Railfanning.org News Wire

International Rail Partners Opens for Business

August 24, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

International Rail Partners LLCwas recently formed to pursue the acquisition and operation of freight railroads outside of the United States, as well as other rail-related support businesses worldwide. In addition to its corporate headquarters located in Boca Raton, Florida, the Company also has an office in San Francisco, California. The IRP leadership team is led by Managing Member Gary O. Marino, former Chairman, CEO and President of RailAmerica, and founder of Patriot Rail Corp. Other IRP managers include Donald Redfearn, former President of RailAmerica and Executive Vice President of Patriot Rail Corp., and Bennett Marks, former Executive Vice President &

L.B. Foster Provides 11,000 CXT Concrete Ties for Tesoro Refinery

August 24, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

PITTSBURGH — L.B. Foster Co. has been awarded a contract by RailWorks Track Systems Inc. to supply 11,000 of its CXT Concrete Ties for the construction of an unloading facility at the Tesoro oil products refinery in Anacortes, Wash. The Tesoro Corp. refinery is at the western end of an ambitious railway transport system that will include 800 tank cars carrying 40,000 barrels of crude oil each day from Tesoro’s Bakken Shale operations in North Dakota. The concrete ties will support a high-capacity rail unloading system capable of accommodating four 110-car trains simultaneously. “L.B. Foster has a long-standing and successful

Wabtec Signs $45 Million Contract To Repower Locomotives For Toronto’s Metrolinx

August 24, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

WILMERDING, Pa. — Wabtec Corp.’s MotivePower subsidiary has signed a $45 million contract with Metrolinx, an agency of the Province of Ontario and the regional transportation authority for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). MotivePower will repower 11 locomotives with new engines and propulsion systems that meet significantly higher environmental standards. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2014. The locomotives, originally built by MotivePower about five years ago, will be repowered with new engines that meet Tier 4 emission standards, as set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They include technology that reduces diesel particulate emissions by about 85

CSX Intermodal Terminals Wins American Council of Engineering Companies Award

August 20, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Intermodal Terminals and EMH&T have won the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Ohio “2012 Engineering Excellence Outstanding Achievement Award” for the design of CSX Intermodal Terminal’s Northwest Ohio intermodal terminal. CSX worked closely with EMH&T to design the Northwest Ohio facility, which uses cutting-edge technologies and green design, including ultra-efficient electric cranes that lower emissions, optical scanners that reduce truck idling times and automated car tracking technologies and remote switches that increase operational efficiency. “CSX is proud to accept this distinguished honor,” said Wilby Whitt, president of CSX Intermodal Terminals. “CSX appreciates the continued

Union Pacific Railroad Investing $20 Million to Test Emissions-Reducing Locomotive Technology in California

August 14, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

ROSEVILLE, Calif. — Union Pacific Railroad is investing $20 million to test new technology designed to reduce diesel emissions from freight locomotives in California. A series of 25 experimental locomotives will be based in two Union Pacific rail yards in California as part of a rigorous test of emissions-reducing technologies. The investment represents Union Pacific’s latest effort to further reduce emissions and move closer to the U.S. EPA’s Tier 4 locomotive emissions standards for new locomotives starting in 2015. The experimental locomotives are intermediate line-haul units, with an operating range of approximately 200 miles, and will be used exclusively in

Federal Railroad Administration, OSHA Sign Agreement to Protect Railroad Workers from Retaliation

July 23, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) signed an agreement to improve coordination between the two agencies in enforcing the whistleblower provision of the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA). The FRSA protects employees from retaliation when they report safety violations to the government or report work-related personal injuries or illnesses. “Safety is our highest priority and this agreement is an important step in providing protections for those who report unsafe conditions,” said FRA Administrator Joseph Szabo. “Establishing a formal process for safeguarding the rights

Metro Takes Delivery of State-of-the-Art Track Geometry Vehicle

July 5, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

Metro has accepted delivery of its first track geometry vehicle (TGV), a specialized railcar equipped with advanced technology to analyze the condition of rail and track infrastructure, and to alert Metro to potential defects. The TGV, built by Falls Church, VA-based Ensco, Inc., gives Metro in-house capability to inspect track with greater speed and efficiency, and to detect track anomalies before they have an impact on service. “Ultrasonic and geometry testing can be performed to assist in managing maintenance needs and advance identification of ‘trouble spots’ to improve reliability of service and limit disruptions,” said Tom Robinson, Metro’s Deputy Chief

CSX names John W. Kelsey Business, Technology Park ‘Select Site’

June 7, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Corp. announced the selection of the John W. Kelsey Business and Technology Park in Greenville, Ill., as one of its first certified CSX Select Sites. CSX has introduced CSX Select Sites to offer customers an easy way to access certified, rail-ready properties for a variety of industrial uses. “These sites represent many of the best manufacturing properties along CSX’s rail network in the eastern U.S.,” explained Clark Robertson, CSX Assistant Vice President – Regional Development. “The Select Site designation promotes shorter decision timelines, increased speed to market, and lower up-front development risk for companies seeking industrial

CSX Announces Record First Quarter Results Inbox

April 22, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Corp. announced first quarter net earnings of $449 million, or $0.43 per share, versus $395 million, or $0.35 per share, in the same period last year. This represents a 23 percent year-over-year improvement in earnings per share. “CSX is off to a fast start in a year that will be dynamic and challenging,” said Michael J. Ward, chairman, president and chief executive officer of CSX. “A significant majority of our transportation markets are performing very well and our operations are delivering excellent results.” Revenue in the quarter improved 6 percent from the prior year to nearly

The Andrews Raid: A Timeline of Events

April 12, 2012 Railfanning.org News Wire

KENNESAW, Ga. – April 12, 1862. It was the one-year anniversary of the start of the Civil War, and the morning passenger train – pulled by the locomotive General – arrived in town. A band of Union spies led by James J. Andrews, the men planned to steal the locomotive and then destroy the Western & Atlantic Railroad, a vital link between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tenn., in the heart of the Confederacy. The Andrews Raid, also known as The Great Locomotive Chase, ultimately failed. More than an “astounding adventure,” the raid was near genius. Thursday marks the 150th anniversary of