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Top 10 stories of 2011

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Top 10 stories of 2011
Posted by Andy Cummings on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 9:24 AM

Folks —

We on the TRAINS staff are about to begin preparing our annual report on the year's Top 10 stories, which will run on News Wire at New Year. What are your thoughts? You guys came through with some great suggestions last year, and we'd love to get some help again this year.

Best,

Andy Cummings Associate Editor TRAINS Magazine Waukesha, Wis.
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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 9:44 AM

I'm sure that the recent corporate changes at CP will have to rank right up there, for what it means down the road.

Infrastructure expansion continuing--BNSF Abo Canyon, UP Sunset line, UP Blair Sub, CREATE, and others.

Amtrak's burgeoning expansion...well, in ridership and public acceptance, anyway!

 

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)

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Posted by oltmannd on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 11:45 AM

How about these:

  1. Caterpillar (Progress Rail) buys EMD and expands with new US plant
  2. Continuing growth of domestic intermodal
  3. Amtrak orders new equipment
  4. Continuing saga of HSR/HrSR
  5. Railroad hiring boom continues

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 12:17 PM
  • Boom in traffic from shale gas and shale oil drilling, tar sands processing, and transportation of the resulting gas and oil
  • BNSF's order for 200 (?) more ES44C4's, and NS orders its first (own) AC locomotives
  • NS restarts steam PR program 

- Paul North. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)
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Posted by samfp1943 on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 10:27 AM

* How about how the railroads (both Majors, and Regionals) beneited from the traffic generated by the Marcellus Shale Oil Recovery traffic, and what can be expected with the recent announcements of further Oil shale deposits in OHIO?

* Would also like to see a comparative article referencing the successes and failures(?) of the EMD diesels vs. their counterparts from GE. : AC vs DC, How are the various locomotive trucking configurations working out ( additional orders or no repetitions?)  not to mention what is the future looking like?  Heavier locomotives/ by weight or horsepower. How is NS program of de-rating locomotives paying off (or not).

* An article referencing Short Line growth, and how individual roads are coping with various issues of ROW, Power, managing assets for profitability.

*How are various Museum Operations coping with their specific issues, and with the economy down are they suffering as well?

^ Would like to see an article on some of the Professional MOW Companies, LORAM, Herzog,Harsco,etc.  Specifically, the equipment they use. Problems they solve. Why do railroads use a sub-contractor, when they could do it in-house? Would like to see a monthly feature on MOW operations for the railroads; featuring equipment, and technologies involved.

 

 

 

 


 

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Posted by oltmannd on Wednesday, December 21, 2011 10:48 AM

Paul_D_North_Jr
  • NS restarts steam PR program 

 

Man, how'd I miss THAT one!

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by Mookie on Friday, December 23, 2011 7:00 AM

Flooding this spring in Ne & IA that disrupted BNSF and Amtrak

She who has no signature! cinscocom-tmw

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Posted by eolafan on Friday, December 23, 2011 7:22 AM

Ongoing contrevorcy over railfan rights vs TSA?

Eolafan (a.k.a. Jim)
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Posted by K4sPRR on Friday, December 23, 2011 8:26 AM

The new attitude and improved CSX, opening of New Baltimore Yard, Maersk contract and overall improved profits and operating ratio.  Big gains and pressure on NS.

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Posted by tree68 on Friday, December 23, 2011 4:08 PM

Mookie

Flooding this spring in Ne & IA that disrupted BNSF and Amtrak

And the flooding on the east coast this past fall, as a result of hurricanes.

I was going to mention the new CSX intermodal yard, but somebody beat me to it.

LarryWhistling
Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) 
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Come ride the rails with me!
There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...

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