Everything’s Bigger in Texas
A Fort Worth & Western mixed freight heads south through Fort Worth, Texas, on November 17, 2015. GP50 No. 2010 (ex-CNW 5091) leads GP38-3 No. 2006 (ex-B&0 3731), SD40-3 No. 2026 (ex-L&N 1246), SD40R No. 2017 (ex-SP 8440), SD40M-2 No. 2024 (ex-SP 8913), and SD40-2 No. 2028 (ex-PRR 6090). FWWR began operations in 1988 and has since expanded to a system 276 miles long between Carrollton and Ricker, Texas, with branches serving Cleborne and Gorman.
PHOTO BY FRANK RIZZO
RoadRailer Rolls Into the History Books
In November, Norfolk Southern subsidiary Triple Crown Services consolidated its remaining equipment to its Detroit-Kansas City route for automobile parts
traffic,
marking the end of RoadRailer trains on its other routes. The final run of NS Train 261, a RoadRailer train between Bethlehem, Pa., and Chicago, rolls west on the ex- Pennsylvania Railroad Cleveland Line at Macedonia, Ohio, On November 17, 2015. Many of the specialized RoadRailer trailers will be phased out and retired in the coming years.
PHOTO BY JERRY JORDAK
NORFOLK SOUTHERN SCOTT LINDSEY
Triple Crown Scales Down
The weekend of November 14, 2015, marked the end of Triple Crown Services’ (TCS) revenue operations over most of its network. This massive downsizing came just two months after parent Norfolk Southern decided to terminate all TCS TOFC operations and all but the Detroit-Kansas City lane of its extensive RoadRailer network. During the final days of operations on the discontinued routes, shorter consists made it very clear that most customers had already converted to other modes of transport. NS is hoping to retain TCS business through its container offerings, but CSX has been trying to make the
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most of this opportunity to grow its intermodal revenue as well. Dedicated RoadRailer service was launched by Norfolk Southern and Conrail in 1986.
Motive Power Updates
During October 2015, NS completed the sequential renumbering of 11 of its 12 PR43C locomotives based out of Chattanooga. These 4,000 hp locomotives were rebuilt with Caterpillar prime movers, primarily working local assignments out of Chattanooga’s DeButts Yard, staying close to the Chattanooga Diesel Shop.
The number of active EMD GP50s
on the NS roster continues to slip, as more of these former Southern units are retired and held for the GP33ECO capital rebuild program at the Juniata Locomotive Shop in Altoona. As of late
In
November 2015, only the 7037, 7073, 7081, and 7083 were in service. The last high-nose, former Norfolk &
Western GP38AC is no longer active on NS, with the recent retirement of No. 4148. This leaves only three GP38AC units on the NS roster, all of which are former Southern units with high hoods. On a brighter note, NS’ former N&W SD40-2 locomotives in the 1625-1635 series
continue to see assignments
on mostly the northern region of the system. These 11 units were built in 1973 and were the N&W’s final order for locomotives featuring high-hood noses and dual control stands.
More Pocahontas Division Changes
addition to its October 2015 diversion of through coal traffic from
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