HOW PULLMAN FOUGHT A WWI PANDEMIC p.

26

CN vs. CP
for KCS:
www.Trains.com • July 2021

Who will
win? p. 4

Mainline
steam
THE magazine of railroading outlook
p. 44

COAL ISN’T DEAD, PART 5

CUMBERLAND VALLEY
CSX’s CV subdivision in Southeast Kentucky hangs on p. 10

PLUS
PSR slashes the workforce p. 18
MAP: East Broad Top p. 42
Union Pacific’s red rock spectacle p. 34
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2 JULY 2021
In this issue
Features
COVER STORY
Dark days for CSX’s
CV sub p. 10
Where 50 coal trains a day once
ran in Kentucky’s Cumberland
Valley, now a handful move east
of Corbin, Ky.
Mark Ragan
Disappearing railroaders
p. 18
Spurred by PSR, the third wave
of cutbacks wipes out the
equivalent of an entire Class I
railroad workforce
Bill Stephens
The railcars that fought
a pandemic p. 26
In 1918, rolling Red Cross
laboratories helped battle the
spread of influenza
Dan Zukowski
Editor Jim Wrinn
Design Director Thomas G. Danneman
Production Editor Angela Pusztai-Pasternak
Senior Editor David Lassen
Senior Associate Editor Brian Schmidt
Digital Editor Steve Sweeney
Assistant Design Director Scott M. Krall
Illustrators Roen Kelly, Kellie Jaeger
Production Specialist Sue Hollinger-Klahn
Librarian Thomas Hoffmann
Columnists
Brian Solomon, Bill Stephens
Correspondents
Steve Glischinski, Chris Guss, Scott A. Hartley,
Bob Johnston, Kevin P. Keefe, David Lustig,
Robert W. Scott
Contributing Illustrator Bill Metzger
Contributing Videographer Kevin Gilliam
Founder A.C. Kalmbach, 1910-1981
July 2021
Vol. 81, No. 7
In every issue From the Editor
Sandstone spectacular News p. 4
p. 34 It’s Canadian National vs.
Natural arches, slickrock, and Canadian Pacific for KCS
red rock: Union Pacific’s Potash
Branch has scenery like no place Brian Solomon p. 8
on earth Reflecting on a microcosm of
James Belmont dieselization: the significance
and longevity of EMD’s SD40 Jim Wrinn
Map: East Broad Top jwrinn@kalmbach.com
rises again Bill Stephens p. 9 @TrainsMagazine
p. 42 We need more Dutchtown @trains_magazine
New owners bring legendary Southerns: new railroad may
T
Pennsylvania narrow gauge line be the future of carload traffic he report by Mark
back to life Ragan on pages 10-17
Bill Metzger Preservation p. 44 about CSX’s sagging
Mainline steam outlook for fortunes in the Cumberland
the second half of the year Valley coal fields east of
Corbin, Ky., is a sad tale of
Train-Watching p. 46 decline. Nobody likes to see
80 trains per day at Cordele, once-busy rails rust. It’s also of
Ga., on NS, CSX, and HoG personal interest. Some 40
years ago, as a college stu-
Ask TRAINS p. 48 dent, I trekked here to see the
Do all distributed power units last Louisville & Nashville Alco
get the same commands from diesels in hard service. Many
the head end? were already stored by the
time I got there as new SD40-2
Gallery p. 54 and C30-7 units flooded the
A sneak peek at TRAINS’ new 2022
daily calendar
Trains.com area. But there were still
enough C628s, C430s, and
C420s to satisfy my cravings
for a last look at these unique
ON THE COVER: facebook.com/TrainsMagazine beasts. Standing on the bridge
One of 10 CSX SD70ACe-T4 loco- over the throat of the Hazard,
motives heads up coal loads at Ky., yard made a fan for life of
Pineville, Ky., on CSX’s famed twitter.com/TrainsMagazine the snoopy-nosed C420. Good
Cumberland Valley Subdivision, memories, and a good time to
once awash in coal and now just see how things have changed.
hanging on. Mark Ragan @trains_magazine
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Trains.com 3
News
Canadian National makes bid
for Kansas City Southern
$33.7 million offer sets off battle with Canadian Pacific over smallest Class I
All three sides of the current
merger triangle — Canadian
Pacific, Kansas City Southern,
and Canadian National — are
represented on this southbound
CN train approaching Slinger,
Wis., in April 2017. Matt Krause
4 JULY 2021
LITTLE KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN
— at 6,700 miles by far the
smallest Class I railroad — is
the pretty girl at the dance. Last
summer, a pair of infrastruc-
ture funds unsuccessfully
sought to take KCS private.
That sparked merger talks be-
tween Canadian Pacific and
KCS, which jelled into their $29
billion merger deal announced
in March. A month later Cana-
dian National responded with a
$33.7 billion unsolicited offer
that sought to take away CP’s
dance partner.
Why all the interest in KCS?
The railroad’s north-south main
line stretches from Kansas City,
Mo., deep into Mexico. Its
cross-border traffic has doubled
since 2012 and shows no signs
of slowing down as intermodal,
automotive, and refined prod-
ucts traffic all continue to grow.
The pandemic laid bare an
overreliance on manufacturing
in Asia, and railroaders expect
some of that production to shift
to low-cost Mexico as part of a
phenomenon known as near-
shoring. Toss in the updated
NAFTA agreement called
USMCA, and you’ve got the po-
tential for more growth by cre-
ating the first railroad to link
Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.
“Overall, we are the better
bid, the better partner, the bet-
ter railway, and the best solu-
tion for KCS and for the North
American economy,” CN CEO
JJ Ruest says. CN says combin-
ing with KCS would create $1
billion in synergies, divert truck
traffic to rail, and create shorter,
faster stack-cleared routes from
Mexico to Chicago, Detroit,
and Eastern Canada.
Adds Ruest: “What’s really
missing in North America at
this point is really a true north-
south transcontinental railroad.”
That, of course, is precisely
what CP is hoping to create
with KCS, too. CP CEO Keith
Creel was not surprised rival
CN, his former employer,
jumped into the fray. CN’s offer
— which comes in 21% higher
than CP’s — was “eye-opening,”
Creel says. But Creel said there
was no reason to sweeten his
railroad’s bid for KCS because
CN’s dueling offer was so anti-
competitive that it would never
make it out of the starting gate.
CP’s deal with KCS was iron-
clad, Creel insists, and CN’s was
so fraught with regulatory risk
that it was “unattainable,” a
“fantasy,” and “fool’s gold.”
 t
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up
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inc
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nt
mo

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oo
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at
sk
CANADA

Sa

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ipe
nn
Vancouver

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Halifax
CP is the only KCS suitor that could

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gain regulatory approval, boost competi-

ro

nt
nt

re
Minneapolis/St. Paul

o
tion, and create a balanced North Ameri-

al
Canadian National-

go
can rail system, Creel says. CP’s lawyers

ica
Ch
warned, in a letter to the U.S. Surface Kansas City Southern Omaha Detroit Pittsburgh
Transportation Board, that if CN acquires
KCS, CP would be the odd man out and
combined
Kansas St.
forced to set off the final wave of railroad U N I T ED STATES Louis
City
consolidation by seeking a merger partner
among the other Class I systems.

on
CN responded by saying that CP was

cks
Ja
misleading KCS shareholders and that Meridian
Dallas

rt
combining CN with KCS would enrich in-

po
ve
vestors, enhance competition, and clear any

re
New Orleans

Sh
regulatory hurdles. Houston
Both railroads won widespread support Laredo Corpus Christi
M E XI CO
from shippers, ports, and others for their Brownsville CN Canadian National
proposed mergers with KCS. But CN and Monterrey KCS Kansas City Southern
KCS rights N
CP bickered over the extent to which a CN-
San Luis Potosi © 2021 Kalmbach Media Co.
KCS merger would affect competition. Tampico TRAINS: Rick Johnson
CP claimed a wide swath of customers Not to scale, not all lines shown
Mexico City
in the American Heartland would see their
Veracruz
rail options reduced by having both the
KCS and former Illinois Central main lines Lazero Cardenas

2021
PRESENTING
The Educational Railroading SPONSOR
Conference Leader Since 1994

26th ANNUAL WHEEL RAIL INTERACTION CONFERENCE

EWS
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COMING TO CHICAGO, IL • OCTOBER 18–21, 2021

OCTOBER 18 OCTOBER 19 OCTOBER 20-21

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY

The 26th Annual Wheel Rail Since 1994, the Wheel Rail Interaction Conference has been bringing together track and
mechanical users, researchers and suppliers in a positive, educational setting. The WRI ’21
Interaction Conference will be held
will be devoted to examining wheel/rail and vehicle/track interaction on light rail, heavy
Live in Chicago and will also offer haul freight and shared-track passenger systems. The latest information on new and existing
an On-Line Experience. technology, and the ways in which it is being used to improve wheel/rail interaction will be
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www.wheel-rail-seminars.com Attendees will be eligible for Continuing Education/Professional Development Credits

Questions: Contact Brandon Koenig, Director of Operations 847-808-1818 or Brandon@wheel-rail-seminars.com

Trains.com 5
 NEWS
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Baldwin-Westinghouse Vol 1 Electric Locos Mfg Catalog Archive Book 18 . .35.00
Beyer-Garratt Articulated Locomotives Mfrs’ Catalog Archive Book 14 . . .35.00
Canadian Pacific Power in Color Vol 1 or 2 each . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58.75
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Chesapeake & Ohio - Last Decade of Passenger Service 1950-1971 in Color .50.75
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Climax No. 9 and the Moore, Keppel Survivors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36.75
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Conrail Rainbow Years Vol 3 New Jersey’s Ex-CNJ & PC Commuter Ops . . . .40.75
Delta Heritage Trail (Missouri Pacific’s Wynne Subdivision) History Thru the Miles 23.75
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Monongahela Railway in Color Vol 3 Conrail & NS Era . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58.75 Canadian Pacific Power In Color
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Ohio Locomotive Crane Co - Manufacturers’ Catalog Archive Book 15 . . .35.00
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In late April, the KCS board agreed to
begin merger talks with CN, but cautioned
that did not mean they would reach a deal.
CN executives said they expected to finalize
a merger agreement with KCS by early June.
Creel told the North East Association of
Rail Shippers that if the KCS board were to
select CN’s offer, CP would pocket its $700
million merger breakup fee and go home.
“We don’t want a bidding war and it’s not
something we’ll participate in. And ulti-
mately, it’s a war that we would not win,”
Creel says, noting CN has a bigger balance
sheet to finance a more expensive deal.
Although CN’s offer would put more
money in KCS shareholders’ pockets, the
CP-KCS combination appears to have an
easier path toward regulatory approval. The
STB in will judge a CP-KCS combination
under the board’s less stringent merger
rules because their deal would unite the
two smallest Class I railroads in a true end-
to-end combination that would still be the
smallest of the big systems. CN was confi-
dent its proposed merger with KCS could
gain approval under the STB’s 2001 merger
rules, which, among other things, require a
Class I combination to enhance competi-
tion. KCS received a waiver from those
rules, which have stymied Class I consoli-
dation for two decades.
One thing’s for sure: The fierce competi-
tion for KCS echoes the battle for Conrail
25 years ago. — Bill Stephens

6 JULY 2021
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least some of the equipment will be
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UNION PACIFIC said it would resume fare
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Trains.com 7
COMMENTARY
A microcosm
of dieselization
Reflecting on the significance
and longevity of EMD’s SD40
O
n recent a visit to Brattleboro, Vt., I witnessed the
arrival of New England Central’s road freight from St.
Albans. Among the classic EMD diesels leading the
train was SD40 No. 3405, a machine now a half-cen-
tury old. Seeing this once-common model hard at
work, I reflected on the locomotive’s individual significance for me,
as well as its role as a microcosm of the American diesel-electric,
General Motors’ role in dieselization, the success of the 645-series
diesels, and the influence of the SD40 model.
The 100th anniversary of Electro-Motive will be marked next
year. Significant because the company was unquestionably the
most influential North American railroad supplier of the last cen-
tury. Its ascendance changed locomotive manufacturing, ushered
forth a motive power evolution, and forever altered the way that
railroads moved trains.
In 1966, the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors was near
the zenith of its domination of the North American locomotive
market. Through decades of continuous research and development,
GM had honed the diesel-electric locomotive into a powerful, versa-
tile, and exceptionally reliable machine. At that point, the diesel-
electric as commercial motive power was only 41 years old, yet had
vanquished steam from American rails. The company dominated
the domestic market and was among the leading locomotive manu-
facturers worldwide. To maintain its position, EMD continued to
refine and perfect locomotive design by improving upon its estab-
lished excellence with commercial introduction of its 645-series die-
sels in late 1965. Among the new models was the SD40. This em-
ployed the 16-645E3 turbocharged variation of this new engine, and
an all-new electrical system that replaced the traditional D.C. gener-
ator with a state-of-the-art A.C.-D.C. system utilizing silicon-diode
rectifier technology. (EMD’s development of commercial three-
phase alternating-current traction was still decades in the future.)
Previously, EMD had built its reputation largely on its four-mo-
tor models. Although in the 1950s it had sold several varieties of
six-motor diesel-electrics, including SD7, SD9, and SD24 models,
these were overshadowed by legions of GP7s, GP9s, and F units.
The preface “SD” meant “Special Duty” in contrast with “GP” that
meant “General Purpose.” The SD40 was a landmark advance-
ment, contributing to the ascendency of six-motor turbocharged
diesel-electrics as the new standard for North American freight
service. The SD40 along with its 1970s-era successor, the SD40-2,
were among the most common locomotives roaming American
rails in the last quarter of the 20th century.
I marvel at the SD40’s exceptional longevity. Today, looking
back at the rugged, reliable SD40, we are not surprised that these
locomotives are still working as intended, but I wonder if EMD’s
design engineers expected that a half-century after construction,
8 JULY 2021
Brian Solomon
briansolomon.author@gmail.com
@briansolomon.author
Blog: briansolomon.com/trackingthelight/
Podcast: Trains.com
On July 27, 1988, Conrail SD40s 6281 and 6291 were paired in helper ser-
vice near Gallitzin, Pa. Built in January 1971, No. 6281, now in its 50th year
of service, works for G&W as New England Central No. 3405. Brian Solomon
an SD40 would still be operating on American rails.
Growing up in New England, I saw relatively few SD40s; four-
motor types remained dominant. CP Rail, which bought numerous
SD40s, tended to assign Alco/MLW diesels to its lines east of Mon-
treal, while Penn-Central/Conrail, which operated a handsome fleet
of SD40s, only rarely assigned them to New England routes.
During the 1980s, I made forays to the former Pennsylvania Rail-
road crossing of the Allegheny Divide, the route famous for its sinu-
ous Horseshoe Curve west of Altoona, Pa., and here I witnessed
SD40s, along with its more powerful cousins, the SD45 and SD45-2,
hard at work moving trains over the mountains, both on the head
end and the rear of heavy freights. Among the locomotives in Con-
rail’s Cresson, Pa.-based helper pool was former Penn Central 6281,
a January 1971 graduate of EMD’s La Grange, Ill., plant.
Years later, New England Central inherited a trio of Conrail’s for-
mer Penn-Central SD40s, including 6281, which for years retained
its Conrail/PC number. This relic soldiered on in faded Conrail
paint for more than a dozen years after Conrail’s Class I operations
were divided between CSX and Norfolk Southern. I wonder how
many times I crossed paths with this locomotive over the years, both
on Horseshoe Curve and on New England Central. After Genesee &
Wyoming acquired NECR in 2013, old 6281 was sent to Brookville’s
Locomotive Division for overhaul and returned to NECR wearing
fresh orange, yellow, and black paint, carrying its road No. 3405.
Today, comparatively few locomotives are built for North
American freight service. Furthermore, with potential propulsion
changes, how many of the diesel-electrics built this year might be
on the move in 2071? 2
COMMENTARY
We need more
Dutchtown Southerns
New little railroad may be the
future of carload traffic
D
utchtown Southern, the smallest railroad you’ve
never heard of, just might be the biggest story
in railroading.
The Watco short line began operations in January
on 1.76 miles of track leased from Canadian National
in Geismar, La. Located some 20 miles south of Baton Rouge along
a bend in the Mississippi River, the Dutchtown Southern parallels
the former Illinois Central main and serves a cluster of nine petro-
chemical plants that fill 35,000 freight cars per year.
Watco Chief Commercial Officer Stefan Loeb sees “staggering
growth potential” by offering more flexible, more frequent, and
more reliable switching. Dutchtown Southern serves the plants
every day and gets paid by the carload, so it has every incentive to
gain as much volume as possible by doing things like interchang-
ing with the nearby CN yard multiple times a day.  working with customers and showing up as promised. The big U.S.
What’s the big deal about a railroad with less than 2 miles of
track and just three locomotives? The Dutchtown Southern could
be a model for how Class I railroads can win more business from
existing customers by handing local switching over to a short line.  shift. The result is an epidemic of missed switches. It’s one thing to
Says James Cairns, CN’s senior vice president for rail-centric
supply chain: “The customers just needed more switching frequen-
cy and more timeliness of switching. So ... we worked with our
good friends at Watco, and we created a new railway ... And this
allows us to convert more of that manifest demand directly onto
Dutchtown Southern’s first train on its startup day of Jan. 16, 2021. The
former Autauga Northern power had not yet been repainted for the
Dutchtown Southern. Watco: Ron Spencer
Bill Stephens
bybillstephens@gmail.com
@bybillstephens
Blog: Trains.com
our railroad because the Watco subsidiary can be more responsive
and act in a more timely manner to get that next, last car put on
our railroad.”
Everyone wins: Watco gets another dot on its map. CN gets
more volume. The petrochemical plants get more reliable service.
And no jobs were lost as CN’s local crews now run road freights.
The Achilles’ heel of carload traffic — and the top reason it
shifts to trucks — is unreliable first- and last-mile service on Class
I railroads. This has been exacerbated by the rollout of Precision
Scheduled Railroading on three of the four big U.S. systems. Most
shippers will tell you that CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern,
and Union Pacific have reduced the number of times per week
they serve local customers as part of a relentless focus on costs. CN
did the same thing years ago, but it gets relatively high marks for
PSR railroads don’t. 
They have expanded local service territories and are asking
crews to do more switching work than they can reliably fit into a
skip a customer when you’re scheduled to show up five days a
week and quite another to miss a switch when you’ve reduced ser-
vice to just Tuesday and Thursday. The impact is obvious: Transit
times get longer and more erratic. And frustrated shippers, who
value reliability more than anything, send loads to the roads.
Reduced and inflexible local service limits how many cars a
railroad can receive from some of its customers. Which is why
some shippers turn to short lines. An example is G3 Enterprises,
which handles shipping for 28 wineries and operates regional dis-
tribution centers in nine states. Only three of its warehouses are
served directly by Class I railroads because the company, which
fills 10,000 insulated boxcars annually, wants the flexible service
that short lines provide, with an extra switch being just a phone
call away. G3’s largest origin facility, on the Modesto & Empire
Traction Co. in California, is switched several times per day and
on weekends, so G3 can fill more boxcars without having to add
track or expand rail-related warehouse capacity.
In other words, more frequent and flexible service equals more
carloads. Watco’s Loeb will be the first to tell you this is not rocket
science. But it works, and the Dutchtown Southern model can be
applied virtually anywhere spurs bend off the main. “It can be in
hundreds of locations per Class I,” Loeb says. “It’s just a matter of
who wants to do it and how much value they can get out of it and
how much value they think the customers can get out of it.”
Class I railroads are masters at hooking and hauling large vol-
umes over long distances. Short lines excel at responsive local ser-
vice. Combining the best of both worlds, like the Dutchtown South-
ern, is one way to help halt the long-term decline of carload traffic. 2
Trains.com 9
COAL ISN’T DEAD
 Where 50 coal
trains a day once
ran in Kentucky’s
Cumberland Valley,
now a handful move
east of Corbin, Ky.
Story and photos
by Mark Ragan
CSX C623 leans through the
trusses of bridge 5 on the CV,
approaching the north end of
Loyall, Ky. On this day, the train
would pass the north flood wall
protecting the town by a mere car
length before being instructed to
hastily shove clear. Rising flood
waters threatened the town, so the
train was tied down and the walls
were shut for the coming days.

Trains.com 11

moonlit mist is rising off a fast-
moving Cumberland River as it
sweeps through the sleepy com-
munity of Blackmont, Ky. The
river has carved through this
forlorn community for de-
cades, along with the steel rails of the CSX
Cumberland Valley Subdivision. These
rails continue to be a means of survival for
the people of these communities, keeping
coal moving out and food on the table.
The sun is soon to rise, but not before
the valley is disturbed by the distinctive
shrill squeal of flanges grinding against a
tight curve. Soon, the river below is
brought to life by the headlight of an ap-
proaching empty coal train bound for Loy-
all, Ky. The train passes, silence returns.
These days, worry is found in wondering
how long it will be before the silence be-
comes permanent. Today, this line that
used to be the lifeblood of the Louisville &
Nashville is merely staying afloat.
The CSX Cumberland Valley Subdivi-
12 JULY 2021
sion is a primarily east-west rail thorough-
fare that began service in April 1886. It
was, and still is, primarily used to connect
the railroad with the coal-rich mountains
of Harlan County. It is a shell of its former
self, bypassing many remnants of what
made the line what it is today. The CV’s
primary attraction to railfans is the only
active mainline switchback in the United
States. A measly average of two trains a day
traverses this once-bustling route, but it
still hangs on.
Back in L&N days, the CV ran nearly 50
train movements a day between Big Stone
Gap, Va., and Corbin, Ky. In the 1920s,
there were as many as 130 to 150 active
coal loadouts along a plethora of branches
off the main line. Loyall at that time had
four yard jobs on each shift, two on either
end of the yard. By the 1970s, roughly 60
small single-car loadouts were being re-
placed by 30-40 different 4-hour unit train
loadouts. Imagine a quartet of L&N Alco
C420s dragging a loaded unit coal train
An empty limestone train from Brice, N.C.,
winds through Arkle, Ky., nearing the final leg
of the journey from Loyall. The train will lay
over in Corbin Yard and proceed to Mount
Vernon, Ky., the next day for loading.
down the main line passing an abundance
of searchlight signals and code line. The
relatively high train count continued
throughout the 1990s into the early 2000s.
The counts then began to decline through
2008, averaging 10-15 movements a day,
then falling drastically from 2008 forward.
The recession that year, coupled with low
natural gas prices and imported coal, ulti-
mately led to the demise of the busy CV.
Today, the CV spans 105 miles from
Corbin to a connection with Norfolk South-
ern in Big Stone Gap. There are currently
only four active branches off of the CV
main: the C&M (Cumberland & Manches-
ter) Branch, Poor Fork Branch, Merna Spur,
and Pennington Branch. Searchlight signals
still guard many control points and interme-
diates along the line, along with L&N-style
switch stands and some code line.
There are a total of six complete crews CSX’S CUMBERLAND VALLEY SUBDIVISION
remaining on the CV. These crews are based B&W Resources
out of Corbin, so even if the train is coming Manchester
Resource load-out
out of Kingsport, Tenn., bound for Loyall, To Cincinnati K E N T U C K Y Map area
the crew will still report to Corbin to go on Cumberland & Big Stone Gap
Manchester Branch
duty. They will then taxi 3 hours to King-

CSX
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Cumberland

rb
ay
sport and climb aboard, leaving a mere 9

CSX
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CSX Branch NS

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mu r v

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Big Stone Gap To Bluefield

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CSX

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B
NRG load-out
do not use through-freight symbols, instead CSX

id r
Branch Merna Spur To Shelby, KY

n
He
land River Creech Benedict

rla
relying on local and mine run symbols to To Atlanta ber CSX

Ha
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en
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ell
Pennington

Wa
Balkan load-out
port off-duty and head home, only to do it Hagans Branch
KENTUCKY Varilla Hagans Tunnel VIRGINIA NS
all again the next day. Varilla Siding Switchback
Middlesboro
A typical day on the CV begins around Cumberland Gap Frisco
7 a.m. when personal vehicles arrive at the Norfolk Southern

NS
NS

CSX
TENNESSEE Appalachia

t
To Knoxville

or
CSX office in Corbin. Crews for the day’s District to

sp
CSX CSX Transportation

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paperwork, and proceed about their day. Other lines (not all lines shown) 0 Scale 25 miles
To Spartanburg, S.C.
Usually, a crew will climb into a yard taxi Stations
© 2021 Kalmbach Media Co., TRAINS: Rick Johnson
Load-outs
and be shuttled to their power, which re-
sides either on the circle track or is already
poised to lead the day’s empty hopper train
to the mine it is destined. If the train is to-
gether already, a quick arming of the EOT,
brake test, and a signal to depart is all it
takes to send the train trundling deep into
the hollers and hills of eastern Kentucky.
Which mine are they bound for today?
There aren’t many left.
On the CV, there are five actively load-
ing coal mines: B&W Resources at the end
of the C&M Branch in Manchester, known
as Resource to the railroad; Hamilton &
Nally near Pineville, Ky., known as Balkan;
NRG, JRL Coal in Coalgood, Ky., known as
Creech; and Benedict. The definite front
runners in tonnage on the CV in order
respectively are Resource, Balkan, and
Creech, with Benedict and NRG adding a
few trains a month. These loadouts supply
coal-burning power plants all over the
country, with some coal even being export-
ed at Newport News, Va.
As markets change, other once-active
mining complexes could reopen, and for
that reason many companies maintain
active permits and keep some deep mines CSX C821, the afternoon Loyall Yard crew, loads coal at JRL Coal. The train is gaining tonnage by
ventilated and regularly inspected for that the minute, as car after car fills with Appalachian Black Gold. Almost looking as if they’re in a drag
reason. All is not lost. race, the coal truck scoots by headed to pick up another load.
As you travel south out of Corbin, the
first landmark of the CV Subdivision is a ahead, with a maximum speed of 10 mph. toward Wallsend. Wen Lar is the most re-
scale at Gray, Ky. It lies on the main No. 2 The train will arrive at Resource, load, run cently active mine on the branch, having
track about halfway between control point around, and proceed back south to the CV. not seen rail service since the third quarter
Siler and CP Arkle and to this day is still South of Heidrick, the small town of of 2019. It was scheduled to reopen in May
used to weigh cars for Corbin yard. A local Barbourville awaits. The town is home to a 2021, adding carloads to the line.
crew usually performs this task, but main- single passing siding. Three miles south of Just a few miles north of Pineville Wye
line trains might still weigh in before pull- Barbourville sits the idled loadout at Arte- lies Harbell Junction, where the “new” CV
ing into the yard. Traveling another 15 mus. Soon, the CV ducks under highway splits from the original CV that runs to
miles south will put the train at CP 25E and plunges into the town of Pineville, Middlesboro, Ky. The only train to run the
Heidrick, where the C&M Branch splits home to a maintenance-of-way gang, with original CV these days is the two-to-three-
from the CV main line and runs 22 miles their headquarters depot directly adjacent day-a-week CV local usually running un-
north to Manchester. Trains that split off to the CV. In this small town, a wye splits a der the symbol of C700. This train usually
and run up the C&M have a slow trip branch off of the CV main and heads can be found running under the cover of

Trains.com 13
‘THE OLD RELIABLE’ LAYS STEEL
INTO THE CUMBERLANDS

Senior CV Division engineer “Singin’ Sam” Sturgill looks at home aboard SDP35 No. 1700 (one of four on the roster, but without steam genera-
tors) on train No. 864 leaving Appalachia, Va., on Feb. 2, 1968. Abandoned after 1987, this roadbed is now a popular hiking trail. Ron Flanary

THE LOUISVILLE & NASHVILLE RAILROAD had ambitious plans to expand
its influence in the late 19th century. One objective was a west-to-east
route into Virginia to meet an eastern carrier to establish a new corridor
for freight traffic. With feeder routes south from Cincinnati (and eventual-
ly to Knoxville, Tenn., and Atlanta), and its Lebanon Branch that split from
the company’s Main Stem between Louisville and Nashville at Lebanon
Junction, Ky., to Sinks, Ky., 32 miles north of Corbin, Ky., a plan emerged.
Construction of what would be known as the “Cumberland Valley
Branch” began at Corbin on April 29, 1886, for 31 miles, to Pineville, fol-
lowing the Cumberland River from Barbourville to that point. The
branch was completed in 1888, and three months later the company
continued construction through Middlesboro, Ky., to Cumberland Gap.
In doing so, the L&N committed itself to a route on the south side of
Cumberland Mountain rather than an alternate route along the Cumber-
land River and its tributaries. Independent mineralogists had earlier
urged L&N President Milton H. Smith to lay steel that way because of
the extraordinary coal reserves on the north side of Cumberland Moun-
tain, particularly in Bell and Harlan Counties. The potential of Middles-
boro blossoming into a major iron and steel metro area was too
intoxicating to take the other route.
The L&N pushed its rails beneath Cumberland Gap and eventually
to a connection with Norfolk & Western’s Clinch Valley District from
Bluefield at Prince’s Flats, Va., which was renamed Norton, in honor of
retiring L&N President Eckstein Norton (who succeeded Smith briefly
between 1886 and 1891). The L&N-N&W route quickly blossomed into a
busy corridor for through freight traffic between St. Louis and Louisville
and Tidewater, Va.
Dreams of Middlesboro becoming a “Pittsburgh of the South,” how-
ever, were dashed in the Panic of 1893. At the urging of Pineville busi-
nessman T.J. Ascher, the L&N resolved to correct its earlier routing error
by acquiring Ascher’s Wasioto & Black Mountain railroad from a junc-
tion with the original CV main at Orby (later renamed Harbell). The
W&BM was acquired by the L&N and renamed the Kentucky & Virginia
Railroad. Rails reached Harlan in 1911, and branches built along the Poor
Fork, Clover Fork, and Martin Forks of the Cumberland River.
As coal traffic rose, a 17-track yard was constructed in 1921 in a large
tract of river bottom land at Loyall, Ky. For the coal side of the CV, this
terminal became home base for a fleet of mine runs swapping empty

darkness with one or two locomotives and
just a handful of plastic pellet cars for Blue
Diamond Industries.
Now we’re headed back to the “new”
CV for a trip to Loyall and beyond. Pro-
ceeding south, we will pass Varilla Siding
and soon enough reach Hamilton & Nally
Resources, known as Balkan. Here, trains
will split off of the main line and pull under
the loadout, scanning AEI tags as they go.
Once the train is scanned in, they will run
around and begin loading the train facing
the direction they came from, whether it be
Corbin or Loyall. Once loaded, they pull
back onto the CV main and proceed to
their respective destination. Past Balkan,
we won’t find another active loadout until
we have reached Loyall Yard. The stretch of
the CV between Pineville and Loyall paral-
lels the Cumberland River for the better
part of 30 miles.
At Loyall, one can still find unused fuel
racks hidden away in the yard. The yard is
completely encased inside a flood wall pro-
tecting it from the river. Four tracks of the
yard at Loyall are used for storage, while the
two main tracks are used for inbound and
outbound trains. The main purpose of Loy-
all is now a layover point for train T090, the
two-to-three-time-a-week coal train that
serves Eastman Chemical in Kingsport. The
train will arrive in Loyall from Kingsport
and tie down in waiting for a new crew.
Once a crew is on duty, it will load at either
Creech, Balkan, and on occasion NRG. Af-
ter loading, the train will either return to
Loyall to await a crew to take it to Kingsport
or make a run straight from the mine. The
yard office is more often than not desolate,
with a few RailCrew Xpress vans and hi-rail
trucks parked out front. Once a train re-
ceives a fresh crew at Loyall, it will depart

14 JULY 2021
hoppers for loads at the plethora of mines and coal tipples. Loyall’s
nine-stall roundhouse employed more than 200 workers at the time and
performed both running repairs to the steam fleet as well as full
rebuilds. By 1926, the entire Corbin-to-Harlan-Junction main had been
double-tracked.
The next major expansion of the CV was initiated in the late ’20s
with construction of the “CC&O Connection.” The L&N and its control-
ling company, Atlantic Coast Line, had secured a 50-50 lease of the
Carolina, Clinchfield & Ohio Railroad in 1923. A caveat of the lease ap-
proval by the Interstate Commerce Commission was establishment of a
direct connection between the L&N and the CC&O (L&N and ACL cre-
ated the Clinchfield Railroad to operate the CC&O properties). The new
line to achieve this was an extension of the Martin Fork Branch from
Chevrolet, Ky., through some difficult mountain terrain to a 6,244-foot
tunnel beneath Cumberland Mountain into Virginia at Hagans. A “tem-
porary” switchback was constructed at Hagans to lift Norton-bound
trains 102-feet in elevation and turn them 90 degrees to the east.
The ultimate plan called for continued construction southward to a
connection with the Clinchfield at Speers Ferry, Va. The opening of the
tunnel and connecting route as far as Hagans in 1930 suggests the real-
ities of the times: the country had entered the Great Depression, and
business everywhere had fallen. Instead, bridges beyond Hagans to
Norton were replaced with more substantial structures (the original CV
had been built to late-19th-century standards, and until then, the heavi-
est power allowed on the line was a medium 2-8-0). Trackage rights
over the Interstate Railroad’s Norton-to-Miller-Yard, Va., line — complet-
ed just a few years earlier — were secured to reach the Clinchfield. Of
course, the Speers Ferry line was never built, so the switchback
endured to this day.
Coal traffic remained strong into the 1950s but waned for a time as
railroads dieselized, home heating was converted to electricity or oil,
and industrial uses declined. The last “Big Emma” 2-8-4 steam locomo-
tives made a Corbin-to-Loyall turn in early spring 1956, and thereafter
the CV was dieselized almost exclusively with Alco RS3s. EMD units be-
came more common in the ’60s, and six-motor power increasingly han-
dled the heaviest trains. The L&N ended up with the largest fleet of Alco
C420s in the land due to mergers and transfer of Seaboard Coast Line’s
remaining units to the L&N roster in 1978, and the Schenectady prod-
ucts proliferated on the CV, as well as its coal-generating cousin to the
north, the EK, or Eastern Kentucky Subdivision. The Corbin-Harlan-Junc-
tion double track was mostly replaced by CTC by 1956.
From its earliest days, the CV was more than a coal-generator for
the L&N. Through mixed freight traffic was handled in double-daily fast
freights on the Corbin-Norton route, with connections with Norton with
dedicated trains on the N&W. The four daily runs were given priority
status over other trains but were also filled out to full tonnage with coal
loads at Loyall in both directions. Unfortunately, the remaining non-coal
traffic evaporated by the early 1980s.
The shift away from loose car shipments from smaller coal produc-
ers started in early 1966 with the first unit train operation on the CV, a
The first unit train on the CV was the Merna flood loader at Mary Helen,
Ky. On March 26, 1966, one of the first trains is loading on a 3% upgrade
with four U25Cs, preferred for their 16-notch throttles. Ron Flanary
Merna (today, the Creech loadout, which is still in operation) to Georgia
Power operation. A plethora of unit trains from many mines would fol-
low, although single-car shipments continued into the 1980s. Always the
smallest of L&N’s operating divisions, the CV was merged with the
Knoxville & Atlanta Division in 1970 to become part of the new Knoxville
Division. Many divisional administrative iterations would follow, but
since 1970 it has remained the CV Subdivision.
As more coal-fired steam plants came online to meet the growing
demand for electrical power in the ’60s and ’70s, particularly in Tennes-
see, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Florida, mines on the CV
ramped up production dramatically. The decade of the ’70s was tough
on the L&N, as the company was always short on motive power and
company-owned hoppers for the demand. The infrastructure also took a
pounding. The ICC granted a 22% rate increase on interstate coal ship-
ments to help the L&N buy new power, cars, and rebuild and expand its
infrastructure.
Finally, as the L&N gave way to Seaboard System and then CSX
Transportation, a new bridge and connection at Big Stone Gap, Va.,
opened in early 1986. This routed much coal traffic for the Southeast to
the NS’s former Southern Appalachia Division for a 35-mile savings in
route-miles (plus one crew district) to a connection with the former
Clinchfield Railroad at Frisco, Tenn. The eastern-most 13 miles from Big
Stone Gap to Norton fell into disuse, with portions of the line sold to
other parties.
Traffic on the CV remained strong until the 21st century, when many
of the coal-fired utility companies began converting to cheaper natural
gas. Competition from Powder River Basin coal, particularly in Tennes-
see and Georgia, also cut into central Appalachian coal demand. The
crush of train traffic from the 1970s became a distant memory as the CV
increasingly fell silent in the chilly nights in eastern Kentucky. Night had
indeed come to the Cumberlands. — Ron Flanary

bound for either Corbin or Kingsport.
Traveling farther south on the CV out
of Loyall, the first landmark is the inter-
locking tower at Baxter. The windows are
boarded up, the doors are locked, but the
tower still stands, witnessing the passing of
train after train. Just beyond the tower lies
the split onto the Poor Fork Branch. The
only remaining active loadout on the Poor
Fork Branch is NRG, with an average of
two trains every six months. The branch
beyond NRG to Lynch has fallen into dis-
repair, due to being idle for the better part
of three years.
Returning to the CV main, we proceed
south into downtown Harlan. Once a bus-
tling coal town, it is now nothing more
than a stop for a quick bite to eat. In the
middle of downtown, the CV reaches Har-
lan Junction. The junction is another wye
that points to the out-of-service Clover
Fork Branch. The replica depot can still be
seen from the main highway, but the rails
of the branch that lie in front of it are rusty.
Crossties are placed in an “X” in the middle
of the gauge, meaning that unless some-
thing drastic changes, no trains will slice
Harlan in half anymore. Once past the
Clover Fork, the CV begins to cut deep
into the hills of eastern Kentucky.
Next stop south of Harlan Junction on
the CV is the siding at Glidden. Here yet
another wye splits off up the steep, winding
Merna Spur. The end of the 2-mile spur
places trains at JRL Coal (Creech) in Coal-
good. It is definitely an experience to watch
a pair of CSX locomotives battle to hold
back thousands of tons of coal as they
creep downhill. Car after car loaded with
black diamonds means the train only push-
es harder against the motors. Crews load-
ing a train at Creech have to be extremely

Trains.com 15
CSX C601 loads the final few cars at B&W
Resources (Resource) as they creep into
the town of Manchester, Ky. The loadout in
the foreground doesn’t load trains anymore,
but single car loads were shipped as recently
as 2010.

attentive to not let the train get away from

them or shove them down the hill.
Cutting deeper into the mountainside
past Glidden has the CV slicing through
the short tunnel at Smiley. After blasting
out of the bore, trains begin the ascent into
Hagans Tunnel and shortly thereafter reach
the infamous Hagans Switchback. Just over
6,000 feet in length, an average 90-car unit
coal train with two locomotives can be ful-
ly inside Hagans Tunnel all at once. The
train crosses from Kentucky into Virginia
as it climbs through the darkness, popping
out only to double over the switchback.
Usually, a southbound train will have A Hamilton & Nally employee at Balkan samples the coal from a flood loader. His work is to
power and a crew on either end, making ensure that specs such as heat value, sulfur, ash, moisture content, and others are consistent
the double much easier and efficient. The with what the customer has been promised. Each hopper holds about 117 tons of coal.
train will drop the conductor at the switch
and pull to the end of the first track. Once the switchback. line them toward Pennington Gap, Va., and
they reach the end of the line, the conduc- Once clear, the conductor will line them away they go toward Kingsport. Passing
tor will make a cut and the rear crew will for the west leg, and they will double the through Pennington, one will see the wye
pull the remainder of the train back toward train back together and proceed to the west for the Pennington Branch, still used by
the tunnel clear of the switch. Then they side of the switchback with the rear locomo- empty CV trains to reach the loadout at
will shove the rest of the train down the tives leading. They will clear the westward Benedict on Norfolk Southern trackage.
adjacent track until it clears the west leg of switch, the original head-end conductor will As you continue south, the CV soon

16 JULY 2021
comes to an end as it joins Norfolk South- CSX C633 shoots past the old Ada loadout in
ern’s Appalachia District at Big Stone Gap. Artemus, Ky. The train will soon slide through
All through trains that traverse the CV use Pineville on the journey to Loyall. The after-
NS to connect the CV to CSX’s former noon crew will then climb aboard and com-
Clinchfield main line. These trains will stay plete the trek to JRL Coal to load the train.
on the Appalachia District for approxi-
mately 45 miles, reaching home rails once
again when they split off at Frisco, Tenn.
Once they take the connection track, the
trains will march onto the Clinchfield and
shortly thereafter arrive in Kingsport Yard.
If the train is one bound for power plants
in South Carolina or Brice, N.C., it will
receive a crew change and proceed. If the
train is bound for Eastman Chemical, it
will yard in Kingsport’s Carter Yard until
Eastman is ready to accept the coal.
The CSX Cumberland Valley Subdivi-
sion is hollow and desolate compared to
what it used to be, when train after train
could be seen and heard polishing the rails
between Corbin and Kingsport. Now, the
CV sees roughly five-to-10 movements a
week between Corbin and Pineville, and
only a handful more between Loyall and
Big Stone Gap. Broken down, that’s an
occasional unit scrubber limestone train
(Mount Vernon, Ky., to Brice), the triweek-
ly T090/U090 to Eastman Chemical, and
the addition of a few unit coal trains bound
for various places across the U.S.
The line’s fate lies solely with the Appala-
chian coal market, and as of now, each day
holds the possibility of complete abandon-
ment. This may be a harsh judgement, but it
is a sad reality. There has been talk of dispo-
sition to a short line, partial mothballing,
and total abandonment. In the meantime,
the CV still plays a vital role as the coal
keeps rolling. No matter the negative specu-
lation among many groups, the train crews,
coal miners, operators, and MOW person-
nel still wake up relying on the CV to put
food on the table for their families.
For now, the CV endures, supplying the
world with Eastern Kentucky coal. Here’s
hoping this history-rich line can continue to
soldier on throughout the next decade and
beyond. Will it survive? Markets will decide.
It’s nearly impossible for the residents of
Harlan and surrounding areas to imagine a
life without coal and the trains that pay the
bills. It isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life going
back generations. Whether digging under-
ground, running a dozer, operating the load-
out, or running the trains in and out, all
these roles are vital. Uncertainty clouds this
industry, but every glimmer of hope means
a good night’s sleep for those who rely on
this historic piece of railroad. 2

MARK RAGAN is a 22-year-old self-taught

photographer from Oneida, Tenn. He and
his wife, Abby, travel across the United States
when they get to take a break from the busy
HVAC and firefighting industries.
 The conductor throws a switch for east-
bound Canadian National train L57591-30
at Stacyville, Iowa, in January 2012. Rail
jobs have seen a dramatic recent
decline. Craig Williams

18 JULY 2021
Spurred by PSR, the third wave of
railroad cutbacks wipes out the
equivalent of an entire Class I workforce
by Bill Stephens

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF E. Hunter Harrison’s ultra-lean Preci-

sion Scheduled Railroading operating model at CSX Transportation,
Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific is the third major shock wave to
hit U.S. railroad employment since World War II.
The first was the steam-to-diesel transition, driven by technological
change on a massive scale. As steam’s fires were dropped, so too were
the legions of men responsible for the care and feeding of the iron
horse. Between 1947 and the end of steam in 1957 — also a period
when the traffic shift to trucks accelerated — railroad employment fell
28%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The second shock was the Staggers Act of 1980, which deregulated
the industry and upended the economic model railroads had followed
for more than a century. Overnight, railroads gained the ability to
spin off or abandon unprofitable routes, facilities, and services. A
wave of mergers followed, and crew sizes were reduced to two. In the
decade following passage of the Staggers Act, rail employment fell
45%, BLS data show.
A period of relative stability followed: Overall U.S. rail employ-
ment declined just 3% between 1996 and 2015, even as rail ton-miles
Crews change on the Louisville & Nashville at
Corbin, Ky., in 1967. Crew sizes were reduced There is no disputing PSR’s impact on Layoffs in the industry are nothing new.
during to two the 1980s, which followed the jobs. Overall Class I railroad employment Railroad employment has traditionally
Staggers Act of 1980. Ron Flanary fell 21% between February 2017 — the closely tracked volume, with headcount
month before Harrison landed in Jackson- rising and falling as traffic ebbs and flows.
grew 29%, according to the Bureau of ville — and December 2020, according to But that’s not been the case as the big three
Transportation Statistics. Surface Transportation Board data. Over U.S. PSR railroads have cut employment
Then Harrison became CSX chief execu- that span CSX, NS, and UP have eliminat- three times deeper than the 8% average
tive in March 2017. Harrison had trans- ed 24,201 positions, or more than a quarter decline in their rail traffic from 2017
formed Canadian National and Canadian of their jobs. To put that figure in perspec- through 2020, according to data they re-
Pacific — and turned both into stronger tive, note that it’s virtually the same num- port to the Association of American Rail-
competitors and investor favorites as em- ber of people who were on the CSX payroll roads. In contrast, employment at BNSF
ployment levels fell, profits rose, and stock prior to PSR (23,988). You read that right: Railway, the lone road not following PSR,
prices soared. Harrison would do the same In a little over three years Precision Sched- is down 15% on an identical 8% decline in
thing at CSX, a railroad that would ultimate- uled Railroading has wiped out the equiva- traffic. (KCS, by far the smallest Class I
ly shed 30% of its workforce. By the end of lent of an entire Class I workforce. with just over 2,700 workers in the U.S., is
2018, Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, and
Kansas City Southern would adopt Harri-
son’s low-cost operating model.
What’s behind PSR depends on whom
you ask. Its advocates say the drive for effi-
ciency ultimately improves service, broad-
ens the universe of traffic with an accept-
able profit margin, and makes railroads
better able to compete against trucks. Its
harshest critics say PSR is nothing more
than a slash-and-burn strategy motivated
by one thing: greed.

It’s July 4, 2019, and the conductor and

engineer of CSX local J715 are seen while
doing working at Omnisource in Defiance,
Ohio. Joe Kohnen

20 JULY 2021
 THESE OPERATING
CHANGES HAVE DRIVEN UP
TRAIN LENGTHS WHILE
DRAMATICALLY REDUCING
THE NUMBER OF TRAIN
STARTS PER DAY.
A Norfolk Southern crew changes in Atlanta
before taking a northbound freight toward
Greenville, S.C. Trains have become longer
and fewer under PSR. Kyle Yunker
a bit of a different animal due to its size
and the strong growth of its cross-border
traffic. Overall U.S. employment at KCS is
down just 8%.)
BIG TRAINS
Pick your spot: Along the Mohawk
River in New York on CSX’s Water Level
Route, Horseshoe Curve on Norfolk South-
ern in Pennsylvania, or Sherman Hill on
Union Pacific in Wyoming. What you’re
likely to see are extraordinarily long freight
trains with two or three six-axle units up
front, a distributed power unit or two in
the middle, and another DP unit shoving
on the rear of a train that may stretch
15,000 feet. Before PSR, this traffic would
have moved on two or even three trains.
Some of the decline in employment at
the PSR railroads can be traced to moving
tonnage in fewer but longer trains. To in-
crease train lengths, railroads have blended
some unit-train traffic — from coal, frac
sand, and steel pipe to finished vehicles,
grain, and steel — into their merchandise
networks. In other cases, railroads are dou-
bling up some unit trains, both loaded and
empty, for parts of their trips across the
CHANGING EMPLOYMENT
BNSF RAILWAY VS. THE BIG U.S. PSR RAILROADS
% change, February 2017 to December 2020
BNSF Railway PSR average
Total - all employees -15% -26%
Executives, officials, and staff assistants -16% -25%
Professional and administrative -15% -30%
Maintenance of way and structures -19% -20%
Maintenance of equipment and stores -13% -43%
Transportation (other than train and engine) -4% -26%
Transportation (train and engine) -15% -21%
Change in total traffic volume 2017-2020 -8% -8%
2020 operating ratio 61.6% 60.6%
Note: Major U.S. PSR railroads are CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Union Pacific
railroad. They’ve also combined some What this means for engineers and con-
intermodal trains into behemoths that are ductors is simple. There’s less work, so the
12,000 feet or longer. railroads have pared their crew boards to
These operating changes have dramati- match the lower number of trains. At the
cally reduced the number of train starts per end of 2020, CSX’s train crew ranks had
day. UP is running one third fewer road declined 30%. NS wasn’t far behind, with a
trains, while CSX by February 2020 had re- 28% reduction in engineers and conduc-
duced the number of active road trains by tors. At UP, the cuts have not been as deep.
46%. And as traffic rebounded from the Since adopting PSR, its train and engine
pandemic, CSX, NS, and UP boosted train crew headcount has dropped 15%. Overall,
lengths further, with a corresponding drop the Class I railroads employed 9,500 fewer
in train starts per day. engineers and conductors at the end of
Trains.com 21
Mechanical forces took the biggest hit from
PSR. They shrank by an average of 43%. This
2014 scene was at NS’s Juniata Shops in
Altoona, Pa. Dustin Faust
2020 than they did before PSR.
Another PSR focus is on balancing the
number of trains that operate in each di-
rection. This keeps power and people in the
right places, reduces the number of loco-
motives and crews needed, and has allowed
railroads to trim their extra boards. Case in
point: CSX has reduced deadhead crew
moves by 59%. “Balancing the railroad is
great when it comes to power but it’s even
better when it comes to balancing people,”
says Nick Little, director of railway educa-
tion at the University of Michigan’s Center
for Railway Research and Education.
Running fewer trains also allows rail-
roads to move their tonnage with much
smaller locomotive fleets. Union Pacific, for
example, had 46% of its locomotives in stor-
age at the end of 2020, or twice as many as it
had parked before embarking on PSR. CSX’s
active fleet, meanwhile, was down 41%, or
1,540 units, at the beginning of this year.
The thousands of locomotives railroads have
stored since adopting PSR tend to be the
oldest, least reliable units. And that has re-
duced the need for locomotive shops and
the number of mechanics required to main-
tain the smaller, more reliable fleets.
22 JULY 2021
Car maintenance forces haven’t fared bowl is often completely empty. NS idled
much better. The PSR railroads have re- the hump and converted the yard to a flat-
duced the size of their freight-car fleets, switching facility in June 2020. It is a sym-
scrapping tens of thousands of cars or re- bol of operational changes under PSR.
turning them to their lessors. As a result, A key aim is to move freight across the
the PSR railroads have shut or scaled back system faster and more efficiently by reduc-
operations at their carshops and now em- ing the number of times cars are handled.
ploy fewer car mechanics. Railroads are reducing car handling by pre-
In fact, the deepest toll of PSR-related blocking at origin — either at the customer’s
job cuts has been to mechanical forces, facility or in a local serving yard — and
which have shrunk by an average of 43% at avoiding switching en route. The goal is to
CSX, NS, and UP since 2017. Even KCS block swap where you can, and switch only
has not been immune: Its mechanical where you must.
workforce has been reduced 38%. Overall,
the Class I railroads have cut more than
9,400 shop jobs, affecting longtime railroad
towns like Roanoke, Va., and Altoona, Pa.,
on NS, Cumberland, Md., and Huntington,
W.Va., on CSX, and Pine Bluff and North
Little Rock, Ark., on UP.
YARD CHANGES
Norfolk Southern’s Moorman Yard in
Bellevue, Ohio, became the biggest hump
yard in the East in 2014, when its second
classification bowl opened as part of a $160
million expansion project that doubled the
yard’s capacity. Today the new 38-track
The bowl at Norfolk Southern’s Bellevue,
Ohio, yard, the biggest hump yard in the East,
was rendered empty. David Patch
 “PSR HAS CUT MUCH
DEEPER THAN JUST
ELIMINATING FAT; IT
HAS CUT INTO MUSCLE
AND BONE.”
With this formula, PSR railroads have
siphoned as many as 10,000 cars per day out
of their major classification yards, making
many redundant. CSX, NS, and UP have
idled a combined 19 humps, with most of
the classification yards converted to flat-
switching facilities that employ fewer people.
Some of the hump yards and their shop
facilities have been closed outright, such as
Linwood, N.C., on NS, and CSX’s Tilford
Yard in Atlanta.
The three big PSR systems have re-
duced the number of “transportation
workers other than train and engine” cate-
gory — which includes yardmasters, assis-
tant yardmasters, and yard clerks — by
25%, according to STB data.
‘RUTHLESS COST CUTTING’
Rail labor leaders, stung by the thinning
of their rank-and-file membership, are
highly critical of Precision Scheduled Rail-
roading. “PSR is a business model that re-
wards Wall Street at the expense of every-
one else,” Dennis Pierce, president of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and
Trainmen, told Congress last year. “PSR’s
across-the-board and ruthless cost cutting
has produced historically high unemploy-
ment rates,” he says.
Labor leaders say railroads need to bal-
ance the needs of shippers, investors, and
workers. “PSR has cut much deeper than
just eliminating fat; it has cut into muscle
and bone,” Pierce says. “PSR may be good
for the bottom line, but it is bad for the na-
Precision Scheduled Railroading has eliminated almost as many jobs in railroading — more
than 24,000 — as there were people on the CSX payroll before its implementation. Joseph Hinson
tion’s shippers, American consumers, and
the workers who move the nation’s freight.”
Larry Willis, who was president of the
Transportation Trades Department at the
AFL-CIO until his death in November
2020, last year told Congress that Wall
Street’s obsession with cost-cutting threat-
ens the rail industry. “For freight rail em-
ployees, PSR has manifested itself in a chill-
ing fashion. To extract every possible cent
of revenue out of their operations, railroads
now run with historically and dangerously
thin workforces,” he said.
But the University of Michigan’s Little
says the Class I railroads simply had more
workers than they needed. Applying lean
operating principles that have swept other
industries — from manufacturing to
healthcare — was long overdue in railroad-
ing, Little contends. “The employment lev-
els are probably getting to the right sort of
level that they should be,” he says. “There
was excess fat in the industry ... there
always has been.”
Running a leaner operation has made the
railroads more resilient, Little says. The
Class I systems were largely able to maintain
service levels in 2020 despite the historic
pandemic-related decline in traffic during
initial lockdowns in the spring, which was
followed by a strong rebound in volume.
Normally such volume swings tie rail-
roads in knots. “If you’d had this kind of
traffic surge across the rail network in North
America four or five years ago, we would be
now talking about gridlock across all the
major cities in the country,” CSX CEO Jim
Foote said last year.
Peter Swan, an associate professor of
logistics and operations management at
Penn State Harrisburg, says the employment
declines at CSX, NS, and UP are not surpris-
ing. “Some of the declines could be predict-
ed by the direct effects of PSR and the drop
in coal traffic,” Swan says. “Specifically, run-
ning fewer locomotives reduces mainte-
nance requirements proportionally. Drops
in traffic often result in downgrading of
lines and maintenance of way. Reduced
numbers of hump yards should also result in
fewer maintenance-of-way personnel, fewer
management people, fewer train and engine
crews as well as, one could argue, fewer
maintenance-of-equipment personnel.”
HEADQUARTERS CUTS
But the widespread changes in railroad
operations under Precision Scheduled Rail-
roading don’t explain the reduction in head-
quarters and professional staff employment
at CSX, NS, and UP. The big three PSR rail-
roads have trimmed the number of execu-
tives by 25%, while professional and admin-
istrative staff has been cut by 30%.
Some observers say these are purely cost-
reduction moves designed to help reduce
the operating ratio, the key measure of rail-
road efficiency that’s a closely watched met-
ric on Wall Street. But PSR advocates say
railroads had bloated bureaucracies that just
begged to be streamlined. The goal, they say,
is to cut red tape, push decision-making out
into the field where possible, and make the
railroads more nimble.
Another element behind the manage-
ment cutbacks: The need for culture
change. PSR, Little says, requires a different
way of thinking. A graying workforce in
headquarters and satellite offices is more
resistant to change, Little says. So many
longtime rail professionals took buyouts,
had their jobs eliminated, or left on their
own accord and were not replaced.
The result has been a spate of empty of-
fices at railroad headquarters buildings —
even an empty floor at the 19-story Union
Pacific Center in Omaha. Workers say
morale has plummeted, as well, with
Trains.com 23

The control tower at Canadian Pacific’s Alyth Yard in Calgary, Alberta, as seen in January 2019.
The railroad’s headquarters building is located nearby. Yards and corporate offices have both
seen significant changes in the PSR era. Jerry Clement
headquarters employees grumbling as
much as ballast-level railroaders.
THE YARDSTICK
BNSF remains the lone holdout against
Precision Scheduled Railroading, making it
a yardstick by which the other three big
U.S. railroads can be measured. A conve-
nient fact: BNSF’s traffic was down 8%
from 2017 to 2020, precisely the same
amount as the average decline at CSX, NS,
and UP. So when you look at overall em-
ployment, this level playing field takes
volume swings out of the equation.
Stack up CSX, NS, and UP against
BNSF and it’s immediately clear that with
the exception of maintenance of way, the
PSR railroads have made far deeper em-
ployment cuts across the board.
BNSF did become a bit of a moving
target as the pandemic unfolded in 2020,
however. The railroad pared its locomotive
and carshop workforce by 19% through
cutbacks or outright closures at shops
across its system, particularly in coal coun-
try. BNSF also stepped up efforts to boost
train length, which has affected train crew
staffing levels. Before the pandemic, BNSF’s
train crew employment was 4.5% below
February 2017 levels. By the end of 2020,
they stood 15% below 2017 levels.
As a result, BNSF in 2020 posted the
most improved operating ratio among the
Class I railroads, even leapfrogging ahead of
CN and NS. BNSF’s 60.6% operating ratio
was just a point behind the average of CSX,
NS, and UP. Does the BNSF experience
Stored locomotives are lined at BNSF’s
Northtown Yard in Minneapolis in August
2020. The railroad cut its shop forces by 19%
as the effects of the pandemic cut into rail
traffic. TRAINS: David Lassen
24 JULY 2021
suggest that a railroad can boost profitability
and efficiency without slashing its workforce
as deeply as the PSR railroads have done? “It
certainly leads to good questions,” says An-
thony B. Hatch, an independent analyst. “I
don’t know that it answers them.”
CAUSE FOR CONCERN?
Some industry observers fear that the
reduction in management and professional
staff — and the collective loss of institu-
tional knowledge — will come back to
haunt railroads.
“The massive reduction of the middle
management ranks of supervisors and ex-
perts is a fundamental shift on talent devel-
opment and depth of bench,” says Rod
Case, a senior advisor at consulting firm
Oliver Wyman. “The remaining manage-
ment are dominated by the near term and
have much less time to think or test uncon-
ventional approaches or new products.”
That’s a problem considering transpor-
tation trends that include railroads bleed-
ing market share to trucks, smaller ship-
ments moving shorter distances, and the
looming threats of more efficient and even
autonomous trucks. If they don’t change
course over the next decade, railroads
stand to lose $177 billion in revenue from
so-called “flexible” traffic that can move via
carload or truck, according to an Oliver
Wyman analysis.
“We have sized management expertise
to execution and fine-tuning of the PSR
model,” Case contends. “We have less re-
sources directed to new capabilities or
skills to challenge convention with new
business products. I would argue we are at
risk of being a commoditized service pro-
vider where all the cool and innovative
stuff is done by third parties like J.B. Hunt
or third-party logistics resellers.”
Railroads, including CSX and UP, made
significant cost-cutting moves at headquar-
ters and laid off non-union people long be-
fore they adopted PSR, Hatch points out.
“They all at various times were under pres-
sure to reduce headcount,” he says.
Swan says the reduction in sales and
marketing staff will make it difficult to make
the so-called “pivot to growth” that has fol-
lowed the implementation of PSR at CN and
CP. “If railroads are going to pivot to growth
or at least gain enough new traffic to main-
tain current traffic levels, they will need
marketing and customer service people,” he
says. “The declines in sales and marketing as
well as customer service personnel will pre-
vent railroads from finding and securing
new business. This is because railroads un-
der PSR are encouraged to provide the ser-
vice that works best for the railroad and tell
customers to take it or leave it.”
Shippers and shortline railroads say the
diminished customer service and sales
staffing can make it difficult to reach a live
person at railroad headquarters or to get a
timely response to an email. “It is much
 “THE PLAIN FACT IS THAT
HE RAN RAILROADS FOR
THE OWNERS, THE SHARE-
HOLDERS. AND PSR WAS THE
WAY HE DID IT.”
more difficult to get a rate quote today than
it was prior to PSR,” Swan says. “Disputed
accessorial bills often must rise to the VP
level at a railroad for resolution rather than
having customer service people resolve
them. The reductions in management have
also resulted in churn of employees with
expertise in specific areas being lost with
employees moving or retiring.”
Critics say PSR is about doing less with
less. But the numbers from the Canadian
railways, which first implemented Precision
Scheduled Railroading, tell a different story.
From 2010-2017, CN’s traffic grew twice as
fast as the rest of the industry. And Canadi-
an Pacific has been the fastest-growing Class
I system since Keith Creel became CEO in
2017. Its traffic is up 7% since then, while
the number of employees grew just 2%.
Green shoots were showing at CSX
before the pandemic clobbered rail traffic,
suggesting that a similar trajectory was
about to play out on the first U.S. railroad
to adopt PSR. CSX was gaining merchan-
dise business for the first time in years and
had resumed intermodal growth as well,
even though the size of the railroad’s work-
force declined dramatically.
Hatch says Precision Scheduled Rail-
roading has two phases: implementation,
when operations are changed and jobs are
cut, and what he calls PSR 2.0, when the
railroad adds carloads faster than it adds
employees. The PSR 2.0 railroad grows,
Hatch says, but employment does not go
Union Pacific’s 19-story headquarters building in downtown Omaha, Neb., has seen an entire
floor emptied thanks to Precision Scheduled Railroading and cost cutting. Nick Suydam
back to prior levels because the buffer stock
of locomotives, freight cars, yards, shops,
and people are gone. “All of the Class I
[railroads] have said that when volume re-
turns after the pandemic, they will not have
to add back employees on a one-to-one ba-
sis with carloads,” Hatch says. Although rail
traffic had largely rebounded by January
2021, Class I employment was 11% lower
than in the pre-pandemic month of Febru-
ary 2020, STB data shows.
Howard Green, author of the Harrison
biography “Railroader,” says Harrison, who
died in December 2017, was unapologetic
about job losses that stemmed from imple-
mentation of Precision Scheduled Railroad-
ing. “The plain fact is that he ran railroads
for the owners, the shareholders. And PSR
was the way he did it,” Green says.
The PSR railroads have no apologies, ei-
ther. CSX, NS, and UP say their overhauls
were necessary to improve service, create
capacity, benefit shareholders, and build
stronger companies that their remaining
employees can depend upon.
“As we operate more efficiently, we’ve
been able to run a better railroad while also
reducing our locomotive fleet, converting
hump yards, and making other changes
that reduced the size of our workforce,” NS
spokesman Jeff DeGraff says. “We’ve re-
duced through attrition when possible,
offered displaced employees positions in
other parts of the company where we
could, and provided severance benefits
consistent with negotiated agreements.”
CSX says it’s now a safer and more envi-
ronmentally friendly railroad. “We have
improved our safety performance to an in-
dustry-leading position and we have also
reduced our emissions as we’ve become
more productive, offering shippers a more
environmentally friendly and sustainable
transportation solution,” spokeswoman
Cindy Schild says. “Regarding resources,
we are always seeking top talent with the
right skills to advance CSX’s mission to be
the best run railroad in North America and
we’ll continue to manage our workforce to
meet the needs of the business as well as
our customers.”
Likewise, UP says its operational
changes have led to safety improvements.
“Union Pacific has recognized many oper-
ational efficiencies in the past few years
that have reduced the amount of equip-
ment and resources on our network. The
ability to operate trains with more railcars
results in fewer trains, reducing the poten-
tial for employee injuries and derailments,”
spokeswoman Kristen South says. “Addi-
tionally, we successfully utilized distribut-
ed power locomotive technology and im-
proved train consist parameters to
enhance braking ability and train handling
capabilities. This technology allows for
longer trains without compromising our
high safety expectations.” 2
Trains.com 25
In 1918, rolling Red Cross
laboratories helped battle
the spread of influenza
by Dan Zukowski

The COVID-19 pandemic struck a blow to Amtrak, commuter rail,

transit systems, and freight railroads, but a century ago America’s
railroads helped control another, even more deadly disease.
It was 1918. American forces were fighting in War Department that the Red Cross would be useful
Europe, turning the tide on the Western Front against to it and beneficial, but by the time you get to the early
Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II’s German army. That year, 20th century that’s a pretty accepted idea.”
a virulent flu strain swept through military bases and When America entered World War I, then known
camps in the United States, threatening the training as the Great War, President Wilson understood the
and mobilization of four million men and the nation’s Red Cross would be essential to provide aide, nurses,
fighting ability. “The disease took such a toll that for a and comfort both in Europe and on the homefront. He
brief period it almost brought the Army to a standstill,” established the Red Cross War Council to raise money
reads a U.S. Army Center of Military History account. from private donors, seeing a great task ahead for the
Four Pullman cars, outfitted as rolling laboratories small organization, which then had just 22,000 mem-
by the American Red Cross, were ready bers and a small bank account.
to help. Wilson appointed Henry Davison, a
The war in Europe had erupted in financier at J.P. Morgan, to head the War
1914. For three years, U.S. President Council. His first fundraising campaign
Woodrow Wilson remained determined in June 1917 brought in $114 million,
to keep America out of the conflict. But with major donations from the Rockefell-
in 1917, Germany plotted to have Mexi- er Foundation, General Electric, Anacon-
co join the war as its ally, and its subma- da Copper, and his own employer. In
rines sank seven U.S. merchant ships. total, the War Council raised $400 mil-
Wilson could no longer remain neutral. lion in less than two years. Red Cross
When Congress declared war on membership ballooned to 31 million
April 6, 1917, U.S. Army ranks held no Henry Davison led the adults and children.
more than 200,000 soldiers. There was no Red Cross War Council. The Red Cross had connections with
system or law to draft men into the mili- the Pullman business and Pullman family
tary until the Selective Service Act was passed May 18. going back decades. George Pullman — not the
Between conscripts and enlistees, the Army’s strength George M. Pullman famed for his sleeping cars, but his
grew to four million by the time hostilities ended little nephew — was a close friend of Clara Barton, so close
more than 18 months later in November 1918. that she kept a room for him at her home in Maryland.
An earlier war led to the creation of the Red Cross, He also served as financial secretary of the American
founded on May 21, 1881, by Clara Barton, who had Red Cross from 1892 to 1897.
nursed wounded soldiers on Civil War battlefields. In At the turn of the century, The Pullman Co. was
its early years, the Red Cross mostly did what we know flush with cash, its traffic tripling from 1900 to 1910 as
it for today: assisting at major disasters such as the it held a near-monopoly on the railroad sleeping car
1889 Johnstown flood and the 1906 San Francisco
earthquake. That was about to change. Red Cross canteen volunteers serve U.S. Navy sailors
Julia Irwin is a historian at the University of South aboard a train at the Southern Pacific station in Los
Florida who writes extensively about the Red Cross. Angeles, circa 1918. American National Red Cross photograph
She tells Trains, “It took some time to convince the collection, Library of Congress

26 JULY 2021

business. In 1910, Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln
and president of Pullman, donated an 1881 wooden sleeper to the
Red Cross to be used for first-aid training. The organization retro-
fit the car with living quarters for a doctor and attendant, a galley,
and 50-seat classroom that could quickly become a 30-bed hospi-
tal. It also carried supplies for disaster relief. Red Cross literature
from 1923 describes it as “successful beyond all expectations.”
A second car was purchased, and Pullman donated one more
car in 1913. The three instruction cars traveled tens of thousands
of miles across the country until 1916. In August of that year, as
the U.S. Army engaged Mexican revolutionaries who had crossed
the border to attack towns in New Mexico and Texas, the Army’s
Medical Department leased 10 Pullman cars. They were outfitted
as a hospital train and sent to the Mexican border.
When America entered the war in Europe in 1917, mobiliza-
tion brought millions of recruits to U.S. military camps and bases.
The Army trained these men at 32 large camps while the National
Guard built 16 tent camps. The War Department trained aviators
at 40 airfields and the Navy had training centers on both coasts.
Ten embarkation camps at Eastern seaports readied troops and
supplies for their voyage to Europe and received soldiers returning
from the front.
TROOP TRAINS, CAMPS SPREAD ILLNESS
As long troop trains filled with young recruits arrived at these
military bases, medical officers examined each man. They sent
28 JULY 2021
The main shops of the Pullman Palace Car Co. in Pullman, Ill., are
shown circa 1900. Pullman, which first became involved with the Red
Cross in 1910 through donation of a car for first-aid training, convert-
ed four sleepers into lab cars. Detroit Publishing Co., Library of Congress
obviously sick individuals to camp hospitals, but inevitably others
would carry infectious diseases to the barracks. Such a rapid call-
up, herding trainees together in camps that each housed 25,000 to
55,000 troops, brought immediate health problems. “Camps, hur-
riedly constructed, became crowded, and a series of epidemics of
measles, mumps, and meningococcal meningitis passed through
them,” states an official Army history.
The American Red Cross went into action. It helped to outfit
and staff hospitals and ambulances, and recruited more than
23,000 registered nurses, most of which were assigned to the Army
Nurse Corps. Thousands more volunteers handed out free coffee
and doughnuts to soldiers on troop trains and at train stations.
On Aug. 25, 1917, the medical advisory committee of the Red
Cross War Council ordered that four railroad cars be obtained and
outfitted as mobile medical laboratories.
The Red Cross turned to Pullman. Flush with cash from Davi-
son’s fundraising, it purchased four sleepers and had them rebuilt
as laboratory cars for a total cost of $52,000. The cars contained a
kitchen and sleeping quarters for the cook and porter at one end,
and an office and living quarters for the doctor and two medical
staff at the opposite end. A bacteriological laboratory occupied
the center half of the car, equipped with microscopes, incubators,
In an era of military segregation, Black soldiers are
served by a Red Cross “Colored Canteen” in
Knoxville, Tenn., in September 1918. American National
Red Cross photograph collection, Library of Congress

chemicals, and other necessary medical materi-

als. The cars were lettered “American Red Cross”
and carried the iconic red-on-white cross symbol
on each end.
Trains spoke with the American Red Cross
archivist, Susan Watson, who explained that the
doctors volunteered their time and the Red Cross
paid for all expenses. The four cars together cost
$1,200 a month to maintain. They were named
Walter Reed, Louis Pasteur, Élie Metchnikoff, and
Joseph Lister, honoring luminaries in the fields of
science and medicine.
Walter Reed was an Army bacteriologist who
discovered the cause of yellow fever. Louis Pas-
teur developed vaccines for several diseases, including ra- The laboratory section of the four Red Cross cars included incuba-
bies. Lesser known today are Élie Metchnikoff, a Russian scientist tors, microscopes, chemicals, and other medical materials. The cars
who shared the 1908 Nobel Prize in medicine and pioneered the were converted from sleeping cars at a cost of $52,000. Harris & Ewing
science of immunology; and Joseph Lister, a British doctor who collection, Library of Congress
revolutionized surgery through the use of antiseptics.
The laboratory cars were based in Washington, San Francisco, work. Every resource of modern science is made available in the
Chicago, and Nashville, Tenn., and were dispatched from these cit- fight against the epidemic.”
ies to far-flung locations across the country. In its March 3, 1918, The Pasteur left Nashville on Dec. 5, 1917, with Dr. J.W.
edition, the Washington Sunday Star reported, “These cars are held Jobling, who came from the Vanderbilt University School of
ready to be dispatched on emergency call to any camp where the Medicine. It headed to Fort Worth, where it spent 20 days re-
outbreak of an epidemic demands highly specialized laboratory searching an outbreak of pneumonia at Camp Bowie. Its next

Trains.com 29
Each of the four laboratory cars rebuilt from Pullman sleepers includ-
ed an office and living quarters for the doctor who traveled with the
car. The cars cost $1,200 a month to operate. Harris & Ewing collection,
Library of Congress
assignment was to Camp Beauregard in Louisiana to combat a
wave of meningitis.
The Metchnikoff, with Dr. Frederick Gay aboard, traveled to an
aviation camp near San Antonio, while the Reed was stationed for
a time at Camp Greene near Charlotte, N.C. Gay hailed from the
University of California. The Lister, headed by Dr. Ludvig Hek-
toen, visited Fort Sill, Okla., and Camp Joseph E. Johnston, the
present site of Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida. Other
assignments included Camp Pike in Little Rock, Ark., and Camp
Wheeler near Macon, Ga. Hektoen was the founding director of
the John McCormick Institute of Infectious Diseases in Chicago.
Dr. Harold Amoss of the Rockefeller Institute led the team aboard
the Walter Reed.
“All of this was happening just before the flu pandemic,” Wat-
son says, adding, “They did help civilians as well.”
The 1918 flu pandemic is sometimes called the Spanish flu,
though it did not originate in Spain. The first known case any-
where in the world was that of U.S. Army Private Albert Gitchell,
a cook at Camp Funston in Kansas. On March 4, he went to the
30 JULY 2021
Unidentified individuals pose with one of the Red Cross laboratory
cars in a 1917 photograph. The cars eventually ended up under con-
trol of the U.S. Public Health Service for military use; the Red Cross
reclaimed one in 1923. Harris & Ewing collection, Library of Congress
hospital at Fort Riley, complaining of a sore throat, fever, and
headache. The disease may have already been spreading in Haskell
County as early as January 1918, according to John Barry, author
of the seminal book on the 1918 flu, “The Great Influenza.” Within
days of Gitchell falling ill, at least 500 more soldiers at the camp
reported sick.
A Red Cross laboratory car was dispatched in July to Camp
Funston, site of the initial outbreak. Described by the Army as a
place with searing hot summers and frigid winters, pounded by se-
vere windstorms and dust storms, the official report reads like a
travel warning. “The mud was thick and adhesive and appeared to
be almost bottomless during the rains. The roads in the surround-
ing country were unimproved,” it says.
Draftees came to Camp Funston from Colorado, Arizona,
New Mexico, South Dakota, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. By
September, 50,000 men crammed into the camp. That fall, the
base hospital filled to capacity. There weren’t enough nurses, so
enlisted men were pressed into action, taking temperatures and

assisting patients.
Although the flu spread across the U.S. and to Europe over the
next few months, the first wave of this infection remained relative-
ly mild. That all changed when September came around.
By then, 1.4 million troops were housed on military bases in
the U.S. Soldiers were carried from camp to camp along the
nation’s 253,000-mile railroad network and brought on troop
trains to seaports where they would leave for Europe. Overcrowd-
ing, long-distance travel, and lack of preventive measures became a
super-spreading event that sparked a deadly second wave.
It began on Sept. 7 at Camp Devens, near Boston. More than
14,000 cases were reported among the military that month, killing
757 solders before they ever saw action. At least 19 camps suffered
significant outbreaks. During the seven-day period from Oct. 5-11,
6,160 soldiers died of the flu. Between September and November,
20% to 40% of U.S. Army and Navy personnel were struck by what
had become a deadly pandemic.
FLU TOOK MASSIVE TOLL
Camp Pike, 7 miles north of Little Rock, Ark., was constructed
in six months in 1917. The Missouri Pacific Railroad laid a spur to
the camp, which housed the Army’s 87th Division. When the Divi-
sion left for France that summer, 54,500 raw recruits soon arrived
from Tennessee, New Mexico, Missouri, Iowa, and Oklahoma to
begin their training. Barracks were stretched beyond capacity.
Hastily erected tents and sheds housed the overflow. By October,
there were so many influenza cases in camp that an infantry regi-
ment was moved out of its barracks so that it could be turned into
a hospital annex, adding 1,800 beds. The Joseph Lister was
dispatched to the camp.
Unlike the pandemic of 2020-2021, the 1918 flu was deadly for
those 20 to 40 years old , striking at the heart of the military. But
the flu did not spare civilians or railroads.
The first known death in Washington, D.C., was that of John
Ciore, a railroad brakeman. High rates of illness struck the Penn-
sylvania Railroad and Baldwin Locomotive Works.
Philadelphia was hit hard. Cold-storage plants were pressed
into use as temporary morgues. Trolley-car manufacturer J.G. Brill
Co. donated 200 packing crates for use as coffins. Boston, Chicago,
San Francisco, New York, and other major cities suffered as the
deadly flu spread. By the time the pandemic subsided after two
years, 675,000 Americans were dead and at least 50 million people
perished worldwide.
Among U.S. soldiers in both Europe and at home, 45,000 lost
their lives to the flu, nearly as many as the 53,402 who died in
combat. The Army understood that overcrowding was a problem
American National Red Cross photograph collection, Library of Congress
THE RED CROSS
TROLLEY AMBULANCE
In researching this story, TRAINS uncovered another unusual
use of a railcar by the Red Cross. In 1917 or early 1918, John
Lindell, superintendent of the Boston Elevated Railroad, created
the country’s first electric trolley ambulance at the suggestion of
two Army officers. Converted from an old open-side car, the seat
backs were removed so the streetcar could hold hospital litters,
taking wounded soldiers from ships to Boston hospitals. The Red
Cross confirmed that this was their car. — Dan Zukowski
and that moving men from camp to camp would spread the flu,
but war was on. “The need to train men and deliver them overseas
was considered to be too urgent to allow the epidemic to delay
troop movement,” said a U.S. Army military history.
A separate Office of Medical History report lavishes praise on
the laboratory cars: “They were found to be extremely valuable for
emergency work, proving superior in this respect to any other
mobile or transportable laboratory then available, and were thus
very satisfactory agencies in the control of epidemics of infectious
diseases in situations where no well-equipped laboratory was on
the ground.”
The Surgeon General’s 1919 report had only one suggestion:
that they be equipped with motorcycles and sidecars since “the
crew needs some form of transportation for themselves and the
materials to be examined to and from the patients in the hospitals
and the troops in the barracks.”
Laboratory cars weren’t the only way the Red Cross and rail-
roads served the nation during the Great War. Sick and wounded
soldiers needed transport to hospitals and other inland locations
as they returned from Europe, which continued well into 1919.
When America entered the war, the Army Medical Depart-
ment had just one hospital train, the one that had seen service
along the Mexican border. Rebuilt from old wooden Pullman cars,
it comprised three 16-section patient cars, one car for surgery,
three bed cars, one officers’ car, one storage and baggage car, and a
kitchen car. Only the kitchen and officers’ cars had steel under-
frames. With space on the train limited to 225 patients and 31
personnel, the Army needed more capacity.
The Surgeon General requested money for 18 additional cars,
The Walter Reed was one of the four laboratory cars rebuilt from
sleepers by Pullman that dealt with the flu outbreak. American Red Cross
car, I.8.18, Arthur Dubin collection, Lake Forest College Archives and Special Collections
Trains.com 31
A cook at Camp Funston in Kansas was the first individual identified
with a case of the 1918 flu, in March of that year, although it may have
been spreading in the area since January. One of the laboratory cars
was sent to the camp in July. Junction City Photo Co., Library of Congress
which were put into service in June 1918. Three cars were taken
from the original train, making up four trains of seven cars each,
able to serve 141 patients and carry 31 staff. Dispatched to sea-
ports, three of the trains were stationed at Hoboken, N.J., and one
at Newport News, Va.
But even that wasn’t enough. In October, the Army sought to
purchase an additional 20 new cars from Pullman, but the manu-
facturer couldn’t deliver them for at least three or four months. In-
stead, Pullman offered to rebuild 20 existing steel-underframe par-
lor cars. The Army agreed, and all 20 were delivered on Jan. 31,
1919. While waiting for these cars to arrive, the Army leased 20
other cars from the Federal Railroad Administration for $15 per
day for each car — the equivalent of $232 today.
As servicemen crisscrossed the United States either en route to
camps or overseas, or returned from battle, they were sure to be
A Red Cross field kitchen provides refreshment to men en route to
camps or other military assignments. The original caption says “Mrs.
Vanderbilt and others” are serving. American National Red Cross photograph
collection, Library of Congress
32 JULY 2021
met by the Red Cross. At train stations, rail yards, and water stops,
55,000 volunteers gave out beverages, snacks, cigarettes, and news-
papers. By the end of 1917, the Red Cross had established 430
canteens and 15 station restaurants serving full meals. The most
unusual of these facilities was at Washington Union Station, where
President Wilson turned over the presidential suite for use by the
troops. The ornate space included reading rooms, conference
rooms, office areas, and a large reception room.
Troop train commanders could wire requisitions ahead to the
next canteen stop. Sometimes Red Cross volunteers would have to
arrange for a doctor or dentist to meet the train or mail a letter
home for a soldier en route. These workers, all women, took an
oath not to disclose troop movements to anyone.
But there was a darker side for these volunteers. Soldiers
returned from the front having lost arms and legs, ears, and noses.
Horrific mustard gas, chlorine, and other gas warfare burned skin
and lungs.
“When the canteen women at one of our debarkation ports were
first called upon to take care of the wounded men, who had now
begun to come back from war, they said they
couldn’t stand the awfulness of it. But they did,”
wrote Henry Davison.
The Red Cross enrolled 23,822 nurses during the
war, of which 19,931 were on active duty with the
Army, Navy, U.S. Public Health Service, and over-
seas. Their work was not without risk: 400 Red
Cross workers, including 296 nurses, became
casualties of the war.
Railroads and the Red Cross would serve future
wars and pandemics, but laboratory cars would
not. Disposition of the four cars is uncertain.
During the war, the Surgeon General requisitioned
three of the cars, and the fourth soon after the war
ended, placing them under control of the U.S. Pub-
lic Health Service for military use.
LATER RED CROSS EFFORTS
According to one Red Cross document, the
organization reclaimed the Louis Pasteur in 1923,
renaming it Red Cross Car No. 1. It was used as a
first-aid instruction car. In its first year, the car
traveled 9,646 miles to 137 cities, giving instruc-
tion to 147,176 people. By 1929, it became too
costly to maintain and was sold.
Three of the historic cars were memorialized for model-
ers and collectors in 2002 when K-Line issued an O gauge set for
$149.95, with all profits donated to the Red Cross.
During World War II, the Red Cross once again mobilized to
assist the military and military
families both at home and over-
seas. Canteens came back to
railroad stations, military posts,
airports, docks, and Red Cross
blood donor centers. Other
volunteers served at veterans’
hospitals and helped transport
supplies and people. More than
110,000 volunteer nurse’s aides
assisted at 2,500 civilian and
military hospitals.
The Korean War prompted
the Red Cross to partner with
the Western Pacific, Southern
Pacific, Union Pacific, Great
Northern, and Maine’s Bangor
& Aroostook Railroad to oper-
ate traveling “bloodmobiles.”
The WP loaned the Red Cross
its 1917 Pullman, Charles O.
Sweetwood, a five-bedroom,
open-platform observation
car. Refrigerators in the kitch-
en stored donated blood for
transfer to other trains and
military facilities. Over three
years, the Sweetwood traveled
225,000 miles and collected Red Cross volunteers pose in the Presidential Suite at Washington
25,000 pints of blood. Union Station, turned over to the organization by President Woodrow
When Hurricane Camille struck the Gulf Coast in 1969, the Wilson for use as a canteen. American National Red Cross photograph collection,
Illinois Central offered to loan its president’s personal car for the Library of Congress
Red Cross to use as an office during disaster relief operations. The
IC also loaned freight cars for relief supplies, a dining car and crew return to pre-pandemic levels.
to feed Red Cross staff, and a rail-mounted generator. The entire Until now, the Red Cross laboratory cars and their role in the
relief effort “was commanded from a railroad spur in Louisiana,” pandemic of 1918 has been almost overlooked by history. While
says the Red Cross. speaking with archivist Susan Watson, she told Trains, “I’ve done
One hundred years after the first world war, the COVID-19 a lot of research into World War I and this was fairly new to me.
pandemic struck freight railroads, causing “near-record traffic de- So it was very interesting to find out another aspect of what the
clines,” according to a statement by John T. Gray, senior vice presi- Red Cross was doing during World War I.”
dent of the Association of American Railroads. But recovery was The value of the laboratory cars can’t be quantified in terms of
swift. “By the end of the year, rail traffic was close to pre-pandemic lives saved or diseases stopped, but they played an important part
levels, sparked by sharply higher grain and intermodal shipments in the fight against the flu pandemic and other infectious diseases
along with the reopening of auto assembly plants,” Gray said. at a time when few vaccines existed and human viruses were un-
Riders are returning slowly to Amtrak, commuter railroads, known until 1901. The ability of American railroads to move these
and transit systems as Americans get vaccinated and businesses cars wherever they were needed and the extraordinary efforts of
reopen. But huge financial losses will handicap these operators for the Red Cross to develop and staff them established a landmark
years to come, and it’s unclear when or if passenger counts will achievement in public health. 2

Trains.com 33
Natural arches, slickrock, and red rock: Union Pacific’s
Potash Branch has scenery like no place on earth
Story and photos by James Belmont

34 JULY 2021
SD70ACe 8439 leads the
Potash Local with 63 emp-
ties in Bootlegger Canyon
near Moab, Utah, in
November 2018. Above the
third locomotive is Corona
Arch, a popular hiking
destination. Kenneth Lehman
 ust a stone’s throw from
where Edward Abbey wrote
“Desert Solitaire: A Season in
the Wilderness,” the sun rises
over towering slickrock cliffs
above the Colorado River
near Moab, Utah. Above the
gentle roar of the river rises
the distant hum of diesel lo-
comotives. Minutes later, a Union Pacific
train emerges from the red sandstone of
Bootlegger Canyon. It slowly descends to
the level of Potash Road, traversing a few
additional miles of extraordinary scenery.
The valley widens to reveal a giant mine
complex. Union Pacific’s Potash Local has
arrived at Intrepid Potash on the Cane
Creek Subdivision.
About 300 million years before the
train arrived, most of Utah was covered by
a primitive sea, during Earth’s Carbonifer-
ous Period. The Moab area was a depres-
sion in the Earth’s surface called the Para-
dox Basin. Over millions of years, water
submerged the basin, and sediments col-
lected to form layers of shale, sandstone,
limestone, gypsum, and salt. As the Colo-
rado Plateau uplifted, the river washed
away the overburden and revealed the salt
36 JULY 2021
deposits, rich in potassium.
The element potassium’s name comes
from the word “potash,” or “pot ash.” Pot
ash was discovered around 500 A.D. as a
useful mineral for making soap, glass, and
bleach. Wood ashes were left submerged in
water, and after the water evaporated, the
concentrated potassium salts were called
pot ash. Commercial-scale mining of pot-
ash appeared about a millennium later,
and soon replaced synthetic potash in
chemical and fertilizer use. Today, potash
is produced in large amounts exceeding 90
million metric tons per year. Commercial
deposits are currently mined worldwide,
with the largest and most important mines
in Saskatchewan.
Potash, a mixture of potassium salts
(predominantly potassium chloride, or
KCl), is a vital commodity for industrial
use. Indeed, the first patent issued in the
United States was to Samuel Hopkins in
1790, just after George Washington signed
the patent bill into law. U.S. Patent 1 was
granted to Hopkins for a furnace that re-
burned ashes, giving a much higher yield of
usable potash. As the seventh-most preva-
lent element on Earth, potash has become
vital to many industries.
By far the largest market for potash is for
the manufacture of potassium fertilizer. It
improves the retention of water, crop yield,
nutrient value, color, taste, texture, and re-
sistance to disease in food crops. It is widely
used in the production of fruits and vegeta-
bles, rice, wheat and other grains, sugar,
corn, soybeans, palm oil, and cotton. Other
industrial uses include soaps, deicer, glass
manufacturing, aluminum recycling, explo-
sives, and pharmaceuticals.
Massive amounts of potash were discov-
ered in 1924 in the Colorado Plateau of the
Four Corners Region. A wildcat oil well,
drilled 7 miles west of Thompson, Utah, en-
countered a massive bed of salt containing
almost 50% potash at a depth of 3,150 feet.
Additional oil wells, drilled in the 1920s in
the Cane Creek Anticline, a massive fold
southeast of Moab, revealed the potash beds
were of the greatest thickness. In the 1950s,
the Delhi-Taylor Oil Corp. of Dallas, at the
time one of the largest independent oil
companies in the U.S., obtained mineral
leases in the area and decided they were
commercially viable, not for oil, but for pot-
ash. Delhi-Taylor wasn’t a mining company,
and needed a partner with experience in
underground extraction of non-fuel
 UTAH
UP’S POTASH LOCAL
70

Utaline on
Map area any To Denver
yC
Ru

b
Grand Junction
To Salt Lake City Thompson Springs
To Montrose
70 Brendel
UTAH COLORADO

Arch N

Arches ve
r
Ri
National
Lee

do
Park Co l o
ra
Seven Mile All lines shown are
Union Pacific-owned.
Bootlegger Tunnel
0 Scale 20 miles

191 © 2021 Kalmbach Media Co., TRAINS: Roen Kelly

Potash

SD70M No. 5062 leads train LDC51B-16 at

Intrepid Potash in Potash, Utah, in August
2019. This is the end of the line for the suit-
ably named Potash Local. David S. Patch

mineral deposits of this type.

A partnership with Texas Gulf Sulphur
of Houston, Texas, was formed; TGS was
then the largest sulfur mining company in
the U.S. On Sept. 27, 1960, the partnership
announced it would spend $30 million to
develop the underground Cane Creek Mine
to extract potash. The project included a
flotation processing plant at the mine to re-
fine the potash from other unwanted min-
erals in the salt beds, an 18-mile highway
reaching the mine site from Moab, and a
36-mile rail spur reaching the mine from
the Denver & Rio Grande Western main
line at Brendel, Utah. The mine was
planned as a room-and-pillar operation at a
depth of 2,800 feet, using conventional me-
chanical mining methods. Production was
anticipated to begin in mid-1963, yielding
600,000 tons per year of fertilizer-grade
muriate of potash (potassium chloride). In
terms of railroad carloads, this equated to
115 100-ton carloads per week. Ultimately,
TGS purchased Delhi-Taylor’s interests and GP40M-2 No. 1481, a former Southern Pacific rebuild, rolls near milepost 31 in Moab Canyon
became the sole developer of the mine. with nine cars in April 2019. Four-axle power is uncommon on the Potash Local.

Trains.com 37
The Potash Local arrives at Potash, Utah: SD60M No. 2429 leads train LDC53-13 at milepost 35
with 12 cars in March 2009. The Union Pacific’s Cane Creek Branch is 35.77 miles of undulat-
ing, albeit well-engineered, railroad featuring a 1.5-mile tunnel.
A FIRST-CLASS RAILROAD
D&RGW President G.B. Aydelott
promised TGS “... a first-class railroad
service to assist in the development of the
project.” The railroad agreed to provide the
rail, ties, ballast, and other track material
to build the line. A 1.5-mile tunnel would
be bored in order for the track to reach the
bank of the Colorado River from the lower
Moab Valley. On July 27, 1961, Morrison-
Knudsen was awarded the contract to con-
struct the embankment, tunnel, and drain-
age structures. The Salt Lake Tribune
reported, “The route would require 7,885
tons of steel, at a cost of $1 million,” and
that the Cane Creek Branch would be “the
largest railroad construction project to be
undertaken in Utah in the past 40 years.”
To supply the rail, D&RGW replaced 30
miles of mainline rail between Brendel
and Cisco with new 136-pound rail. The
old 112- and 115-pound rail was re-laid on
the new branch.
The Moab Times Independent reported
that in 1961, “A brief groundbreaking cere-
mony was held by D&RGW and M-K offi-
cials, along with Moab and Texas Gulf Sul-
phur officials, for the start of construction
of the Cane Creek Branch ... held at 3:30
p.m., on Monday, August 14th, on the
Moab side of the planned tunnel, overlook-
ing the Moab valley.” On June 22, 1962,
M-K completed the 7,059-foot tunnel to the
head of Bootlegger Canyon, near the Colo-
rado River. A 120-foot-deep by 120-feet-
wide by 7,000-foot-long cut south of Seven
Mile Road provided the material required
to create an embankment leading to the
tunnel entrance. On Sept. 20, Morrison-
Knudsen completed the embankment, and
D&RGW crews began to lay track. The
following February, D&RGW received ap-
38 JULY 2021
proval from the ICC to use “Potash” as the
station name for the mine at the end of the
branch. Potash would have its own agent.
Development of the mine was far more
complex and costly than anticipated. Engi-
neering and geological difficulties, such as
high levels of methane, led to disaster. A
methane explosion on Aug. 27, 1963, killed
18 of 25 miners underground at the time.
Recovery from the disaster delayed the start
of production by more than a year. Once
production began, underground mining
proved much more costly and challenging
than anticipated. Steep grades and long
hauls reduced efficiency. Provision of ade-
quate ventilation to avoid methane build-up
was expensive and complicated. Under-
ground temperatures were intolerable, and
labor turnover was high. Skilled under-
ground miners tramped to better pay and
working conditions at the numerous urani-
um mines in the Colorado Plateau, or to Hikers on the Corona and Bowtie Arch Hiking
lead, zinc, gold, and silver mines in Colora- Trail watch as GP40M-2 No. 1481 rolls the
do and Utah. After five years of struggle, Potash Local by milepost 31 in Moab Canyon
TGS realized underground mining was not in April 2019. The two diesels have no prob-
economically viable. Instead, the company lem with the nine cars for Potash on this day.
decided the only viable alternative was solu-
tion mining, which consists of pumping pumps installed. Next, 340 miles of tun-
water at high pressure into the salt beds nels were flooded with 750 million gallons
through injection wells, allowing the water of water from the Colorado River. TGS
to dissolve the salts into brine, extracting officially reopened the mine for produc-
the brine through wells, and evaporating tion on March 1, 1972.
the brine in surface ponds. Once dried, the crystallized material was
Since the Moab area has very low hu- scraped from the evaporation ponds and
midity and an average of 300 days of sun- transported to the processing facility for
shine per year, large ponds of brine could refining and shipment. Surface area con-
act as solar collectors, evaporating the wa- straints for evaporation ponds meant that
ter and leaving behind potash in the form solution mining could not develop the same
of crystals. By July 5, 1970, TGS approved quantities as had been anticipated by TGS
the conversion, and the underground mine and D&RGW. Instead of 600,000 tons per
was shut down on Aug. 1. Mining machin- year, the evaporation ponds could produce
ery was removed and a system of water only 75,000 to 120,000 tons per year. The
The La Sal Mountains give perspective to operations on the Cane Creek Branch. The Potash Local, train LDC51B-19, passes Arch Summit in Klondike
Flat, in August 2019. The trailing locomotive is a former Cotton Belt GP60, far removed from its days in Texas on the Blue Streak Merchandise.

Trains.com 39
Gorgeous red rock formations provide a unique backdrop for GP60 1019 and the Potash Local
in April 2019. Parallel State Route 279 (Potash Road) from Bootlegger to Potash makes for an
easy chase on this segment of the line.
variation is mostly due to fluctuations in the
amount of sunlight and temperatures dur-
ing the year.
Virtually all of the world’s potash is ex-
tracted from 19 commercial deposits, and
by 2016, six countries accounted for 88% of
the world’s aggregate potash production.
During that period, the top nine potash
producers supplied 94% of world produc-
tion. In 2017, Intrepid supplied 0.6% of the
annual world potassium consumption and
4.4% of annual U.S. potassium consump-
tion. Intrepid sells potash to the agricultural
market for use in fertilizer, the industrial
market for drilling and fracturing fluids for
oil and gas wells, and the animal feed mar-
ket for use as a nutrient supplement. The
Moab plant is one of three Intrepid potash
mines, all in the western United States.
Intrepid’s solution mine, 30 miles east of
Carlsbad, N.M., produces potash from an
underground solution mine and ships to
markets via BNSF. Intrepid’s mine at Wen-
dover, Utah, evaporates natural brines that
collect on the surface of the Salduro Salt
Marsh (Bonneville Salt Flats), and ships to
market via UP.
CANE CREEK AND THE ATOMIC AGE
Quite unexpectedly, the Cane Creek
Branch has proved vital for an entirely
different purpose: cleaning up the massive
uranium mill tailings at the Uranium Re-
duction Cos.’ mill (later called Atlas Miner-
als), north of Moab. The 1,500 ton-per-day
mill was opened on Sept. 14, 1957, to con-
centrate uranium oxide from uranium ore
mined at the famous Mi Vida Mine east of
Moab, along with other mines in the area.
The Cold War led to fear of nuclear war; si-
multaneously, nuclear energy was seen as
the future of electrical generation, leading
to high demand for uranium. The Moab
mill was one of dozens operated in Utah
and Colorado during that era to process
carnotite ore into uranium oxide called
40 JULY 2021
yellowcake, which is refined into fuel rods
for nuclear reactors, or into enriched urani-
um used in weapons. The Atlas Minerals
Mill closed in March 1984, leaving behind
16 million tons of low-level radioactive tail-
ings. Even with a layer of protective soil on
top, there was concern that radioactive iso-
topes could leach into the ground water or
be swept directly into the Colorado River
during floods.
In 2001, the U.S. Department of Energy
began the process of cleaning up the 130-
acre tailings site. In September 2005, the
agency decided the tailings would be trans-
ported from the mill site via trucks and/or
railcars. By 2007, Energy Solutions Inc. was
selected to move the tailings from the Moab
site to a disposal site just north of the UP
main line at Brendel. In 2009, UP, which has
operated the branch since 1996, upgraded
the track to handle the heavy unit trains.
Moving the tailings from the bank of the
Colorado River uphill to the railroad The Potash Local passes beautiful 105-foot
proved a major challenge. Trucks carry con- Corona Arch near Moab, heading back north
tainers of the tailings, each with 16 tons of on the Cane Creek Branch in April 2008. The
material, to waiting railcars at Emkay, a sid- area is known to hikers for its natural beauty
ing named for Morrison-Knudsen. Emkay and accessibility. Keith Burgess
is located just outside the tunnel portal
leading to the potash plant. Each unit train on Fridays. The local typically departs west-
of tailings holds 80 containers, and travels bound from East Yard by 9 a.m. If there are
30 miles to the disposal site. From there, no work events along the way, the train will
containers are trucked a short distance to a traverse the 83 miles between Grand Junc-
trench 25 feet deep and nearly a mile long tion and Brendel in about 90 minutes. The
and a half-mile wide. The operation began train typically arrives at the junction point
in 2009 and reached the halfway mark in with the Cane Creek Sub between 10:30
2016, having moved 8 million tons. and 11 a.m. The trip from Brendel to Potash
and back takes about 5 hours.
A DAY WITH THE POTASH LOCAL From the junction at Brendel, the 35.77-
The journey to Potash begins in Union mile subdivision has a track speed ranging
Pacific’s former Rio Grande East Yard in from 10 to 40 mph, governed by track war-
Grand Junction, Colo. The power is drawn rant control. The branch runs in a south-
from most anything on UP’s roster of loco- southeasterly direction from the main line,
motives, although pairs of EMD SD70Ms with an overall rise of 305 feet and a fall of
are the most common. The crew assigned to 1261 feet in elevation. After descending a
the local serving Potash — which UP calls 1.2% grade in the first 8 miles, it reduces to
the LDG51B, or “51B” — is called at 8 a.m. 1% at Arch (milepost 10.3). The route
descends a 1.1% grade through Klondike
Flat, ducking under U.S. Highway 191 near
the Canyonlands Field Airport. From Lee
(milepost 18.3) to Seven Mile (milepost
21.3), the route ascends a 1.3% grade, only
to descend a 1.2% grade through Emkay
(milepost 28.5). The descent continues
through the tunnel, with a .6% drop
through Bootlegger Canyon and along the
Colorado River to Potash. The yard at In-
trepid is the lowest elevation point on the
entire D&RGW system at 3,952 feet above
sea level. For statistics fans, the lowest point
on the D&RGW main line is at Green Riv-
er, Utah (22 miles west of Brendel), with an
elevation of 4,065 feet.
Photographing the 51B between Brendel
and Emkay is a snap, as the first 28 miles of
track run parallel to Highway 191. The ter-
rain ranges from a grassy, sage-covered
landscape with the La Sal Mountains in the
background, to rugged deep cuts and fills
amid picturesque ruby-red cliffs. Land-
marks along the route include the junction
at Seven Mile Road (which leads to Dead
Horse Point State Park) and the entrance to
Arches National Park, across the canyon
from the right-of-way. The best shot for
many photographers is in Bootlegger Can-
yon. At the point where Potash Road (State
Highway 279) meets the Cane Creek Sub,
there is a parking area near the base of the
track and the Corona Arch trailhead. Don’t
forget sunscreen, hiking boots, plenty of
cold water, and a snack. The surreal land-
scape along the Cane Creek through Boot-
legger is unlike anything you’ve ever seen
on a rail line. Even without a train, the can-
yon is a magical, supernatural place to visit,
and well worth your time.
The tunnel portal is a mile from the Co-
rona-Bow Tie trailhead. Along the last 4
miles of track to Potash, the 51B rolls along
the mighty Colorado River at a leisurely 25
mph. You will find plenty of parking out-
side of Intrepid’s processing plant, where
you can watch and photograph the local as
it pulls into the plant and trades empties for
loads before returning to the main line. The
local’s journey typically ends late in the
afternoon, back where it began at East Yard
in Grand Junction.
The scenic red rock region of south-
eastern Utah seems more suited to ecolog-
ical novels than a railroad branch. Howev-
er, from transporting an ash found in the
bottom of a pot to an atomic age clean-up,
the Cane Creek Subdivision continues to
provide an essential service. While the
mine might not have fulfilled its original
expectations, it continues to provide prof-
itable traffic. In addition to 750 to 1,200
carloads of potash per year, Union Pacific’s
contract with the Department of Energy
will require four uranium tailings trains
per week until 2028. Trains will continue
to roll along the branch, providing visitors
an unexpected distraction from the
national parks in the neighborhood. 2
Trains.com 41
 THE TRAINS MAP

East Broad Top rises again

New owners bring legendary Pennsylvania line back to life
Station and offices Machine shop Electrical shop
eek
Roundhouse Carshop Scale rdan Cr
Jo
Turntable Blacksmith shop Freight house
Ash pit Machine shop Lumber shed .
t
Iron S

Mead
Paint shop Power house Coal dock
Original farmhouse/ Foundry

ow
Master mechanic’s office Pattern house

St .
Storage sheds
Sand house 0
Three-way 2 1
Ice house stub switch 4 3
6 5
Carpenter shop To Mount
Boiler shop Union
ale
R ober tsd
To
1 Track numbers
33 MILES OF TRACK RUSTING AWAY Rockhill Trolley Museum
IN THE WEEDS SINCE 1956 Carbarn One (Two standard
gauge tracks for trolleys and
Orbisonia 2021
Tucked away in the woods and hills of central two narrow gauge tracks for N
Pennsylvania is a 33-mile-long narrow gauge railroad, most EBT equipment) 0 Scale 150 feet
of which hasn’t seen a train since April 1956. Buehler restoration and
The untreated ties have long since rotted away, but the maintenance shop East Broad Top
Museum Store, pavilion, restrooms Rockhill Trolley Museum Cassville
rails are still in place, half hidden in the weeds, along with (Standard gauge, electrified)
Old shop Begin Dual Gauge
the attendant bridges, tunnels, sidings, wyes, and switches. 829
Meadow Street trolley loading platform
Dozens of freight cars — mostly hoppers — still populate To Blacklog and Shade Gap Evanston
the yards. The shops that built and maintained them are J&S to
Marklesburg
still in place.
Six steam locomotives designed and built for the Sleeman
railroad by Baldwin between 1911 and 1920 have occupied Juniata & Southern

ILL
Standard gauge
the same roundhouse since they first came on the property. P E N N S YLVA N I A 1915-1917

G H
It is probably the only such place in the country.
Jacobs
Le t Un on
sto n*

ELIN
wn

The East Broad Top is the only remaining intact narrow

un ngd
w i io

Rocky Ridge Branch

Hu na
Mo nti
gh

gauge railroad east of the Rocky Mountains.

g
o

ur

1905-1936 o/s; aband. 1940

SID
to
ur

sb
Al
sb

The reason the EBT lasted as long as it has is NS/Amtrak Penn

ek
rri
tt

Turnsylvani

L
Pi

Ha

h Cre
HIL
transloading. The inherent problem of a narrow gauge Map area pike a
Orbisonia Curfman
railroad in a standard gauge world is that every shipment, 76

Troug
Fort Littleton

AYS
no matter the size, has to be transferred between gauges. *Not an Amtrak stop Exit 180
Philadelphia
Dougherty

WR
The coming of paved highways and trucks that only had to
be loaded once killed many a slim gauge operation. Few
survived into the 1930s. Rocky Coles
The East Broad Top was a coal hauler. What saved the Ridge
railroad was that every online mine produced run-of-mine Huntingdon & Broad Top Mountain
Shoups Run Branch 1857-1953;
coal that had to be cleaned of the inevitable impurities. std. gauge; used five switchbacks
Placing the cleaning plant at Mount Union solved the Wrays Hill Tunnel,
Cooks 1,228 feet long
y

problem neatly.
dle

el

Fairview
mm

994
Du

Narrow gauge cars brought the coal in; it went out

Ki

Broad TopCity
cleaned and graded on the standard gauge Pennsylvania Joller
d.
sR

Railroad. Duquesne Slag 0-4-0 Sideling

ok

Hill Tunnel,
Co

“Plus, about 20% of EBT’s coal traffic and all of the displayed with H&BT water 913 994
830 feet long
ganister traffic went to the silica brick plants online,” says tank and freight station
Robertsdale Historic District; Coles Valley, Midvalley, or
EBT author and historian Lee Rainey. EBT depot, coal miners museum
Robertsdale Joller Branch 1916-o/s 1948,
Clean-air laws and wholesale conversion to oil and gas Robertsdale to Alvan; 1916 abandoned 1955
Elev. 1,773 feet
Robertsdale

Wrays Hill Tunnel

Woodvale

killed the coal market and led to the 1956 demise of the EBT. to o/s 1956; to Kovalchick
Alvan

The Kovalchick Salvage Co. of Indiana, Pa., bought the entire Salvage Co.; to East Broad
Sideling Hill Tunnel
Rocky Ridge

Top Foundation 2020

line and, instead of tearing it up and scrapping it, not only 913
Cooks

saved the railroad but started running excursion trains in Woodvale 2.3%
(Wood)
Coles

1960. The railroad was never formally abandoned and the

Kimmel

2.1%
Fairview

Three Springs

parts not used for the excursion trains have remained in 1.9%
Mine No. 7 Branch
Saltillo

place for more than 60 years. 1915-1943 2.6%

The EBT did not
Now, thanks to the East Broad Top Foundation, which use mileposts
purchased the whole shebang in 2020, it’s all finally coming Alvan
No. 10 Branch
back to life. — Bill Metzger 1941-1956

42 JULY 2021 Miles

32
31
30
29
28
27
26
25
24
23
22
21
20
19
18
17
 NS/Amtrak 22 NS/Amtrak
to Pittsburgh to Harrisburg
522
Nor
Pittsfolk So
22
burg uthe Dual
h L i rn
ne Gauge
Newton
MAJOR MINES/QUARRIES Mount Union Industrial Mount Hamilton
Track, standard gauge, Union
(NOT ALL SHOWN) (owned by EBT Railroad
Kistler
Coal Preservation Association Allenport
Mines in the small (50 square miles) Broad Top 2014-present) (Allenton)
Region produced semibituminous coal, harder than
r
bituminous and softer than anthracite, high in ive

IN
Ju n
iata R

UN S
carbon and heat value and relatively smokeless.

TA
MO JACK
Mount Union to
Orbisonia 1873 to o/s 1956;
Iron ore to Kovalchick Salvage Co.;
Small high-grade iron ore deposits laced the to East Broad Top Connecting Adams
mountains. Rockhill Iron & Coal Furnaces Nos. 1 & 2 Mount Union to Aughwick (Morrison’s Summit)
(1876-1908), was the largest operation to use them Mills 2014-present
and one of the reasons the EBT was built.

Limestone
Limestone is the necessary catalyst in smelting iron. Lower Aughwick Aughwick (Aughwick Mills)
Creek Bridge
Ganister rock
Ganister rock, the local name for Tuscarora Quartzite, 522 SOUTH PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD
is high in silica (silicon dioxide) and ideal for making The South Penn began construction in 1881 backed
silica brick (refractory) to line furnaces and ovens. Aughwick Mills to Orbisonia by the New York Central Railroad and Pittsburgh
Mount Union was home to three refractory 1873 to o/s 1956; to Kovalchick Tuscarora
manufacturing plants. Pump Station industrialists as an alternative to PRR’s virtual monopoly
Salvage Co.; to East Broad Top
Foundation 2020 on traffic from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg.
Clay It’s pronounced Financier J.P. Morgan, having investments in both
Used to make silica cement, a product used to lay AW-wick, ALL-wick, railroads, worried the competition would hurt him
and bond silica bricks; mined near Shirleysburg. or UL-wick financially and convened a meeting of all concerned
EBT active Shirleysburg aboard his yacht Corsair in 1885. Construction ceased
abandoned Rebuilt for excursion soon afterwards.
service 1961
EBT out of service Sections of the grade and some tunnels were later
Standard gauge abandoned Colgate’s Grove used by the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
East Broad Top Connecting active
East Broad Top Connecting o/s
Au
Inclined plane railway gh w Richvale
ick C Shirleysburg Clay Spur
Uncompleted railroad grade reek 522
Standard gauge active 1918-c. 1933
Operated for Nancy

EY
excursion service 35
TA G
IN
UN KLO

LL
1960-2011; VA Shade Valley Branch
reopening 2021
M OL A C

N
655 1890 to o/s 1895;
AI
OG

aband. 1904
NT
B

East Broad Top

KL

OU

National Historic
AC

E M

Landmark plaque Rockhill Iron & Coal tramway

BL

1876-1908; EBT Shade Gap

AD

Orbisonia Branch 1890-1956; to Shade Goshorn

SH

Rockhill Gap Electric, std. gauge,

Even though the EBT Furnace electrified; rebuilt 1963
station is in Rockhill Detail map
Orbisonia to Robertsdale Furnace, it’s named at upper left Shade Valley Branch
1874-o/s 1956; to Kovalchick Orbisonia. The Rockhill 1888 to o/s 1895;
Salvage Co.; to East Broad Furnace Post Office was aband. 1904
Top Foundation 2020 in Orbisonia station.
Blacklog
Jordan Jct. Tuscarora Railroad
Saltillo Upper Aughwick Stair 1899 grade from Blairs Mill
Creek Bridge Shade Gap Branch —never finished
Narco Incline 1885-1948
Y

McKelvey
LE

1912-1942 Pogue Bros.

AL

Narco † 994 (Beersville Lumber Co. Shade Valley Branch

EV

before 1900)
IN

1922-1928 1886 to o/s 1895;

AD

TA

655 aband. 1904

SH

UN

Booher Branch 1891-1912; 522

Three Cedar Rock 35
MO
Y

Springs Orig. Booher Branch RR Stanton Rock Spur

LLE

1919 to o/s 1927;

Locke Valley aband. 1940;
A

Narco Spur
A

† North American Refractories

EV

OR

1942-1956 Booher partially built on N

Trou Shade Gap
AR
CK

McKelvey Bros. Lumber Co. gh Cr uncompleted 1899

eek
SC

Tuscarora Railroad*
LO

1922-1928; partially built

TU

on Booher Branch 641

Shade Gap Branch
Jordan Jct. (Jordan Summit)

1909-1943
Mount Union Elev. 600 feet

EBT Shade Gap Railroad was built to Stanton

haul supplies to the South Penn
*Not to be confused Thanks to Henry Posner III, Lee
Rd.
McMullen’s Summit

Railroad. Construction halted in 1885 with the Tuscarora Rainey, Joel Salomon, Lawrence
o ot

on both the entire South Penn south of Valley Railroad Biemiller, Steve Titchenal. This
in F
Colgate’s Grove

Neelyton and the Shade Gap. material may not be reproduced

nta
Pump Station
Shirleysburg

in any form without permission

Mou
Orbisonia

In the late 1930s the branch was used

Allenport
Aughwick
Pogue

from the publisher.

2.6% to haul material for the Pennsylvania Neelyton
Adams

1.0% 1.3% 1.5%

0 Scale 2 miles
0.9% Turnpike using standard gauge cars on To Burnt
narrow gauge trucks. (See above) Cabins © 2021 Kalmbach Media Co., TRAINS: Bill Metzger

Trains.com 43
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
 PRESERVATION
Mainline steam outlook for 2021
After COVID-19 put the brakes on mainline steam in 2020, look for a comeback
Soo Line No. 1003, a 1913 Mikado, puts on a
show for TRAINS magazine’s 80th anniversary
event in November 2020 near Beaver Dam,
Wis. Expect to see a surge in big steam late
this summer and going into the fall as the
public reemerges from the pandemic and
operators see the chance to run once more.
TRAINS: Jim Wrinn
NEW CASS TO DURBIN LINE
OPENING THIS SUMMER!!
MOUNTAINRAILWV.COM
44 JULY 2021
IT’S NOT TOO EARLY TO ANTICIPATE. As it al-
ways is with big steam, there are dreams of
excursions and plans for trips, some already
drawn up and ready to dust off. Big steam
operators know their engine(s) are people
magnets. If masks and vaccines have a major
impact on the COVID-19 pandemic, the last
half of 2021 could be really good.
For this preview, we’ll look only at loco-
motives that are ready to run or on the cusp
of completing restoration. There also are
many good iron horses still in the shop —
Santa Fe 3751, NC&StL 576, SP&S 700,
C&O 2716, Reading 2100, among others.
They’ll hit the rails when they’re ready. For
now, here’s what stands a good chance of
running in the second half of 2021:
• Union Pacific 4014 / 844: Either or
304.636.9477
both of UP’s mighty locomotives are ready
to roll. I cannot count the number of times
I’ve heard fans say they were glad the Gold-
en Spike Sesquicentennial tours with Big
Boy No. 4014 and Living Legend No. 844
came in 2019 and not planned for 2020 —
when none of it would have happened. I’ve
also heard from some who sat out 2019 be-
cause they figured it would be too crowded
or crazy, only to later wish they’d ventured
out after all. By staying home, they got noth-
ing. My confidence is high that if the pan-
demic is brought under control, expect to
see UP’s 4-8-8-4 or 4-8-4 burnish the rails.
• Reading & Northern 2102: The big
homemade T-hog was test fired in January,
and I suspect R&N management is eager to
button up the engine and get the big 4-8-4
out for the first time in 29 years. In 2020,
R&N found ways to run excursions with
social distancing and long trainsets, so the
Road of Anthracite may be one of the places
where you can both ride and chase this fall.
• Santa Fe 2926: The huge 4-8-4 was
ready to fire up and move for the first time
last spring when the pandemic hit. New
Mexico has strict COVID-19 rules, and the
Albuquerque-based crew know they have a
big crowd of supporters who want to be on
hand for that first move, so they’ll wait until
the rules are relaxed. They have a tool car to
complete, but otherwise, it might be time for
a Southwest road trip to see the preservation
era’s first AT&SF 2900 in steam.
• Southern Railway 4501: Everyone’s fa-
vorite Mikado will be back for trips to north
Georgia, operated by owner Tennessee Val-
ley Railroad Museum. For 55 years, the fa-
mous 2-8-2 has been thrilling fans, and she
hasn’t lost a bit of magic. If you haven’t treat-
ed yourself to one of TVRM’s day-long
north Georgia trips, go and enjoy a classic.
• Western Maryland 1309: The newly
restored 2-6-6-2, the last steam locomotive
 Baldwin built, test ran over New Year’s
weekend. Now it’s down to the punch list,
plus track work. How soon before we see
steam on Helmstetter’s Curve again? The
railroad is reopening Memorial Day week-
end and hopes to resume steam operations
mid-summer.
• Norfolk & Western 611: The Class J
received tender axle work last winter at its
home away from home, the North Carolina
Transportation Museum. The engine ran at
Spencer before taking up residence at the
Strasburg Rail Road in Pennsylvania in May.
It’s running there through October.
• Soo Line 1003: The privately owned,
Wisconsin-based Mikado did us a great
honor in 2020 by running Trains’ 80th an-
niversary photo charter on Wisconsin &
Southern. I expect to see it back again this
fall, possibly with another photo charter in
November. Keep watching for details.
• Nickel Plate Road 765: Can we get
lucky enough for another fall outing for the
2-8-4 on Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley Scenic
Railroad this year? I could see it happening.
• Milwaukee 261: Another Midwestern
favorite. I predict the 4-8-4 will polish the
rails in its home state of Minnesota.
• Southern Pacific 4449: If all returns to
normal in the world of medicine, I don’t see
why the Daylight 4-8-4’s annual holiday
trains wouldn’t run this fall out of Portland,
Ore. Enjoy the grace and beauty.
• Canadian Pacific 2816: CP says it fired
up the spotless Hudson last fall for its Holi-
day Train online special and moved the
4-6-4 in the Calgary yards for the produc-
tion. But the temptation might be there to
take the engine out once more on the main
line. Maybe it’s time to do some public
relations for the CP+KCS merger with a
steamy visit down south? — Jim Wrinn

STEAM THE STRIPE

Stripe spared in spring storm
ON THE AFTERNOON OF MARCH 25, strong winds caused severe damage to both the Tennes-
see Central Railway Museum and the Nashville Steam shop facility. Three workers were in
the shop at the time when a large section of roof from a nearby building crashed through
the upper wall of the steam shop. Thankfully, no one was injured and Nashville, Chattanoo-
ga & St. Louis 4-8-4 No. 576 escaped with no damage. As it turns out a steam locomotive
boiler can double as a tornado shelter. With the shop out of service, the team turned atten-
tion to the tender and media blasted the interior of the water tank and started repairing the
baffles. The baffles are large metal walls with holes that divide the tank into sections, stabi-
lizing the water while in motion. Once the insurance assessment was completed, volunteers
removed debris into four large piles of plywood and roofing materials. Repairs will begin
soon. The John H. Emery Rail Heritage Trust
award of $40,000 for the rebuild of No. 576’s
Nashville Steam: Joey Bryan

original air compressor means that repairs

to the air compressor will begin this summer.
To move this TRAINS Preservation Partner
project forward, donate at nashvillesteam.org
or send checks to Nashville Steam Preserva-
tion Society, 220 Willow Street, Nashville,
TN, 37210-2159. — Jim Wrinn

Trains.com 45
 TRAIN-WATCHING
Cordele opens railfan platform
South Georgia city sees up to 80 CSX and NS trains daily
Cordele, Ga., has opened an AN AVERAGE OF 80 TRAINS a day
impressive new downtown view- cross the diamond in the south
ing platform at its Railroad Park. central Georgia community of
Two photos, Cordele Main Street Cordele, making it one of the
busiest rail crossings in the
Southeast. Norfolk Southern,
CSX Transportation, and the
Heart of Georgia Railroad, a
Genesee & Wyoming short
line, all use the crossing. “The
activity rivals that of Folkston
and Manchester, Ga.,” says avid
railfan and private-car owner
Nelson McGahee.
Recognizing the attraction
for the railfan community,
Cordele has opened a viewing
platform in its Railway Park,
providing a safe and comfort-
able spot for photographers
and rail enthusiasts to watch
the action. Plans for an obser-
vation platform began as far
back as the 1980s. It was an
item on the Main Street agenda
for years but proposals lay dor-
mant until 2019. The desire for
a tourism project led to the
CSX Transportation, Heart of Georgia, and Norfolk Southern trains
pass the viewing platform in the city of 11,000 people.
46 JULY 2021
decision that trains ing stations and restroom
and railroads were facilities and is surround-
the city’s niche. ed by green space. The
“The railroads observation deck is
were — and still are open 24/7 with
— what makes G E O R G I A the restrooms
Cordele different,” open from
says Monica Mitch- Cordele sunup to
ell, director of sundown.
Cordele Main Street, Developers
a downtown promo- plan to add
tional group. “That’s webcams and
why Cordele exists.” radio monitors to
Two major railroads — the the viewing stand. It will also be
Savannah, Americus & Mont- part of the annual Railfan Festi-
gomery and Georgia Southern val that is held on the second
& Florida — drove local eco- Saturday in November. The
nomic development, so much event features model club dis-
so that the town was named for plays, railroad artists, craft ven-
Cordelia Hawkins, daughter of dors, food, and children’s activi-
the president of the SA&M. ties. City leaders hope the new
Once the direction was set to attraction will lead to further
honor railroad history, activity developments such as retail
was swift. A rail museum was stores, eating establishments,
established next to the excur- and a boutique hotel.
sion train depot for the SAM “This wonderful platform
Shortline that runs on the Heart will certainly draw visitors,”
of Georgia. With the involve- says Al Willis, chairman of the
ment of the Cordele City Com- Friends of SAM. “It is a win-
mission, Industrial Develop- win for railfans and the city of
ment Authority, Cordele-Crisp Cordele.”
Tourism, and the Downtown The platform is located at
Development Authority, con- 201 N. 7th Street. Cordele is
struction of the viewing plat- about 140 miles south of At-
form and Railway Park began. It lanta, 65 miles south of Ma-
was completed in 2020 in less con, 90 miles southeast of Co-
than a year. lumbus, Ga., and 200 miles
Located adjacent to the northwest of Jacksonville, Fla.
diamond, the covered platform For more information, call the
overlooks the crossing of the Cordele Main Street office:
three railroad lines. It has charg- 229-276-2902. — Trains staff
 THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF TRANSPORTATION
TRAIN-WATCHING BRIEF Home to one of the ‘largest and best collections of transportation
vehicles in the world,’ according to the Smithsonian Institution.
Summerail 2021
cancelled

The SUMMERAIL planning committee

has decided to cancel the event, held
annually in August in Marion, Ohio,
for 2021. Concern stems from a po-
tential lack of vendor participation for
Us Out Online at TNMOT.ORG
the railroadiana show and presenters 2933 Barrett Station Road • St. Louis, MO 63122
who are unable to provide programs
due to other obligations or matters. The National Museum of Transportation is a private 501(c)(3) STEM learning and history preserving
“We know this decision will be met facility. We rely on the generosity of donors to preserve the past for future generations.
with disappointment, but for Sum-
merail to have a future, it must be
done,” says longtime promoter David
P. Oroszi. The MARION UNION STATION
ASSOCIATION sponsors the event,
Get instant access to the digital edition of
which is expected to return in 2022, Trains magazine on your favorite devices!
but it takes place downtown at the
Palace Theater. Brian Schmidt
Visit Trains.com

A Choice of
Heritage and Scenic
Train Rides!
• Weekend Valley Trains to
Conway and Bartlett begin April 3rd!

All Aboard! • The scenic Mountaineer over Crawford

Notch begins regular operation in June.
• New lunch-time Pub Train to
Sawyer’s River begins June 26!

All trains depart

from our
1874 station
in the center of
North Conway
Village.

Food and beverages available for sale on board trains!

Choose from Conway and
Bartlett Valley trains or our Mountaineer

ic journey over Crawford Notch. Call or Book online

The Mountaineer offers a supremely scen
(603) 356-5251
38 Norcross Circle | North Conway Village ConwayScenic.com

Trains.com 47
ASK TRAINS
Q Are all of the DPU units subject to
the same command from the head end?
The DPU on a southbound A The “fence” is a provision in
Canadian National freight, an distributed power unit software
Illinois Central SD70, crosses the that allows the locomotive
Fox River in Oshkosh, Wis., in engineer to put DPU consists
October 2016. TRAINS: Brian Schmidt “behind the fence” into trac-
tion- or dynamic-braking set-
tings different from that on the
leading consist. When the lead
consist and all DPU consists in
a train are operating in syn-
chronous mode, all consists
respond alike to the lead
locomotive’s traction or
dynamic braking commands.
The alternative to synchro-
nous mode is asynchronous
Clarification mode, which allows for inde-
pendent operation of the remote
A story about the future of consists. Take, for example, a
railroading that appeared in train with one DPU remote
the November 2020 issue consist located somewhere
was inspired by and closely within the train or at the rear-
followed a scenario pre- end. By setting up the fence in
pared by veteran railroader asynchronous mode, the engi-
Donald Oltmann. To read neer can independently put the
more about Oltmann’s remote DPU consist in power
vision of railroading, notch 6 while the head-end con-
please see his blog:  sist is in power notch 5 or 8 (or
blerfblog.blogspot.com/ even in dynamic braking).
2014/01/2040.html Let’s look at a train with two
DPU consists, one at about the
48 JULY 2021
middle of the train and the sec-
ond at the rear-end. If the engi-
neer “sets up the fence” be-
tween the first and second
remotes, he or she can operate
the rear-end remote DPU con-
sist independently of the lead-
and-first DPU consists.
Why would an engineer
choose to use the fence? It de-
pends on factors such as a rail-
road’s specific operating rules,
the makeup of the train (total
tonnage and how tonnage is
distributed), and topography
(rolling hills require more con-
trol of the remotes than operat-
ing across relatively flat terrain).
At least one railroad, for exam-
ple, operates unit trains of load-
ed steel coil cars equipped with
cushion-underframe draft gear,
with the fence set up and the
rear-end DPU locomotive in a
higher throttle position than the
head-end consist. This keeps
the train “in buff,” i.e., with cou-
plers bunched instead of being
in draft, or stretched. Other-
wise, a large number of heavily
loaded coil cars, combined with
— Dallas Rennie
the allowable movement of the
draft gear at the end of each car,
could cause a train to go into
“slinky” mode. Remember the
Slinky walking spring toy? By
keeping the train somewhat
bunched, an engineer has a bet-
ter chance of avoiding broken
coupler knuckles or, worse, a
coupler separation and some-
times a derailment.
It takes good training and
skill for a locomotive engineer
to operate any freight train. But
as train sizes and tonnages
grow, especially with increased
use of DPU technology, a loco-
motive engineer has to think
ahead about the topography
his/her train soon is about to
encounter as well as the topog-
raphy still at the rear. Imagine
walking over hilly terrain with
a rope pulling several bowling
balls all connected sequentially
along the rope, with some balls
“rolling uphill” and other balls
rolling down! The trick is to
properly manage in-train forces
while maintaining speed. —
Michael Iden
 Seven Scenic Lines in Autumn
New England • Conway Scenic spectacular
• Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington charter
Fall Colors • Mount Washington Cog rare steam
• Downeast Scenic with rare diesels and 470 rebuild
Rail Tour • Hobo Railroad train along the Pemi River
• Winnipesaukee Scenic dinner train along the lake
• Chartered train at White Mountain Central
Two Truly Unique Collections
• Charming Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum
• Legendary Seashore Trolley Museum, oldest & largest
One Spectacular National Park
• Rugged and beautiful Acadia on the Atlantic coast!
Peak fall colors everywhere you look!
Sept. 28 - Oct. 7

Details: 727-330-7738 or
www.specialinteresttours.com

ROCKIES
Still time to join our
rescheduled Colorado tour!

BY RAIL
New for 2021!
• Cumbres th
& Toltec 50 anniversary event
featuring No. 168 and Victorian Iron Horses
• Super dome on the California Zephyr
• Newly restored Pikes Peak cog
• Bonus steam photo opportunities at both
Chama, N.M., and Durango

Plus these great railroads:

• Durango & Silverton • Leadville, Colorado & Southern
• Royal Gorge Route • Georgetown Loop
• Colorado Railroad Museum • South Park roundhouse
• Pueblo Railroad Museum
Aug. 22 - Sept. 2 • Reserve today!

Details: 727-330-7738 or
www.specialinteresttours.com
Trains.com 49
 COLORADO Georgetown ILLINOIS Monticello

RAILROAD GEORGETOWN LOOP RAILROAD MONTICELLO RAILWAY MUSEUM

646 Loop Drive 992 Iron Horse Place

ATTRACTION
DIRECTORY
STEP BACK IN TIME to experience the
Ride beautifully-restored diesel and steam trains through
golden age of railroading. North America’s scenic prairies and woodlands to the historic downtown
every Saturday and Sunday May 1 thru October 10. Check
website for complete schedule, special events, and operation
railroad museums and tourist lines pro- of Southern steam engine No. 401. See equipment from the IC,
Wabash, C&IM, IT, CN, and many more railroads. Charters, cab
rides, and informal shop tours also available.
vide affordable fun for the whole family! MRYM.org (217) 762-9011

Plan your complete vacation with visits to Come ride the Rockies with the Georgetown Loop Railroad, INDIANA Connersville
April 25 through January 3. You can ride the train, tour a mine WHITEWATER VALLEY RAILROAD
and pan for gold. Ride our steam engine during any of our 5th and Grand
these leading attractions. For information special events. Wild West Days, Mother’s and Father’s Day,
Pumpkin Fest and October Fest. During November and De-
cember we have Holiday’s Adventure with Santa visiting.
on advertising in this section, call Daryl Book the Princess or Cowboy train for your birthday party.
www.georgetownlooprr.com 1-888-456-6777
Pagel toll-free at 888-558-1544, Ext 618.
COLORADO Golden
COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM
17155 W. 44th Avenue
Travel through time on Indiana’s most scenic railroad.
33-mile round trip to Metamora, May through Oct.
CALIFORNIA Campo Special events Feb through Dec. Vintage diesels:
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST RAILWAY MUSEUM 1951 Lima-Ham 750HP SW, 1954 EMD/Milw. SD10,
1948 Alco S1. Gift Shop.
750 Depot Street
www.whitewatervalleyrr.org 765-825-2054

IOWA Boone
BOONE & SCENIC VALLEY RAILROAD & MUSEUM
225 10th Street

Colorado has a rich railroading heritage. We’re

Located 60 minutes east of San Diego
Ride on the San Diego & Arizona Railway: the last
trans-con link, completed in 1919 and built by sugar-magnate,
John D. Spreckels.
Trains depart from the historic 1917 Campo Depot every
Saturday and Sunday. Check our website for train schedules
and tickets.
www.psrm.org 619-465-7776
CALIFORNIA Fish Camp
YOSEMITE MOUNTAIN SUGAR PINE RAILROAD
56001 Yosemite Highway 41
Ride “The Logger” steam train through the Sierra National Forest,
featuring ex-West Side Lumber Company Shays #10 or #15. We
are located near the south gate to Yosemite National Park. One-
hour daytime trips and three-hour evening trains that include din-
ner and entertainment are offered. Open April through October.
YMSPRR.COM 559-683-7273
“Still On Track” with that heritage at the Colorado Railroad
Museum, one of the top 10 railroad museums in the U.S. See
dozens of locomotives, passenger and freight cars, and
more, including both narrow-gauge and standard gauge.
Open Tues-Sun with changing exhibits, HO and garden
railway layouts, train rides most Saturdays with expanded
summer dates (visit website for schedule).
ColoradoRailroadMuseum.org 303-279-4591
COLORADO Leadville
LEADVILLE RAILROAD
326 East 7th
Opening May 29th through January 15, 2022. NEW this year:
operating Winter runs for the 2021-22 season and daily Summer
runs from May 29-beginning of October. Check out the website
for updates on schedules, restrictions, and fun in the Rockies!
www.leadvillerailroad.com 1-866-386-3936
An operating railroad museum featuring 11 miles of track wind-
ing through the Des Moines River Valley, crossing the 156’ tall
Bass Point Creek High Bridge. Dinner, dessert, picnic, basic
excursions, and trolley rides. Full schedule through 10/31, with
diesel and electric operations most Saturdays. Special events
throughout the year. Features 9,000 square foot James H.
Andrew Railroad Museum.
www.bsvrr.com 800-626-0319
KANSAS Abilene
ABILENE & SMOKY VALLEY RAILROAD
200 SE Fifth Street
Ride the Rails of History. 11 mile round trip through the
Smoky Hill River Valley. Also offering dinner trains, steam
engine runs on the newly restored #3415 & private charters.
Call for schedules & reservations.
www.asvrr.org 888-426-6687

CALIFORNIA Portola
TRAINS & TRAVEL






GET MORE Like us on
6 RAIL TOURS THIS FALL
NEW ENGLAND FALL COLORS
COLORADO TRAINS IN FALL
of what
you love with Facebook!
DRGW SPECIAL ON CUMBRES
PRIVATE RAIL CHICAGO WEST Trains.com
PRIVATE RAIL OAKLAND EAST
facebook.com/TrainsMagazine
OLD PATAGONIAN EXPRESS

WWW.TRAINTRIPS.BIZ 1-800 359-4870

50 JULY 2021
 MISSOURI St. Louis PENNSYLVANIA Robertsdale Wisconsin North Freedom
THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF TRANSPORTATION FRIENDS OF THE EAST BROAD TOP MID-CONTINENT RAILWAY MUSEUM
550 Main Street
2933 Barrett Station Road, St. Louis, MO 63122 E8948 Museum Road
Visit the East Broad Top Railroad’s original southern
operating terminus. Two historic buildings, museum
exhibits. Visit our website for current schedule of
museum operations.

www.febt.org 814-635-2388

PENNSYLVANIA
OIL CREEK & TITUSVILLE RAILROAD
409 S. Perry St., Titusville, PA 16354
Titusville
Mid-Continent Railway Museum is home to one of the
nation’s largest collections of restored wooden passenger
cars. After exploring the displays, take a 55-minute, 7-mile
round-trip ride aboard 1915-era coach cars. Museum and
train rides are open Saturdays and Sundays only, May
8–Oct. 17. Special events and dining trains on select dates.
www.midcontinent.org 800-930-1385

WISCONSIN Osceola
OSCEOLA & ST. CROIX VALLEY RAILWAY
114 Depot Road, Osceola, WI 54020

us out online www.tnmot.org

314.965.6212

Take a ride on a vintage train ‘through the valley that changed

PENNSYLVANIA Marysville the world.’

BRIDGEVIEW BED & BREAKFAST Regular Rides June - October Join us for a scenic and memorable trip through the St.
810 S. Main St. Croix Valley. Come for the 1920’s-1950’s passenger rail
Many Special Events including Murder Mystery Dinners, experience, the awesome scenery, or special events
Lately, train watching such as pizza trains or our annual Fireworks & Pumpkin
Wine Tasting Train Rides, Christmas in July, Speeder Rides,
around The Bridgeview Express trains. Individual, family and group tickets available.
B&B has been extremely Santa Trains & more.
And visit the Minnesota Transportation Museum in Saint Paul
exciting with motive Call or visit our website for complete schedule. to experience railroading history.
power from BNSF, UP,
KCS, CP, CN, CSX and www.trainride.org 651-228-0263
Ferromex often leading, plus add NS heritage units into the www.octrr.org 814-676-1733
mix and you have some amazing lashup possibilities!  Trains
entering or exiting Enola Yard pass right by our front porch. 
From the spacious decks and sitting room, you can watch SOUTH CAROLINA Greenwood WISCONSIN Trego
the Susquehanna River, Blue Mountains and train action on
Rockville Bridge!  Plus, visit Hershey, Gettysburg, and PA Dutch THE RAILROAD HISTORICAL CENTER WISCONSIN GREAT NORTHERN RAILROAD
Country!  Comfortable rooms all with private baths, A/C, Wifi, 908 South Main Street N6639 Dilly Lake Road
and a tasty breakfast are included with your stay.  Take a virtual
tour on our website and check us out on Facebook for daily
updates, pictures and guest comments.
www.bridgeviewbnb.com 717-957-2438

PENNSYLVANIA New Freedom

NORTHERN CENTRAL RAILWAY America’s Only Moving
2 West Main Street BED & BREAKFAST DINNER TRAIN
The train departs Tuesday through Saturday

RAILROAD ATTRACTION DIRECTORY

evening at 5:30 pm year round. The train features a
Journey Back to the Golden Age of Railroads! choice of a queen bed in our sleeper deluxe suites
From the 1906 Baldwin Steam Engine, to the or a full size bed in our 1914 Pullman Private Car.
1914 Executive ‘Carolina’ car, you will see some of the Enjoy cocktails in the lounge and then move to the
most beautiful train restorations in the Southeast, including diner for a scrumptious 4-course chef prepared meal
3 of the existing 4 cars from the old P&N Railway, plus from our onboad kitchen. When the train returns to the
Pullman Passenger and Sleeper cars and the Erie
station view the starlit sky while trading railroad tales with
Lackawanna Dining Car #746. Open every Saturday 10-4,
May 15 through September 25, or call for tours at any other passengers around our gas fire on the patio.
time but Sunday. Wake up to a hot breakfast buffet in the diner. See the
Call today! world famous Mark Twain Zephyr at Trego Depot!
www.greenwoodrrmuseum.com 864-229-7093 www.spoonertrainride.com 715-635-3200
Ride along the same route that carried President Lin-
coln from Washington, DC to Gettysburg, PA, where he
delivered one of the greatest speeches in American His-
tory! Northern Central Railway is an excursion railroad that
makes time travel possible! It’s an authentic experience Trains magazine
where you can meet presidents and generals, experience
is available in

DIGITAL!
the Wild West, enjoy the spirit of the season any time of year,
and literally ride along the very rails that helped build and
save our nation.
www.northerncentralrailway.com (717) 942-2370 When visiting
You can read these attractions,
TRAINS mention you saw
YOUR AD HERE anytime,
To advertise, call Daryl at anywhere! their ad in
888-558-1544 ext. 618
For more information, visit:
Trains.com

Trains.com 51
CLASSIFIEDS
Word Rate: per issue: 1 insertion — $1.57 per word, 6
insertions — $1.47 per word, 12 insertions — $1.37 per word.
$35.00 MINIMUM per ad. Payment must accompany ad. To
receive the discount you must order and prepay for all ads at
one time. Count all initials, single numbers, groups of
numbers, names, address number, street number or name,
city, state, zip, phone numbers each as one word. Example:
Paul P. Potter, 2102 Pacific St., Waukesha, WI 53202 would
count as 9 words.
All Copy: Set in standard 6 point type. First several words
only set in bold face. If possible, ads should be sent
typewritten and categorized to ensure accuracy.
CLOSING DATES: Aug 2021 closes May 24, Sept closes
June 22, Oct closes July 28, Nov closes Aug. 24, Dec closes
Sept. 22.
For TRAINS’ private records, please furnish: a telephone
number and when using a P.O. Box in your ad, a street
address.
Send your ads to: magazine – Classified Advertising
21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612 Waukesha, WI
53187-1612 Toll-free (888) 558-1544 Ext. 551 Fax:
(262) 796-0126 E-mail: classads@kalmbach.com
LODGING (CONT.)
WWW.FALLSTONFLAGSTOP.COM: We’re open! Covid
safeguards taken. Watch both CSX and Norfolk Southern
Pennsylvania mainlines from our porch. Near Conway Yard.
Request our daily newsletter. Information-Reservations:
724-843-7023
BOOKS AND MAGAZINES
CAN DAN AND HIS CLUB SAVE their favorite engine from
the scrap yard? Read the Deltic Disaster and Other Tales,
and the sequel, That Which Was Lost, Deltic Disaster Part
Two, available at Amazon and eBay.
COLLECTIBLES
LOOKING TO PURCHASE ORIGINAL steam, diesel
and electric builder’s and number plates. Have
PRR keystones, Rutland number plate, others to trade.
rjmuldowney@comcast.net - 609-397-0293
TOP DOLLAR PAID for steam/diesel or electric builder
plates. mr_slides@hotmail.com Telephone: 216-321-8446
WANTED
ARE YOU GETTING THE BEST PRICE FOR YOUR TRAIN
COLLECTION? Our list of discriminating buyers grows each
day. They want bigger and better train collections to choose
from! We specialize in O Gauge trains- Lionel, MTH, K-Line,
Williams, Weaver, 3rd Rail, etc. as well as better trains in
all scales. We also purchase store inventories. Plus, we
can auction your trains with rates starting as low as 15%.
We travel extensively all over the US. Give us a call today!
Send us your list or contact us for more information at
www.trainz.com/sell Trainz, 2740 Faith Industrial Dr.,
Buford, GA 30518, 866-285-5840, Scott@trainz.com Fax:
866-935-9504
ORIGINAL SLIDE COLLECTIONS, B&W Negative
Collections, Hi-Res Scans wanted, any railroads, any
subjects. sales@morningsunbooks.com
PRR LW PULLMAN CAR Cast-iron door nameplates, 1938-
1950. J.H. STEVENSON, Rocky River, OH 440-333-1092
jhstevenson8445@gmail.com
AUCTIONS
AMERICA’S PREMIER RAILROAD AUCTIONS: Consign

RAIL SHOWS AND EVENTS PHOTOS, PRINTS AND your quality items. One piece to an entire collection. Large
8-1/2 X 11” auction catalogs contain full descriptions and

JUNE 13, 2021: 45th Annual Kane County Railroadiana and

Model Train Show. Kane County Fairgrounds, 525 South
Randall Road, St. Charles, IL. Sunday, 10:00am-3:00pm.
Admission: $6.00 w/tax. Tables $60.00. Visit our web-
site for latest Covid updates. Information: 847-358-1185,
RussFierce@aol.com or www.RRShows.com
SEPTEMBER 25, 2021: 19th Fostoria Rail Festival, 1001
Park Avenue, Zip 44830. 10:00am-4:00pm. New larg-
er school building. Admission: $5.00, children 10 and
under free w/adult. Information: Fostoria Rail Preservation
Society, 419-435-1781, EllenGatrell@gmail.com,
www.FostoriaIronTriangle.com, Fostoria Rail Park Facebook
LODGING
SLIDES hundreds of photographs. Auctions are jointly sponsored
by the Depot Attic and Golden Spike Enterprises. The
TOP DOLLAR PAID: for 35mm slide collections especially combined knowledge and experience of America’s largest
pre-1980. Mr. Slides, mr_slides@hotmail.com Telephone: railroadiana firms will earn you “top dollar”. Mail and fax bids
216-321-8446 are accepted. Information: Railroad Auction, PO Box 985,
Land O Lakes, FL 34639. Phone: 813-949-7197.
MISCELLANEOUS
CUSTOM RAILFAN GIFTS from your photos or designs!
Drinkware, clothing, coasters, clocks, license plates, kitchen
décor, more! Satisfaction guaranteed! Visit our website: All listed events were confirmed
www.yourrailfanstore.com
RAILROAD PATCHES: Engineer caps with insignia. 1,000
designs. Catalog $5.00. Patch King, Box 145, York Harbor, as active at the time of press.
ME 03911.

INN ON THE RIVER: Book your stay for a relaxing getaway
overlooking the beautiful Mississippi! Guests are minutes
from quaint restaurants, stores and many outdoor opportuni-
ties. Each room has a private balcony for stunning views of the
Mississippi River and the Burlington Northern-Santa fe Rail
Line. Reservations: 608-534-7784 www.innontheriverwi.com
or email: innontheriverwi@gmail.com
SELLING COLLECTION: Large quality selection includes Please contact event sponsor
signals, signs, towers, gates, speeder car, lamps and miscel-
laneous Railroad Memorabilia. Chicago Metropolitan Area,
Saturdays June - August 9am-7pm. Other times by appoint- for updated status of the event.
ment. 708-534-8485
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52 JULY 2021
 Join us for
Extra
On the spectacular Durango & Silverton
with K37 Class No. 493 on its first
photo freight special with TRAINS!
• Sept. 2-3 with overnight in Silverton
and night photo session
• Special guest star: Slim Princess SP 18
Tickets: www.eventbrite.com/e/
extra-493-with-sp-18-tickets-
153554314087

ADVERTISERS
The Advertiser Index is provided as a service to TRAINS magazine readers. The magazine is not
responsible for omissions or for typographical errors in names or page numbers.
Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad...........50
Big E Productions ..................................7
Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad ............50
Bridgeview Bed & Breakfast ................. 51
Colorado Railroad Museum ..................50
Colorado Tours .................................... 49
Connie Luna ..........................................7
Conway Scenic Railroad ....................... 47
Durbrin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad .....44
EnterTRAINment Junction .......................7
Friends of the East Broad Top .............. 51
Georgetown Loop ................................50
Greg Scholl Video Productions ...............7
Leadville Colorado & Southern
Railroad Company ............................50
Locomotive 2021 ..................................2
Mid-Continent Railway Historical Society ... 51
Minnesota Transportations Museum ..... 51
Model Rail Scenes .................................7
Monte Vista Publishing ...........................7
Monticello Railway Museum ..................50
Morning Sun Books, Inc. ........................5
Mount Washington Cog Railway ............45
National Museum of Transportation
St. Louis .................................... 47, 50
New England Tours .............................. 49
North Shore Scenic Railroad ..................5
Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad............... 51
Pacific Southwest Railway Museum..45, 50
Private Car Tours ...................................2
railroadbooks.biz ...................................7
Ron’s Books ..........................................5
Steam Into History ............................... 51
The Museum & Railroad Historical Center... 51
Trains.com ..........................................50
Trains & Travel.....................................50
Wheel Rail Seminars ..............................5
Whitewater Valley Railroad ...................50
Wisconsin Great Northern Railroad ....... 51
Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad ...50
☛
In the August issue
Rails to the
North Star State
In our series of profiles of railroads by
state, we travel with correspondent Steve
Glischinski and friends to MINNESOTA.
More than the land of 10,000 lakes, it’s
the place for big-time freight with
BNSF RAILWAY, CANADIAN NATIONAL,
CANADIAN PACIFIC, AND UNION PACIFIC.
There’s AMTRAK, colorful commuter
trains, and outstanding tourist railroads
and museums in the mix.
We’ll look at taconite and timber. And
we’ll explore the state’s largest short line,
the TWIN CITIES & WESTERN.
On sale July 13, 2021
Trains.com 53
GALLERY
Wasatch
conquered
An eastbound Union Pacific
stack train conquers the
notorious Wasatch grade at
Wahsatch, Utah, in May
2019. The long grade
begins at Ogden, and ends
here, 65 miles later.
TRAINS: Jim Wrinn

Trains.com 55
GALLERY

56 JULY 2021
Ontario
branchline
hub
At Palmerston, Ontario,
nexus of Canadian National
branch lines, Ten-Wheeler
1532 arrives with a mixed
train from Southampton on
a fall day in 1958. The town
saw 20 daily-except-Sunday
CN arrivals and departures
in the late 1950s. Frank Quin,
J. David Ingles collection
GALLERY

Windy City
meet
Metra trains bound for the
Ogilvie Transportation
Center (top) and Chicago
Union Station head
inbound where their lines
cross downtown. Both are
operating in push mode.
TRAINS: David Lassen

South Florida
slalom
A southbound Brightline
passenger train curves
through Lantana, Fla., in
April 2019. The new passen-
ger service began operation
over Florida East Coast
tracks in January 2018.
TRAINS: Brian Schmidt
SATURDAY
DECEMB
2022
ER
17
SUNDAY
DECEMB
2022
ER
18 TRAINS’ NEW 2022 DAILY CALENDAR HAS MORE THAN 300
CSX Tran
high abo
Independen
sportatio
ve Banklick
n train S50
Creek on
2 soars
PHOTOGRAPHS OF AMAZING TRAINS FROM ALL OVER THE
WORLD. ORDER YOURS TODAY AT KALMBACHHOBBYSTORE.COM
the

15
ce
Independen Trestle, near
FRIDAY Cincinna
ce, Ky., as
ti on Aug the train
nears
iles out of . 2, 2015.
At Joliet Union
Station, 40-m
out to board APRIL Matt Krau
se
ngers walk
Chicago, passe
Los Angeles-b
ound Chief
in
2022
Santa Fe’s
e W. Abbey
fall 1951. Wallac

58 JULY 2021
Linked
loggers
Three geared logging
steam locomotives join
together for a photo runby
during Cass Scenic
Railroad’s railfan weekend
in West Virginia in spring
2014. TRAINS: Steve Sweeney
 U N L I M I T E D
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