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HAROLD H. CARSTENS (1925-2009)


PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER HENRY R. CARSTENS


VICE PRESIDENT JOHN A. EARLEY EDITOR


E. STEVEN BARRY


ASSOCIATE EDITORS WALTER C. LANKENAU OTTO M. VONDRAK


CONTRIBUTING EDITOR JAMES D. PORTERFIELD


COLUMNISTS THE REBUILT MECHANICVILLE YARD IS ALMOST READY FOR BUSINESS IN THIS OCTOBER 2011 VIEW. PHOTO BY CHRIS STILSON The More Things Change...


AUTUMN IS A TIME OF REFLECTION. With the long days of summer over, thoughts can turn melancholy, dwelling on good days past as well as on missed opportunities and regrets. It is little surprise, then, that railfanning can be a bit of an autumnal pursuit, not so much in season but in attitude. Partly this is a matter of demographics and history. For anyone with a potential in- terest in railroads, the last half of the 20th century was most compelling. The number of competing railroad companies was high (you can thank the anti-competitive regula- tions of Theodore Roosevelt for that one). A greater number of manufacturers made for more diverse equipment fleets. The railroad world of the late 20th century was visually appealing, and with a combination of more sophisticated cameras and increased per- sonal mobility, it made for a high point in railfanning activity.


It is not an unusual experience, then, for a new railfan to find his or herself in the company of the middle-aged and the more experienced fan, and to be related those au- tumnal tales of how things once were. The lament for the lost, the regret over vanished classics, and the ever-advancing march of progress are just some of the tales related by some older railfans. Some have even stopped pursuing the hobby altogether, because “nothing new interests them.”


The world of railroading is not only a sub- ject of entropy, but also of growth. The spe- cial aspects of the past should not be forgot- ten, but nor should they overshadow the remarkable achievements of today, and the positive trajectory of railroading’s future. In the last century — and especially in


the 1970s — the state of the rail industry was questionable at best. Penn Central, the largest railroad in the nation, was in bank- ruptcy. The Milwaukee Road seemed equal- ly unable to maintain financial solvency, and by the end of the decade physically re- moved its entire Pacific Coast main line. Meanwhile, the Rock Island, one of the old- est names in the industry, would disappear entirely in 1980. Some business observers predicted a world where railroads would


4 OCTOBER 2012 • RAILFAN.COM simply no longer exist.


Today, however, there is no such gloom. Rewritten regulations, reorganizations and rationalizations of the rail network map, and the efficiencies of mergers have created huge gains. Tonnage hauled by U.S. rail- roads is nearly double today of what it was in 1990, and a staggering twelve times what it was in 1900. Railroads have never been as busy or as profitable, and this is, remark- ably, during the Great Recession. The future looks equally bright, thanks largely to the inherent efficiency of rail transport. According to the Association of American Railroads, railroads carry one ton of goods for up to 469 miles on only one gal- lon of


fuel. This efficiency has led to a growth in intermodal traffic over the last 20 years, a fact not lost on Norfolk Southern and Pan Am Railways in the Northeast. Starting on page 34, Jim Shaughnessy il- lustrates the history of the once-busy Me- chanicville Yard complex in upstate New York. But on page 26, Ben Martin reviews the current traffic situation of the same re- gion, which includes a partially rebuilt Me- chanicville Yard. The more things change... There are many other high points in mod-


ern railroading. Amtrak ridership has set all-time ridership records for eight out of the last nine years, and seems set to do so again for 2012. Streetcars, light rail, and commuter rail continue to spread at a pace not seen since before World War I. Short lines and regionals continue, 30 years after deregulation, to keep branch lines in prof- itable service. Equipment is larger, more ef- ficient, and more advanced. The story of railroading today is one of defying the odds, of reaching new heights, of renewal. So as autumn sets in, remember that the renewal of spring is a short distance away, and the future of railroading — and thus railfan- ning — is bright.


Alexander B. Craghead is a writer, photog- rapher,


watercolorist, and self-described “transportation geek” from Portland, Ore. You can reach out to Alex on our web site at www.railfan.com/departures.


ALEXANDER B. CRAGHEAD THOMAS KELCEC GREG MONROE GEORGE M. SMERK JEFFREY D. TERRY WES VERNON


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RAILFAN & RAILROAD (ISSN 0163-7266) is published monthly by Carstens Publications, Inc., 108 Phil Hardin Road, Newton, New Jersey 07860. Phone 973/383-3355. Henry R. Carstens, Publisher; Phyllis M. Carstens, Secretary-Treasurer. Periodical Postage paid at Newton, NJ 07860 and additional mailing offices.


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