Track Warrants
"The Electronic Internet Newsletter of Western Railroading"P.O. Box 720301
San Jose, CA 95172
USA
Issue No. 9
Oct. 27, 1995
Coming Soon! Ken Rattenne's San Jose Tower Feature. Photo by Ken Rattenne
I am going to start out this issue with an apology, not just for getting this to you so late, but also for not using the news that so many of you have sent.
Since the whole point of this is timeliness, there is no point, I think to send out news that's already in print. With that in mind this issue is the news I recieved so far in October. I am going on from here.
Steve
On 10/12/95 Geo. Silcott in Ambridge, PA shipped former MARTA (not the rapid transit line), ex-McKeesport Conneting, originally Newburgh & South Shore Alco T6 # 1017 to Cargill (Grain?) in Indiana. 1017, along with 1016 were the last two Alcos built (delivered in early 1969 to the N&SS). Does anyone know the location of the Cargill facility? 1016 was sold by MARTA (a PA track contractor) to the Middletown & Hummlestown, with a stop at CR's Altoona shops for work.
Lee Gregory
AMTRAK & PASSENGER
At 10:39 PM 10/11/95 -0700, LAWRENCE B. PLATT wrote:
I just heard on the 10PM news that the FBI is investigating the subscribers to >a magazine called "Southern Pacific Trainline".
SP Trainline is the official publication of the Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Sociey
They showed a picture of a >cover with an AMTRAK loco on the front.
The issue in question has a 1941 photo of the City of San Francisco crossing the Salt Lake Trestle.
The report said that the magazine did >an article recently on a similar wreck that happened in 1939. I assume that >this is the"City" wreck there has been talk about on the list?
The current issue has a _4_ page article on the tragic derailment of the City train in 1939. The article contained 7 large pictures supporting the text. The text was a quick review of the unfortunate incident. Without the pictures the text would have covered three columns of _one_ page.
The report implied that the article gave details on how to cause a wreck.
Here is the paragraph in question from the article by John Signor:
" In a preparted statement August 18th, SP President McDonald said 'All the evidence points to the fact that the wrecking of the streamliner was planned with craft and deliberation. Spikes were removed from ten ties and the bolts and angle bars which connect the two rails were also removed. This permitted the criminal or criminals to force the rail four and five-eights inches out of line, in which position it was spiked down to serve as a derailing switch. Care was taken however not to interfere with the flexible bond wires between the two rails, which, if broken, would have automatically set the blocks to stop and averted the tragedy. Many clues as to the person or persons responsible for the wreck have been received, and every clue however slight, is being fully investigated' ". The above passage is the only part of the article that could be construed as "giving details on how to cause a wreck".
They went on to say that 30 people in Arizona subscribe to the magazine. It implied that the FBI will talk to all the subscribers in Arizona. I don't guess it would be a >good idea to go railfanning in Arizona any time soon 8^).
Unfortunate since Arizona is one of my favorite SP railfanning locations. I have taken many great shots out there in the desert.
Lawrence B. Platt
Leonard Ruback
Yes, the dear old FBI spent several hours interviewing John Signor, editor of said SPH&TS magazine, about the "City" wreck. John believes he convinced them that the "detailed railroad knowledge" (namely keeping the bond wire intact), which has been trumpeted on several national TV news programs, was not actually secret knowledge and thus not a very crucial clue. And incidentally, the issue of the magazine (Trainline) in question had an E-unit in UP paint on the cover, not an Amtrak loco. (Or does someone think Amtrak is running pre-war E's?) Feel free to forward this to those interested.
Tony
Leonard - Just remembered another detail of interest. The issue of Trainline in question was mailed from Kansas to subscribers on Tues., Oct. 3. If the Amtrak saboteurs used it for their blueprint, they are darn quick planners and also pretty quick to seize an opportunity. Or something. Signor remarked that after he talked to them, the FBI seemed to cool off on their original thought of checking the alibi of EVERY member of SPH&TS. Gosh, glad the FBI has priorities straight.
Tony Thompson Signature Press, Berkeley, CA
The semaphores at Lake View Siding (approx. 5 mi. west of Lawrence, Kansas) on the Topeka Subdivision have been taken down and replaced with tri-light and searchlight signals. Too bad.
Gary Clark
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Tue, 3 Oct 1995---Today the P-CVRI (which I assume is the former Q-CVRI) arrived Richmond around 1 PM today (by Gateley at 12:30), pulled by the following consist: Santa Fe 878-BN 4004
Both units were clean. The 4004 is a cabless B30-7. It's the first BN I've seen out here.
The Flimsies Hotline reported last week the appearance of BN 7017 (SD40-2) in Richmond.
With BNSF and UP/SP and trackage rights everywhere, it's gonna be a "tutti- frutti" world.
Eric Blasko & Harry Wong
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Wed, 4 Oct 1995---I observed a meet on the Santa Fe at Collier today at 1:45 PM:
Eastbound light units 630-919-920-SP8036
and westbound freight with 5834-SP9752 !!
Eric Blasko
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Just who is Santa Fe merging with?! Yesterday (Oct. 9) was bizarre & wonderful on the 'Fe here on the Stockton Sub. Passing Northbay at around 4:30 PM was the 799 train with: 528-8155-BN3154 (even the C30 is rare) The 199 was not far behind. He had 218-926-249-935. Looked gorgeous in the late aftn. sun. After switching Northbay he departed around 5:30 PM. Right behind him was the M-BARI with: 866-CNW8693-EMD7012 !!!!! Too much for my minuscule mind to comprehend!!? If you want to see a picture of EMD7012, it's in the recent Extra 2200 South (the issue with CSX AC's on the cover).
Following right behind the 866 was the 530 West. I had to go so I didn't see the power. The BNSF has only been around for a few weeks, and already things are getting quite bizarre!
Eric Blasco
I just heard last night from CalTrain staff that the commuter version of the California Car, which CalTrain was originally supposed to receive 23 of, has been cancelled. In CalTrain's case, they will get the cash-out value (approximately $30 million) of their part of the commuter car order and go buy new cars on the open market instead.
This can all be traced back to the trouble Morrison Knudsen has been having with its rail car manufacturing division. M-K recently sold it off to a consortium which will being doing business as American Passenger Rail Car Manufacturing Company, or Amerail (something like that).
Adrian Brandt
This hasn;t been much publicized, but a few weeks ago CR ran the test train for stack cleasrances (ties on a gonnie) into the wrong bore at Galitizin! ie: the one not cleared for stacks. What a mess, but a very quiet and secret mess.
Rob Davis
Not so secret anymore, I guess! Anybody's garden in Pennsylvania need a few wood chips?
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A MESSAGE TO EMPLOYEES FROM DAVE LEVAN
I know there's been a lot of speculation lately about Conrail's plans to buy some of Southern Pacific's eastern lines. Sometimes I'm not able, for legal reasons, to comment on things you want to know. Today, however, there are some things I can tell you.
For several weeks, our senior management has been engaged in discussions with our customers concerning the effect on them of the proposed UP-SP merger. Many of those customers, particularly along the Gulf Coast and in Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas, have expressed concern over having UP as their only rail transportation alternative.
Conrail's proposed solution to the competitive problems posed by the UP-SP merger was to purchase from UP the SP's lines from Chicago and St. Louis, south to Galveston and Brownsville, Texas, and the lines that run west from New Orleans to El Paso, with connections to Mexico. This proposal was entirely consistent with Conrail's strategic business plan of growing and providing value as an independent entity. The shippers most affected by the merger liked the idea of having a first-class rail competitor which would own the lines, as opposed to a tenant with trackage rights over UP.
We believe we made a serious and fair offer to purchase these lines from UP. Nevertheless, they announced yesterday an alternative deal with BNSF which, they claim, will solve all of our customers' competitive concerns. That remains to be seen. While our opportunity to acquire these lines from UP is diminished, we will await reaction from our customers to determine our ultimate course of action.
Either way it works out, I want you to know that we are pursuing our strategic plan to grow and remain strong and independent ...for our employees, for our customers, and for our shareholders.
Dave LeVan
As detailed in the official press release:
The CN ordered 105 SD75Is. They will all be delivered in 1996. The SD75I is rated at 4,300 THP and is a DC locomotive. There is an option for another 70 locomotive at a later date.
Regarding the BN delivery schedule:
The GMLG production schedule takes into account many different factors. You should not assume that all the BN 70MACs will be delivered before you see an CN SD75I.
Larry Jordan
Product Engineering
GM Locomotive Group
IC 1000, the Illinois Central's first SD-70 has departed EMD's facility in London, Ont. It was last reported departing Detroit, MI.enroute to Chicago. Il. via CP at 10:00 AM 9/30/95.
Tom Parker
The situation between the new Sierra owners and Railtown is a rather long story, and it will also be covered in depth in the upcoming Sierra Railway Journal. (Plug, plug.) In the meantime, here's the brief version.
In March the Sierra Railroad was purchased by Sierra Pacific Coast, Inc. In late June SPC codemned most of the Sierra's track for passenger service, thereby shutting down Railtown's tourist trains. There were some heated words exchanged in the local newspaper, and ultimately it was agreed to have the line inspected by an independent inspector. That inspection took place on June 30, and it found some 1,200 worn or rotting ties between Jamestown and Chinese, where Railtown's trains operate. Thus, the condemnation order stood.
Excursions resumed on a limited basis on August 12, after Railtown crews and volunteers replaced ties over a three mile stretch of track between Jamestown and Woods Creek Rock Quarry. So far as I know the 6-mile round trips have continued every weekend since, using one of Railtown's MRS-1 diesel locomotives.
Meanwhile, SPC has experienced other problems over the summer. They were forced to postpone indefinitely their plans to inaugurate their own tourist trains out of Oakdale, primarily because of bad track at that end of the line, and a $25 million insurance demand by SP to operate over 1100 feet of SP track near the Oakdale SP depot (where passengers would have boarded). SPC has also experienced financial problems and organizational turmoil over the summer. According to the Sonora Union-Democrat, the Exec. VP and another director resigned, and a larger shake-up is on the way. In addition, the Standard plywood plant closed in August, thereby reducing the Sierra's freight traffic. Depending on who you talk to, the impact ranges from minimal to as much as 25% of the line's carloads.
Curt Bianchi
The following is the timetable for the Southern Pacific steam locomotive #4449. It is being used on the Willamette and Pacific (former SP "Westside Branch") and the Portland and Western (former Burlington Northern / Spokane Portland & Seattle / Oregon Electric Railway) for the next nine days.
Please note that the locomotive is being used as a freight locomotive in this service. There are two or three passenger cars somewhere in the consist, but for the most part the public is not allowed to ride the cars. It is, however, allowed to take as many photos as its film budget permits. Also note that due to the variances of freight service, this timetable is only extremely approximate. For example, today ( Day 1, Friday, 20-October-1995 ) they spent about two hours switching boxcars at the large industrial sites in Newberg that were not called for in this timetable.
Date Day DEP AR _____________________________________________________________________ 20-OCT-1995 FRI 9:00 Brooklyn Yards, Portland 14:00 McMinnville 20-OCT-1995 FRI 14:30 McMinnville 21:00 Albany 21-OCT-1995 SAT 10:00 Albany to Corvallis to 18:00 Albany 22-OCT-1995 SUN Static Display at Albany or Eugene ( ? ) 23-OCT-1995 MON 7:00 Albany 12:00 Toledo 23-OCT-1995 MON 12:30 Toledo to Eddyville to 15:00 Toledo 24-OCT-1995 TUE 8:00 Toledo 16:00 McMinnville 25-OCT-1995 WED 6:00 McMinnville-Albany-Mac 18:00 Mac 26-OCT-1995 THU 13:00 Mac-Hillsboro-Brooklyn to 00:00 Hillsboro 27-OCT-1995 FRI 8:00 Hillsboro to Cook to 17:00 Hillsboro 28-OCT-1995 SAT 8:00 Hillsboro to Hopmere to 20:00 Hillsboro 29-OCT-1995 SUN 9:00 Hillsboro 14:00 Brooklyn YD,Ptld.
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Several days ago, I received a message in my track warrants stating that the F-1 style dragging equipment detectors will only sound off if a defect is found. This will be phased in over a period of time, so if you fail to hear your favorite dragger while chasing trains on the Southern Pacific, this is why. The hotbox detectors will continue to talk as they do now.
Brian N. Black, Southern Pacific Conductor (via newsgroup)
Tehachapi District
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On September 1st, SP came out with a preliminary list of lines they plan to abandon and trackage rights segments they will discontinuing using. This is all related to a successful UP-SP merger.
Those lines identified are:
Also announced it the western portion of the Phoenix Line is a line
"anticipated to be the subject of abandonment application within three
years." This is the section between Wellton and Arlington AZ
Tony Johnson - Central Point OR, (via newsgroup)
Union Pacific announced this morning that it is leasing 20 Amtrak locomotives for use on north south intermodal trains through Texas. See ya trackside!
Jud Powell Texarkana, Texas RAILROAD GATEWAY TO TEXAS
September 26, 1995 -- Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads today announced a comprehensive agreement with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corporation to preserve and intensify rail competition following the UP/SP merger.
Under the agreement, BNSF will be able to serve every shipper that is served jointly by UP and SP today. In addition, UP/SP and BNSF will grant each other further rights which will create new competitive routes in a number of markets.
The agreement calls for nearly 4,100 miles of trackage rights and line sales between UP/SP and BNSF. It guarantees strong rail competition for the Gulf Coast petrochemical belt, U.S.-Mexico border points, the Intermountain West, California, and along the Pacific Coast.
"As part of our merger proposal with Southern Pacific Lines, we promised our customers that we would bring strong rail competition to every point that loses a two-carrier option," said Dick Davidson, Union Pacific Railroad Chairman.
"This agreement backs up that pledge," he said. As part of the agreement, BNSF will not oppose UP's proposed acquisition of SP. "Many of our customers had requested that BNSF be selected as the competitive choice," Davidson added. "After taking the terms of our agreement with BNSF into account, we're confident we can show a net annual benefit from our proposed merger with SP exceeding $500 million," Davidson said. Under the agreement, UP/SP will share more than 3,800 miles of track with BNSF under trackage rights and sell more than 335 miles of track to BNSF.
The line sales portion of the agreement would total about $150 million. Trackage rights are a contractual arrangement which allow one railroad to operate its trains with its own crews over the tracks of another railroad in exchange for a per mile fee. They are a proven means of providing effective rail service.
"The combined UP/SP competing against the Burlington Northern Santa Fe will benefit rail customers through shorter routes, faster schedules, extensive new single-line service, elimination of capacity bottlenecks, improved car handling at terminals and cost efficiencies," said Davidson.
The competitive agreement covers the following regions:
WEST COAST-INTERMOUNTAIN
Burlington Northern Santa Fe BNSF will operate over SP and UP lines between Denver, Colorado and Oakland, California. BNSF will serve Provo, Geneva, Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah; Reno, Nevada and various other intermediate points. BNSF will operate over both UP's "Feather River" route and SP's Donner Pass line. BNSF will purchase UP's "Inside Gateway" route in Northern California between Keddie and Bieber, linking its Oregon lines with its California network. BNSF will serve the Oakland-San Jose area via UP trackage rights.
BNSF will improve its access to the Port of Oakland over SP trackage rights. UP/SP will work with BNSF to assure uninterrupted rail service to the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles while the Alameda Corridor project is constructed. Union Pacific/Southern Pacific UP/SP will have trackage rights in Oregon over BNSF between Bend and Chemult, Oregon to connect eastern Oregon and Washington with the SP's I-5 Corridor linking the Pacific Coast. UP/SP will gain overhead trackage rights over BNSF's Mojave to Barstow, California line.
BNSF will enter into a proportional rate agreement with UP/SP over the Portland Gateway which will allow UP/SP to compete with BNSF on business originating or terminating in an area extending from Montana west and from Canada to the Columbia River and destined to or originating in an area extending from Oregon to West Texas.
TEXAS-LOUISIANA
BNSF will operate over UP between Houston and Brownsville, Texas. BNSF will be granted trackage rights on SP's line between Houston and Iowa Jct., Louisiana near Lake Charles. The remaining SP line east to Avondale, Louisiana near New Orleans from Iowa Jct. will be sold to BNSF, with UP retaining full trackage rights. This will give BNSF a through route between Houston and New Orleans, where the lines of UP and SP are parallel.
BNSF will gain access to major petrochemical plants at Mont Belvieu, Baytown, Amelia and Orange, Texas.
BNSF will operate over various UP and SP routes in Texas, including San Antonio-Sealy, San Antonio-Eagle Pass, Taylor-Round Rock and Waco-Taylor-Smithville. UP will sell its Dallas-Waxahachie line to BNSF, but will retain exclusive rights to serve on-line customers.
HOUSTON-MEMPHIS
--BNSF will operate over SP between Houston and Fair Oaks, Arkansas and over UP between Fair Oaks and Memphis, Tennessee. This will give BNSF a through route between Houston and Memphis.
ACCESS --BNSF will grant UP/SP improved access to the BNSF Chicago-Kansas City line at points west of Chicago; and to dock and port facilities in Superior, Wisconsin and Portland, Oregon.
The proposed agreement will be submitted to the Union Pacific Corporation Board of Directors at its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday. The agreement will go before the Southern Pacific Rail Corporation Board of Directors, also meeting on Thursday.
Union Pacific, a subsidiary of Union Pacific Corporation, plans to file its merger application with the Interstate Commerce Commission by December 1. A decision is expected next year.
via Harry K. Wong
In Horicon WI last week was the first WC painted F45. It has the regular WC colors and stripe except that the stripe is zig-zagged in a lightning style, and a WC shield on the side. Another WC shield is on the rear of the unit as well. You're late on the first two....the 6650 has been out about 4 weeks, and the 6654 has been out about two weeks. The ATSF 5981 (now WC 6656) is at Horicon, and will be finished soon. We've seen the 6650 here frequently (It's in New Brighton, will lead a coal train east as I write this).
Fred H. via Harry Wong
1900-ERA RAILROAD MUSEUM OK'D AT COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS IN SAN JOSE
A railroad museum, complete with restored steam engines, will be built at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds within five years.
The project will include county archives and a scale model of the Bay Area's train system as it was around the turn of the century.
Much of the $6.8 million project will be built with donated funds and volunteer labor, museum officials said.
When the project is completed, by 2003, it will include tracks around the fairgrounds in San Jose, with rides behind the restored steam engines.
Final approval for the railroad museum plan came Tuesday from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.
The museum, conceived in 1989, will be an enlarged replica of an early San Jose train depot. Half of the depot will be used to store old county records that will be available for research. The other half will be for the model train reproduction of the Bay Area's rail transportation system 95 years ago.
Behind the depot will be a building to house two steam locomotives, and early model and a later version, a 1923 engine that was retired in 1956.
Also on the site will be a historic Southern Pacific roundhouse.
SJ Merc-News via David Nebenzahl
SIZE PER PRICE
--------------------------------------
AG1 DZ $3.50
AG1B DZ 3.75
M2 DZ 4.00
M2B DZ 4.25
M5B DZ 4.25
M25B DZ 4.25
5 DZ 4.00
5B DZ 4.25
PRESS 25 DZ 5.75
PRESS 25B DZ 6.25
PRESS 26B FP DZ 6.25
# 11 EA .60
# 11B EA .65
# 22 EA .75
#22B EA .80
#50 EA 1.00
#50B EA 1.25
ABOVE PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE SHIPPING CHARGES, WE WILL SHIP BY WHATEVER METHOD YOU WANT US TO, SHIPPING IS AN ADDITIONAL CHARGE!!!
BILL CRESS
wcress@ix.netcom.com
This document was last updated November 6, 1995.