Adding rail capacity

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2005 15:05:42 EST 
To: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org 
From: nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org
Subject:  Re: Passing siding capacity 

    
Dr. Scheer:
I really can't say whether or not "The Punk" has
enough pass tracks or not.  I haven't seen a morning
report in a decade.  The classic delay on the Winston
District occurs   when a crew has gone on duty at 
Shaffers Crossing as a northbound is passing Rocky
Mount.  The dispatcher will USUALLY route the
northbound into the siding at Wirtz, while the
southbound couples up, knocks out bad orders (if any),
then travels to Wirtz at the glacial speed of 25 MPH.
I haven't kept a breast on work rules and haven't been
paid to.  I imagine this procedure is to reduce
initial terminal delay. In my civilian status now, I
sited a southbound that made Wirtz eight hours after
having gone on duty and yes, there was a
train in the hole waiting for it.  Had Hester Wrights
been there, based on a maximum authorized speed of 25
MPH, the northbound would have advanced 10 miles
closer to Roanoke and the delay would have been
reduced by 55 mins. or maybe an hour.  Mr. Fishwick
never bought it, but Southern used a "canned"
figure for train delays -- $150.00 per hour (in 1975
prices).
 
The complexion of the traffic hauled on the Punk'in
Vine constantly changes.  In the 1930's, it was
smoking tobacco (and N&W had a named time freight
called "The Camel").  That started to taper off when 
automobiles and trucks began moving to Walkertown. 
Then came Belews Creek.  Now it appears that the
Winston District  has become an alternative to traffic
moving over White Oak Mountain.  Quite often the
LInwood-Roanoke run through moves jam-up tonnage.  It
has to run the pick up at Greensboro in order to make
the pick-up at Dundee (Danville) and be within the
tonnage rating for the climb to White Oak.  The
Greensboro traffic is sloughed over to the Winston
District.  Then there's chicken feed. Unit grain
trains have been moving down the Shendo.
Division for points on the A&Y (Southern's line to
Sanford).  For some reason, Norfolk Southern granted
N&W trackage rights through Greensboro (and the
North Carolina RR went into orbit because they own the
tracks).  If this traffic keeps building, it appears
that more passing sidings will be in order.
 
It's certainly a mystery why NS is so enthralled about
moving traffic between Riverton Jct. and Manassas.  In
those 51 miles, I believe NS has now built one decent
passing siding.  And clearances -- there been several
instances on the former Southern main line.  Most
recently a double stack was out
of classification for the Charlotte set-off.  It
continued moving north until it got clothes-lined by
an overhead bridge at Salisbury.  The Main Street arch
in Charlottesville is very restrictive and hi-wides
will clear only on the center track.  Before the
dispatching operation was moved from Greensboro to
Greenville, there was a transformer en route to CP&L. 
It even had a rider with it.  Well it got wedged in
the arch.  You can't buy a transformer at Sam's Club. 
Any attempt to move double-stacks, etc. will require
better clearances.
 
Currently there's a bill before the Virginia
legislature that would make $33 million available to
railroads for capital improvements.  Our local senator
has noted that railroads no longer have the money to
make these improvements.  I can't imagine why.

Harry Bundy


February 6, 2005

Hello, Harry:

Thanks for the summary.  It's a nice overview.  Aside
from what you mentioned about the Riverton Junction to
Manassas segment, it is also operated under track
warrants with some curves that slow running time.  My
general observation is that when I see a westbound
train at Delaplane, it will pass Boyce northbound
about three hours later.  The approximate rail
distance beyond those points is about 60 miles.

The view about railroad capital investment is not that
railroads don't have funds, but that they cannot
obtain a return on investment that is at least their
cost of capital.  One of the benefits is the reduced
running time which affects train delay.  Exactly how
that is calculated or whether it is included affects
the financial evaluation.  It is interesting on routes
involving passenger service that is may not be applied
to passenger trains, since they are not the freight
carrier's trains.  That leads to the Association of
American Railroads' description of "public-private
partnerships."  The "public benefits" presumably cover
passenger running time as well as avoided highway
costs of avoiding construction of associated road
improvements.  I've done more than a few business
cases over the years on a variety of non-railroad
projects.  How shared costs and benefits might be
allocated between the private and public interests
reminds me of an Amos 'n' Andy episode where the
Kingfish deals "one for you, and one for me; two for
you, and one-two for me."

I suppose we'll see how the costs and benefits are
documented, Harry.  In the meantime, I have a
curiosity: the Norfolk Southern building at Franklin
Road has a reserved space for Jack Fishwick.  Since
you mentioned his name, perhaps you or someone can add
a bit more about his present NS activities.

I recall that when I was working for the N&W during
the 1970s, Jack lived in a suite at the top of the
Hotel Roanoke.  He probably had the best commute of
anyone, although the drive from my apartment at the
Frontier Apartment on Hollins Road to the Safety
Department in the passenger station was never more
than fifteen minutes.  I also remember staff in the
New and Old General Office Buildings were complaining
how a space in an unpaved lot near these structures
had increased from $1.50 to $2.50 per MONTH.  Loved
those Roanoke days!

Good evening,

Frank


=====
Dr. Frank R. Scheer, Curator
Railway Mail Service Library, Inc.
f_scheer at yahoo.com
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