning around south western New York state, the Great Lakes and Atlantic is monitoring its ex Buffalo and Pittsburgh lines for signs of floods. The railroad has informed customers involved with the line to be ready for the possibility of the temperary closure of the lines should the flooding reach the lines.
Andrew
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Posted by Junctionfan on Friday, September 10, 2004 4:40 PM
G&A awards contract to Trinity Railcar
-------------------------------------------------------

As the Great Lakes and Atlantic Railroad will be increasing the trash hauling business as the railroad has ordered 150 trash service covered gondolas from Trinity Railcar. This was outlined in the budget due to the increase business from Detroit, Montreal, Boston and now Toronto for trash haulage. The railroad and municipal governments secured the contract with each other through ECDC Environmental Industries.
Andrew

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