Railfanning.org News Wire – Page 305

New England Central Railroad Receives FRA Grants for Bridge and Tunnel Upgrades

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is awarding two grants to the New England Central Railroad (NECR). The railroad will receive $960,000 with the NECR is providing $240,000 in matching funds for structural repairs to a 1860s vintage rail tunnel located in Burlington, Vt. The repairs include removing old brick, installing tunnel liner, and improving drainage which is intended to extend the life of the tunnel by up to 20 years. The tunnel is located on a branch line of the railroad which has a critical rail interchange with the Vermont Railway that serves northern Vermont. The second grant is in the amount of $2,746,240 to support the installation

FRA Grant to West Virginia University Continues Research into Strengthening Railroad Crossties

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — West Virginia University at Morgantown is receiving a $191,100 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to continue research into upgrading or rehabilitating deteriorated wooden railroad crossties with thermoplastic reinforcements. The grant funds will specifically be used to manufacture and perform full-scale field-testing of the crossties under normal rail traffic conditions on the South Branch Valley Railroad as well as subject them to freeze-thaw cycles. The results of the research may be applied to strengthen materials used for timber constructed railroad bridges.

Washington DOT Receives FRA Grants for Produce Rail Car Leasing Program, Track Upgrades

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Washington Department of Transportation is receiving two grants from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The first is in the amount of $990,000 to support an ongoing state program that leases 30 refrigerated rail cars to agricultural producers of perishable food products. The grant funds will be used to extend the existing program to the year 2014. The second grant is for $754,600 for various infrastructure improvements on the City of Tacoma-owned Tacoma Rail operation. Specifically, the funds will be used to inspect and repair three rail bridges and two highway-rail grade crossings as well as replace cross ties along a 16-mile section of track from Frederickson and

FRA Continues Research into Train Wheel/Rail Interaction

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is awarding a $250,000 grant to the National Research Council of Canada to continue ongoing cooperative research into the interaction between the wheels of locomotives and railcars and the track they operate over. The purpose of the research is to prevent train derailments resulting from issues such as a wheel climbing over the rail when moving through track curves. The work will examine the problems of rolling contact fatigue and will assess wheel/rail profiles, friction and lubrication, rail grinding maintenance practices, as well as determining the relationship between vehicle response and track geometry input.

FRA Joins Norfolk Southern in Research of Battery Powered Electric Locomotives

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

WASHINGTON — The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is awarding a $50,000 grant to Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) to support the railroad’s effort to design a prototype battery powered electric locomotive which can reduce emissions and lower fuel costs. The grant funds will be used to design the lead-acid battery packaging system and perform Failure Modes and Effects Analysis to address potential safety risks associated with the high voltages and electric current arising from large numbers of batteries cabled together. The technology is being developed for locomotives used in rail yard switching operations. In addition, NS is providing $65,000 toward this project.

Union Pacific and Progress Rail Services Sign Agreement to Initiate First Testing of Green Technology in Intermediate-Haul Locomotives

September 12, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Railroad has signed an agreement with Progress Rail Services, a Caterpillar company, to test five SD40-2 locomotives originally built in the 1970’s that have been remanufactured with 3,005-horsepower low-emission diesel engines. These locomotives will meet Tier 2 emissions standards, incorporate new emission control technologies, and will be the first ever tested for intermediate-haul routes. The prototypes are powered by Caterpillar model 3516, 3005- horsepower diesel engines. They have more power than the typical 2000- horsepower 4-axle Genset “switch” locomotive used around terminals, but are less powerful than the 4400- horsepower 6-axle “line haul” locomotives used for transcontinental freight service. Union Pacific will operate these locomotives

Norfolk Southern Whistle-Stop Train Delivers Safety Training to Emergency Responders in Georgia, Carolinas and Virginia

September 9, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

NORFOLK, Va. — A special train will travel to Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia Sept. 15-19 to provide emergency preparedness training to first responders as part of the 2008 Norfolk Southern TRANSCAER Whistle-Stop Tour. TRANSCAER (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) is a nationwide program that assists communities in preparing for and responding to a possible hazardous material transportation incident. “The Whistle-Stop Tour brings emergency preparedness training to response organizations and educates communities near major rail routes about rail equipment, chemical transportation, and the importance of planning for potential hazardous material transportation emergencies,” said Chuck Wehrmeister, Norfolk Southern’s vice president safety and environmental. The tour kicks off in

Union Pacific Surpasses Own Records for Moving Loaded Coal Trains Out of Wyoming

September 8, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific said it has surpassed its own monthly record for delivering coal out of Wyoming’s Southern Powder River Basin (SPRB) not only once, but twice. In August, the railroad moved 1,190 loaded coal trains out of the SPRB, making it the best month on record and surpassing the previous record of 1,174 loaded trains set in July 2008. “Our investments in the Joint Line and throughout our coal network are paying dividends in terms of our coal train velocity and throughput,” said Doug Glass, vice president and general manager – energy. UP also announced the following SPRB coal loading records: — A record 18.7 million tons

BNSF to Replace Almost 20 Track Miles of Rail in North Dakota

September 6, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

FORT WORTH, TExas — BNSF Railway Company will replace almost 20 track miles of rail at several locations between Beaver Hill, Mont., and Mandan, N.D., beginning Sept. 2. The project is expected to cost an estimated $8 million and is scheduled to conclude Oct. 16, 2008. Two rail replacement production crews of 33 employees each will utilize equipment such as cranes, welders and ballast tampers to replace rail at an estimated combined rate of one mile a day for 34 days. To allow the two BNSF crews time to replace the rail, sections of track will be closed 6-hours a day during the week until completion. Materials replaced on the

MARTA Ridership Jumps 13.2 Percent in July

September 5, 2008 Railfanning.org News Wire

ATLANTA — MARTA provided service for over 14 million passengers during July – a 13.2 percent jump in ridership over July of last year. Ridership increased across the board for all modes of transportation including increases of 12.9 percent (7.8 million boardings) for rail, 13.6 percent (6.2 million boardings) for bus, and 18.2 percent (37,000) for MARTA’s mobility paratransit service for seniors and disabled customers. “Thanks to rising gas prices, we’ve had a great opportunity to introduce new customers to the system, and we are extremely pleased that more people are taking advantage of the affordable cost and convenience of our service,” said MARTA General Manager/CEO Beverly A. Scott. “We