April 2009 – Page 4 – Railfanning.org

Hear That Train A Comin’: Historic Steam Locomotive To Visit the West on Heritage Tour

April 7, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Thousands of people will have the chance to see this “living legend” in person when Union Pacific’s historic steam locomotive, No. 844, travels from its base in Wyoming, to California on a 32-day, four-state tour. The “Western Heritage Tour” will be rolling from April 11 through May 12, heading through many cities and towns that witnessed the birth of the railroad. The 844 will make special stops in eight cities across Nevada, California and Utah for the public to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity, the No. 844 Western Heritage Tour. The Steam Locomotive will help

BNSF Cuts Intermodal Shipping Time by More than 12 Hours

April 7, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, Texas — In first quarter 2009, BNSF Railway Co. achieved a 12-hour reduction in average transit time for domestic and international intermodal traffic over first quarter 2008. BNSF also improved shipment availability in some lanes by as much as 20 hours. By working with its intermodal partners and leveraging available capacity, BNSF is also achieving as much as 99 percent in door-to-door, on-time deliveries, the company said. “Intermodal performance improvements are a direct result of capital investments and productivity enhancements made over the last several years,” said Steve Branscum, group vice president, BNSF Consumer Products. “BNSF is the

Getting America to Ride the High-Speed Rails

April 7, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The romance of riding the rails may be returning to America thanks to new federal funding and a public hungry for ways to save time, money, the environment, and add a measure of convenience in their hectic lives. According to a new study commissioned by HNTB Corporation, more than half of Americans (54 percent) would choose modern high-speed trains over automobile (33 percent) and air travel (13 percent) if fares and travel time were about the same. “Our country needs high-speed rail as part of a balanced transportation system,” said Peter Gertler, chair of the firm’s

Wabtec Forms Joint Venture to Manufacture Brake Equipment for Chinese Rail Market

April 7, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WILMERDING, Pa. — Wabtec Corp. has formed a 50-50 joint venture in China to manufacture brake equipment for the Chinese rail market. The joint venture is owned by Wabtec and Shenyang Locomotive and Rolling Stock Railways Brakes Co. Ltd., the largest manufacturer of locomotive and freight car brake equipment in China. “This investment builds on our existing presence in China, the largest rail market outside of North America,” said Albert J. Neupaver, Wabtec’s president and chief executive officer. “Our capabilities and technology will be valuable assets in this rapidly growing market.” The joint venture company, Shenyang CNR Wabtec Railway Brake

Minnesota Conducting Study of Future Rail Lines

April 7, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota is conducting a statewide study of future rail lines in Minnesota will consider all options. Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced the survey, as the state prepares an application for “federal stimulus funding” for rail projects. Pawlenty is directing Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Tom Sorel and the Minnesota Intercity Passenger Rail Transportation Forum to study all potential future rail lines in Minnesota. The group will advise Commissioner Sorel on the implementation of a comprehensive statewide freight and passenger rail plan and on which projects to submit for federal funding. Pawlenty and Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., have

MARTA Board of Directors Requests Meeting With State’s Governor

April 6, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA — MARTA Board of Directors urged Gov. Sonny Perdue, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and House Speaker Glenn Richardson to call a special session to “deal with” transportation and MARTA funding issues. During their 2009 General Assembly, state legislators did not to pass what MARTA officials call “critical legislation providing regional or state transportation funding and lifting restrictions on the use of MARTA’s capital reserve funds,” MARTA contends. The Georgia General Assembly ended April 3, and during this year’s legislative session, MARTA officials petitioned state lawmakers to grant the authority access to $65 million in its capital reserve account to

AAR: Rail Freight Traffic Down in March

April 6, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — Freight traffic on U.S. railroads was down again during March, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported April 2. U.S. railroads originated 1,082,514 carloads of freight in March 2009, down 17.3 percent (226,279 carloads) from March 2008. U.S. intermodal rail traffic, which consists of trailers and containers on flat cars and is not included in carload figures, totaled 729,033 units in March 2009, down 14.9 percent (127,371 trailers and containers) compared to March 2008. For the first three months of 2009, total U.S. rail carloadings were down 16.3 percent (636,192 carloads) to 3,259,097 carloads, while intermodal traffic was

STB to Examine Uniform Railroad Costing System

April 6, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Surface Transportation Board announced today that it will hold a public hearing April 30 to examine issues related to the Uniform Railroad Costing System (URCS) used by the Board to determine a railroad’s variable costs in a variety of regulatory proceedings. URCS calculates system-average variable costs for each Class I railroad based on information annually reported to the Board. The Board believes it is time for a review of URCS to determine whether, and to what extent, modifications are needed to account for recent changes in agency procedures, to improve system outputs, and to further the national

Canadian Pacific Prepares for the Red River Flood

April 5, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

EMERSON, Alberta – Canadian Pacific has temporarily closed its rail line connecting Emerson and Winnipeg due to flooding on the Red River in southern Manitoba. Company officials will be available for comment on flood preparations in Emerson on Monday morning while flood management measures are put in place. CP has worked with emergency management officials, its customers and communities in preparation for the flood. Service on the rail line will be restored as soon as the flood threat passes, the track is inspected and it is safe to return the line to service, the railroad said.

Train Show Features Models, Memorabilia and More

April 4, 2009 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORCROSS, Ga. – The Great Train Expo hit town this weekend, offering everyone from avid railfans to first-timers the chance to peruse an assortment of railroad memorabilia, model trains and everything in between. Atlanta resident Ruth Mitcham attended her first train show. She enjoyed the show’s atmosphere, especially the model train layouts. “It’s just interesting to see this many people doing what they love,” she said as she watched a Florida East Coast locomotive pulling a mixed freight train on the Georgia Division of the Atlantic Coast S Gaugers’ layout. “Everybody seems to take such joy in it.” The Great