AAR Reports A Slight Shift In Carload Declines During February

Source: BNSF (Press Release)

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is reporting that U.S. freight railroads saw a 1.5 percent decline in carloads compared with the same month last year and a decline of 15.6 percent compared with the same month in 2008.

However, according to the March AAR Rail Time Indicators Report, 14 of the 19 major commodity categories that AAR tracks saw higher carloads in February compared with the same month in 2009. Carloads of coal, the single highest volume commodity carried by rail, were down. Excluding coal, U.S. rail carloads in February 2010 were up 7.2 percent compared with February 2009.

U.S. rail intermodal traffic, which covers the movement of truck trailers and shipping containers by rail, was up 10.1 percent in February compared with the same month last year, but down 10.6 percent for the same month in 2008.

"Rail traffic trends over the past few months, especially when you take out coal, are consistent with a slowly recovering economy," said John Gray, AAR's senior vice president of Policy and Economics. "Other economic indicators taken as a whole seem to be saying the same thing. Is a sustained recovery a sure thing? No, not yet, but prospects are certainly much brighter now than they were four or five months ago."

Record snowfalls on the East Coast last month made rail operations difficult and affected many rail customers' ability to originate or receive loads. The last week of February was the highest-volume week for U.S. rail carloads since December of 2008 - likely at least partly the result of "catch-up" traffic following the storms.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, U.S. rail carloads in February fell 0.1 percent compared with January 2010, while seasonally-adjusted U.S. intermodal traffic was down 3.6 percent in February compared to the prior month.

"Adjusting for seasonal issues that cause peaks or valleys in traffic - such as end of year holidays and the fall grain harvest - allows us to see more clearly the strength or weakness of the underlying demand for rail traffic," Gray said. "Over the past six months, the upward trend in seasonally adjusted rail traffic indicates an increase in underlying demand."

The Rail Time Indicators report, available at www.aar.org, comprises detailed monthly rail traffic data framed with other key economic indicators to show how freight rail ties into the broader U.S. economy.

See Also: Top-Scoring BNSF Locomotive Engineers Recognized With Top Gun Awards / BNSF Named Finalist As CivilianJobs.com Most Valuable Employer For Military / Railroad Photography - Saturday Afternoon At Oro Grande / BNSF Shareholders Approve Sale To Berkshire Hathaway / The BNSF Honors Three Shortline Railroads For Partnership Excellence / The Cajon Pass Railroad Museum - The Birth Of A Dream

HO Scale BNSF Items: Athearn HO Scale SD75M Locomotive - Santa Fe / BNSF / Athearn HO Scale Center Fow Hopper Car - BNSF / Athearn HO Scale 50ft Sieco Box Car - BNSF / Athearn HO Scale Iron Horse Express Electric Train Set - BNSF / Athearn HO Scale SD60M Locomotive - Burlington Northern Santa Fe / Athearn HO Scale SD60M Locomotive - Burlington Northern / BNSF

Classic Railroad Photos - Rio Grande Steam In The 1940s

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Photos By: Lucius Beebe

Every railfan and railroad modeler know how important photographs from the 'golden age' of steam are. For the railfan, the images from a bye-gone age can help to keep the great history of railroading alive. To the railroad modeler, such images can be an invaluable tool. Allowing the craftsman to travel back in time, so that he can recreate such scenes on his own miniature main-line.

I don't think that will be necessary to sing the praises of one of the greatest railroad photographers of all time, Lucius Beebe, here. Just about everybody knows about his life-long dedication to preserving images of American trains on film for posterity.

Today, I have two fine examples of Beebe's work for you to enjoy. The first image (above) is of one of the Denver and Rio Grande Western's famed 4-8-4's on the head end of the lines No. 3 passenger train, the 'Westerner', on the out-skirts of Littleton, Colorado, circa 1940.

Locomotive No. 1705 is a prime example of the Grande's fleet of 4-8-4 'Northerns' that were kept polished and in perfect running condition at all times. Though these amazingly beautiful locomotives were the primary power for the lines top passenger trains, they were also often times used in freight service as well.

In our second photograph, Beebe was able to catch an interesting looking member of the Rio Grande's steam locomotive fleet, 4-6-2 light Pacific No. 802, barreling down the tracks between Colorado Springs and Denver.

To the observer, 802 would seem to have more than it's fair share of domes. Hey, in the varying grades of the Rocky Mountains, you can never have enough sand to improve traction.

Behind this interesting locomotive is the Grande's No. 10 passenger train, an unnamed local, consisting of a mail-storage car, two coaches, and a Pullman lounge.

Again, this image is circa 1940-1941.

Two classic images from the age of steam captured by the camera of Lucius Beebe.

More to come!

Norfolk Southern CEO Notes Positive Momentum In 2009 Annual Report Message To Stockholders

Source: Norfolk Southern (Press Release)

In his message to stockholders in the 2009 Annual Report, posted online today, Norfolk Southern Corporation CEO Wick Moorman (NYSE: NSC) says the company “withstood the economic shocks of 2009 to produce good economic results, and I go into 2010 with a sense of optimism for our future prospects.”

Compared to a year ago, Moorman said, “we have a much clearer picture of our own economic outlook and can act accordingly.” He cited the company’s strides in safety and service, along with disciplined cost control, continued investment in key projects, and aggressive pursuit of new business opportunities, as important indicators.

“Even in the face of the recession,” Moorman said, “we made significant gains in each of these areas, and these same strategies will drive our continuing success in 2010 and beyond. While the short-term economic outlook remains somewhat uncertain, the longer-term prospects for Norfolk Southern and the railroad industry remain very bright.

“We go into the new year with positive momentum. Our traffic levels increased sequentially in both the third and fourth quarters of 2009, and we’re confident many of the cost efficiencies we achieved in 2009 will remain in place as we see rail traffic continue to increase,” Moorman said.

The annual report is available on the company’s Web site at www.nscorp.com. Some 200,000 copies are distributed to stockholders, the financial community, news media, and libraries. Norfolk Southern’s annual report is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, which promotes environmentally responsible printing standards. To request a copy, call 800-531-6757, e-mail annualreport@nscorp.com, or write to Norfolk Southern Corp., Corporate Communications Department, Three Commercial Place, Norfolk, Va. 23510-9217.

See Also: Norfolk Southern Pumped $3.1 Billion Into Local Industries In 2009 / Norfolk Southern Joins U.S. Green Building Council / Norfolk Southern Launches Improved Investor Relations Site / Railroad Job Postings For December 2009

Top-Scoring BNSF Locomotive Engineers Recognized With Top Gun Awards

Source: BNSF (Press Release)

BNSF locomotive engineers who score in the top 5 percent of network simulator training are being honored with the Top Gun Award in recognition of their performance.

The Top Gun Program was started this year, said Shane Merritt, manager of locomotive engineer training and field simulation, Technical Training Center (TTC), in Overland Park, Kan. The award recognizes engineers who excel when they complete training on a BNSF network simulator (NetSim).

An estimated 4,000 Year "A" locomotive engineers will receive training on the simulators at about 80 locations in 2010. During NetSim training, engineers complete two 75-minute runs and one 20-minute "unusual conditions" training run. Based on the territories where they operate, engineers may complete runs that include non-mountain grade, mountain grade and/or distributed power and positive train control. Scores are based on individual train handling and rules compliance. Locomotive engineer instructors provide engineers with a briefing on the track chart, timetable and paperwork similar to the documents they receive in the field, such as Form As and Form Bs.

This year, Merritt said, engineers' performances are being tracked against their peers' NetSim scores. Engineers who score in the top 5 percent receive a "Top Gun Award" certificate from the TTC, presented to the employee by his/her road foreman of engines.

"I believe we have the best engineers in the industry," Merritt said. "This is one way of acknowledging the best of the best."

See Also: BNSF Named Finalist As CivilianJobs.com Most Valuable Employer For Military / Railroad Photography - Saturday Afternoon At Oro Grande / BNSF Shareholders Approve Sale To Berkshire Hathaway / The BNSF Honors Three Shortline Railroads For Partnership Excellence / The Cajon Pass Railroad Museum - The Birth Of A Dream

HO Scale BNSF Items: Athearn HO Scale SD75M Locomotive - Santa Fe / BNSF / Athearn HO Scale Center Fow Hopper Car - BNSF / Athearn HO Scale 50ft Sieco Box Car - BNSF / Athearn HO Scale Iron Horse Express Electric Train Set - BNSF / Athearn HO Scale SD60M Locomotive - Burlington Northern Santa Fe / Athearn HO Scale SD60M Locomotive - Burlington Northern / BNSF

CN Obtains Resolution Of Labour Issues With Locomotive Engineers In Canada

Source: CN (Press Release)

CN (TSX:CNR) (NYSE:CNI) announces that it received yesterday, and will begin implementing, Arbitrator Andrew Sims' arbitration ruling setting the terms and conditions of a new three-year collective agreement between CN and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC), representing 1,700 locomotive engineers in Canada.

The decision, whose terms are retroactive to January 1, 2009, expires on Dec. 31, 2011. It provides a 1.8 per cent wage increase in 2009, 2.4 per cent in 2010, and 2.6 per cent in 2011, as well as dental plan benefit improvements that come into effect on April 1, 2010.

“With a secure labour agreement in place, we will now work to re-establish a positive dialogue with the TCRC, focusing on issues of common interest for the company, its employees and its customers,” said Claude Mongeau, president and chief executive officer.

Sims was appointed by the federal government in December 2009 to arbitrate the CN-TCRC contract dispute, after the company and union agreed to further negotiations and binding arbitration of wages and benefits if renewed talks failed. The parties' agreement ended a five-day strike by locomotive engineers.

See Also: CN Selects Children's Hospital Foundation Of Manitoba As Community Charity For 2010 CN Canadian Women's Open / CN Announces New $100-million Calgary Logistics Park / Arbitrator To Decide Wage And Benefit Issues For CN Locomotive Engineers / CN Signs Voluntary Mitigation Agreement With The Village Of Plainfield / CN Locomotive Engineers' Strike To End Immediately After Company And Union Reach Agreement / CN Makes New Offer To Locomotive Engineers' Union In An Effort To End The Strike In Canada / Talks Between CN And Locomotive Engineers' Union In Canada Break Off With No Settlement / CN Receives Strike Notice From Union Representing Locomotive Engineers In Canada / CN To Implement Wage Increase And Milage Cap For It's Canadian Engineers / CN Reaches 20th Voluntary Mitigation Agreement (VMA), Makes Substantial Strides In EJ&E Integration

Model Train Items: Trainline HO Scale EMD GP-9M Locomotive - Canadian National / Bachmann HO Scale 2-6-0 Mogul Locomotive - Canadian National

Union Pacific Railroad's Legendary Steam Locomotive 844 To Visit South Texas On A Heritage Tour

Source: Union Pacific (Press Release)

Union Pacific Railroad's historic steam locomotive, No. 844, will travel more than 3,500 miles from its base in Wyoming on a 28-day, eight-state tour to South Texas, to celebrate the railroad's history and heritage.

The "Valley Eagle Heritage Tour" will begin April 2 when No. 844 leaves Cheyenne, Wyo., and travels to North Platte, Neb. The locomotive will make overnight stops and be on display in the following cities before arriving back in Cheyenne April 29:


North Platte, Neb.;
Marysville, Parsons and Coffeyville, Kan.;
Kansas City, Mo.;
McAlester, Okla.;
Ft. Worth, Hearne, Houston, Bloomington, Raymondville, Harlingen, Palestine and Longview, Texas; and
North Little Rock and Van Buren, Ark.

"This will be the first time No. 844 has operated south of Houston and we look forward to bringing a piece of living history to this part of our rail network," said Joe Adams, vice president of public affairs for Union Pacific's Southern Region. "Our steam locomotives play a special role in our collection of historical railroad equipment, which is the largest of any U. S. railroad."

The tour was named after a Missouri Pacific Railroad passenger train that operated between Houston and Brownsville. The Valley Eagle began running in late-1948 until the train was discontinued in June 1962. Missouri Pacific merged with Union Pacific in 1982.

No. 844, also known as Union Pacific's "Living Legend," returned to service in 2005 after one of the most extensive steam locomotive overhauls in the United States since regular steam service ended. The work, which started in 2000, included overhauling the locomotive's running gear, pumps, piping, valves and springs, along with replacement of its firebox and extensive boiler work. The cab interior also was refurbished. No. 844 was the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific Railroad and was delivered in 1944. A passenger locomotive, it pulled such widely known trains as the Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose and Challenger.

When diesel-electric locomotives took over all passenger train duties, No. 844 was placed in freight service in Nebraska between 1957 and 1959. It was saved from being scrapped in 1960 and held for special service.

No. 844 has run hundreds of thousands of miles for UP's Heritage program. It has made appearances at Expo '74 in Spokane, the 1981 opening of the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, the 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans and the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Los Angeles Union Station in 1989. During the 1990's No. 844 pulled several of the Denver Post Cheyenne Frontier Days specials and visited several Oklahoma cities during the Oklahoma Centennial in 2007.

A Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) transmitter was installed on one of the rail cars that will travel with No. 844. The GPS system has been integrated with a map on UP's Web site. Enter the word "Steam" in the search box on the homepage for a shortcut to the map.

Web site visitors will be able to access route maps with varying amounts of detail. The GPS system will update the map every five minutes showing No. 844's location. GPS updates are also available at http://twitter.com/UP_Steam.

During 2010, the Reed Jackson concession car displays a commemorative sign celebrating the National Model Railroad Association's 75 years of service to the model railroad community.

See Special: Athearn HO Scale 4-8-4 FEF-3 Locomotive - Union Pacific

See Also: The Union Pacific Invests $5.7 Million To Improve Washington State Trackage / Railroad Photography - Saturday Afternoon At Oro Grande / Union Pacific To Sink $29 Million Into Improving Houston Infrastructure / The Union Pacific Increases Speed Through Malvern, Arkansas With Grade Crossing Improvements / Union Pacific Railroad Sets Monthly Record Moving Loaded Agricultural Unit Trains / Union Pacific Railroad's Pipeline Express Service Reaches 25,000 Rail Car Milestone / Railroad Photo Gallery - Union Pacific GP40-2 1368 (Ex Rio Grande) / The Diesel Railroad Locomotive - From Box Cabs And The SD40 To The SD70 And Gensets / The Cajon Pass Railroad Museum - The Birth Of A Dream

See Union Pacific Model Trains: Proto 2000 Ho Scale Alco PA/PB Locomotive Set - Union Pacific / Athearn HO Scale C44-9W Locomotive - Union Pacific / Bachmann HO Scale Pacific Flyer Electric Train Set - Union Pacific / Athearn HO Scale GE AC4400 Locomotive - Union Pacific / Trainline HO Scale Alco FA-1 Locomotive - Union Pacific / Athearn HO Scale 4-8-4 Nothern "800" Locomotive - Union Pacific / Athearn HO Scale 50ft Combo Door Box Car - Union Pacific

BNSF Named Finalist As CivilianJobs.com Most Valuable Employer For Military

Source: BNSF (Press Release)

CivilianJobs.com helps veterans look for civilian employees. The MVE for Military helps military-experienced job seekers identify the top employers to target for civilian careers. MVEs are selected annually based on those employers whose recruiting, training and retention plans best serve military service members and veterans.

About 30 companies were named as finalists; CSX is the only other railroad named to the list. Other finalist companies include Amazon, Army Air Force Exchange Service, Chesapeake Energy, Con-Way Freight, General Electric, Northrup Grumman, USAA and Walmart.

"I would like to express my appreciation to all of the companies who submitted Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military 2010 surveys," said Bill Basnett, vice president, Operations, CivilianJobs.com. "This is our second year conducting the MVE for Military survey and we are pleased to have a 30 percent increase in surveys submitted for 2010. The submission responses show us that despite recent economic challenges, corporate America values the highly skilled talent and leadership ability that veterans bring to a company when hired."

The Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military 2010 was open to all U.S.-based companies. The finalists were selected based on surveys in which employers outlined their 2010 recruiting, training and retention plans that best serve military service members and veterans. Winners will be selected from the pool of finalist companies and will be announced May 2, 2010. Both winners and finalists will be recognized on the CivilianJobs.com Web site as well as in the May issue of Civilian Job News, CivilianJobs.com's world-wide military base newspaper.

See Also: Railroad Photography - Saturday Afternoon At Oro Grande / BNSF Shareholders Approve Sale To Berkshire Hathaway / The BNSF Honors Three Shortline Railroads For Partnership Excellence / The Cajon Pass Railroad Museum - The Birth Of A Dream

HO Scale BNSF Items: Athearn HO Scale SD75M Locomotive - Santa Fe / BNSF / Athearn HO Scale Center Fow Hopper Car - BNSF / Athearn HO Scale 50ft Sieco Box Car - BNSF / Athearn HO Scale Iron Horse Express Electric Train Set - BNSF / Athearn HO Scale SD60M Locomotive - Burlington Northern Santa Fe / Athearn HO Scale SD60M Locomotive - Burlington Northern / BNSF