I've read from other sites rumors that Triple crown is discontinuing roadrailer service. Is there any truth to this?
The other day I was talking with the UTU-E local chairman about the last monthly meeting of union chairmen and the railroad superintendents. He said that we will be getting a Triple Crown stack train that will operate between Chicago and the Twin Cities, via the Spine line. It will use the Spine (exCNW/RI) between the Twin Cities and Nevada IA and then the east/west (exCNW) main between there and Chicago.
He didn't really say, but it sounds like it will replace the roadrailer train that runs via the Wisconsin route. He said the routing via Iowa was because they were starting to have trouble (congestion?) on the Wisconsin route.
Jeff
I've heard that the roadrailers (FRA) life is running out. We have seen more triple crown trailers on regular NS trains. Time will tell.
stay safe
Joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
jeffhergert The other day I was talking with the UTU-E local chairman about the last monthly meeting of union chairmen and the railroad superintendents. He said that we will be getting a Triple Crown stack train that will operate between Chicago and the Twin Cities, via the Spine line. It will use the Spine (exCNW/RI) between the Twin Cities and Nevada IA and then the east/west (exCNW) main between there and Chicago. He didn't really say, but it sounds like it will replace the roadrailer train that runs via the Wisconsin route. He said the routing via Iowa was because they were starting to have trouble (congestion?) on the Wisconsin route. Jeff
Here is a link to a recent ( Triple Crown) video @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnKxBKrSbrU
This is a link to the website which has a lot of available information@ http://www.triplecrownsvc.com/
I am not currently familiar with the Triple Crown Operations, ( My experience with them dates back to the days when it was a wholly-owned subsidiary of North American Van lined..Befor Norfolk Southern bough them from NAVL. They have been in business for a lot of years, and Equipment Changes have been a constant( as with any Operation that uses Trailer, Trucks and railroad equipment ). I do see on occasion their train that runs out of Ft.Worth/Kansas City via Winfield/ Arkansas City. It runs theough this area on BNSF. The trains I have seen seem to run most of the time to 100 plus trailers, and NS run- through power.
My feeling is that stacks would be a pretty radical change for their Operations.
They are ordering new equipment.
Ed
The biggest advantage I see of 'Roadrailer' trains is in motive power requirements to move the train. While the Roadrailer trailers are constructed more stoutly than conventional trailers, the use of a 'bogie cradle' rail truck/trailer support would leave about 30 tons of intermodal freight car out of the trains trailing tonnage for every two trailers in the train. Depending on train size, one or two locomotives could maintain track speed vs. three or four that would be needed to haul the same number of trailers on conventional intermodal cars.
The disadvantage is that the size of a train is limited by the strength of the trailers and if a serious grade is encountered, all the trailing tonnage of the train is now focused on the first trailer beind the engines. I doubt that a rear end helper could be used, as I doubt the trailers could withstand the buff forces the helper engine would generate pushing against the rear trailer of the train.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
The Roadrailer trains I see out my door (UP Adams line) usually have two engines, big ones like Dash 9s and SD70s. One facing each way usually, for quicker turn-around at the end points. Usually NS power.
I think the Roadrailers are a dynamic brake only type of train. Being so light, taking a minimum set would probably stop the train pretty quick.
The biggest disadvantage I see is that they are different. No normal couplers, and so forth. Things that are drastically different usually have a hard time getting accepted.
It does help get into the John Kneiling mindset. It IS different, so run it different, keep the wheels turning, and make some money. No need to stop in a yard for classification, customer supplies the train, and so forth.
Mike WSOR engineer | HO scale since 1988 | Visit our club www.WCGandyDancers.com
WSOR 3801 The Roadrailer trains I see out my door (UP Adams line) usually have two engines, big ones like Dash 9s and SD70s. One facing each way usually, for quicker turn-around at the end points. Usually NS power. I think the Roadrailers are a dynamic brake only type of train. Being so light, taking a minimum set would probably stop the train pretty quick. The biggest disadvantage I see is that they are different. No normal couplers, and so forth. Things that are drastically different usually have a hard time getting accepted. It does help get into the John Kneiling mindset. It IS different, so run it different, keep the wheels turning, and make some money. No need to stop in a yard for classification, customer supplies the train, and so forth.
Roadailers used to be notorious for kickers. But they do have the advantage of being pretty secure from theft since the trailers are so close to each other that there's no room to open the end doors.
I've been hearing they were going out of business for the past 10 years. Seems to be a common rumor.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Are they ordering new roadrailers?, containers?, or both?
Thx Jeff
The Roadrailers do have an air brake system,(the hoses and control valve system are much smaller than on a normal freight car ). We try to avoid using the air as much as possible, they tend to kick very easily. Dynamic braking is the normal way of stopping these trains and your right they are very light, it take a quite a bit of caution with safety stops to couple these things up.
James Sanchez
They are going to have a problem locating a terminal in the Twin Cities. The current location at UP's East Minneapolis Yard does not have adequate space for a conventional terminal with cranes or reachstackers, and chassis. If it did the UP would have established an Intermodal Terminal in the Twin Cities long ago. The last time the UP looked at building a terminal it was with MNDOT proposing a Union Terminal serving UP, BNSF and CP, to be located on part of the site of the closed Gopher Arsenal in Rosemount along the Spine Line. Obviously this site was totally unacceptable to both BNSF and CP.
beaulieu They are going to have a problem locating a terminal in the Twin Cities. The current location at UP's East Minneapolis Yard does not have adequate space for a conventional terminal with cranes or reachstackers, and chassis. If it did the UP would have established an Intermodal Terminal in the Twin Cities long ago. The last time the UP looked at building a terminal it was with MNDOT proposing a Union Terminal serving UP, BNSF and CP, to be located on part of the site of the closed Gopher Arsenal in Rosemount along the Spine Line. Obviously this site was totally unacceptable to both BNSF and CP.
That was my concern as well although I keep hearing rumors that UP will build their own facility somewhere on the south side of town.
Interesting! Probably not viable to use the Milwaukee/Adams/Altoona routing for stacks because of clearance issues.
A couple years ago, IANR's Dan Sabin was a speaker at a railfan event. Although the main topic of his was about a museum he was sponsoring at Manly, IA, he gave an overview of what was going on with the IANR. One of the future projects he mentioned was the development of an intermodal facility in conjunction with the UP at Manly to serve southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. He said the UP was receptive to the idea, but nothing so far has developed.
First off, CGW never ran directly from Rosemount to Cannon Falls. They did run from Roseport down to Randolph, where PGR runs the ex CGW from Northfield through Randolph and on to Cannon Falls. There's next to no chance UP is going to put back 20 miles of long abandoned track, most of which is now farmland. Then where to from Cannon Falls since that's a dead end track. Maybe you heard of an idea to reopen that down to Randolph then over the PGR to Northfield. but I can't see that being a better solution than putting in a siding or two.
I spotted a Triple Crown in Hudson, WI tonight. If they're running them regularly on the Spine Line, then I lucked out seeing them on a temporary routing.
They run regularly through Wisconsin still.
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
I see them on the Fort Wayne Line between Pittsburgh & Conway Yard quite often. This is from last Saturday:
Tom
Pittsburgh, PA
For some reason, I'm not able to edit my post. What I neglected to mention was the power on this train was a D9-44CW & a D8-40CW.
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