Originally posted by bjc77 The Adams Sub is getting more work today, a section of track washed out by Randolph after the 9+ inches of rain that fell around here wednesday night. If that wasn't bad enough it rained all day thursday as well. Haven't heard a total yet but more on the way for tonight. CShaveRR, I am just curious about the rumor with Triple Crown running into Madison. I don't see any need for it since the GM plant is in Janesville. I'm sure the liberals in Madison would have a fit if there was any more train traffic. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, June 11, 2004 8:00 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by piouslion Originally posted by bjc77 The Adams Sub is getting more work today, a section of track washed out by Randolph after the 9+ inches of rain that fell around here wednesday night. If that wasn't bad enough it rained all day thursday as well. Haven't heard a total yet but more on the way for tonight. CShaveRR, I am just curious about the rumor with Triple Crown running into Madison. I don't see any need for it since the GM plant is in Janesville. I'm sure the liberals in Madison would have a fit if there was any more train traffic. It has always amazed me that liberals complain the loudest when prosperity doesn't come in a form that is politically correct to their way of thinking. - GO-FIGURE[?][%-)] Reply Edit zardoz Member sinceJanuary 2003 From: Kenosha, WI 6,567 posts Posted by zardoz on Friday, June 11, 2004 8:11 PM I drive I-94 every day between Kenosha and Milwaukee, and I have begun to see tractor/trailers with the NS black horse emblem on the cab; I had not seen those until recently, so perhaps TwinModal is seeing the same trucks as I do. What I do not understand, is if there is already trailer traffic travelling this route on the highway, why does it take over two months to "start the service"? Reply CShaveRR Member sinceJune 2001 From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois 13,681 posts Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, June 11, 2004 11:33 PM I don't know who the big customer(s) would be if service to Madison were instituted. It doesn't have to be auto parts. Mention of this possibility was made by someone who should have his ear to the ground, but I'm considering it only a rumor until we hear something a little more definitive. Carl Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!) CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM) Reply jeaton Member sinceSeptember 2002 From: Rockton, IL 4,821 posts Posted by jeaton on Saturday, June 12, 2004 11:09 AM Zardoz My guess is that you are seeing Triple Crown freight moving between their Chicago terminal and points in Wisconsin. On occasion, I have seen Triple Crown vans in Delavan. It appears that the start-up is awaiting completion of work on track a facilities. Obviously, this is in competition with over-the-road truck service. It isn't going to sell unless the train's running time is competitive. Given the bucks involved, it is a good idea to have all the ducks in order before start-up. What intrigues me is the possibility that there could be a terminal set-up in the Milwaukee area, say at Butler Yard. Anyone with ideas about that? Jay "We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 1:19 PM They are definitly in the Twin Cities. Yesterday I was behind one south bound on I35E until I got off on exit 85 on I35 in Lakeview. A few days ago there were 3 at a place that cleans trailers in Roseville. Reply Edit bjc77 Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Wi 19 posts Posted by bjc77 on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 10:58 PM I was by South Beaver Dam, WI today on the Adams Sub and noticed track lying along the roadbed so I stopped to take a look. Looks like they will be putting in 136lb welded rail to replace the 115lb jointed track. Not sure where they will start or fini***his project, I didn't have time to see how much they had on the ground. Its nice to see more upgrades, and hopefully more traffic, to this line. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 28, 2004 4:08 PM The Minneapolis terminal for the Triple Crown RoadRailer service will be 525 Kasota in Minneapolis. Just a couple blocks west of MN280. I stopped by there today and there was a truck delivering portable office space trailers. There is freshly graded fill dirt, a line of MofW cars loaded with ballast and a couple of incomplete track switch panels laying on the ground. There as also an old K-Line 40' container retro fitted with an a/c, windows and doors. It was painted with UP logo & colors and marked "Northern Tie" I have heard the first RoadRailer trains to/from Mpls are planned to be distpatched on July 12th. Maybe some one out there with a contact in UP operations can discover what the schedule will be. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 28, 2004 11:25 PM Don't want to burst anyones bubble, but triple crown trains grow old pretty fast, from an observers POV.. The first dozen you see are "novel" and new, but after that....every train seems just like the last, since they don't mix them with other cars,...and usually one loco is more than enough to pull the whole string. They are pretty impressive on how quick they accelerate from a dead stop though Reply Edit zardoz Member sinceJanuary 2003 From: Kenosha, WI 6,567 posts Posted by zardoz on Tuesday, June 29, 2004 3:38 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton Zardoz My guess is that you are seeing Triple Crown freight moving between their Chicago terminal and points in Wisconsin. On occasion, I have seen Triple Crown vans in Delavan. It appears that the start-up is awaiting completion of work on track a facilities. Obviously, this is in competition with over-the-road truck service. It isn't going to sell unless the train's running time is competitive. Given the bucks involved, it is a good idea to have all the ducks in order before start-up. What intrigues me is the possibility that there could be a terminal set-up in the Milwaukee area, say at Butler Yard. Anyone with ideas about that? Jay Too bad the CNW sold off the big yard at Bain. That would have been a good spot for a terminal (3 miles from I-94, halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee). Back when I was on the CNW, the employees kept trying to convince the railroad that Bain would have been a good spot for a "Global 3 or 4". But alas, to no avail.[sigh] (p.s.--Bain is just off of Hwy K on the west side of Kenosha. It used to have 16 long tracks that AMC used to load it's autos, with acres of (still) unused land to expand in to) Reply Big_Boy_4005 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: St Paul, MN 6,218 posts Posted by Big_Boy_4005 on Friday, July 16, 2004 4:27 AM Hey gang, this was the week they were supposed to start rolling. Has anyone seen anything? I've been too busy to look, but a couple of weeks ago I did drive by the Kasota terminal. Maybe next week I can get out and get some pics and post them here.[8D] I'm back! Follow the progress: http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/displayForumTopic/content/12129987972340381/page/1 Reply CShaveRR Member sinceJune 2001 From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois 13,681 posts Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, July 16, 2004 8:00 AM Tomorrow--July 17--is the first day, according to UP's paper. Carl Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!) CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM) Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 16, 2004 11:34 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR Tomorrow--July 17--is the first day, according to UP's paper. Any body have a clue as to the schedule? Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 16, 2004 11:37 AM I stopped by on the way home from work last night. The lights were on, the sign was up, the yard was paved and the weeds were cut. Three new yard dogs were parked and ready to go to work. Two empty trailers were parked waiting for a reload.... Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 16, 2004 1:56 PM From a friend in the Triple Crown sales dept; gate cutoff at Mpls is 16:00 M,Tu,W,F with a 17:30 departure. First departure set for Monday 7/19. She didn't have an inbound schedule yet. But it would make sense to have an inbound train first, 'cuz they'll need the bogies for the outbound trip Reply Edit Big_Boy_4005 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: St Paul, MN 6,218 posts Posted by Big_Boy_4005 on Friday, July 16, 2004 11:26 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by TwinModal From a friend in the Triple Crown sales dept; gate cutoff at Mpls is 16:00 M,Tu,W,F with a 17:30 departure. First departure set for Monday 7/19. She didn't have an inbound schedule yet. But it would make sense to have an inbound train first, 'cuz they'll need the bogies for the outbound trip Thanks, that would put them at my local grade crossing around 6 PM,depending on traffic in the Midway. Once they hit the east side, they have the track all to themselves. I'll keep my ears open for an inbound tomorrow, but I have some errands to run. That schedule is perfect for me, because during the school year, I have to take my kids over to their mother's house at 6 every weeknight, and we have to cross the tracks, so we should be seeing these things all the time. Somehow I don't think the kids and I will get sick of them. Beside they should just zip by. Let the fun begin!!![swg] I'm back! Follow the progress: http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/displayForumTopic/content/12129987972340381/page/1 Reply UP_North Member sinceJuly 2004 From: chicagoland 48 posts Posted by UP_North on Saturday, July 17, 2004 5:02 AM The new ZCHEM is tenatively on the lineup for 1300 cdt at Proviso behind the UP 4710, but thats always subject to change. The train is supposed to be good for 10 over the timetable speed so it should be good for 60mph between Proviso and St. Francis but we will see. For a little info the Milwaukee sub is good for 50 all the way from Proviso to St. Francis except for a 25 mph slow order at Deval, and the obvious speed restrictions through all the spring switches and over the EJ&E at Upton. If everything is on schedule it could make for some good afternoon pictures. Have a day Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 17, 2004 8:55 PM Saw the North (Westbound) Roadrailer train heading for Mnpls today. Saw it on the South side of Milwaukee, right behind Mitchell Airport. One locomotive (newer SD) and about 40-50 trailers. Reply Edit bjc77 Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Wi 19 posts Posted by bjc77 on Saturday, July 17, 2004 9:37 PM I also saw the Triple Crown train by Friesland this afternoon at about 18:20. Just as UP_North said, it was powered by UP 4710. It was moving right along, should have made it to Adams around 19:00. Where are they removing the bogies at in Minneapolis? I have one week left up at St Paul for conductor training and would like to check out where they unload them. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 18, 2004 9:42 AM My sighting on the South side of Milw. (St. Francis) was at about 15:30. Reply Edit UP_North Member sinceJuly 2004 From: chicagoland 48 posts Posted by UP_North on Sunday, July 18, 2004 4:36 PM The computer said the train arrived at east Minneapolis at about 0230 on the 18th. that would make it about 13 1/2 hours from proviso to the twin cities not too bad for the UP up this way. For the record it had 55 trailers and was more than 2 hours ahead of schedule at arrival. Reply jeaton Member sinceSeptember 2002 From: Rockton, IL 4,821 posts Posted by jeaton on Sunday, July 18, 2004 5:09 PM UP_North Welcome to the forum, and thanks to you and everyone else for your posts on this subject. As a frequent traveler on I-90 Janesville-north that's 55 less trucks to deal with. Many more left so here's hoping it is a big sucess. Got a trip to the Cities coming up in August, and will have camera in tow. Jay "We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics Reply UP_North Member sinceJuly 2004 From: chicagoland 48 posts Posted by UP_North on Sunday, July 18, 2004 5:23 PM Remember it will be four round trips per week, so if 55 is an average thats 440 less per week. Reply Big_Boy_4005 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: St Paul, MN 6,218 posts Posted by Big_Boy_4005 on Monday, July 19, 2004 12:02 AM 13 hours? The C&NW passenger trains made Chicago to Minneapolis in under 7 hours. Over the road truckers make the trip in 8 hours max. I drove it a couple years ago, and made it in just under 6 hours, but I didn't have to go through Milwaukee on 94. I cut the corner on 90 at Madison. I realize that much of the track in western Wisconsin is crummy, but that is under a 30 MPH average!!! It isn't like there is traffic to contend with over the bulk of the run. Are the customers saving that much on this service, to make it worth slow delivery? I'm back! Follow the progress: http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/displayForumTopic/content/12129987972340381/page/1 Reply UP_North Member sinceJuly 2004 From: chicagoland 48 posts Posted by UP_North on Monday, July 19, 2004 2:07 AM it only took four people to take 55 trailers 400 miles. Lets see four truckers do it that fast. The 400's also did a hundred miles an hour Reply jeaton Member sinceSeptember 2002 From: Rockton, IL 4,821 posts Posted by jeaton on Monday, July 19, 2004 9:59 AM Having had many years experience as a buyer of transportation service, the schedule on this train looks pretty good. While we don't know the actual origins and destinations of the freight on this train, if one was to assume Chicago area to the Twin Cities area, overnight service is as good as it is going to get, unless it goes by air. Although I m sure there are many exceptions, generally most shipping and receiving docks are going to be in operation say from about 6 in the morning to 6 at night. Shipping tends to be later in the day and receiving in the morning. Unless a traffic manager wants to develop ulcers, grey hair and nervous tics, he is not going to try to extablish a same day delivery from Chicago to Minneapolis as a routine. This thread noted that the UP seemed to being doing some up-grades on the line. I am sure that upgrades to allow an eight hour run would be too costly to allow a competitive price for the service and still generate an adequate return on the investment. "Just in Time" doesn't mean it has to break all speed records. It means we want the shipment to arrive between 7 and 10am Wednesday. If it takes 5 days in transit, set your shipping schedule to accomodate that time. I have been away from the business too long to have a handle on the comparative costs of this service vs. TOFC/COFC or over the road, but it seems to have some interesting potential. Without the need for expensive load lift machinery, and 12" concrete pads to handle their weight, I would guess that establishing a "ramp" would be a relatively inexpensive process. In the right circumstances, maybe profitable volumn could be as little as 25-30 loads a day over the ramp. Jay "We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics Reply Big_Boy_4005 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: St Paul, MN 6,218 posts Posted by Big_Boy_4005 on Monday, July 19, 2004 10:11 AM Well when you put it that way, maybe they are saving that much money. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great having more rail traffic, and getting those loads off the freeways. If the shippers don't mind getting their stuff there a little slower, then the service should be a winner. It certainly saves energy and manpower!!! True the 400's did do over 100 MPH to compensate for station stops. Of course the average was 60 MPH. 400 miles in 400 minutes was the schedule, hence the name.[swg] I never thought of this problem from the perspective of, just because the load arrives quickly, someone will be there to receive it. There is no REAL rush, so why hurry up and wait???[:p] I'm back! Follow the progress: http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/displayForumTopic/content/12129987972340381/page/1 Reply jeaton Member sinceSeptember 2002 From: Rockton, IL 4,821 posts Posted by jeaton on Monday, July 19, 2004 12:36 PM I didn't mean to imply that the service is the be all, end all service. There is still the need to cart the trailers to and from the rail head, gets the boogies on and off, etc., and of course have a good volumn between terminal pairs. My thought on the "right circumstances" about smaller volumns would be an intermediate point on a route such as Chicago-Cities, but I certainly could be wrong. And, oh yes, there are many circumstances where it makes no sense to ship any other way than straigt over-the-road. "We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics Reply UP_North Member sinceJuly 2004 From: chicagoland 48 posts Posted by UP_North on Monday, July 19, 2004 2:18 PM From what ive been told, the majority of the northbound traffic is for Ford. The southbound traffic is still developing so we shall see what the first southbound looks like this evening. It has been called for 1500 cdt at South St. Paul. Reply Junctionfan Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: St.Catharines, Ontario 3,770 posts Posted by Junctionfan on Monday, July 19, 2004 3:14 PM I was wondering how heavy the rail to Minneapolis is that Triple Crown plans on running on. I believe that since CN is out of the question, NS through Triple Crown should run roadrailer service between the autoparts plants in Buffalo to the assembly plants in Detroit. I believe also that roadrailers be made so they can be safely be run up to 100 mph and pulled by either Amtrak P-42 or other railroad P-42s (NS, UP and BNSF should by P-42 for this purpose). Any roadrailer service on the north-east corridor could be operated by an amtrak AEM 7 with new electrified track from Montreal to Miami. UPS should have their own roadrailers also. Andrew Reply 123 Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. 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QUOTE: Originally posted by piouslion Originally posted by bjc77 The Adams Sub is getting more work today, a section of track washed out by Randolph after the 9+ inches of rain that fell around here wednesday night. If that wasn't bad enough it rained all day thursday as well. Haven't heard a total yet but more on the way for tonight. CShaveRR, I am just curious about the rumor with Triple Crown running into Madison. I don't see any need for it since the GM plant is in Janesville. I'm sure the liberals in Madison would have a fit if there was any more train traffic. It has always amazed me that liberals complain the loudest when prosperity doesn't come in a form that is politically correct to their way of thinking. - GO-FIGURE[?][%-)] Reply Edit zardoz Member sinceJanuary 2003 From: Kenosha, WI 6,567 posts Posted by zardoz on Friday, June 11, 2004 8:11 PM I drive I-94 every day between Kenosha and Milwaukee, and I have begun to see tractor/trailers with the NS black horse emblem on the cab; I had not seen those until recently, so perhaps TwinModal is seeing the same trucks as I do. What I do not understand, is if there is already trailer traffic travelling this route on the highway, why does it take over two months to "start the service"? Reply CShaveRR Member sinceJune 2001 From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois 13,681 posts Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, June 11, 2004 11:33 PM I don't know who the big customer(s) would be if service to Madison were instituted. It doesn't have to be auto parts. Mention of this possibility was made by someone who should have his ear to the ground, but I'm considering it only a rumor until we hear something a little more definitive. Carl Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!) CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM) Reply jeaton Member sinceSeptember 2002 From: Rockton, IL 4,821 posts Posted by jeaton on Saturday, June 12, 2004 11:09 AM Zardoz My guess is that you are seeing Triple Crown freight moving between their Chicago terminal and points in Wisconsin. On occasion, I have seen Triple Crown vans in Delavan. It appears that the start-up is awaiting completion of work on track a facilities. Obviously, this is in competition with over-the-road truck service. It isn't going to sell unless the train's running time is competitive. Given the bucks involved, it is a good idea to have all the ducks in order before start-up. What intrigues me is the possibility that there could be a terminal set-up in the Milwaukee area, say at Butler Yard. Anyone with ideas about that? Jay "We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 1:19 PM They are definitly in the Twin Cities. Yesterday I was behind one south bound on I35E until I got off on exit 85 on I35 in Lakeview. A few days ago there were 3 at a place that cleans trailers in Roseville. Reply Edit bjc77 Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Wi 19 posts Posted by bjc77 on Tuesday, June 15, 2004 10:58 PM I was by South Beaver Dam, WI today on the Adams Sub and noticed track lying along the roadbed so I stopped to take a look. Looks like they will be putting in 136lb welded rail to replace the 115lb jointed track. Not sure where they will start or fini***his project, I didn't have time to see how much they had on the ground. Its nice to see more upgrades, and hopefully more traffic, to this line. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 28, 2004 4:08 PM The Minneapolis terminal for the Triple Crown RoadRailer service will be 525 Kasota in Minneapolis. Just a couple blocks west of MN280. I stopped by there today and there was a truck delivering portable office space trailers. There is freshly graded fill dirt, a line of MofW cars loaded with ballast and a couple of incomplete track switch panels laying on the ground. There as also an old K-Line 40' container retro fitted with an a/c, windows and doors. It was painted with UP logo & colors and marked "Northern Tie" I have heard the first RoadRailer trains to/from Mpls are planned to be distpatched on July 12th. Maybe some one out there with a contact in UP operations can discover what the schedule will be. Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Monday, June 28, 2004 11:25 PM Don't want to burst anyones bubble, but triple crown trains grow old pretty fast, from an observers POV.. The first dozen you see are "novel" and new, but after that....every train seems just like the last, since they don't mix them with other cars,...and usually one loco is more than enough to pull the whole string. They are pretty impressive on how quick they accelerate from a dead stop though Reply Edit zardoz Member sinceJanuary 2003 From: Kenosha, WI 6,567 posts Posted by zardoz on Tuesday, June 29, 2004 3:38 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton Zardoz My guess is that you are seeing Triple Crown freight moving between their Chicago terminal and points in Wisconsin. On occasion, I have seen Triple Crown vans in Delavan. It appears that the start-up is awaiting completion of work on track a facilities. Obviously, this is in competition with over-the-road truck service. It isn't going to sell unless the train's running time is competitive. Given the bucks involved, it is a good idea to have all the ducks in order before start-up. What intrigues me is the possibility that there could be a terminal set-up in the Milwaukee area, say at Butler Yard. Anyone with ideas about that? Jay Too bad the CNW sold off the big yard at Bain. That would have been a good spot for a terminal (3 miles from I-94, halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee). Back when I was on the CNW, the employees kept trying to convince the railroad that Bain would have been a good spot for a "Global 3 or 4". But alas, to no avail.[sigh] (p.s.--Bain is just off of Hwy K on the west side of Kenosha. It used to have 16 long tracks that AMC used to load it's autos, with acres of (still) unused land to expand in to) Reply Big_Boy_4005 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: St Paul, MN 6,218 posts Posted by Big_Boy_4005 on Friday, July 16, 2004 4:27 AM Hey gang, this was the week they were supposed to start rolling. Has anyone seen anything? I've been too busy to look, but a couple of weeks ago I did drive by the Kasota terminal. Maybe next week I can get out and get some pics and post them here.[8D] I'm back! Follow the progress: http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/displayForumTopic/content/12129987972340381/page/1 Reply CShaveRR Member sinceJune 2001 From: Lombard (west of Chicago), Illinois 13,681 posts Posted by CShaveRR on Friday, July 16, 2004 8:00 AM Tomorrow--July 17--is the first day, according to UP's paper. Carl Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!) CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM) Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 16, 2004 11:34 AM QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR Tomorrow--July 17--is the first day, according to UP's paper. Any body have a clue as to the schedule? Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 16, 2004 11:37 AM I stopped by on the way home from work last night. The lights were on, the sign was up, the yard was paved and the weeds were cut. Three new yard dogs were parked and ready to go to work. Two empty trailers were parked waiting for a reload.... Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, July 16, 2004 1:56 PM From a friend in the Triple Crown sales dept; gate cutoff at Mpls is 16:00 M,Tu,W,F with a 17:30 departure. First departure set for Monday 7/19. She didn't have an inbound schedule yet. But it would make sense to have an inbound train first, 'cuz they'll need the bogies for the outbound trip Reply Edit Big_Boy_4005 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: St Paul, MN 6,218 posts Posted by Big_Boy_4005 on Friday, July 16, 2004 11:26 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by TwinModal From a friend in the Triple Crown sales dept; gate cutoff at Mpls is 16:00 M,Tu,W,F with a 17:30 departure. First departure set for Monday 7/19. She didn't have an inbound schedule yet. But it would make sense to have an inbound train first, 'cuz they'll need the bogies for the outbound trip Thanks, that would put them at my local grade crossing around 6 PM,depending on traffic in the Midway. Once they hit the east side, they have the track all to themselves. I'll keep my ears open for an inbound tomorrow, but I have some errands to run. That schedule is perfect for me, because during the school year, I have to take my kids over to their mother's house at 6 every weeknight, and we have to cross the tracks, so we should be seeing these things all the time. Somehow I don't think the kids and I will get sick of them. Beside they should just zip by. Let the fun begin!!![swg] I'm back! Follow the progress: http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/displayForumTopic/content/12129987972340381/page/1 Reply UP_North Member sinceJuly 2004 From: chicagoland 48 posts Posted by UP_North on Saturday, July 17, 2004 5:02 AM The new ZCHEM is tenatively on the lineup for 1300 cdt at Proviso behind the UP 4710, but thats always subject to change. The train is supposed to be good for 10 over the timetable speed so it should be good for 60mph between Proviso and St. Francis but we will see. For a little info the Milwaukee sub is good for 50 all the way from Proviso to St. Francis except for a 25 mph slow order at Deval, and the obvious speed restrictions through all the spring switches and over the EJ&E at Upton. If everything is on schedule it could make for some good afternoon pictures. Have a day Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, July 17, 2004 8:55 PM Saw the North (Westbound) Roadrailer train heading for Mnpls today. Saw it on the South side of Milwaukee, right behind Mitchell Airport. One locomotive (newer SD) and about 40-50 trailers. Reply Edit bjc77 Member sinceFebruary 2002 From: Wi 19 posts Posted by bjc77 on Saturday, July 17, 2004 9:37 PM I also saw the Triple Crown train by Friesland this afternoon at about 18:20. Just as UP_North said, it was powered by UP 4710. It was moving right along, should have made it to Adams around 19:00. Where are they removing the bogies at in Minneapolis? I have one week left up at St Paul for conductor training and would like to check out where they unload them. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, July 18, 2004 9:42 AM My sighting on the South side of Milw. (St. Francis) was at about 15:30. Reply Edit UP_North Member sinceJuly 2004 From: chicagoland 48 posts Posted by UP_North on Sunday, July 18, 2004 4:36 PM The computer said the train arrived at east Minneapolis at about 0230 on the 18th. that would make it about 13 1/2 hours from proviso to the twin cities not too bad for the UP up this way. For the record it had 55 trailers and was more than 2 hours ahead of schedule at arrival. Reply jeaton Member sinceSeptember 2002 From: Rockton, IL 4,821 posts Posted by jeaton on Sunday, July 18, 2004 5:09 PM UP_North Welcome to the forum, and thanks to you and everyone else for your posts on this subject. As a frequent traveler on I-90 Janesville-north that's 55 less trucks to deal with. Many more left so here's hoping it is a big sucess. Got a trip to the Cities coming up in August, and will have camera in tow. Jay "We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics Reply UP_North Member sinceJuly 2004 From: chicagoland 48 posts Posted by UP_North on Sunday, July 18, 2004 5:23 PM Remember it will be four round trips per week, so if 55 is an average thats 440 less per week. Reply Big_Boy_4005 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: St Paul, MN 6,218 posts Posted by Big_Boy_4005 on Monday, July 19, 2004 12:02 AM 13 hours? The C&NW passenger trains made Chicago to Minneapolis in under 7 hours. Over the road truckers make the trip in 8 hours max. I drove it a couple years ago, and made it in just under 6 hours, but I didn't have to go through Milwaukee on 94. I cut the corner on 90 at Madison. I realize that much of the track in western Wisconsin is crummy, but that is under a 30 MPH average!!! It isn't like there is traffic to contend with over the bulk of the run. Are the customers saving that much on this service, to make it worth slow delivery? I'm back! Follow the progress: http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/displayForumTopic/content/12129987972340381/page/1 Reply UP_North Member sinceJuly 2004 From: chicagoland 48 posts Posted by UP_North on Monday, July 19, 2004 2:07 AM it only took four people to take 55 trailers 400 miles. Lets see four truckers do it that fast. The 400's also did a hundred miles an hour Reply jeaton Member sinceSeptember 2002 From: Rockton, IL 4,821 posts Posted by jeaton on Monday, July 19, 2004 9:59 AM Having had many years experience as a buyer of transportation service, the schedule on this train looks pretty good. While we don't know the actual origins and destinations of the freight on this train, if one was to assume Chicago area to the Twin Cities area, overnight service is as good as it is going to get, unless it goes by air. Although I m sure there are many exceptions, generally most shipping and receiving docks are going to be in operation say from about 6 in the morning to 6 at night. Shipping tends to be later in the day and receiving in the morning. Unless a traffic manager wants to develop ulcers, grey hair and nervous tics, he is not going to try to extablish a same day delivery from Chicago to Minneapolis as a routine. This thread noted that the UP seemed to being doing some up-grades on the line. I am sure that upgrades to allow an eight hour run would be too costly to allow a competitive price for the service and still generate an adequate return on the investment. "Just in Time" doesn't mean it has to break all speed records. It means we want the shipment to arrive between 7 and 10am Wednesday. If it takes 5 days in transit, set your shipping schedule to accomodate that time. I have been away from the business too long to have a handle on the comparative costs of this service vs. TOFC/COFC or over the road, but it seems to have some interesting potential. Without the need for expensive load lift machinery, and 12" concrete pads to handle their weight, I would guess that establishing a "ramp" would be a relatively inexpensive process. In the right circumstances, maybe profitable volumn could be as little as 25-30 loads a day over the ramp. Jay "We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics Reply Big_Boy_4005 Member sinceDecember 2003 From: St Paul, MN 6,218 posts Posted by Big_Boy_4005 on Monday, July 19, 2004 10:11 AM Well when you put it that way, maybe they are saving that much money. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great having more rail traffic, and getting those loads off the freeways. If the shippers don't mind getting their stuff there a little slower, then the service should be a winner. It certainly saves energy and manpower!!! True the 400's did do over 100 MPH to compensate for station stops. Of course the average was 60 MPH. 400 miles in 400 minutes was the schedule, hence the name.[swg] I never thought of this problem from the perspective of, just because the load arrives quickly, someone will be there to receive it. There is no REAL rush, so why hurry up and wait???[:p] I'm back! Follow the progress: http://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/displayForumTopic/content/12129987972340381/page/1 Reply jeaton Member sinceSeptember 2002 From: Rockton, IL 4,821 posts Posted by jeaton on Monday, July 19, 2004 12:36 PM I didn't mean to imply that the service is the be all, end all service. There is still the need to cart the trailers to and from the rail head, gets the boogies on and off, etc., and of course have a good volumn between terminal pairs. My thought on the "right circumstances" about smaller volumns would be an intermediate point on a route such as Chicago-Cities, but I certainly could be wrong. And, oh yes, there are many circumstances where it makes no sense to ship any other way than straigt over-the-road. "We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics Reply UP_North Member sinceJuly 2004 From: chicagoland 48 posts Posted by UP_North on Monday, July 19, 2004 2:18 PM From what ive been told, the majority of the northbound traffic is for Ford. The southbound traffic is still developing so we shall see what the first southbound looks like this evening. It has been called for 1500 cdt at South St. Paul. Reply Junctionfan Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: St.Catharines, Ontario 3,770 posts Posted by Junctionfan on Monday, July 19, 2004 3:14 PM I was wondering how heavy the rail to Minneapolis is that Triple Crown plans on running on. I believe that since CN is out of the question, NS through Triple Crown should run roadrailer service between the autoparts plants in Buffalo to the assembly plants in Detroit. I believe also that roadrailers be made so they can be safely be run up to 100 mph and pulled by either Amtrak P-42 or other railroad P-42s (NS, UP and BNSF should by P-42 for this purpose). Any roadrailer service on the north-east corridor could be operated by an amtrak AEM 7 with new electrified track from Montreal to Miami. UPS should have their own roadrailers also. Andrew Reply 123 Join our Community! Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account. Login » Register » Search the Community Newsletter Sign-Up By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy More great sites from Kalmbach Media Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy
Originally posted by bjc77 The Adams Sub is getting more work today, a section of track washed out by Randolph after the 9+ inches of rain that fell around here wednesday night. If that wasn't bad enough it rained all day thursday as well. Haven't heard a total yet but more on the way for tonight. CShaveRR, I am just curious about the rumor with Triple Crown running into Madison. I don't see any need for it since the GM plant is in Janesville. I'm sure the liberals in Madison would have a fit if there was any more train traffic.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton Zardoz My guess is that you are seeing Triple Crown freight moving between their Chicago terminal and points in Wisconsin. On occasion, I have seen Triple Crown vans in Delavan. It appears that the start-up is awaiting completion of work on track a facilities. Obviously, this is in competition with over-the-road truck service. It isn't going to sell unless the train's running time is competitive. Given the bucks involved, it is a good idea to have all the ducks in order before start-up. What intrigues me is the possibility that there could be a terminal set-up in the Milwaukee area, say at Butler Yard. Anyone with ideas about that? Jay
I'm back!
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QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR Tomorrow--July 17--is the first day, according to UP's paper.
QUOTE: Originally posted by TwinModal From a friend in the Triple Crown sales dept; gate cutoff at Mpls is 16:00 M,Tu,W,F with a 17:30 departure. First departure set for Monday 7/19. She didn't have an inbound schedule yet. But it would make sense to have an inbound train first, 'cuz they'll need the bogies for the outbound trip
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