BaltACDThe Earth has fluctuated between Snowball Earth and Tropical Earth on numerous occasions in the past 4.5 Billion years - all without the help of mankind. I feel it is supreme human arrogance to feel that human activity is the only cause of 'climate change'.
I don't know anybody saying the whole warming is man made but part of it for sure.
There always has been temperature change in the earth's history. It is the speed of the current temperature rise that indicates that part of it is man made. In the our history the temperature rise was about 4° to 5° in 10.000 years between glacial and interglacial periods, without any measures against global warning the same rise might occur in the next 100 years.
In the time from 1906 to 2005 there was a rise of about 0.8°, two third of it in the time from 1956 to 2005.Regards, Volker
“Fossil fuels are dead,”- Harrison
Well Duh!
I am curious about CSX and coal traffic. I read somewhere that most of their coal traffic was relatively short haul on a mileage basis but because of their terminals, branches, etc. Took CSX a little longer to deliver it compared to Western roads to handle Coal traffic from point A to point B. Compared to the Western roads, wonder how the profitability of coal traffic compared with CSX and how long in a year a coal car on CSX was actually rolling with a load or rolling back to get filled again......... vs parked empty in a yard. So maybe some stats on coal car utilitization rates between CSX and say UP RR if they exist?
n012944More "facts" by CMStPNP... https://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html "About 71 percent of the Earth's surface is water-covered"
Oh wow, I misread a stat, heaven forbid! Though I will point out you probably have misread and misquoted articles on ratio exponentially higher. Not that anyone is keeping track.
Factual information presented by experts in their field is certainly of more value than opinions by outsiders with occasional exceptions. So I put more credence in the expert opinion of a railroad engineer about operating a locomotive than that of a Ph.D. in English lit. I prefer the opinion of a chief dispatcher on rail traffic management to that of a neurosurgeon. And I think the opinions of a Ph.D. researcher in climate science on AGCC has more value than that of a Ph.D. chemical engineer.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
CSX has a lot of locomotives in storage, that could always be placed back in service. As to coal gondolas or hoppers, other than for export coal, most are owned by utilities, aren't they?
But I think he will spin off coal branch lines over the next four years.
A final thought - it is unlikely that CSX will buy any new locomotives during EHH's tenure other than what was contracted for prior to his arrival. That is pretty much what he did at CP - no all new locomotive purchases and just a smattering of remanufactured units.
n012944Yep. EHH's whole quote paints it a little different. “Unless something changes drastically in the market, we’re not going to go out and put a double track in, or buy locomotives or anything for coal,” Harrison said, according to E&E News. “Having said that, the last carload of coal that’s shipped out of this country, I want to be the carrier that shipped it.
Not trying to defend or destroy EHH here, but could they (the railroads) be a little gunshy after the oil train deal? A lot of money seemed to be spent on that business (track, engines, signals, manpower, etc), only to have it prettty much dry up overnight when the price of oil dropped.
I'm sure if the coal really started to pick up, CSX would buy hoppers and locomotives if needed. But buying them now in case coal picked up would be silly, methinks. But I'm not a railroad executive...so my opinion is worth the paper it isn't written on.
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
BaltACD The Earth has fluctuated between Snowball Earth and Tropical Earth on numerous occasions in the past 4.5 Billion years - all without the help of mankind. I feel it is supreme human arrogance to feel that human activity is the only cause of 'climate change'. While I have no fear that human activity in some way contributes to rising carbon dioxide levels - I also feel there and any number of natural happenings that are more responsible than human activity. While a lot of natural linkages are known to science, I feel there are hundreds if not thousands more that have yet to be discovered.
The Earth has fluctuated between Snowball Earth and Tropical Earth on numerous occasions in the past 4.5 Billion years - all without the help of mankind.
I feel it is supreme human arrogance to feel that human activity is the only cause of 'climate change'. While I have no fear that human activity in some way contributes to rising carbon dioxide levels - I also feel there and any number of natural happenings that are more responsible than human activity. While a lot of natural linkages are known to science, I feel there are hundreds if not thousands more that have yet to be discovered.
Many people feel a lot of things. Which is all good, everyone has the right to their opinions (despite what some on this site think) until politicians (with middle-school level educations) decide to make those feelings official policy, pretending to know more than people that actually do study these things for a living, all in an effort to validate the ignorance of the people that voted them in. I know it's the cool thing to completely discredit any type of acemdemics in certain circles (who knows why?), but we shouldn't let emotions rule. And we wonder why people get millions of dollars when they are trespassing on RR property.
Shadow the Cats owner If I've got 2 people to choose from for an office job around here. 1st one has no degree but 30 years in the business. 2nd one is a PhD with no real world experience in the private sector but taught for 15 years. Guess who is getting the job here not the guy with the degree. Sorry I'll take someone who can be thrown into the fire deal with a massive screwup and not panic. The last college educated moron we hired tired to send solo driver's overnight Chicago to Miami.
If I've got 2 people to choose from for an office job around here. 1st one has no degree but 30 years in the business. 2nd one is a PhD with no real world experience in the private sector but taught for 15 years. Guess who is getting the job here not the guy with the degree. Sorry I'll take someone who can be thrown into the fire deal with a massive screwup and not panic. The last college educated moron we hired tired to send solo driver's overnight Chicago to Miami.
And just because someone has 30 years in the business does not mean they will make a good manager (if in fact you are hiring for a manager-type position). I've seen guys from the ground absolutely fail as a manager, and guys straight from college have succeeded enough to get in pretty decent high-level positions. The two are very different jobs with different skillsets. Now having someone that is capable of doing both? Now you're onto something. Hope it works out for your company.
CMStPnP Earth (90% of which is covered by water, BTW)
More "facts" by CMStPNP...
https://water.usgs.gov/edu/earthhowmuch.html
"About 71 percent of the Earth's surface is water-covered"
An "expensive model collector"
Ah, something reasonable. Nothing is absolute. There is nothing to prevent changing plans if conditions change.
_____________
"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
Exactly what I was taught in Meterology 101 at the University of Wisconsin back in 1988 before it was fashionable to blame mankind. And to those that assert we didn't have the data back then, the instructor covered that as well saying we would all be long dead before we did have the data to prove any kind of impact of man on the macro climate. Micro climate, entirely different story, man can raise the surface temperature of the earth via putting in a asphalt parking lot over a city park but that is in a tiny area relative to the rest of the Earth (90% of which is covered by water, BTW) and atmosphere to say that exponetially that kind of activity impacts the Microclimate ignores multitude of cubic feet of atmosphere above as well as the multitude of Earths surface covered by water.
Buslist Euclid I am surprised that Mr. Harrison takes that position in this highly political debate. If he knows coal will die, but he does not know when, why bail out right now while there is coal traffic to haul? His announced position is just adding to the politics of killing off coal by regulations sooner rather than later. He's only not buying new equipment, NOT getting out of the business.
Euclid I am surprised that Mr. Harrison takes that position in this highly political debate. If he knows coal will die, but he does not know when, why bail out right now while there is coal traffic to haul? His announced position is just adding to the politics of killing off coal by regulations sooner rather than later.
I am surprised that Mr. Harrison takes that position in this highly political debate. If he knows coal will die, but he does not know when, why bail out right now while there is coal traffic to haul? His announced position is just adding to the politics of killing off coal by regulations sooner rather than later.
He's only not buying new equipment, NOT getting out of the business.
Yep. EHH's whole quote paints it a little different.
“Unless something changes drastically in the market, we’re not going to go out and put a double track in, or buy locomotives or anything for coal,” Harrison said, according to E&E News. “Having said that, the last carload of coal that’s shipped out of this country, I want to be the carrier that shipped it.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Norm48327 James, If I may add to what you said, natural gas does currently have the advantage, but how long will that last and at whose expense? As is usual, I suspect the expense will be borne by the consumer. Costs have relegated home heating oil to the back burner now that less expensive options are available. Wind and solar power are only viable with subsidies, and as a result of the mandate for Michigan to make 10% of electric generation mandatory I have seen a 40% increase in my electric rates over the past year. Coal is one of our vast resources and I support every effort within reason to make it as clean as we reasonably can. OTOH, green plants need Carbon Dioxide to grow and if we eliminate it from the atmosphere the greenery, including food sources, will suffer and food shortages will become the norm. I have long been of the opinion Global Warming/Climate Change is a scam to benefit the likes of Al Gore and other elites while leaving the masses to pay for their privileges. It is beyond the pale to think humanity plays a mojor role in doing so. I also think academics have deserted their mission to give true information to the public so they can make a rational decision either in agreement or in conflict with what they say we should believe. Universities have failed their students in many ways, leaving the latter deep in debt while reaping the rewards of their efforts. Research shows the GW data has indeed been fudged and only shows their biases. Sorry to get political but that is what I've seen happening over the last few decades.
James,
If I may add to what you said, natural gas does currently have the advantage, but how long will that last and at whose expense? As is usual, I suspect the expense will be borne by the consumer. Costs have relegated home heating oil to the back burner now that less expensive options are available.
Wind and solar power are only viable with subsidies, and as a result of the mandate for Michigan to make 10% of electric generation mandatory I have seen a 40% increase in my electric rates over the past year.
Coal is one of our vast resources and I support every effort within reason to make it as clean as we reasonably can. OTOH, green plants need Carbon Dioxide to grow and if we eliminate it from the atmosphere the greenery, including food sources, will suffer and food shortages will become the norm.
I have long been of the opinion Global Warming/Climate Change is a scam to benefit the likes of Al Gore and other elites while leaving the masses to pay for their privileges. It is beyond the pale to think humanity plays a mojor role in doing so.
I also think academics have deserted their mission to give true information to the public so they can make a rational decision either in agreement or in conflict with what they say we should believe. Universities have failed their students in many ways, leaving the latter deep in debt while reaping the rewards of their efforts. Research shows the GW data has indeed been fudged and only shows their biases.
Sorry to get political but that is what I've seen happening over the last few decades.
Nevertheless, there are two thoughts in your post I need to briefly address:1. Yes, green plants do indeed need carbon dioxide to transpire; however there is zero chance of CO2 being reduced far enough as to starve the flora. Plants did just fine before the arrival of fauna. And if the flora does expire, it won't matter to us, as we humans will be dead as a result long before the plants die. We need the plants much more than they need us.2. "Global Warming/Climate Change" is a scam to benefit the likes of Al Gore and other beings that like to breathe oxygen, and the masses that will benefit are the same ones that caused the problem in the first place.
As a person who has a degree (granted, only a B.A.) in meteorology/climatology, I could refer you to numerous studies that show the various effects human-made activity has had on the atmosphere. This is not the place for that.
Norm48327 schlimm Norm48327 James, If I may add to what you said, natural gas does currently have the advantage, but how long will that last and at whose expense? As is usual, I suspect the expense will be borne by the consumer. Costs have relegated home heating oil to the back burner now that less expensive options are available. Wind and solar power are only viable with subsidies, and as a result of the mandate for Michigan to make 10% of electric generation mandatory I have seen a 40% increase in my electric rates over the past year. Coal is one of our vast resources and I support every effort within reason to make it as clean as we reasonably can. OTOH, green plants need Carbon Dioxide to grow and if we eliminate it from the atmosphere the greenery, including food sources, will suffer and food shortages will become the norm. I have long been of the opinion Global Warming/Climate Change is a scam to benefit the likes of Al Gore and other elites while leaving the masses to pay for their privileges. It is beyond the pale to think humanity plays a mojor role in doing so. I also think academics have deserted their mission to give true information to the public so they can make a rational decision either in agreement or in conflict with what they say we should believe. Universities have failed their students in many ways, leaving the latter deep in debt while reaping the rewards of their efforts. Research shows the GW data has indeed been fudged and only shows their biases. Sorry to get political but that is what I've seen happening over the last few decades. Your post is strictly political. Sources for your assertions? Or just opinion? Your opinion is noted but taken with 286,000 pounds of salt. Academia is not the be all end all you seem to think it is given your propensity to demean those of lesser education. Lack of the PHD you think makes you so much smarter than the rest of us gets boring after a time. Have you ever put your hand an the throttle of a locomotive or ever pulled a pin in switching operations? I have my doubts, and just for clarification I do not claim to be an expert on anything. I will say it again schlimm. You think, because of your being an academic you have an advantage over those who know how to make a railroad run. Those who work the rails day by day are much more in touch with reality. Please take your utopian thoughts elswhere and contribute to the demise of teaching for themselves. I am tired of listening to your left leaning BS. If you have nothing constructive to offer rather that the condemnation of those who you consider beneath you please shut up and go away.
schlimm Norm48327 James, If I may add to what you said, natural gas does currently have the advantage, but how long will that last and at whose expense? As is usual, I suspect the expense will be borne by the consumer. Costs have relegated home heating oil to the back burner now that less expensive options are available. Wind and solar power are only viable with subsidies, and as a result of the mandate for Michigan to make 10% of electric generation mandatory I have seen a 40% increase in my electric rates over the past year. Coal is one of our vast resources and I support every effort within reason to make it as clean as we reasonably can. OTOH, green plants need Carbon Dioxide to grow and if we eliminate it from the atmosphere the greenery, including food sources, will suffer and food shortages will become the norm. I have long been of the opinion Global Warming/Climate Change is a scam to benefit the likes of Al Gore and other elites while leaving the masses to pay for their privileges. It is beyond the pale to think humanity plays a mojor role in doing so. I also think academics have deserted their mission to give true information to the public so they can make a rational decision either in agreement or in conflict with what they say we should believe. Universities have failed their students in many ways, leaving the latter deep in debt while reaping the rewards of their efforts. Research shows the GW data has indeed been fudged and only shows their biases. Sorry to get political but that is what I've seen happening over the last few decades. Your post is strictly political. Sources for your assertions? Or just opinion?
Your post is strictly political. Sources for your assertions? Or just opinion?
Your opinion is noted but taken with 286,000 pounds of salt. Academia is not the be all end all you seem to think it is given your propensity to demean those of lesser education. Lack of the PHD you think makes you so much smarter than the rest of us gets boring after a time. Have you ever put your hand an the throttle of a locomotive or ever pulled a pin in switching operations? I have my doubts, and just for clarification I do not claim to be an expert on anything.
I will say it again schlimm. You think, because of your being an academic you have an advantage over those who know how to make a railroad run. Those who work the rails day by day are much more in touch with reality. Please take your utopian thoughts elswhere and contribute to the demise of teaching for themselves. I am tired of listening to your left leaning BS. If you have nothing constructive to offer rather that the condemnation of those who you consider beneath you please shut up and go away.
You have a chip on your shoulder as big as a house. It turns you into an irrational, abusive guy as soon as someone disagrees with your opinions which are always politically charged. My comment had nothing to do with my education or academia. I never drove a locomotive. Did you? I did work in several factories.
I will say it again schlimm. You think, because of your being an academic you have an advantage over those who know how to make a railroad run. Those who work the rails day by day are much more in touch with reality. [Personal attack removed by moderator]
Norm
If the CEO thinks that his company has been buying the cars that carry the coal, he is obviously unaware of what his company has been doing.
Johnny
EuclidThe only question is whether the pace of the wind-down matches the declaration that CSX will immediately stop buying new rolling stock or locomotives for the coal business. That would require knowing when the coal business will end, and Harrison says he does not know that. To me, this indicates that he expressing an ideological preference rather than a pure business decision. So I expect that he or CSX after him will actually buy new locomotives and rolling stock as needed for the coal business as it continues for some prolonged time, though dying it may be.
Pre EHH the CSX mantra was for the 'owners' of the coal to buy the cars for the commoditiy's transportation. Power purchases were designed to be sufficient to move the traffic that was offered by customers.
Not buying cars to move coal is one thing. Not buying power to move the traffic that is offered by customers to be moved is a death wish.
The only question is whether the pace of the wind-down matches the declaration that CSX will immediately stop buying new rolling stock or locomotives for the coal business. That would require knowing when the coal business will end, and Harrison says he does not know that. To me, this indicates that he expressing an ideological preference rather than a pure business decision. So I expect that he or CSX after him will actually buy new locomotives and rolling stock as needed for the coal business as it continues for some prolonged time, though dying it may be.
Why Harrison's statement about this is generating any sort of wonder or controversy is beyond me. This industry has been talking the winddown of coal for a decade now, and especially in the last few years.
He just stated the obvious.
As a businessowner/manager, you aren't going to put capital into a business sector you know is dying.
Why would CSX, or any of the Class Is, put any money into their coal franchises? In 50 years it'll all be stranded assets. No, they're going to put their money into tunnel clearances for double-stacks and other intermodal projects, plus some capacity improvements warranted by those movements.
Much the same way as railroads stopped investing in passenger equipment in the 1950s, railroads are starting to do the same with coal. It'll be a long, slow decrease over the next 40-50 years.
As far as locomotives, those are always going to be ordered on the basis of the entire system, instead of just one sector or another.
Thanks Volker, I knew I was close at a quarter. Will be interesting to see what it is in 20 years.. maybe up over a half by then.
EuclidEuclid wrote the following post 1 hours ago: Ulrich Solar and wind and other renewable sources now supply one quarter of the world's electricity needs. What is your source for that? It seems a bit high.
According to REN21 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century) 2017 report, page 33, all renewably energies, not just wind and solar, contributed 24,5% to the generation of electricity: http://www.ren21.net/gsr_2017_full_report_enRegards, Volker
UlrichSolar and wind and other renewable sources now supply one quarter of the world's electricity needs.
What is your source for that? It seems a bit high.
here is the situation.
1. POTUS says coal has a bright future
2. HH Says it does not.
3. CSX will not build any more coal hauling equipment,
5. Reports CSX is neglecting its coal trackage ?
6. STB investigating CSX service,
So can we twist that old advertisement ? " Its not nice to fool mother Trump "
Solar and wind and other renewable sources now supply one quarter of the world's electricity needs. CSX can read the writing on the wall. Clean energy is gaining momentum exponentially, from one year to the next. In April England announced that for the first time since the 19th century no coal was burned to produce energy. We're living in times of massive change and upheaval, the likes of which haven't been seen since the first industrial revolution. I only wish I wish I could live another hundred years to see what the world will be like then.
Norm,
I am going to switch over to diesel computers.
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