[N&W] Re: Double Stacks on the Pocahontas Division

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Certainly Conrail did NS a favor when they enlarged the Detroit River
Tunnel.  Prior to that time, NS maintained two tugs and four floats
for traffic that wouldn't clear the ex-Michigan Central tunnels -- hy-cubes,
multi-levels, etc.  By my recollection, the floats would accomodate
24 car lengths.  Translated, that mean 12 hy cubes -- three on each
of four tracks. And not only was NS floating traffic to/from the CP,CN, and
the St. Thomas Division, they were also floating oversized traffic for
CR and CSX as well.  Reflecting again from a study of the joint facility
made 15+ years ago, it cost about $26.00 per CAR LENGTH to make
the 20 minute crossing.  And remember, hy-cubes and multi-levels got
dinged for TWO car lengths.
                                                    Harry Bundy
____________________________________________________________________________
This week's issue of "Engineering News Record" had a brief article about a 
planned intermodal facility in Portsmouth, VA, to be complete circa 
2007.  Maersk was cited as developer.  So perhaps there are several reasons 
for increasing clearances.  BTW, I believe domestic containers are longer, 
not higher.

John Samples
 >
 > From: N&W Mailing List <mailing-list at nwhs.org>
 > Date: 2004/05/18 Tue AM 02:50:05 GMT
 > To: N&W Mailing List <mailing-list at nwhs.org>
 > Subject: Re: Double Stacks on the Pocahontas Division
 >
 > Raising the clearances of a tunnel or raising the roof, sounds
 > misleading.  Actually, they lower the floors as well.  It can be done.  In
 > the past few years prior to the CSX/NS destruction of Conrail, Guilford
 > Rail System managed to get Federal and State funding to increase clearances
 > of the Hoosic Tunnel in Massachusetts.  This tunnel is still one of the
 > longest if not the longest tunnel east of the Mississippi.  Of course one
 > of the mistakes they made was they did not make it large enough for the new
 > international double stacks to make it through, but domestic double stacks
 > still make it. (Excuse me if I flipped flopped on which is larger, domestic
 > or international.)  It can be done, expect to see some tunnel boring
 > machines and a diversion of traffic.  Guilford, made a deal with Conrail to
 > ship most of it's traffic over to Conrail, until the work was
 > completed.  So it looks like some interesting times will be had on the old
 > Pokey.
 >
 > A.J. Gemperline
 >  > Gordon--
 >  >
 >  > Like the rest of the N&W, I guess we better get pics of the tunnels while
 >  > we can!
 >  >
 >  > Bucky Wilson
 >  > ___________________________________________________________________
 >  > > ----- Original Message -----
 >  > From: "N&W Mailing List" <mailing-list at nwhs.org>
 >  > To: "N&W Mailing List" <mailing-list at nwhs.org>
 >  > Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 11:09 PM
 >  > Subject: Double Stacks on the Pocahontas Division
 >  >
 >  >
 >  >  > Some recent Mail List questions have addressed the routes of 
double stack
 >  >  > intermodal trains through Roanoke, and replies have pointed out 
how the
 >  >  > numerous relatively low tunnels on the former N & W Pocahontas 
Division
 >  >  > prohibit the operation of double stacks there.
 >  >  >
 >  >  > Mail List subscribers may be interested in the following article 
from the
 >  >  > current issue of Progressive Railroading about plans to remedy the
 > problem
 >  >  > on the Pocahontas Division.
 >  >  >
 >  >  > Gordon Hamilton
 >  >  >
 >  >  >
 >  >  >
 >  >  > HEARTLAND CORRIDOR
 >  >  >
 >
 >  >  > The planners of a $266 million, three-state intermodal corridor 
will meet
 >  >  > sometime this month to discuss the project. Norfolk Southern 
Railway, the
 >  >  > Kanawha Valley Local Port District, West Virginia Public Port 
Authority,
 >  >  > Ohio Rail Development Commission, Ohio Department of 
Transportation and
 >  >  > Virginia Port Authority plan to build the "Heartland Corridor," a
 >  > dedicated
 >  >  > double-stack container line between Norfolk, Va., ports and Columbus,
 >  > Ohio.
 >  >  >
 >  >  > The project would include upgrading NS' lines, reconstructing 28 rail
 >  >  > tunnels and 24 overhead obstructions, and building intermodal ramps in
 >  >  > Roanoke, Va., Pritchard, W. Va., and Columbus, where an Ohio River 
port
 >  >  > facility, industrial park and warehouse would tie-in to the ramp.
 >  >  >
 >  >  > The corridor is designed to capitalize on NS' routes, inland ports 
along
 >  >  > the Ohio River and adjacent interstates to increase the river basin's
 >  >  > intermodal traffic volume.
 >  >  >
 >
 >  >  > The project will address facility requirements to accommodate a 
projected
 >  >  > 200 percent increase in South American import and export traffic per a
 >  >  > recent Latin American trade and transportation study, corridor 
planners
 >  >  > believe.
 >  >  >
 >  >  > "[The district] wants to be ready to capitalize on this intermodal
 >  >  > transportation trend as an economic generator for the vitality of the
 >  >  > entire three-state region," said Kanawha Valley Local Port District
 >  >  > Director Stephen Weir in a prepared statement.
 >  >  >
 >  >  >