High Steel

Train vs. Bulldozer?

January 18, 2008

Geesh! What people will do for a laugh these days!

Stolen Bulldozer

CSX Fined

January 8, 2008 - Source: Trains Magazine

Over $350,000 in fines were levied against CSX Transportation by the Federal Railroad Administration and the Surface Transportation Board. The fines are a result of increased government scrutiny of the railroad after a number of high-profile accidents in the mid-west. Last year, three de-railments resulted in large fires and evacuations, and one derailment spilled coal and coal-cars into a tributary of the Potomac River near Washington D.C.

Items that were cited by the FRA/STB were rail inspections that were not up to standard and crew failures to follow procedure. It was noted, however, that CSX has taken action to remedy all points that were brought up during the investigation.

Lindale Rail Construction

October 13, 2007

A while back, Allen Green reported that Norfolk Southern would be double tracking a portion of it's mainline in North Georiga. Those rumors appear to be true.

I was in Lindale, GA, just south of Rome yesterday and there is major construction going on on the mainline in that are. New signals (hooded) are being installed opposite the currently installed ones at Lindale and near Darlington School. Ground is being graded and prepped for another mainline track beside the old mainline about two miles south of Lindale. It looks as if the tracks are going to link up with the south end of the passing siding at Lindale.

However, the reports of tracks being doubled between Rome and Oostanaula are still unconfirmed. No work has been done in those areas as of yet.

CSX Train Derailment in Ohio

October 11, 2007

A train carrying Ethanol and Liquid Petrolueum jumped the tracks and exploded in Ohio Thursday.

This is yet another black eye for CSX. This incident makes the third derailment and fire in less than a year for the railroad company.

Click on the link below for further details.

CSX Train Derailment

Theives Steal Rails

October 9, 2007

Three men in Florida are under arrest after getting caught cutting up and stealing rails from CSX. The men were selling the rails, which were cut into 20' sections, for scrap.

Click on the link below for further details.

Rail Theives

Rome Man Hit By Train

September 10, 2007 - Summary Article by SMM.

He wont get the Darwin Award, but he should get an honorable mention.

A Rome man was struck by a passing Norfolk Southern train as he tried to cross the tracks in front of it. According to emergency responders, the man had apparently darted in front of the train just behind the Jennings Funeral Home (how appropriate) and had been clipped by the lead locomotive. When EMS arrived, he was lying unconcious by the tracks. The man, whose name was not given, was taken to to Floyed Medical Center and treated for serious injuries.

No further updates on the medical condition of he man are available.

Menlo Man Hit By Train

August 29, 2007 - Article from the Rome News Tribune.

Here is another man vs train story out of Rome.

Lying On The Tracks

Idiot, uhh, Man Hit By Train While Texting

August 21, 2007 - Summary Article by SMM.

Ok, this guy so far gets the dufas of the year award, and a near-miss over at Darwin.com.

A man, or more like a teenager, was hit by a train in Elmwood Place, Ohio. Not unusual, save for the fact that the guy was TEXTING ON HIS CELLPHONE when the accident happened. He apparently saw the NS train coming on track 1 and stopped to let the train pass. But, not thinking about the fact that another train may be coming on track 2, he began walking on his merry way, distracted by his wonderful cell phone, directly into the path of another oncoming train.

The hapless fellow was thrown around a bit, and received hospital treatable injuries. Check out the complete story over at Clip Syndicate.

Texting Teen Tossed by Train

Norfolk Southern Earning Increase

July 26, 2007 - Article by SMM. Source: AJC

Despite softness in the need for housing materials and a drop in intermodal and coal volume, Norfolk Southern railroad managed to pull off a 5% earnings increase in the second quarter.

The nations fourth largest railroad brought in $394 million dollars on gross revenues of $2.3 billion. This is up from $375 million in the same quarter of last year.

Most of the growth has been attributed to strong volume in general merchandise handling. The breakdown of revenue generators were as follows: Coal, $579 million (-1%); General Merchandise, $1.32 billion (+1%); Intermodal, $479 million (-4%). Another offset to the falling coal and intermodal was reduced operating cost, which were $1.69 billion (-2% over last year).

CSX Profits Decline

July 17, 2007

Head over to marketwatch.com to get the goods on a decline in profits for the nations third-largest railroad operator.

CSX Profit Report

NS Employee Injured in Auto Accident

June 19, 2007 - Source: Rome News Tribune

A Norfolk Southern employee was injured in an automobile accident near Aragon. According to witnesses to the accident, the company pickup truck driven by the employee was struck by an out-of control Ford Explorer. The occupants of the Ford Explorer, who were thought by police to have been driving to fast for condidtions, were killed in the impact.

No name or condition was given for the driver of the truck.

Possible Future For The Old Dalton Depot

April 6, 2007

Dalton is looking at several options for restoring the old freight depot located on Morris Street. Until a few years ago, the building was used as a crew site and dispatch for Norfolk Southern. As of late, it is just sitting empty.

The Dalton Daily Citizen has the details.

Dalton Depot Refurbishment.

Norfolk Southern line upgrades

Friday, May 11 2007

Allen Green has passed on this tidbit of information concerning track upgrades on Norfolk Southern's Atlanta North District:

"Thought i'd let you know I taked with a friend who works as a foreman with NS... they want the new signals in Cohutta up and running within the next week or two. He also indicated that NS is going to double track the mainline between Oostanaula and Fox. Work should be starting in May or June."

This would make total sense, given that the NS Atlanta to Chattanooga mainline is even busier than CSX's W&A line. I work at a job next to the NS main, and there are trains or light running locomotives through there every 20-30 minutes.

Stay tuned for more details.

Train Carrying NASA Rocket Parts Derails

Wednesday, May 2, 2007 - CNN

A train carrying pieces of the solid rocket boosters that power the Space Shuttle into orbit derails Wednesday near Pennington, Alabama. Early reports suggest that a bridge the train was crossing collapsed.

CNN.com has the full story.

Rocket Derailment

Some Drivers Just Never Learn...

Monday April 30, 2007 - CNN

CNN has a cool unnarrated video of a train slicing and dicing the semi-trailer of an idiot truck driver who pulled across a railroad crossing and stopped.

Train vs Truck, round 687, 468

The Railroad Industry in Rome

Saturday March 31, 2007 - Rome News Tribune

The Rome, GA Chamber of Commerce has put together a neat little video giving a brief description of what travels on the ubiquitous railroad tracks in the city of Rome. Featured in the video are four prominent rail-industries - Plant Hammond, Temple Inland, Southeastern Mills, and US Biofuels. Lots of shots of coal cars unloading. Pretty cool.

Rome, Georgia Railroad Video.

Union Pacific CEO overpaid

Friday, March 29, 2007 - Article by Atlanta Journal and Constitution

Your job as a brakeman on Union Pacific railroad is dangerous. You could be ran over and crushed by moving equipment, killed or maimed in a derailment, struck by a car, or fired for the least violation. Your hours suck - anytime the company needs you, you are there. You take trains over long distances and are away from your family for days at a time. And worst of all, you've got to sit next to that pompous engineer on long journeys and listen to him gripe about how much more than you he is bringing in on his salary. You might get paid $100k a year if you have tenure.

However, if you are a CEO of a company, you get to push pencils all day long, use a stern commanding voice in board meetings, and play lots of golf. And your compensation is totalled at $31 millon.

Can you see the disparity here?

NOTE: You must have a free AJC member login in order to view this article.

Union Pacific CEO paid $13 million in 2006.

Rocket Scientist Needed - DUI Need Not Apply

Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - Article by Atlanta Journal and Constitution

The Department of Homeland Security recommended that Railroads start doing criminal background checks on employees who have access to critical areas. Now, there is fallout from all the employees who got fired.

AJC article - Fired Railroad Workers

NOTE: You must have a free member login in order to view this article.

Track Maintenence in Rome

Tuesday, February 6, 2007 - Article by Rome News Tribune

RNT posted a video of a track maintenence machine doing it's thing near the Fox junction. I'm not exactly sure what the machine is doing, but it's interesting.

Burlington Northern earnings up in Q4

Source - Wall Street Journal. Summary article by SMM

BNSF Q4 earnings before profit were up 21%. Company officials attribute price gougeing, uh, err, strong demand for bulk commodities such as coal, ag products,and consumer products for the good performance. Other parts of revenue for the company, such as building materials are down primarily due to the sluggish housing market.

CSX Wreck II, day II

Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - Article by CNN

The day after a massive pileup on CSX tracks near Louisville, the dangerous chemicals on board are being allowed to burn themselves out.

CSX Wreck in Kentucky, Number II

Tuesday, January 16, 2007 - summary article by SMM. Others sources: CNN and WHAS

For the second time in as many days, a CSX train carrying hazardous materials derailed and caught fire in Kentucky.

Around 8:30am local time, 20 cars of a CSX general merchandise train jumped the tracks near Brooks, Ky, just south of Louisville. The cars carrying the chemicals ruptured and caught fire, engulfing nearly all of the derailed cars. Live news from CNN also showed that some of the chemicals were streaming away from the main accident site onto an adjacent road, spreading the fire several hundred yards from the derailment.

Originally, liquid propane and butadene were thought to be the only hazardous chemicals on the train, but as the day progressed, it was revealed that other chemicals such as ketones and sulfuric acid were also involved in the blaze. Schools and homes in the area were immediately evacuated, and Interstate 65 was also shut down. A visibility advisory was issued at the Louisville Airport due to the plume of thick black smoke rising from the accident.

Fortunately, no one was killed in this accident. Several people were taken to area hospitals with complaints of respiratory irritation from the smoke and fumes.

As of Tuesday night, the National Guard is testing air samples, and the EPA is looking into reports that some of the chemicals on the train spilled into a nearby creek. Further tests will be carried out to confirm this. Homes in the area are still under and evacuation order, and because of the possiblity of explosion, the train is being left to burn itself out.

CSX Wreck In Kentucky

Monday, January 15, 2007 - summary article by SMM. Newspaper article from the Courier Journal, Louisville, KY

Four chemical tank cars broke free from a freight train and rolled free down the tracks near Irvine, Kentucky until they crashed into two parked locomotives. The cars were carrying flammable Butyl Acetate, an industrial solvent and chemical used in a host of plastic and paper applications. Residents in the surrounding areas were evacuated.

By the afternoon, fire officials had extinguished the tank cars and were letting the locomotives burn themselves out. Residents will be allowed to return when the chemical plume evaporates.

Railroad Maintenance

Monday, January 8, 2007 - summary article by SMM.

CSX will be performing track maintenance beginning January 8, 2007 and lasting through Spring on the K&A subdivision. The crews will be doing tie, rail, and signal replacement. There will be a curfew in order during the day, so the W&A will be much busier during this time.

Thanks to Allen Green for the heads up info on this maintenance.

Just call him "Lucky", part II.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006 - summary article by SMM.

Want to know what it's like to be hit by a freight train?

The next time you are in Dalton, just ask Chris Wood.

On Wednesday evening, Mr. Wood was driving a semi-truck loaded with non-toxic chemicals near the intersection of Hwy 41 and 136 in Resaca, Georgia. He had to stop behind traffic that was waiting to turn onto Hwy 41 at the CSX railroad tracks that run through the town. For some reason, Mr. Wood made the fateful decision to pull his rig across the railroad tracks while waiting for the intersection to clear. Lo and behold, just as sometimes happens on railroad tracks, a train arrived at the intersection just a few seconds later. There was no time to stop it, even in emergency braking. The driver of the truck could not go forward or backward off the tracks, as there were cars in front and behind the rig.

Physics dictates that two solid objects cannot be in the same place at the same time, a fact that Mr. Wood obviously ignored (or was ignorant of). In the battle that ensued, of course the train won, while Mr. Wood and the front end of his semi-tractor, were carried about 50 feet down the tracks and dumped in a nearby residential yard. Mr. Wood was extremely fortunate in two ways; one, he was not killed, and two, there were no hazardous chemicals on the truck that could have wiped the sleepy little town of Resaca completely off the map.

In the end, the tractor trailer was totalled and Mr. Wood received minor injuries. The crew of the train was unhurt, and no damage was done to the locomotive. Cleanup of the truck's cargo did last through the day, and as of mid-day Thursday, CSX crews were still working to repair the crossing signals that were wiped out in the incident.

All facetious aside, folks, this is a dangerous rail-road instersection. I've photographed trains at this junction for many years, and countless times i've seen people make the same stupid move that this truck driver did. Don't pull across the tracks to wait on oncoming traffic. There is absolutely no reason to do this, and unless you are wanting to get to heaven (or the other place) real quick, it won't get you to your destination any faster.

Calhoun Times Article.

Another one from the Booze files.

Sunday, December 18, 2005 - summary article by SMM, video by CNN.

What is it about cop cars and railroad tracks that attracts drunks?

1 man + 1 pint + 1 railroad track. Need I say more?

Norfolk Southern train derails in Gordon County.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Cars 92-97 of a general merchandise freight train jumped the tracks on a train that was passing through the Reeves Station area. For those of you who are familiar with that area, the derailment happened near Cumberland Academy.

There were no injuries or property damage outside of the railroad right of way. No chemicals or volatile materials were involved either. Rail traffic through the area resumed after the cleanup that lasted into Friday evening. The cause of the derailment is still under investigation.

The article below is from the Calhoun Times newspaper.

Operation Lifesaver 2006

Article from last month's Atlanta Journal and Constitution about the onging efforts of Operation Lifesaver.

Man on lawn mower killed by freight train

August 28, 2006, from the Dalton Daily Citizen.

BONAIRE — A Houston County man driving his riding lawn mower down the Norfolk Southern tracks south of Ga. 96 was killed by a train early Saturday morning.

Anthony Todd Potts, 38, was traveling soutbound when a northbound train hit him, killing him instantly. Alcohol played a factor in the accident, said Cpl. Sean Alexander of the Houston County Sheriff’s office. Officials are investigating why Potts was riding the mower on the tracks.

Ok folks, the key words here are "lawn mower", "tracks", and "alcohol". Need I say more? -smm

Let's go workin' on the railroad!

The following link will take you to the Atlanta Journal and Constitution for an article on a new surge of employment by the nation's railroads.

CSX Fined Pocket Change By City of Dalton

The following link will take you to Daily Citizen News in Dalton, GA. If you can't parrallel park that train, you don't need to be drivin' it!

Brakemans' legs severed by train

The following link will take you to WFAA.com, Dallas-Fort Worth. Even in modern times, railroads are still dangerous places to work and hang around.

Teens derail freight train (twice tried)

The following link will take you to the Ohio Beacon Journal. This is a really offbeat story - when I was a kid, if we got bored, we might go as far as to toilet paper someones house. But what children will do for entertainment these days!

Peachtree City fights to stop CSX train plan in its tracks

Kevin Duffy - Atlanta Journal and Constitution Staff - Thursday, May 25, 2006

Peachtree City is exploring whether it can do anything to change CSX's plan to park trains along Ga. 74 north and close two grade crossings. One of those crossings was to connect to MacDuff Parkway, linking Ga. 74 and Ga. 54 west. MacDuff is to be the main thoroughfare for two big residential projects planned for the west side of Peachtree City, if the city approves annexing the land.

The City Council last week instructed City Attorney Ted Meeker to investigate whether the city has any power to change CSX's plans.

"It's going to be an eyesore on a major corridor coming into town," Mayor Harold Logsdon said about parking trains along Ga. 74. "I'm finding out with the railroad, nothing is logical."

CSX is building a parallel track roughly two miles long to park up to 110 rail cars for several hours. Construction is supposed to be completed next month. The trains will be parked next to the Centennial neighborhood.

"That train is going to be sitting, basically, in the backyard of some of those homes," councilwoman Cyndi Plunkett said after the meeting. Because rail cars often carry hazardous materials, that's a safety concern, she said.

CSX also is closing numerous grade crossings in an effort curb train-vehicle collisions, which happen once every two hours somewhere in the United States, according to the company. CSX has about 2,000 such crossings in Georgia.

Logsdon met with CSX last week. "The mayor asked us to revisit some of the decisions regarding the crossings," CSX representative Craig Camuso said. "We've committed to review the plans at the mayor's request, and we'll continue a dialog with the mayor. But right now, the plans are to close the two crossings."

In Peachtree City, eliminating one of the crossings opposite Kedron Drive will alter development plans for more than 800 acres west of Ga. 74, which John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods and Levitt & Sons want annexed into the city. They plan to build more than 1,000 homes and some commercial space. The crossing was to be one of two access points on Ga. 74 to the annexed property.

"While we would modify the plan somewhat, it would not destroy the vision for the 'connector village,' said Wieland representative Dan Fields. The proposed developments would connect Ga. 74 and 54 by extending MacDuff Parkway. Now, instead of two ways onto Ga. 74, there could be just one, probably a bridge over the railroad track near Kedron Drive north. A second bridge could be built, but that's an expensive option. CSX hasn't offered to help fund bridge construction, Camuso said.

Plunkett said one bridge couldn't handle the traffic generated by all those new homes, plus cut-through motorists. "We would need to have two accesses from MacDuff Parkway," she said. "That's what our traffic study said. "And even with both accesses, that would still be a traffic issue in the future."

- In your opinion, which of the two evils is the lessor: the railroad, which existed before Peachtree City, getting it's way and closing two crossing while building a passing siding, or 1,000 homes eating up natural green space, destroying the environment, and jamming people so close together that they could spit on each other? - smm

No such thing as a "free ride", the NSBI always gets their man (and woman).

05/24/06 By Matt Tuck, Rome News-Tribune Staff Writer

A Maryland man and a California woman were arrested Wednesday morning and accused of taking an illegal train ride into Rome.

According to Floyd County Jail records:

Steven Jensen, 32, of Baltimore, Md., and Jenyce Marie Verbeek, 22, of Santa Cruz, Calif., were charged with criminal trespass after boxcar police found them hiding in the engine compartment of a Norfolk Southern train about 10:45 a.m.

Both remained in jail with bail amounts set at $1,250 each.

Union Pacific 1Q Earnings Beat Estimates

By JOSH FUNK, AP Business Writer, and the Atlanta Journal / Constitution - 4/20/06

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Corp., the nation's largest railroad, on Thursday reported its profit soared in the first quarter, beating Wall Street estimates as strong demand for commodity shipments helped boost revenue by 18 percent.

Net income rose to $311 million, or $1.15 per share, for the January-March period from $128 million, or 48 cents per share, a year ago.

Last year's results were depressed because of the impact of a storm that struck the West Coast in January 2005 and cut the railroad's net income by roughly $34 million.

The result topped the company's forecast, raised last month, for a profit of $1 to $1.10 per share.

Revenue increased to $3.71 billion from $3.15 billion, driven by a 26 percent increase in revenue from shipping agricultural products and 23 percent increases in revenue for automotive and industrial products. Top-line growth was driven by a 4 percent rise in volume as well as higher fuel surcharges levied on customers.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial were expecting Union Pacific to earn $1.07 per share on revenue of $3.67 billion.

Analyst Randy Cousins with BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc. said the railroad's first-quarter numbers were impressive even when compared to the company's rough 2005, which included the West Coast storms in January, derailments in Wyoming in May, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in August and September and flooding in Kansas in October.

But it's critical, Cousins said, that Union Pacific continues to work on becoming more productive because several of the railroad's own measures show it is trailing 2004 levels. For example, so far this year Union Pacific reported 47.6 carloads per employee, which is up from last year's 46.7 but still well off of 2004's 48.8 carloads per employee.

The company's shares fell 52 cents to close at $94.51 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Railroads have experienced improved business amid rising demand for commodities. Those gains have been offset somewhat by higher fuel prices. The company said the average price it paid for a gallon of fuel rose to $1.87 from $1.45 a year ago.

But fuel surcharges designed to help recover those higher fuel costs helped drive revenue to record levels. The surcharges allow the railroad to recover about 90 percent of its additional fuel costs above 75 cents a gallon, but Union Pacific remains short of its goal of recovering 100 percent of the additional costs.

"We're subsidizing customers less this year than last year," Rob Knight, the railroad's chief financial officer said.

The company said it generated a company record $1,481 in revenue per railcar during the first quarter, topping the record it set in last year's fourth quarter of $1,428 per railcar.

Despite the increases in the first quarter, company officials said they remain concerned about improving productivity and capacity because the railroad is still seeing more demand than it can handle.

During a conference call with analysts, Union Pacific's president and chief executive, Jim Young, said while the railroad has improved the amount of freight it can move and become more efficient in the amount of fuel it uses, company officials are not satisfied.

"Looking ahead we continue to see solid demand, which should support future volume and yield growth," Young said. "Our challenge will be to continue to handle that growth more efficiently."

Young predicted revenue growth of 14-to-15 percent in the second quarter compared to 2005, and earnings per share between $1.20 and $1.30. The company also raised its full year earnings prediction to between $5 and $5.20 per share, up from its March prediction of earnings between $4.80 and $5.

Union Pacific operates 38,654 miles of track in 23 states from the Midwest to the West and Gulf coasts.

Amtrack, freight rail disrupted on the East Coast

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Passenger and freight rail service was disrupted Wednesday along a busy route on the East Coast of the United States when a defect in a bridge over a river was discovered and required immediate repairs.

About 50 passenger and freight trains pass daily over the bridge which is near Rocky Mount, North Carolina, according to CSX Corp., owner of the rail line.

The company said it hoped to complete repairs in the next 24 hours but it could take longer.

"We are working to re-route trains," said CSX spokeswoman Meg Scheu. "We have held some freight trains, but are working to re-route others."

She said freight trains traveling through the corridor were carrying a lot of merchandise and CSX was working with its customers who may have sensitive commodities or other goods that could be moved by alternative forms of transportation.

Amtrak said it was canceling passenger rail service through Thursday for four trains that travel between New York and Miami, Florida, and two auto trains, which carry passengers and vehicles between Lorton, Virginia and Sanford, Florida.

Trains between New York, Savannah, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina will operate Thursday to or from Rocky Mount. Passengers will take motorcoaches to or from Charlotte or Savannah, Amtrak said.

"Amtrak service between the Northeast and Florida will be interrupted through most of the day on Friday, April 14," the rail service said in a statement. Service between Boston and Richmond, Virginia was not affected.

Amtrak is a for-profit federal corporation that relies on subsidies. In recent years, the U.S. Transportation Department has pushed for business reforms and Amtrak has considered restructuring its long-distance train routes.

CSX's spokeswoman had no immediate comment on what effect, if any, the disruption would have on the company. CSX shares closed up 68 cents to $64.87 on the New York Stock Exchange

Deaf beauty queen was text-messaging when hit by train

By Elizabeth Yuan / CNN Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Deaf beauty contest winner Tara McAvoy was walking from home to her mother's workplace, text-messaging family and friends, as she walked along the railroad tracks in Austin, Texas, when a train struck her, according to the Austin Police Department.

The Austin Police Department received a 911 call from Union-Pacific, which owns the train, at 2:18 p.m. Monday, said Laura Albrecht, spokesperson for the Austin Police Department.

"Our understanding is that she text-messaged the family, and yes, the family members were going to pick her up," Albrecht added.

McAvoy was walking northbound along the railroad ties, with her back to the train, as it approached. A horn sounded, but "they weren't able to get a response," said Austin Police Department detective David Fugitt. "At that point, they activated their emergency braking system, but they weren't able to stop in time."

A snowplow -- commonly referred to as "cattle-guards" for pushing items away from the tracks to avoid train damage -- was what struck McAvoy, who was estimated to be "no more than a foot" from the tracks, Fugitt said.

"The snowplow extends approximately 16 inches on each side from the train," he said, and was mounted to the front engine of the train. McAvoy died at the scene from "multiple traumatic injuries," Fugitt said.

Fugitt said there were witnesses who had heard the horn sound and that the police department was actively seeking anyone who had seen the accident occur.

An investigation is underway with Union Pacific and the Travis County Medical Examiner's Office, Fugitt said. He said it was unclear how fast the train was going.

Railroad Radio News

February 22, 2008

13:30 - CSX Local 217 goes into emergency braking near milepost 75. It's later reported that the braking was due to a decoupled air-line between cars 6 and 7.

14:30 - CSX and Norfolk Southern trains are held up at Dalton due to a semi-truck stuck on the tracks at Emory Street. The tie up lasted for about 45 minutes until the trailer could be removed. CSX trains were instructed to run at restricted speed through the crossing until the tracks could be inspected for damage.

Rail Crossing Fatality

December 7, 2007

Two Gordon County residents were fatally injured in a train vs. car accident in Hill City.

The two men (names witheld) were traveling through an unsignaled crossing at the Gordon / Whitfield county line when their vehicle was struck by a southbound Norfolk Southern train. Preliminary reports and witness statements indicated that the vehicle may have been trying to beat the train through the crossing. Although the crossing is unsignaled, visibility is very good as far as sighting trains in both the north and southbound directions.

Photo of the crossing where the accident occured.

New Railroad Siding

December 16, 2007

As a follow-up to full photo spread that was posted on this website about two weeks ago, the new Norfolk Southern rail siding located at Oostanaula Bend is now in operation. The signals have been placed into proper position and are now operational, and the old signals have been removed.

The north end of the new siding is called "Talley", and the south end of the siding is called "Hall".

CSX Wins Case Against Uncle Sam (or Uncle Sonny).

December 5, 2007

Railroads are the largest land-owners in the United States, so, it seems logical that greedy politicians would try to find a way to levy huge property taxes on the railroad companies in order to brings a few more bucks in to the coffers.

It seems now though, that the railroads may be fighting back quite succesfully. The United States Supreme court has ruled in the railroads favor in a case that CSX brought against the state of Georgia.

The link below will open the Rome News Tribune web page story.

Supreme Court Ruling

Norfolk Southern Improves it's North Georgia Mainline.

November 15, 2007

The Rome News Tribune ran a front page story on the work that Norfolk Southern is doing to improve it's Atlanta North District mainline.

The link below will open the Rome News Tribune web page story.

NS Track Work

Coal Train Derails in D.C.

November 10, 2007

The latest in a string of mishaps on CSX Railroad came near Washington D.C. yesterday when ten cars from a CSX coal train went into the Anacostia River. There are conflicting stories as to the cause of the accident, with one being that the train was hit by another train, and the other story is "cause unknown".

Click on the link below for further details from CNN.com.

CSX Train Derailment

Railroads Accused of Price Gouging

Friday, September 14, 2007. Article from AJC, Summary by SMM

This is a a story that we have been watching for a couple of months now. During the recent "oil crisis", the major railroads put into place a "fuel recovery surcharge" that basically made the customers who use the railroads pay for the price of gas to run the trains. Now, the customers are fighting mad and fighting back.

Last week, a study that was commisioned by major railroad-served customers came out that accuses the five major North American freight railroads of gouging customers out of a lot of money - $6.5 billion to be exact. While the study basically is a paper document and means nothing in the way of fines or restitution, it could draw the attention of congressional lawmakers in Washington. Some of those lawmakers are already hostile towards the railroads and looking for another excuse to slap them with a big fine or curtail their business.

Ok, now here is my personal biased opion; rather than go after the railroads, why aren't the nations transportation and freight industries going after the oil companies? Oil companies gouge the price of gasoline, it trickles down through every product that is shipped in the American market. Yet, even though we are getting screwed and the oil companies are making record profits, no one has commissioned a study on them to see just how badly we are getting hurt by their "surcharges". Don't just pick on the railroads for recovering their fuel costs; go after the morons who are unnecessarily hiking the price of fuel in the first place!

Possible Chattanooga - Atlanta Link?

Friday, September 14, 2007. Article from AJC, Summary by SMM

Well, yet another study has been commisioned to study a proposed high speed rail line between Chattanooga and Atlanta. Meetings and discussion will be held this week about the proposed line.

Atlanta is in the preliminary stages of planning a new airport. Unfortunately, they are eyeballing Chattanooga as the site for the second airport. The thought is that that process could become more of a reality if there were some way to move people quickly between the two cities, and high speed mag-lev trains could be the answer. The proposed route would be 110 miles, and would run from Atlanta to Rome, and then on to Chattanooga. Since these are just the preliminary studies, it would be another 10-15 years before any actual track would be lain.

Here again is my biased opine; Chattanooga should tell Atlanta to keep their airport, the pollution, and the urban blight comes with it. Don't ruin a beautiful city by foisting Atlanta's problems off on it.

And the Award goes too...

Various Dates. Source - The Darwin Awards dot com.

I've always enjoyed stories of people who lacking common sense put themselves into fatal situations. Now, i've linked to a collection of stories of People vs. Train over at the DarwinAwards.com. These are only a few of many railroad "accidents" that the site has recorded.

Playing Chicken with a Train

Romanian Trains

Superior Momentum

Intersecting Darwins

Speed Shunting

Workin' on the railroad

What's that sound?

Oh, and last but not least, let us not forget Eddie Griffin. Eddie was a former NBA star who was terminated on August 21 at the ripe-young age of 25. He choose to drive around a crossing gate while trying to beat an oncoming train, and died in the resulting flaming crash.

Railroad Restoration Project.

August 22, 2007. Source - Rome News Tribune, Summary by SMM

At one time, those tree-huggin'-hippies over at "Rail-to-Trails" were trying to convert the abandoned TAG rail line south of Summerville to a walking and biking path. Now though, the state of Georgia has given the C&C railway a large grant to reclaim the right-of-way for use as an industrial service branch.

Renewed Rail Line.

David and Goliath, part 9,376,431.

Sunday, July 28, 2007. Source - AJC, Summary by SMM

Numerous small shipping companies have filed federal lawuits in various districts alleging that the major class one railroads have been conspiring to fix shipping prices. At issue is the railroad fuel surcharge that railroads have been using for the past few years. A lot of shippers are complaining that it's cutting into their profitability. The railroads are claiming that they must keep up with rising fuel costs in order to stay competitive. Keep an eye on this one; one side or the other is going to lose a lot of money.

Amtrak Still the Bane of the Railroad Industry.

Saturday, July 21, 2007. Article from AJC, Summary by SMM

Almost 40 years after it's creation, the U.S. governments bastard child Amtrak is still draining money from both our federal government and your wallet. Continued asset and governing mismanagement mean that even though ridership is up, revenues are down. Equipment and infrastructure are degrading, and Congress is locked in endless debate about how much more money to siphon in to the dark hole that is Amtrak.

When are we going to cut our losses and pull the plug on this thing? Almost anyone in the private sector knows that if your loses equal %130 of what you earn, year after year, at some point it's time to close up the shops. It seems that the Amercian people have grown past passenger rail on a large scale. On any given Amtrak train, only %50 percent of the seats are filled by passengers. And the railroad owners themselves have definitely moved passed passenger rail, citing freight as the pot-o-gold for the industry.

The Atlanta Journal and Constitution has the full story.

Amtrack - Another Government Money-Pit.

Norfolk Southern to Build Rail Corridor.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007. Article from AJC, Summary by SMM

NS is making optimistic plans to build a freight corridor from Louisiana to New Jersey. The new line (or upgrades to existing lines) would ease conjestion of intermodal shipments from the ports to the eastern part of the country.

The line would run through 11 states, including Georgia. NS says that it wants to begin construction in 2008, but I think that is pretty optimistic. First, there is the money issue, which NS does not yet have. The biggest hurtle to this kind of project though is going to the the Environmental Impact Studies that will have to be done, and of course, all of the private citizens who are going to either fight losing their land or having a railroad run nearby their houses.

Hop over to the Atlanta Journal and Constipation to check out the entire article.

Proposed Rail Corridor.

Railroad Benefit From the Buffet Boon.

Monday, May 21, 2007. Article from AJC, Summary by SMM

It has finally been revealed that Warren Buffet invested in BNSF, UP, and Norfolk Southern last month. The move sent ripples throughout the railroad industry, making them popular with investors again. Since then, other investors have gobbled up shares in CSX, CN, and CP.

The Atlanta Journal and Constitution has an article on why this is good for the railroads during a time when traffic and volume on the nation's freight corridors is on the increase.

NOTE: You will need a free membership to the site in order to view the article.

The Buffet Boon

Warren Buffet buys railroad stocks.

Article by SMM. Source: Atlanta Journal and Constitution, CNBC.

Berkshire Hathaway, billionare investor Warren Buffet's holding firm, announced this week that it has purchased shares in three North American railroad companies. The investments are believe to be valued at $700m.

Buffet declined to name two of the railroads, stating that shares of those companies was still being purchased. Speculation exists that it could be CSX and Union Pacific. If so, the two companies will split about $380m between them. The third railroad, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, will get $320m in investment money in exchange for the shares. The infusion from Buffet makes him the largest shareholder in BNSF, with 39 million shares, equal to %10.9 of the company.

Warren Buffet's decision to invest so heavily in BNSF was based on the carrier's continued growth and good performance in the transportation industry. However, many Wall Street analyst are dumbfounded by the decision. Railroads historically have been slow performers, taking many years to produce significant shareholder dividends. And the railroad industry as a whole has experienced a slump in the 1st quarter of this year. Carloads are down, and revenue per car is down, primarily because the price of coal has dropped. An analyst for CNBC thinks there may be another reason why Buffet chose the railroads as a shareholder target.

"Buffet has a significant collection of Lionel Trains"

INTERESTING NOTE: Bill Gates, who is a sluming buddy of Warren's, also owns railroad stock. His stock is primarily in Canadian National.

INTERESTING NOTE: BNSF stock was right around $82 per share when Berkshire Hathaway made the 39 million share purchase. Since then, the stock is up $5.32 per share, to $88.08. If these numbers are true, then Warren Buffet has made $207.5 million since he bought the stock! A drop in the bucket for a man worth 61 billion!

You STUPID, STUPID man!

Source - Atlanta Journal and Constitution / AP News. Summary article by SMM.

A man in Fargo, North Dakota got a free train ride, 3rd class ticket.

The fellow was walking through downtown Fargo after a few hours of hittng the booze bottles. Unfortunately, a train just so happened to be blocking his path as he approached a nearby crossing. So, using his superior alcohol-instensified skills of intellect and problem solving, the man decided to climb over the train using the conveniently provided grab irons on one of the freight cars. As luck would have it, the train began to move. Unable to climb down from the gently swaying cars on the now speeding train, the man called 911 from his cell phone and told the operators that it was to cold to be hobo-ing this time of year, and he wanted off the train. 911 called BNSF, who in turn alerted the train to stop and let off their still drunk vagabond passenger.

The man was taken into custody, where he was thrown in the drunk tank so he do himself no more harm (at least for that day). BNSF declined to press charges

Oh well, I guess it could have been worse. The guy could have decided to crawl under the train.

Union Pacific earning up a whopping 64%!

Source - Atlanta Journal and Constitution

Union Pacific cited stronger hauls in energy and agricultural products as one reason that revenue increased in the 4th quarter of 2006. Industrial products were down, again indicating a softer economy is coming. UP is predicting revenue growth in the 6-7% range for this year.

AJC article - UP Revenue

NOTE: You must have a free member login in order to view this article.

Train vs Car - Part 425,876

Source - AP/Rome News Tribune. Summary article by SMM

The Darwin Awards have another candidate.

Two women in Warner Robins, GA, are the latest to find out that big, cold, hard steel doesn't have much give to it and that a railroad locomotive will not bounce off your car. They tried to beat a train through a crossing near Robins Air Base, and they lost. That little trick never ceases to amaze.

The train conductor told authorities he saw the car trying to get through the crossing, but there was not enough time to stop the train. No doubt in my mind who is at fault here, but Norfolk Southern will probably by the frivilous victim of a wrongful death lawsuit.

Ups and downs at Norfolk Southern

Source - Wall Street Journal. Summary article by SMM

NS Q4 earnings rose 6.4%. However, the railroad reported a drop in traffic volume that could be a harbinger of hard times ahead. NS relied heavily on coal, which is running strong right now and demand is expected to increase on calls for foreign-oil independence. However, Norfolk Southern also relied heavily on the auto industry, which is taking a beating in the economic sectors right now.

Norfolk Southern also reports weakening in traffic volume for building materials and container freight.

The Railroad's Revenge.

Monday, January 8, 2007 - summary article by SMM.

Let's just cut to the chase here - "Tagging", the so called "art" of spraying railroad cars and buildings with graffiti, is stupid, dangerous, and illegal. So children, if you've got nothing better to do and you are thinking of buying a can of spray paint and heading over to your local rail yard for some fun, just remember what happened to this future Darwin Award winner.

Congress studys rail-security legislation.

Friday, December 15, 2006 - summary article by SMM.

It could possibly be a recipe for disaster. A group of homegrown terrorist or infiltrators tracking down a shipment of rail-cars full of toxic chemicals and releasing them in a major American city, killing thousands of people.

Amid the growing concerns over lax railroad security, the NTSB, Congress, and others in the federal government are looking into ways to improve railroad security. As we saw in Madrid in 2003 and London in 2005, railroads in any county, not just the U.S., are easy targets for terrorist. There are hundreds of thousands of miles track, and very few security personel to patrol them. The security personel the railroads do employ are for the most part looking for taggers, theives, and vagrants hitching rides on trains. As most of you who are rail-fans know, you can basically walk up to any rail-line and dance on it if you wanted too.

As usual, with anything the Feds get in on, the first order of action is to over-react. Last year, the city of Washington D.C. banned CSX from running chemical cars through the city. CSX sued, and so far, the order has been stayed by the courts pending further review. Atlanta is also looking into having it's two major railroads, CSX and Norfolk Southern, move their chemical shipments away from the city. However, that would be almost impossible being that both carriers have major railroad yards within the city. Another suggestion that Congress has made involves reducing the amount of sitting time for rail-road chemical cars at waiting points.

The railroads, of course, are very concerned and ready to put up a fight. First and foremost for the railroads, rerouting every chemical shipment away from every major city would cost millions to implement. It would also cause time delays and bottlenecks, as chemical shipments may have to be handled in yards multiple times just to get them to their destination. The railroads are also argueing that re-routing may also increase the likelyhood of a terrorist attack because chemial tankers would be on the rail-lines longer than usual.

This issue bears watching by the railroad industry, their customers, and the general public. There definitely needs to be more railroad security. There is just too much access to the rails, and too many areas where anyone with evil intentions could do serious damage to railcars or infrastructure and never be seen doing it. This was evidenced in 1995 when an Amtrack train traveling through the Arizona desert was purposely derailed, killing one person and injuring 80 others. The subsequent investigation found that someone had removed a rail joiner plate from the tracks. No one was ever caught for the act of sabotage.

How could security be improved? With such a large industry, that is a hard call to make. One suggestion might be to bring back the caboose and a four or five man crew. The railroads would scream bloody murder at the cost of extra personel and equipment, but, it could save them the expense of rerouting chemical trains (and an expensive negligence lawsuit if a railcar is ever purposley compromised with resulting casualties). A mile long freight train would be less likely to be tampered with if there were crews at both ends of the train to be on the lookout for suspicious activity. Rerouting is a less attractive alternative in that it would be expensive, and that expense would be passed on to customers, and then on to the end consumer. In the end, whatever the course of action, this will definitely affect railfans. Someone with a camera hanging out by the railroad tracks already looks suspicious enough; going to jail for taking rail pictures is not a thrilling prospect.

Keep your eyes on this one.

Norfolk Southern derails in Pennsylvania

A train carrying cars loaded with ethanol derails and bursts into flames early Saturday morning. Link will take you to CNN.com.

Pilgrim's Pride Plan May Be Boom or Bust for CSX in Calhoun.

By SMM, staff writer for this website - August 23, 2006.

Pilgrim's Pride, the nations second largest purveyor of poultry products, made an initial buyout offer for Gold Kist, Inc. Tuesday. Gold Kist is the thrid-largest chicken choker in the U.S. Sources on the inside at Gold Kist have indicated that the initial offer, $20 per share, is not being seriously considered by company shareholders. However, analyst have speculated that if P.P. offers $25 or more per share, the board at Gold Kist will take the offer.

This sudden buyout offer by Pilgrim's Pride could have serious consequences for Calhoun,GA and the railroad that serves it, CSX. If the deal goes through, not only will P.P. become the largest poultry producer in the U.S., but it will have two hatcheries and feed mills within twenty miles of each other in north Georgia. In 2003, P.P. absorbed the Con Agra production facilities in Dalton, Georgia. That would mean that the new company would have excess capacity and overlapping customer bases in Calhoun and Dalton. If P.P. decided to close down the Dalton mill, it would mean a small hit for Norfolk Southern railway. However, if the company decided to consolidate the mills and move to the Dalton area, it would be a major blow for Calhoun and CSX. Gold Kist is the second largest railway customer in Calhoun. A shutdown would also whittle down CSX's customer base in the town from five industries to four. All of this at this time, however, is speculation, as nothing has been said by either company about future operations.

Remembering Sugar Valley

Early on the morning of August 9, 1990, four railway workers lost their lives in the worst railroad accident in the history of Gordon County. Below is the text from the newspaper article in the Calhoun Times, August 11, 2006.

Thanks to Allen Green for the links to the official NTSB Report on the accident and links to photos of the destroyed locos. Thanks to the kindly ladies at the Gordon County Library for printing out the microfilm newspaper article.

3 Killed as Trains Collide

4 injured in accident Thursday between Resaca, Sugar Valley

By Karen D. Allen – Staff writer of the Times.

Three railroad workers were killed and four others injured after two Norfolk Southern freight trains collided in rural Gordon County early Thursday morning.

According to Sheriff Sid Roberts, one train was traveling southbound to Rome on the main track, and another train was traveling north to Chattanooga on a side track. The train on the side track coasted about 100 feet farther up to the main track than is should have to allow the train on the main track to pass.

“The train going to Rome had the right of way, and struck the train on the side rail at a side-swipe,” Roberts said.

Those killed were A.A. Forrister, 49, of Dallas; L.R. Cowart, 43, of Cartersville; and Melvin Beal Jr., 44, of Atlanta.

The injured were J.R. McDaniel of Shannon, G.L. Fischer of Powder Springs, C.L. Blessit of Decatur, and R.G. Hall, of Atlanta.

Three of the men were treated and released from Gordon Hospital, and Fischer was held for observation.

The trains collided on a Southern Railway line near Ga. 136 between Resaca and Sugar Valley, Roberts said.

“It jarred the ground here”, Roberts said. “It was a violent impact.”

Five engines were involved as well as freight cars carrying corn and lumber. Two engines of the northbound train derailed and landed on their sides on top of each other. Two of the fatalities occurred in the pile-up inside the bottom engine.

Two other engines belonging to the southbound train were also derailed, causing the other fatality.

At least 14 cars derailed, a Norfolk Southern spokesman said. Fire spread into a nearby wooded area, but was contained by a Georgia Forestry unit.

Officials did not know if the fatalities were the result of the impact or the fire. Roberts said it was 6:30am before they could get the bodies out of the wreckage.

“You couldn’t even tell what the engine was”, said Al Dixon of the Gordon County Fire Department’s station Three of Plainville, talking about one of the southbound train engines.

The fifth engine was crushed, but was still standing on the tracks.

According to sheriff Roberts, the survivors tried to shut the engines down to prevent more fire from starting and contacted the main station in Atlanta from a job shack near the scene of the accident. The Atlanta station contacted the sheriff’s department at about 3:45am – about 13 minutes after the collision occurred.

A spokesperson from the Sugar Valley Volunteer Fire department said they arrived on scene about four minutes after dispatch.

The fire from the collision burned out of control for about two hours before the fire department was able to control the blaze. One of the trains was carrying lumber, and it continued to burn throughout the day.

“Luckily, neither train was carrying any chemicals”, said Scott Wilson, of the Gordon County Fire Department station Three and an emergency medical technician who was on hand in case anyone was injured during the clean-up.

However, 3,200 pounds of diesel fuel poured from the derailed engines, causing some concern for those on the scene.

“There were a lot of volunteer fire departments that responded,” said Roberts. “This is what makes our jobs easier.”

The Gordon County Fire Departments that responded to the collision were stations one, three, five, and seven, as well as rescue personnel from station three in Plainville.

Mike Satterfield of the Gordon County Fire Department was among the first rescue workers on the scene.

Satterfield said one of the engines was on fire, and the others began immediately searching for he injured.

About an hour later, he said, the dead were found.

Gordon County Coroner James Carver said both engines exploded on impact, overturned and caught fire. He said that the dead were all engineers and (omitted text due to graphic descriptions) the bodies will be sent to the State Crime Lab in Atlanta.

Roberts said that as of 11:00am Thursday, work should be continuing for about 72 hours on cleanup.

CSX track improvements in Ashland, Virginia

The following link will take you to the Richmond Times Dispatch, Although this is not about anything happening in this area, it's still a neat video about track upgrades.

NTSB Releases Cause of Deadly Train Collision

The following link will take you The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. Just as the with the Sugar Valley wreck of 1990, fatigue and drugs played a role in a deadly accident.

Rail route between US and Mexico to start

From the Atlanta Journal and Constitution - Saturday, June 10, 2006

Kansas City Southern, which runs trains in the United States and Mexico, will start a service between southwest Mexico and the southern United States to handle expanding Asian and Mexican trade. The route will link the port city of Lazaro Cardenas, about 200 miles southwest of Mexico City, and Atlanta, the railway said in a statement 6/7/06. It will carry cargo from A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/G, the world's number one cargo line, and Mexican manufactured goods. Hutchison Port Holdings, the worlds biggest cargo terminal operator, is investing $200 million to support expansion. Denmark based Maersk, Japan's Nippon Yusen Kaisha and rivals have responded to an increase in Asian trade by developing new routes.

- Hey, we're gonna kick the UAE out of the ports in the US because we believe it's an unsecure policy to have foreigners running our ports, then we are going to allow TRAINLOADS of goods from an unsecure port in MEXICO to go deep into our country and end up at a major American city. Yeah, ok. Who besides me see's this thing as turning into a way for illegal aliens to skip the border run and take mass transit? Makes sense to me!- smm

Railroads struggle to ship coal

The following link will take you to the Atlanta Journal and Consititution / AP Press. This is a MUST READ!

CSX First-Quarter Profit Slides to $245M

From the Atlanta Journal and Constitution, 4/18/06

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — CSX Corp., which operates the largest rail system in the eastern U.S., on Tuesday posted a sharp decline in first-quarter profit from year-ago results that included a gain on the sale of operations.

Earnings declined to $245 million, or $1.06 per share, for the January-March period from $579 million, or $2.56 per share, a year ago. The year-earlier results included a gain of $425 million, or $1.88 per share, from the sdale of its international terminals business.

Looking only at ongoing operations, per-share earnings surged 56 percent year over year, CSX said.

The results, announced after the markets closed, topped Wall Street expectations. CSX shares had risen $2.49, or 3.8 percent, to close at $67.27 on the New York Stock Exchange. They gained another $1.73, or 2.6 percent, to $69 in aftermarket electronic trading. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had forecast per-share earnings of 89 cents.

Revenue rose to $2.33 billion from $2.11 billion in the prior-year period, ahead of analysts' consensus target of $2.27 billion in sales.

"CSX continued to improve its underlying business performance in a strong demand environment," said Michael J. Ward, chairman and chief executive

Dangerous rail cargo raises concern in cities

From the Atlanta Journal and Constitution / Julia Malone - Cox Washington Bureau - Saturday, March 25, 2006

Washington --- About two years ago, a photographer snapped a picture of a railway tanker car displaying a skull-and-crossbones warning that it was loaded with highly toxic and volatile liquid chlorine.

Looming behind the rail car, just four blocks away, was the dome of the U.S. Capitol.

The chilling image helped spur the District of Columbia City Council last year to ban such hazardous cargo from tracks running within about two miles of the Capitol.

Although the prohibition is now caught up in a legal challenge from the railroad industry, the effort to push dangerous rail cargo out of crowded downtowns and densely populated neighborhoods is spreading to big cities across the country.

About 1.7 million rail-car loads of hazardous materials move each year on the nation's freight trains. Of that total, 100,000 are categorized as "toxic when inhaled."

Activists are urging that these hazmats be rerouted to more remote areas by evoking the worst-case scenario: a terrorist blowing up a chlorine tanker in the center of a city, costing thousands more lives than the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"It's a horrendous risk that's happening every day," said Fred Millar, a chemical security expert who advised the District in writing its ordinance. Now a consultant for environmentalist group Friends of the Earth, he is seeking to rally other communities to challenge railroad practices.

"We have the beginning of a national movement of people who are saying, 'You're not coming through here,' " Millar said of proposals that have emerged in recent month.

He is now eyeing more big cities, such as Atlanta, an enormous rail hub where freight trains move daily through the downtown.

"Atlanta has a terrific amount of hazardous materials going through," Millar said, adding that if the most dangerous materials were diverted to less populated areas it would take the city "off the map" as an inviting target for terrorists.

Legal argument

The railway industry, backed by the Bush administration, counters that local restrictions would violate the constitutional provision that only the federal government can regulate interstate commerce. A federal appeals court has ordered the District not to enforce its ordinance until a decision is reached on a lawsuit filed by CSX Transportation, owner of the tracks near the Capitol.

The company says it has voluntarily shifted the most dangerous cargo off the route closest to Capitol Hill. CSX spokesman Robert Sullivan also said that the freight carrier, which is required by federal law to accept hazmat cargo, was going to court to seek "clarity" on the rules.

However, the Association of American Railroads has adamantly rejected the idea of banning hazmat cargos from big cities.

"We are opposed to rerouting," said Tom White, spokesman for the industry group. "It does not resolve any of the issues. It transfers the risks from one locality to another."

Rerouting would be costly and would result in dangerous materials traveling much longer distances, providing more opportunity for mishaps, White said.

He added that of the 30 million freight cars that move every year, only 30,000 are loaded with chlorine. Moreover, freight trains move on irregular schedules, making it difficult for terrorists to execute an attack, White said.

Achilles' heel?

Richard Falkenrath, a former senior homeland security adviser to the Bush White House, rejected the industry argument against shifting routes.

Rail companies "often don't have an alternative route on their own tracks," but they often could switch to tracks owned by a competing rail company, he said.

Atlanta officials have not called for local regulation but, "We do have a concern," said John Oxendine, Georgia's state insurance and fire commissioner. "If there were a train accident in a heavily populated area, it would cause a major public risk."

At the same time, Oxendine said, "In a free society we can't lock down everything. Our transportation system is quite accessible."

Just call him "Lucky"

A condensed excerpt from the Rome Tribune, 3/8/06

A Decatur, TN man was cited for improper stopping after the trailer of his rig was taken off by a Norfolk Southern freight train in downtown Rome, GA. The accident happened at the crossing on 2nd avenue.

Larry Bell, a driver with Land Air Transport, pulled across the tracks and stopped to wait on the red light at the intersection of Sixth and Riverbend Drive. His cab was clear, but of course, his trailer was across the tracks. A NS train just happened to arrive shortly thereafter. The resulting collision pushed the truck trailer down the tracks, knocking it off it's undercarriage. Neither the train or the cab of the truck was damaged, and no one was injured.

The crossing was closed for about two hours while the accident was investigated and cleaned up. The lucky driver was able to drive his newly bob-tailed truck back to the terminal.

- Why is it that I can sit around the tracks for four hours and never see one train, but anytime there is a car or truck stuck on the tracks, a train promptly arrives? - smm

Tilford Yard on the move?

A condensed excerpt from the Atlanta Journal and Constitution

Some backers of the Beltline Commuter Railway project have approached CSX Transportation about moving Tilford Yard. The space where the yard is now located would be used for stations and greenspace.

"We've said we would consider it, but it won't be cheap", a spokesman for CSX was quoted by the AJC.

- In other words, if CSX ain't gonna make a hefty profit, forget about it! - smm