=================================================== RAIL ONLINE VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2 AUGUST 1993 =================================================== Editor-in-Chief: Peter Kirn, 73232,3534 CompuServe, 73232.3534@cis.com Internet //* ============== IN THIS ISSUE: ============== E-PAGES: Instead of using conventional searching, RailOnline takes advantage of the search-and-find features in your editor or word processor. For instance, to read the letter from the editor, have your editor search for the text "//A". >From the Editor..............................................//A The rails and the land, plus an overlook of this issue Letters......................................................//B RailNews USA.................................................//C Flooding news, NJT expansions, SEPTA's N-5, tax bill deemed unfair, NYWS&W expansion, and more RailNews Europe..............................................//D Special report: BritRail privatization Travel by Rail: Rhatische Bahn...............................//E Take a trip on one of the world's most beautiful railroads by Peter Kirn Model Railroading: Nostalgia Models..........................//F Rescuing orphan models. by Roger Hensley INDUSTRY CONNECTION: The latest from Atlas...................//G Memories of the California Zephyr............................//H An Amtrak conductor's tour of a famous route by Richard McGrath Editorial: Rail Hopping is Wrong.............................//I Our Assistant Editor takes on rail hopping, flaming left and right by Daniel Dawdy Late RailNews, //J -> RailOnline info: staff, contacting RO, submitting to RO, copying RO, and the next issue...............................//K The Cyberspace Report is on vacation, and returns - with a whole new identity - next issue. __________________________________________________________________ FROM THE EDITOR: The Rails and the Land //A __________________________________________________________________ Where airplanes escape the confines of the Earth and fly at the mercy of the atmosphere, rails are eternally bound to the land. In the end, the rails return to that land, as soil and vegetation overtake them after years without maintenance. Railroads have a direct tie to the land, not only to the soil, but to the landscape around them, and to the spirit of the land they cross. The culture and personality of the people that live around railroads, its very reason for being, all have a direct influence on the railroad. Even the rolling stock will often have a relationship with the people who live there. This issue explores the relationship between a railroad and its surroundings. In Switzerland, we view the Rhaetian Railway in a true paradise: without the perils of snow in winter. The RhB in summer is a celebration of the relationship between the rails and the land, where they exist together perfectly, surrounded by complete beauty. Amtrak Conductor Richard McGrath has been able to ride the California Zephyr for decades, and few can tell its story better than he can. The story of the Zephyr goes beyond the windows of its cars, to the geological history of the area, and the many stories sites along the route have to tell. In fact, the most important parts of the railroad are all outside the windows. Geographical setting is the first force the railroads must reckon with when a line is being constructed. In the cases of the Zephyr and the Bernina Express, the route traveled is truly a marvel of engineering in itself. For freight trains, the settings are the train - the reason for existance. Commodities range from mail to lettuce, and without the rails to carry them nations can come to a standstill. For rail buffs such as ourselves, of course, scenery is often the attraction. To a railroad, however, scenery can become a more valuable commodity than cargo. On both the Zephyr and the Bernina Express, scenery means passengers, and passengers always means money. RailNews is proof of the effect of the land on the rails. Trains running from one side of the North American Continent to the other now face a great roadblock: the rising torrents of the Mississippi River. To overcome them, maintenance crew must be stressed, and competitive railroads must cooperate. Even then, much traffic will remain stopped. The railroad and the land are yet another model of the coexistance of the human race and its world. Constantly, one is on the verge of utterly destroying the other. However, the two are inseperable. United, they are a great masterpiece, with all its beauty and all its rage. -> In this Issue: This issue inaugurates several new sections. Watch for our rail news section. This issue focuses on BritRail and the Northeast Corridor, but that's just the beginning. Eventually, there will be regular European, Chicago, and Southwestern US coverage, with Santa Fe, Amtrak, Conrail, CSX, and Burlington Northern news. European coverage begins this issue with BritRail news and a feature on Switzerland RhB. Our first editorial appears in this issue from Daniel Dawdy, who has been tremendously helpful in the month of July working on Internet distribution. He has very strong opinions, and I look forward to your response. This time I'm not the sole writer for the model railroading section. The two articles were submitted via Internet. The Industry Connection is small this issue, but don't worry - we're just gearing up for next month when model railroading is the featured topic with the Valley Forge Convention. With all the firsts, though, we return to the tried-and-true, by including another Richard McGrath story. McGrath's return was requested by popular demand. -PK CORRECTION The command for CompuServe's file finder is GO IBMFF, not FF. I apologize for any inconvenience this caused. -PK ======= RO NEWS ======= Circulation Soars Volume 1,Issue 1, as of publication CompuServe: 333 downloads Internet: thousands estimated AmericaOnline: n/a (see next issue) Hard copy: 7 copies printed Also received on HomeNet and on the Clear Spot BBS (502-895-9167) Here are only a few selections from the feedback received online about RailOnline's first issue. Overall, feedback was very positive. __________________________________________________________________ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: //B __________________________________________________________________ If you send feedback and would like it not to be printed, please put a note on the end, and I will be happy to oblige. Special thanks to Daniel Dawdy, Internet correspondent and distributor. Many of the messages that say "via Internet" were forwarded by him. JP Flaherty, America Online distributor and correspondent, was on vacation in July, so no feedback is available from AOL. By the time you read this, he should be back. WINDOWS FAN AND AN APPALACHIAN RAILFANNING TRIP I really enjoyed RO ...finally downloaded the new PKunzip and printed out the regular file but ended up reviewing the whole bit in Windows...really nice. The Bluegrass Model RR Club has picked up an empty date for the 765 (or now the C&O 2765) to pull a railfan trip from Lex. to Ravenna on Sat. Oct 2 and Lex to Corbin on Sun Oct 3..I don't know whether you are carrying notices of such trips on RO but it should be a fun trip during the early portion of the fall color in the mountains...The Red River trestle is really impressive as well... 233 feet if I recall correctly. Keep up the great work ..I especially enjoyed the article by the conductor McGrath ...would love to see more of his work, and again I love the Windows version. Richard Lane Via CompuServe Editor's note: I'll keep you updated on this railfanning trip. I'm a fan of the former L&N along this route, and have traveled the area often, and it is one of the most scenic routes in the Southeast. Keep watching RO for more. RAVE REVIEWS Overall, a VERY impressive undertaking!! I've never seen anything like this, and think it's a great idea. Just so you have some idea about your readership, my interest is in model railroads, specifically G scale, preferably LGB. Jim Fly via CompuServe ATLAS GP30 PROTOTYPES ALIVE AND WELL ON CSX I just wanted to comment on the Atlas GP30's in CSX. I'm not sure about 4229, but 4234 is in the correct scheme (Blue/grey/yellow) CSX has 4200-4204,4206-4225,4227-4246,4248-4266. I'm not sure what happened to 4205 and 4247, but 4226 was at Pielet brothers earlier this year. Chessie rebuilt these GP30's in the early 80's and they are the only surviving ones on CSX. They see many duties. I've seen them on locals, which what they are used more often, but I have also seen them on through freights. In fact, I seen one go through with just 2 GP30's. It looked like a train out of the 70's :) The rest of CSX's GP30's (the unrebuilt ones) were either sold, or became road slugs. CSX took a bunch of their GP30's and GP35's and removed the hood doors, primemover. radiator fans, and intakes,but left the rest of the body intact, including cab. They paired them with a mother unit GP40-2, so they still look like a GP30, with a few things missing on the rear. Well, just thought I'd pass that on to ya, didn't mean to ramble to much :^) Keep up the good work on the Magazine. Fred Ochs Western Michigan University Via Internet Forwarded by Daniel Dawdy WINDOWS TROUBLES About half of the feedback I received for the Windows version indicated a problem. Write would give an error message, and then instead of a graphic would display a circle with lines radiating out of it. Not everyone experienced problems, so I suspect the problem is driver related. Try switching the display driver in SETUP to 640x480, 16 color - the Windows default. If you still experience a problem, write to the letters to the editor and I'll send you a reply immediately. The new Windows version includes bitmaps in the archive separately, which should eliminate the problem for now. A FELLOW EDITOR LOOKING TO RO'S FUTURE The format of RailOnline looks very portable, but still easy to read. As for content, I know from experience that an editor is dependent on what the writers send in, and the premiere is going to include a lot of your own stuff. With that in mind, I think you're likely to get a lot of love it or hate it comments regarding model RR content, especially the roster-related stuff on forthcoming models. My own preference would be for a balance shifted more towards prototype rail news, but there definitely is a place for modeling maybe splitting into two e-journals?? Probably too much work at this time) and it will fill out your consists so you can publish frequently. I stress frequently, so you can capture the advantage of publication speed you talked about in your introduction. Material permitting, monthly, bi-monthly or more. Now as for material, I would suggest you emulate magazines like Railpace or Pacific RailNews and designate "beat writers" for various beats, like Conrail, Boston news, Amtrak... I'd be pleased to have the Philadelphia transit and commuter beat, since I already pick up much of this stuff for DVARP. I can send you the newsletter almost as soon as it goes to the printer, and you can excerpt as you please. So if that works, you could almost become the Associated Press of the railroad world. I've been looking for something like this for a while to fill some gaps in our coverage of Amtrak stories and news from the NY Metro area. Matthew Mitchell Deleware Valley Association of Rail Passengers Via Internet forwarded by Daniel Dawdy Editor's note: This issue is the start of what is a long journey towards exactly the goal that Matthew suggests. I believe that bringing model railroading, railfanning, employee, and travel interests into one place is an advantage in itself. However, as soon as we get enough material, two versions of RO will be produced: a features version monthly or 6 times yearly, and a news version more often. RO really can become the AP of the rail world, supplying news as it happens. I look forward to approaching this goal. ANOTHER CHEER I don't know what the economics of this venture are, but I hope you will be able to continue. This format allows you to be lot more timely than printed magazines can be and a lot better organized than online forums. Harry Bacas CompuServe __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS USA Flooding Report //C __________________________________________________________________ Santa Fe Update Continued flooding throughout the midwest region of the United States has impacted most railroads, including Santa Fe. On July 10, Santa Fe was forced to suspend operations between Chicago and Kansas City due to flood related track and structure damage in Illinois and Missouri. This occurred despite a valiant effort by Santa Fe employees who worked hard to keep lines open. While water levels are receding at many locations, some segments of the ATSF transcontinental main line are still under water, while others are damaged. Where water levels have dropped enough to permit work to take place safely, the railroad has people, equipment and materials in position to begin the repair process. One of the primary focal points is at milepost 364.4 on the Marceline subdivision, where water swept away a 40-foot bridge and continues to pour through a 220-foot-wide, 25-foot-deep breach in the roadbed. Work to repair the roadbed, track and bridge should begin when water levels allow ATSF to begin driving pilings for a replacement bridge. The new bridge will take approximately 10 days to build. Bridge experts are assessing the situation for Santa Fe. Approximately 3 dozen Santa Fe trains are currently detouring. - Santa Fe Railroad, Shaumburg, IL RAILNEWS GIF FOR THIS ISSUE: RN_1_2.GIF (or search keyword RN for latest filename) Metra #515 leads two Amtrak F40PH's and the Zephyr westbound through Glen Ellyn, Illinois, on July 16, 1993. Amtrak's California Zephyr is being re-routed over the Chicago & Northwestern from Chicago to Omaha. Since the CNW uses cab signals, a freight engine had to be in the point. Someone at Amtrak had a great idea and leased the last remaining Chicago Metra E8's which were only used for special duty. These are ex-CNW E8's and have the cab signaling installed. -Daniel Dawdy _________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS USA Northeast Corridor //C __________________________________________________________________ Compiled by Jerome Rosenfeld POSSIBLE NJ TRANSIT EXPANSIONS NJ Transit has authorized a $1.2 million study for the restoration of passenger service on the NYS&W between Hoboken and Newfoundland or Sparta, in northwestern New Jersey. The 15 month study is to design and determine where the best station locations should be, the number of signals and passing sidings required. Plans are to run trains to the NJT main line, connecting track at Hawthorne with the first stop at Paterson Station, which will be rebuilt in a few years. NJT proposed service on the NYS&W to Warwick, NY, but only if Metro North is interested in extending the service into NY State. NJT operates all New York State passenger operations to Port Jervis and Spring Valley under contract with Metro North. If the proposal goes through, service can start as early as 1995. -JR POUGHKEEPSIE BRIDGE: ALWAYS SILENT? The Poughkeepsie Bridge hasn't seen a train cross it since May 8, 1974, when vandals set the eastern portion of the bridge on fire. With a recent proposal, though, it could see traffic again. Dutchess County resident William E. Feris of Hopewell Junction, New York, has approached Metro North with the possibility of putting commuter trains on the Maybrook Branch of the former New Haven Railroad. Because Metro North is planning to build a Trans-Hudson bridge in the Nyack, New York, area of the lower Hudson Valley by 2010 to connect Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Line service with Hudson Line service into either Grand Central Terminal or Penn Station, Mr. Ferris sees a need to reuse an already existing bridge. This wouldn't compete with Metro North's proposed bridge, but would instead bring commuter service in the Mid-Hudson Valley from either Campbell Hall where Port Jervis Line passes or Maybrook near I-84 and operate east across Poughkeepsie Bridge to either Danbury or New Haven, Connecticut as its been over sixty years since the then New Haven operated a passenger train via this route. In 1984, Conrail removed the track on the western side from Maybrook to Highland, NY, and from east of Poughkeepsie to Hopewell Junction to prevent competition from any other railroads wanting the route. Several railroads, including CSX, NYS&W, NS, P&W, and B&M made offers to Conrail to buy the line and rebuild the 700' burned section of the bridge, but Conrail's asking price was always too high. CSX only wanted the bridge, not the right of way, charging an annual fee for whatever railroads used the route, but a federal judge dismissed the idea claiming "no railroad can collect tolls to cross a railroad bridge", and that CSX would have to buy the entire route plus the bridge if they really wanted to own it. CSX withdrew their bid since they have no direct route from their trackage to Maybrook. Conrail knew that no one would pay the price they were asking for the line, so they always asked more for it. They did, however, sell Gorden S. Miller of Wayne, Pennsylvania the bridge and ten miles of then abandoned roadbed on the western side for $1.00 in 1986 but after promises to restore service by Mr. Miller the bridge just sat there as silent as today. Metro North says that while Mr. Ferris's idea is acceptable, it isn't really worth it as they believe there wouldn't be enough riders to compensate for the cost of rebuilding the line. They would need to install new track, signals, and platforms, as well as buy additional passenger cars and locomotives to start such service. In addition to this, Metro North would have to work out an agreement with the Housatonic Railroad, owner of the Maybrook Branch on the eastern side from Hopewell Junction, NY, to Danbury, CT. Despite these obstacles, Metro North claims they have not written off the possibility of using the Maybrook Branch for commuter service and will keep the idea under consideration for the future. -JR NJT LOCOMOTIVE UPDATE NJ Transit has seven E60CP electric locomotives stored at the Dover, NJ, passenger yard. 959, 960, 962, 963, and 967 are in NJT livery. 961 and 973 are in Amtrak colors with a "quickie" name and logo applied. The engines were retired last year after being replaced by 15 ABB ALP-44 electrics. -JR __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS USA Northeast Feature //C __________________________________________________________________ >From the Deleware Valley Rail Passenger ON BOARD SEPTA'S N-5 by Matthew Mitchell, editor, DVRP The first of SEPTA's oft-delayed and controversial Norristown High-Speed Line cars has been in regular revenue service for several months now, and the remaining 25 cars of the order are starting to arrive on the property. Will passengers find the new rolling stock worth the wait? Let's take a ride from 69th Street to Bryn Mawr to find out. Before the rush-hour "tripper" leaves the terminal, we look at the operator's control panel, which looks more complex than that of either the vintage 1924-33 equipment which raced up and down the P&W for over half a century or the ex-Chicago and Market-Frankford trains which now provide most of the Norristown service. But in fact, operation of the N-5s is not complicated. A single master controller operates both power and brakes, and must be held down by the operator to prevent actuation of the "deadman" emergency brake. Over a score of switches control lights, doors, and other accessories. Controls for these functions were scattered throughout the cab of the old equipment, and their operation could be idiosyncratic. The biggest change in operation compared to the old cars is the presence of a cab signal system. Once the fixed component of the signal equipment is fully in place, a series of lights on the perimeter of the speedometer (top center of instrument panel) will indicate the maximum authorized speed. Should that be exceeded, the brakes will be automatically be applied. As the operator comes on board and takes his seat, we'll move back into the car and take our seat, immediately noticing how huge the interior of the car is, especially when compared to the old Brill Bullets. The aisle is very wide, and ceiling much much higher. This large size is one of the factors contributing to the serious weight problems of the new cars; they are six tons heavier than the contract specifications called for, and SEPTA will pay for this over the life of the cars in added power and track maintenance costs. The two-tone brown seats are also wide, and thickly cushioned. We've got plenty of elbow room. "Riiowwwt!" is the call from the platform, and an insistent beeping sound, much louder than that of the Kawasaki trolleys, alerts us to the closing door way up at the front of the car. N-5 offers passengers comfortable seats and a great view of passing scenery. Moving out from the platform, over the switches and out onto the line, the big picture windows give us an excellent view of the yard complex at 69th Street, including all the construction of the addition to 72nd Street Shop, where these cars will be serviced. Big changes are afoot here, as solid-state electronics replace old mechanical equipment and AC traction motors replace maintenance-intensive DC motors. Shop artisans will no longer have to fabricate their own spare parts from scratch. Only a gentle push at our backs lets us know the train has started up the upgrade to Parkview. Acceleration is smooth, but insistent, and soft singing of thyristor choppers and blower motors replaces the siren sound of the Bullets' gearboxes. We are quickly up to cruising speed and noticing the solid, smooth ride of the N-5 on the continuous welded rail. The ultra-light Bullets tended to bounce around, especially where track had not been surfaced recently, while the Chicago trains "hunt" (that is to say lurch from side-to-side at high speeds) even on the new track. The N-5 cars' primary suspension is a set of V-shaped rubber blocks between the axles and the truck frames, which keeps the unsprung mass of the trucks low for a less-jarring ride. The transition to the older track is noticeable, but the ride is still pleasant, making it hard to choose between reading the newspaper and viewing the always-scenic P&W right of way. The braking action of the new car is also strong and smooth, and since the operator is still getting used to the performance of the new car, he errs on the side of caution and brakes a bit too strongly. We creep the last few yards to the platform at Penfield and the front door opens with a solid-sounding thump. The operator tells us he likes the new car, too, though it's quite different from the Chicago trains he learned the route on. Much more comfortable and easy to drive. He adds that lots of passengers have made favorable comments, and asked when all the trains will be like this one. It's unclear when they will, but it looks like we may finally be close. The biggest question is, will the N-5 succeed? We'll know soon. __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS USA Upstate New York report //C __________________________________________________________________ NYS&W PLANS EXPANDED SERVICE by Ken May Seven years ago, the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway relaid and rebuilt track on a long abandoned route over Sparta Mountain on its Southern Division in Northern New Jersey to handle double stack container trains. This summer, the scrappy regional railroad is upgrading lightly used trackage on its Northern Division between Binghamton and Syracuse in Upstate New York for use as a new route for double stacks. In 1993, the little Susquehanna is looking to expand its role beyond that of a strictly regional rail carrier in a big way as in 1986. Thanks to a $3.5 million grant from the New York State Department of Transportation, the NYS&W is upgrading the 80-mile railroad between Binghamton and Syracuse. Heavy repairs began on June 1 with major tie and rail replacement, ballasting and leveling and realignment of track being performed by Susie-Q M-O-W crews. Once the track rehabilitation project is finished this fall, trains will be able to operate over the improved trackage at speeds up to 50 MPH. Train speeds on this line have been limited to under 30 MPH in recent years. Plans are also in the works for the construction of an intermodal freight terminal in Binghamton with an additional $3.15 million in state funds. The new terminal would be operated by CSX Intermodal and would provide service to the Southern Tier region of New York State. The former Lackawanna Railroad branchline was once an important traffic producerfor the "Road of Anthracite" with major industries located in Syracuse, Cortland and Oswego. After the coming of Conrail in 1976, the line was deemed redundant and was sold to the NYS&W in 1982. Conrail retained ownership of the Syracuse-Jamesville and Syracuse-Oswego portions of the ex-Lackawanna line. During the past decade, the track from Cortland north to Syracuse has been travelled by few trains. A 12-mile section between Tully and Jamesville in Onondaga County has seen little or no train traffic at all since the mid-1980's. In April 1993, Conrail transferred ownership of the Syracuse-Jamesville portion of the route to the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency for $1.00. OCIDA in turn contracted operating rights over the line to the NYS&W. Conrail retained the right to service the remaining freight customers between Syracuse and Jamesville. The Susquehanna is currently upgrading this part of the line with a $700,000 allocation from the NYSDOT. The NYS&W plans to operate its Sea-Land double stack container trains via the upgraded Binghamton-Syracuse route starting this fall. The intermodal trains will be handled by the Susquehanna between Little Ferry, NJ - Binghamton, NY - Syracuse, NY and by Conrail between Syracuse, NY - Buffalo, NY - Chicago, IL. This new routing will bypass the Binghamton-Buffalo segment of the current routing over Conrail's Southern Tier Line. The Binghamton-Syracuse line will provide an alternate choice for intermodal trains running on Conrail's Water Level Route Main and Southern Tier Lines to avoid delays due to increased rail traffic levels. Besides the new freight trains scheduled to travel over Susquehanna's rebuilt Binghamton-Syracuse line, new passenger trains are also planned for operation. A tourist shuttle train should be running in the City of Syracuse by the fall between the Carousel Center Mall on Onondaga Lake, Armory Square in Downtown Syracuse and the Carrier Dome on the Syracuse University Campus. Four former Metro-North Commuter Railroad rail diesel cars are undergoing total refurbishing in NYS&W's Utica, NY shops for use in Syracuse shuttle service. Steam-powered passenger excursion trains led by Susie-Q Mikado No. 142 are proposed to operate between Binghamton and Syracuse in the near future. Once again, the Susquehanna has positioned itself as an important link in transcontinental container traffic across the U. S. by rail between the New York City area and the Midwest. In doing so, the NYS&W has brought new life to an unwanted branchline left for dead by its major competitor (and now partner) in the container business, Conrail. The future looks promising for the reborn Binghamton-Syracuse line in Upstate New York. __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS USA US News //C __________________________________________________________________ Compiled by Peter Kirn AAR SAYS TAX BILL IS UNFAIR TO RAILS Conrail newswire The Association of American Railroads said that the current tax bill drafted by the Senate creates "critical inequities" for the rail industry. "First the Senate bill would take monies from the railroads and contribute them to the Highway Trust Fund," said AAR President and CEO Edwin Harper on June 30. That fund finances the cost of highway improvements to the nation's interstate highway system. "This leaves the railroads -- the most fuel-efficient form of transportation -- paying a new 4.3 cent per gallon (of diesel fuel) tax to help subsidize its competitor." "Secondly, railroads are the only major industry required to pay an additional 2.5 cents per gallon dedicated to deficit reduction for which the railroads receive no special benefit," Harper added. The House of Representatives version of the bill includes the BTU-based tax, which Harper said spreads the tax burden more evenly over other modes of transportation. "Railroads are willing to pay their fair share, but we must have an equitable solution. The tax bill should not create advantages for one mode of transportation over another," he said. CSX ELIMINATES BRAKEMAN POSITIONS Conrail newswire CSX Transportation said United Transportation Union members have ratified an agreement that will eliminate brakeman positions on the former Baltimore & Ohio, Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal, Pere Marquette and Hocking Valley portions of its rail system. Those portions of the system cover all or parts of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. A conductor-only agreement with the UTU on the Chesapeake & Ohio portions of CSX's system is awaiting ratification. CSX AND CN FORGE INTERMODAL ALLIANCE Conrail newswire CSX INTERMODAL and CN NORTH AMERICA ANNOUNCED AN INTERMODAL SERVICE ALLIANCE that will link Canadian markets and the southeastern U.S. Under the agreement, CN North America, formerly the Grand Trunk Western, will link markets in western Canada with CSXI at Chicago, via trackage rights over Burlington Northern between Chicago and Duluth, Minn., and markets in eastern Canada with CSXI at Detroit. NS SELLS TRAN-STAR SUBSIDIARY NS plans to sell North American's Commercial Transport Division and Tran-Star Inc., a North American subsidiary specializing in refrigerated transport, to increase North American's profits. CONRAIL GIVES AWARD HONORING DIVERSITY; WINS AN AWARD FOR RECRUITING WOMEN Conrail newswire The Dearborn Division has won Conrail's first Ann F. Friedlaender Diversity Award for its commitment to furthering diversity in the workplace, presented on June 29. During 1992, the division created a division council, an active women's group and several teams to handle issues associated with diversity, including mentoring and coaching, education community outreach and a diversity library. The award is named for the late Ann F. Friedlaender, a former member of Conrail's Board of Directors, who also chaired the board's Ethics committee. It includes a $5,000 check, which the winner can designate for donation to the non-profit charitable organization of their choice. *** The Orientation to Non-traditional Occupations for Women (ONOW), an Ohio group sponsored by the Ohio Department of Education, has named Conrail 'Outstanding Employer of the Year' for its efforts to recruit women for railroad jobs in Ohio. ONOW trains women in mechanical and shop skills, tool use, job safety and in reading blueprints and mechanical drawings and also runs training programs in vocational labs. Conrail received the honor, called the 'Rosie the Riveter' award, for holding an employment referral seminar in Ohio in March and for its subsequent partnership with ONOW to recruit women into railroad craft jobs. -- FOR MORE RAILNEWS.... search // __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS EUROPE Special Report: BritRail Breakup //D __________________________________________________________________ HOUSE OF COMMONS OUTLINES PRIVATIZATION OF BRITISH RAIL by Peter Kirn After four and a half decades, the direction of the British rail system will be effectively reversed. In 1947, several private railway companies were nationalized to create British Rail. Since then, the system has expanded to create a network covering nearly 10,289 route miles. 15,000 daily departures connect 2,400 stations, employing some 137,000. BR is one of the most used systems in the world, as well, with 762 million passengers travelling it anually. A White Paper outlining proposal for the privatization of the huge rail system was submitted to Britain's House of Commons on July 14 of last year, and the proposal went through last month. The government hopes to have the railway play a larger role in its nation's transportation industry, by introducing competition through increased involvement from the private sector. The ultimate goal would be liberalizing access to the railway network, and increasing the flexibility of passenger services by introducing variety. "Privatization is a natural progression for the railways which have been organized on commercial lines for the past decade," said Tim Roebuck, president of BritRail Travel International, the North American marketing arm of British Rail. "The proposals are geared toward an even more market-driven operation that will ultimately result in a wider variety of rail products and services," he said. "BritRail Travel will continue to determine which products deliver the best value for the North American travelers who want to travel by rail in Britain. The only difference our customers will see is more diversity," said Roebuck. A Q&A SESSION WITH BRITRAIL TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL Q. How will privatization affect BritRail Travel International? A. BritRail Travel will continue to market Britain's rail services and products in North America and sees privatization as an opportunity to offer more products and services to its passengers. Currently, BritRail negotiates with the different branches of British Rail to establish prices for the BritRail Pass and other pass products that are not available in the United Kingdom. The company will continue to negotiate to get the best value for its North American passengers. Q. As a national railway, British Rail provides reliable train service throughout all of Britain. Who will ensure consistent service, particularly on non-commercial routes? A. Privatization does not mean an end to government subsidies nor a loss of network. The railway will continue its social responsibility to serve the public and provide services on non-profitable routes. The government clearly recognizes the benefits of a national railway system and plans to provide for the continuance of these advantages, including: - A unified timetable for the entire network - A through-ticketing system - Industry-wide technical standards Q. When will privatization take place? A. The White Paper, "New Opportunities for the Railways" was introduced to the House of Commons July 14, 1992, marking the beginning of a long Parliamentary process the expected end result that the proposals will become law. [This process is now completed. -Ed.] British Rail will not be sold as a single entity. Rather, the proposals call for flexible solutions addressing the specific needs and characteristics of each part of British Rail's businesses. This gradual project will take several years because of the complexity of the system. The goal for the bulk of the changes is 1997. THE PROPOSAL: Courtesy BritRail Travel Int'l British Rail will be divided into two units: Railtrack and a "residual operating unit." Railtrack will serve as the national track authority. It will own the track and other infrastructure and will control day-to-date operations including timetabling, access to the track, signaling and control and track maintenance and investment. Rail track will charge all franchisees and private operators for use of the track.. The "residual operating unit" will operate passenger services until they are franchised. British Rail will establish a number of separate operating copanies to cover passenger services. Passenger services will be offered for franchise to private sector operators. A Franchising Authority will ensure that all franchisees meet the required standards of customer service, reliability and punctuality. Private operators will be given rights to access. Opportunities will be provided to the private sector to purchase or lease stations. __________________________________________________________________ TRAVEL BY RAIL: Rhatiche Bahn //E __________________________________________________________________ Few railroads are as compelling as Switzerland's Rhaetian Railway. In fact, watching the electric trains roll through the mountain-walled countryside, it's almost difficult to imagine Switzerland without its small, red travelers. RhB's trains are as much at home in the Alps as the cows that barely twitch as the trains pass by. The Rhaetian Railway serves the Canton of the Grisons, or Graubunden in German, a canton in the eastern corner of Switzerland. At Landquart and Chur, it connects with the Swiss Federal Railways, with the Furka-Operalp Railway at Disentis/Muster, and with the Italian State Railways at Tirano, Italy. While the RhB does carry freight traffic, freight service at best is diminuitive. The Rhaetian Railway's business is unquestionably passengers. In the winter, the railway slices through thick snow to carry skiers, especially to the neighboring cities of Davos and Klosters. In the summer, with many of the ski towns virtually shut down in June, tourists are the cargo, from Switzerland and Italy. My trek to the Swiss Alps was in June of last year. With my drive from Austria, I was truly able to get a grip of the size of the Alps in Switzerland. The entrance into Klosters, a popular ski destination, is via a pass high in the mountains. Far beyond the vegetation line, the frigid moonlike landscape that is revealed as late as June is a true indication of the topography the Rhaetian Railway originally faced when buildings its line. The action in Klosters was mostly limited to the daily passage of children from their houses to the schools and back again. Aside from the train station, the grocery store, and my hotel, the school was just about the only thing that was open. Since Klosters' economy runs around skiing, June is vacation month. The Hotel Alpina, across the street from both the train station and one of the primary lifts, was practically deserted at this time of year. Only a few other people aside from myself were staying there. Among them was the actor Don Amiche, apparantly seeking the peace of the powered-down village after his latest film. Despite the fact that the rest of the world forgets about the Swiss countryside in summer, it is beautiful beyond belief in the season. With flowers in bloom and the sparse populations of the valleys of the Grisons leaving the hills resplendant in bright green, it's hard to think that there could be a more beautiful place on Earth. For that matter, it's difficult not to downshift into Julie Andrews mode and begin running up hillsides singing "The Hills are Alive". The Alps in summer seem to call for nothing less than singing. However, with heavy cloud cover beginning to make me wonder if there really were mountains in Klosters, and the unusual red RhB trains rolling into the station just across the street, it was definitely time to take a train ride to sunnier settings. Klosters lies on the Davos lline, which is actually a loop running from Arosa to Chur, through Klosters and Davos and eventually on to Fillisur where it rejoins the Albula line. During ski season, numerous trains ferry the skiers between Klosters and Davos, which lie on opposite sides of a mountain. The arrival of my train to Davos was heralded in the usual way, first by the arrival of buses connecting to various nearby villages, then by the sounding of a chime. Shortly thereafter, the clean, fire-engine red locomotive appeared from around the bend. The Rhaetian Railway, unlike many of its other European neighbors, has a largely updated fleet. Much of this has occurred in only the past few years. The "crocodile"-like Ge 6/6,1 originally designed in the, 20s still runs freight. However, most of the other locomotives are either new or recently updated. After seeing the grimy fleets that roam the more industrial Austria and Germany, RhB is a stark contrast. All the passenger trains are extremely clean. The cars' interiors are spartan, but, like the locomotives, appear to have been overhauled recently. It's difficult to know whether to call it fog or clouds at the altitude, but whatever you want to call it, the vaporized water was densely packed around the train. Because I couldn't see, I didn't know it at the time, but the line actually works its way above Klosters, and doubles back on itself. You can imagine my surprise when 15 or 20 minutes into the trip I discovered I was still in Klosters, especially after I had just passed through a tunnel. The train descended back into Davos, which is larger than Klosters. Like Klosters, Davos is actually two towns: Davos-Platz and Davos-Dorf. The Platz is the larger city, while Dorf is the smaller village. The farther I got from Klosters, the more the clouds cleared, allowing me to finally see mountains again. Outside Davos, I changed trains for the continued trip into the Abula line connection at Filisur. At the station above Filisur, I picked up the Zermatt-St. Moritz Glacier Express. A fantastic succession of tunnels and gorges made this section of the trip perhaps the most dramatic. After a long tunnel, the landscape knifes deeply into the earth far below, where the bright blue melted glacier water races through Evergreen forests. Entire gorges flash by in less than a second before another tunnel is entered; blink and one will miss it entirely. Great viaducts carry trains between tunnels, but they are invisible to the travelers. In fact, on the return trip, I pointed my camera in the general direction and prayed, clicking the shudder without any idea of what I was shooting. The result reveals a scene I couldn't even view myself, surprisingly enough. You can see it in the color insert. With its immense viaducts, tunnels, and loops, the Abula line is truly an engineering marvel. Even the cars that roll along RhB's tracks reveal the history and character of Switzerland. Cars are labeled not only with the German Rhatische Bahn, but also with the French Chemin de fer rhetique, and the Italian Ferrovia retica. Because of its mountains and location between the German, French, and Italian empires, Switzerland is much the same way. Cultures, languages, and people change from one valley to another. While they may be only miles away, mountains prevent contact. As the train neared Tirano, Italy, the sounds in the car changed, as people and language shifted from Swiss to Italian. Soon, it seemed as though it was Italy we were traveling through and not Switzerland. After the German voices had all disappeared, a vendor came through the car, in the great Italian tradition, of course. The Engadine line traces the Engadine Plateau, called the "rooftop of Europe", to the resort town of St. Moritz. Following the glaciel Inn River, most of the second half of the journey is a straight shot into St. Moritz, with massive mountain peaks on both sides forming a great corridor towering above the plateau. At St. Moritz, the Glacier Express terminates, and the Engadine line gives way to the Bernina line. I picked up the Chur-Tirano Bernina Express, which, with its panaroma cars, ventures all the way into Italy. The Bernina line is certainly RhB's most unusual in that it is the only railroad in Switzerland to cross the Alps without tunneling. Heading up through the Bernina Pass from Switzerland, the train winds up a series of switchbacks, thanks to extremely tight radiuses. Heading back down to Italy, the train must do even more, descending nearly 6000 feet in only 24 miles. The line actually loops back over itself at one point, as a viaduct carries the line in a circle above itself. The peak is bejeweled with glaciel lakes, and at 7400 feet, the snow was only just melting toward the end of a long winter as I reached it in mid-June. With sharp snow-covered peaks standing as silent overlookers, my train descended a bit to Alp Grum, the most common destination for tourists not wishing to continue onto to destinations such as Milan that lie ahead in Italy. The heavily loaded train let off the group, mostly Italians at this point, in which I was the only American. Alp Grum is truly spectacular. At the end of the pass, the landscape drops off into Italy, providing an unbelievable panoramic view thousands of feet into the valley below. The rails wrap around the site, already beginning the series of switchbacks that will take trains into Italy. Overlapping, evergreen-lined mountainsides weaved across each other to the horizon, with clouds clustering around them. Below the clouds, there was only green, in every shade imaginable. Alp Grum's name can hardly come as a surprise. Ash-colored mountains, crowned by great masses of snow and glacier, cradle the area. Two restaraunts are located at Alp Grum. One is located inside the station, one high on a hillside above. I ate lunch surrounded by scenery. The sound of a distant waterfall could be heard echoing through the area. I was able to spend the rest of my time scampering around the hillside with my camera, as happy as can be imagined. There is a steep walk up to the second restauraunt, but it is worth it, with fewer people and an even more spectacular view. It seemed as though very little time passed before my train could be heard climbing the mountain again. With a little dashing, I managed to capture a few frames of it pulling into the station (all these shots can be seen in the color insert). The journey back, in fact, revealed even more scenery as many of the clouds and fog had cleared. Upon my arrival at Klosters, I found it just as I had left it: gray, with the mountains reduced to mere shadows. (In case you are wondering, though, don't worry; it cleared up eventually.) I have had the good fortune to visit many wonderous places, and I'm happy to count the Alps among them. Imagining paradise, Switzerland would certainly fit somewhere into the picture. And along with it, of course, would be the little red electric trains, chariots on rails that fit quite nicely into heaven. __________________________________________________________________ MODEL RAILROADING: Heritage Models //F __________________________________________________________________ by Roger Hensley Over the years I have acquired a number of cars and locomotives that I never intend to run. I am a modeler, not a collector, and yet there was something about these items that called out to me "Save me!" and so I have. Some pieces are well used, dirty and virtually inoperative while others could grace the rails still today if my modeling period allowed it. All of these pieces have one thing in common, they have been someone's pride and joy at one time and all were the 'State of the Art' when they were produced. As an example, I found a 'Train Set' in a box of scrap parts I bought. I thought it was an old, dead Life Like set and so I didn't pay much attention to it at the time. Later as I was cleaning things up, I noticed that it just didn't look right for a Life Like and the track was like nothing I had seen before. It was the remains of a Marx HO Scale set produced about 1960. The track was a sectional design with the roadbed built in and a plastic clip arrangement to hold it together. A neat deal for a beginner! The powered A and dummy B units were done in New Haven and after cleaning, ran quite well. The boxcar was missing its doors and the handrails were gone from one end of the caboose, but the set really was in remarkably good condition for something that had been tossed out. I kept it because it represents a time and place that doesn't exist any more, someone else's thrills and enjoyment and it was headed for the dump before I intercepted it. Does this type of thing have any value? Is it worth a fortune? No, not at all. It is just something that reminds us of the way it used to be. I can't run it, but I can't let it be destroyed. It doesn't compare to much of the rolling stock and locomotives that we run today and yet, it really was quite good for a starter set in 1960. It was only a toy, but it was built with quality and care and with just a little bit of work, it could have been used by nearly anyone modeling that period. The other day I saw a Marx caboose at a swap meet priced at $8.00. At that price it is for collectors and is in no danger of disappearing. Collectors collect. I rescue orphans. *** While searching through some of my junk and "Project for Another Day" boxes looking for a part that I knew I had put away somewhere safe, I came across parts of two old AHM RS-2 locos. My son Dan had bought them for a couple of bucks at an NMRA meet about 10 years ago. He was going to use the two of them to make one good one if he could. Well, Dan is no longer a Teen and this project had been put away on indefinite hold. I tried to put the box back but it seemed to stick to my hand and I finally brought it to the major junk pile that I call my work bench. I was hooked! One shell had been stripped and had received some damage and the other one looked as if it had been painted with a mop. It was black. It was very black but it seemed to be the best hope for cleaning up if I could get one of the motors to run. Taking the pieces and parts I re-assembled the power truck that looked the best and, IT RAN! How long had these pieces been put aside only to run again? I asked Dan for permission to attempt to complete what he started and he agreed. I began stripping the good shell in brake fluid. I worked on it a little every night and still it took days to remove enough of old paint to see what was underneath. It peeked out at me as if to tantalize and tease. I found the number on the side of a grey cab, 609 and still I couldn't get down to enough of the factory paint to identify it. I knew that I would never know what the other one had been painted. But I was determined to at least know what this one had been and then I was down to the factory paint and it was washing away at an alarming rate! The re was maroon and grey and it was an Erie Lackawanna. A beautiful color scheme and now it was all but gone and I'm not a good enough of a painter to restore that! My only choice came to me gradually as I worked away. It would be painted for the ECI in Brown, Orange and Safety Yellow (ECI is my road) and lettered in white. I didn't need another loco but this one seemed to take on a life of its own and I soon found that East Central Indiana spelled out down the long hood was more appropriate than the ECI logo. I restored the windows but I didn't fill in the pilots. Yes, it would have looked better but it wasn't in keeping with the original look. Something else was missing. I had kept the original number but more was needed to complete the link back to its origins. What would the ECI do if they had acquired this loco for restoration and limited duty? They would keep the number on the new paint scheme and would add the Erie Lackawanna logo to the cab in memory of a Fallen Flag! And so it has been done.! I am wondering now just how much time this loco will spend in my display case and how much time will be spent on the rails. The other day while I was up at 'Hawkins Rail Service' in Lafayette Indiana, I seemed to hear a whisper of a voice coming from a box of NWSL Sagami Motors saying, "Buy me.. and I will run. Buy me.. and I will run." Now, if I were to remove the magnets from the truck assembly and cut the Sagami motor shafts, the motor would just ab out fit right in place of the old one and I'm sure the worm gear will fit. And after all, I do have the other one to display... Ah, but that's another story! ============ NEXT MONTH: Valley Forge ============ Going to the Keystone State? Help us make RO Valley Forge convention coverage the best there is. If you're going to the Valley Forge convention, drop us a note and tell us what you saw, what you did, what you liked, what you hated -- everything. If you've been disappointed by NMRA convention coverage in the past, this is your chance to make it spectacular. __________________________________________________________________ MODEL RAILROADING: Industry Connection //G __________________________________________________________________ Atlas sent us these updates two days before printing. ATLAS ===== FREE BOOKLET DUE THIS FALL This fall, Atlas will send out a new booklet to Atlas retailers for free distributiuon to model railroaders. "While some consumers buy their layout materials piecemeal, others will enter a hobby shop with the intention of making a more complete purchase of track, components, and accessories," said Thomas Haedrich, CEO. "We're going to make that often confusing process easier than ever before." Atlas Fantastic Layouts, a 32-page booklet, will include sketches of 53 HO and N scale layouts from Atlas' instruction books, along with vital statistics including size, skill level, and approximate cost. Products corresponding to the layouts can then be easily selected. Atlas will be advertising the campaign soon. Also, many retailers will receive a store sign free which will mark Atlas displays. -PK ALL NEW N SCALE CENTERFLOW (r) HOPPER In October, a new ACF 4-bay Centerflow hopper will be on hobby store shelves. The new model follows a more contemporary version and includes more detail. The new car features corrugations instead of a side-stiffening rib, more appropriate to modern hoppers. Finer detail includes a thinner roof-walf, stirrups, and a ladder rungs, as well as outlet detail and printing. Similar to the two-bay Centerflow, there is a lacier brake wheel. The new cars way .8 ounce. 3950 Undecorated $8.25 3951 Burlington Northern $8.50 3952 Union Pacific $8.50 3953 Conrail $8.50 3954 ADM $8.75 3955 Norchem $8.50 3956 Carlong $8.75 A three pack is also being released, with individually numbered ADM cars in three different paint schemes: two in yellow paint, one in blue. 5800 ADM 3-pack $27.95 -PK *** For information on any Atlas product, call Atlas at 1-800-TRACK-A1 (1-800-872-2521). Connnection News ================ The Industry Connection is being remodeled in the coming months. In the next issue, watch for the Connection's complete Valley Forge National Model Railroad Convention coverage, with product news and display information from the show. In October, the Connection is being expanded and updated to provide more variety. More industry players will have been contacted, and hopefully will have responded. Already, the Connection offers news as it happens, sometimes even before it happens. In the future, more different manufacturers will be covered to reach every facet of the hobby. Stay tuned. -PK __________________________________________________________________ EMPLOYEES' CORNER Memories of the California Zephyr //H __________________________________________________________________ by Richard McGrath My memories of the California Zephyr go back to pre-Amtrak days. Shirley and I spent our Honeymoon on the CZ, Chicago to Oakland, twenty-five years ago this coming June. The images I recall are all the ones you might expect; industrial and suburban sprawl leaving Chicago, sunset on the rich prairie farmland of Iowa, the sharp sunlight of Denver, and then the Climb. You've got to hand it to the builders of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad. There were much easier transcontinental routes to the north and to the south, and I suppose that these pioneers had a more modest and mercenary purpose in building this spectacular rail line than to provide generations of rail travelers the opportunity to see some of the most awe-inspiring scenery in the world. The Front Range rises like a stupendous Great Wall of China just west of Denver, and they built a railroad up it! Leaving Denver, the line begins to climb almost immediately, a serpentine course, back and forth through huge sweeping curves, clawing for altitude. A chasm begins to appear to the north, a gap in the jagged crest line, Boulder Canyon, which leads westward, into the heart of the Front Range. The train is actually heading northward, one last reach across the face of the range, and the view eastward, on a clear day, encompasses one fourth of the State of Colorado. Across the vastness of the Great Plains, the westernmost counties of Nebraska can be seen, and one old timer swore to me that the farthest horizon actually was in Kansas. Then westward, into the granite walls of Boulder Canyon. Tunnel, daylight, tunnel, daylight. You lose count of them quickly, instead concentrating on the vistas of the main range ahead, snowy peaks rising towards the sky. Then the Big One. The Moffat Tunnel, miles and miles of darkness, as the Continental Divide passes overhead, thousands of feet above you. Emerging back into relative silence and brilliant sunshine, the West Portal passes behind, and the train begins the long, slow decent down the Western Slope to the Green River of Utah. Here, in the headwaters of the Colorado River, gentle park lands lie surrounded by alpine peaks. Aspens and evergreens compete at the edges of the sprawling grasslands, contented Hertfords and Black Angus stare at the passing train, never missing a chew. Suddenly the meadows are left behind, and the hills rise again, and the tracks enter the first in a series of canyons that will take most of the rest of the day to traverse. Red Rock. Gore. Glenwood. Each one different, each more spectacular than the last. You strain to catch a glimpse straight up, as the walls of the canyons soar thousands of feet above you. Next to the tracks, the roaring Colorado, carver of canyons, cutting ever deeper into the plateau that stretches from here to western Arizona. I think of the piece of canyon rock on display at the Visitor's Center at the Grand Canyon. A file is attached, and all are invited to have a few swipes. After forty some-odd years there is only a dark mark on the rock to show where countless thousands have scratched the file back and forth. I can't help but think about that rock as I look up at what this patient and powerful river has accomplished over the ages. As evening descends, the train leaves the canyons of western Colorado, and emerges out onto the vastness of the Colorado Plateau, miles of cliffs, marking the edges of even higher plateaus; Book Cliffs, Roan Cliffs, drifting along the northern edge of the last territory in the US to be explored. To the south, wild country all the way to Flagstaff. West of Grand Junction, the Colorado River turns southwesterly, while the tracks of the Denver & Rio Grande Western keep on straight to the west, striking out across the Colorado Plateau. The Plateau is an interesting and unique geologic feature, millions of years of sediment laid on top of some of the oldest rock in the world, then uplifted thousands of feet above sea level. It is into this plateau, parts of which extend into Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah, that the Colorado River and it's tributaries have carved their beautiful canyons. As the plateau rose, the rivers kept cutting deeper in their relentless search for the easiest route to the sea. Millions of years of erosion have revealed the geologic history of the West, like layers of a cake exposed by a knife. The grandeur of the scenery lies not so much in what is there, but rather in what is missing; cubic miles of real estate gouged and washed away by the relentless rivers. It is the remnants, the edges of the vast canyons, the buttes and mesas left behind that constitute this wonderful and unique landscape. The railroad skirts the edge of the Roan Plateau, and edge marked by the Roan Cliffs for miles and miles. Then the Green River is crossed, the major tributary of the Colorado, coming down from the snowfields of western Wyoming, joining the main river at a secret and nearly inaccessible junction known as the Confluence thousands of feet down into the heart of the Plateau. It is these little Mormon settlements along this deceptively calm and peaceful stretch of the Green that afforded John Wesley Powell his last glimpse of civilization before entering the Great Unknown, the last unexplored area in the U.S., the wild canyons which begin just to the south, and extend to the mouth of Boulder Canyon, where the Hoover Dam rises today. Anyhow, west of Green River the tracks follow Price Creek towards the wall of the Wasatch Range, the westernmost spur of the Rockies. The Wasatch form the western edge of the huge horseshoe of mountains which surround the vast amphitheater of the Plateau. Once they are crested, at Soldier Summit, the descent into the Great Basin begins. This is yet another unique area, first explored by Peter Skein Ogden and Jeremiah Johnson, and aptly named by John Fremont years later. It is indeed a basin, a bowl from which no rivers escape. All the streams that flow into it, including the Bear, the Sevier, the Carson, and the Truckee end up in vast sinks or shallow lakes. The Basin is divided into a series of valleys and mountain ranges, all running north and south, marching "like an army of caterpillars off to Mexico", as one geologist put it. The valleys, or basins, are forbidding places. In the north, sagebrush prevails, while in the south various cacti are the dominant flora. Many contain alkali flats, all that's left of the huge fresh water lakes which filled them at the end of the last ice age. The biggest of all is the Great Salt Lake, of course. The mountains, on the other hand, are oases of life, the higher ones graced with evergreen forests, small glaciers, and alpine lakes. From these snowfields comes forth the small streams which feed in to the ancient lake beds. The most famous, and most important, is the Humboldt, named by Fremont for the famous Prussian geologist. This little river not only provides a level route across the washboard topography of the Great Basin, it also provided life giving water to thousands and thousands of settlers migrating west along the Overland Trail. It became a natural route for the builders of the Transcontinental Railroad. Food for thought as the miles whisk by. Through the night the train follows the natural highway of the valley of the Humboldt River across the Nevada Desert. This is a high desert, arctic winters and broiling summers, with surprisingly moderate temperatures in the spring and fall. Snow can be seen on the higher ridges for much of the year, for this is not a true desert. Snow melt and thunderstorms provide this area with ten to fifteen inches [25 to 38 cm] of precipitation, and the sage turns green and fragrant with new growth, and mud puddles appear along the right-of-way. Dawn breaks near Lovelock, and alfalfa fields fill the valley. Then the life-giving Humboldt disappears into its Sink, and between here and the Truckee River is the Forty Mile Desert, a waterless stretch that was the most foreboding section of the Overland Trail. It is said that the skeletons of wagons and livestock once littered this area, but all that remains as a reminder is the Historical Marker at the Rest Area on Highway 80. A low range of hills divides the Humboldt Sink from the even more awesome Carson Sink. After wet winters, these sinks often fill with runoff, and for several weeks fresh water lakes shimmer in the desert sun, but then they evaporate, and the minerals left behind add to the chemical porridge of the alkali flats that stretch to the distant Clan Alpine mountains. At Hazen, a few houses and a gas station, the Fallon branch leaves the mainline, just as the Carson fork of the Overland Trail branched off here from the Truckee fork. We're at the edge of a Naval Gunnery Range here, and young Aviators often make sport of buzzing the train, sudden thunder, and by the time you spot them they're banking hard, 600 knots [1000 km/h], trying to avoid the next mountain, specks. Suddenly...Cottonwood trees! The Truckee River. Maybe just a faint hint of the relief the pioneers felt at suddenly seeing towering shade trees, lush green meadows, and the sparkling river. What's that skimming along the river? An osprey? Golden eagle? It's big, and it's got a fish in it's talons, whatever it is. Pink palace on the left, the Mustang Ranch the Chief announces on the P.A. No cattle raising done at THAT ranch. Then Truckee Meadows open out, today filled with the urban sprawl of Reno/Sparks. "Sparks will be a service stop, Ladies and Gentlemen, and those who wish to get a bit of fresh air are welcome..." The train usually fills up at Reno, the crowds somewhat subdued after spending most of their energy and savings at the casinos which appear on the left, beyond the arch that proclaims that Reno is "The Biggest Little City in the World". Virginia Street is a riot of neon, beckoning those who seek the lucky strike that eludes them time after time. Quickly back into the country, the Truckee river rushing down from Lake Tahoe to its eventual destination in Pyramid Lake, a jewel of the desert named by Fremont for the rock formation on its eastern side. Cottonwood leaves, like all poplars, shimmer in the breeze, animating these graceful trees that line the river banks. Then, in a few miles, like a curtain being drawn, the country changes dramatically. The walls of the Sierra Nevada close in, volcanic in this area, and the cottonwoods begin to give way to Jeffrey and Ponderosa pines. Groves of aspens appear in the side canyons, and a wooden flume appears along side the tracks and the river. This historic aqueduct carried the water that generated the power to work the mines of the Comstock Lode over in Virginia City, the richest mineral deposit ever found. The tracks emerge from the canyon out onto an open area, and to the west the snowy peaks of the crest of the Sierra appear. A quick stop in historic Truckee, named for the Paiute Chief who acted as a guide for some of the early explorers. It is he who replied to a question about the route to California "Rock upon rock, snow upon snow.." an apt description for the Donner Party who were trapped near here by an early blizzard on November 4, 1846, and whose ordeal through the terrible winter that followed has become the stuff of legends. The tracks now enter Coldwater Canyon, big loop used to gain altitude. At the head of the canyon is Stanford Curve, and the entire length of the train can be seen as the horseshoe is rounded. During the Second World War, when this vital rail line was running at peak capacity, Henry Kaiser tried to interest the Federal Government in financing the construction of an electrified twin bore, a twenty mile [30 km] long tunnel through the heart of the mountains from here to Colfax. Quick and efficient yes, but scenic? Fortunately for Amtrak passengers, the war ended before Henry J.'s idea got off the ground. Coldwater Canyon is far below now, and at the top of the ridge an inspiring view opens to the north. Castle Peak, Donner Pass, and emerald Donner Lake appear. Now the line splits, and depending on the Dispatcher, traffic considerations, and track work the train can either use Track #2, the newer line which crosses under the crest through a mile [1.5 km] long tunnel, "The Big Hole", or use the original Track #1 around the shoulder of Mount Judah, through the snow sheds. The tracks converge again at Norden, Summit Lake (now a meadow) off to the left. Several ski resorts in this area, and one of the peaks to the south is named Mount Disney, in honor of the family that spent their winter vacations here for many years. The Great Basin behind us now we are on the Pacific Slope, and the Yuba River appears to the north. Judah, the surveyor of this historic rail line, used the ridge we are now on as a natural route from the crest of the Sierra all the way down to the floor of the Sacramento Valley. Around us, an interesting variety of evergreens, including Lodgepole, Ponderosa, Jeffrey, Sugar, and Whitebark Pines, Incense Cedars, and Red and White Firs. Ancient Junipers growing out of the granite, and small groves of aspens in the open areas. In Spring, wildflowers abound, and several small waterfalls appear on the left. For 300 million years the country that today is the Sierra Nevada lay beneath an ancient sea, sediments from coastal streams gently settling to the bottom, slowly building up the layers that eventually became bent and folded under pressure, enough pressure to change the rock from sedimentary to metamorphic. Then, about 180 to 200 million years ago, gigantic molten bubbles of granite welled up from deep within the earth's crust, lifting the older rock above it. In places, volcanoes broke through to the surface, and their lava flows covered the landscape. Further lifting and bowing continued, until the entire mass lay several miles above sea level. Then erosion began it's work, first streams, then glaciers, wearing down the mountains to the fantastic scenery we see today. Gold was a by-product of this mountain building process, and it was discovered nearby in 1848, setting off the greatest Gold Rush of them all, and changing California forever. Near Gold Run, the train traverses a narrow ridge. Ugly scars are hidden by the thick forest growth, but this narrow ridge was once a broad hill. Gold was found on both sides, Gold Run on the south, Dutch Flat on the north. Hydraulic cannons were used to wash away the top soil exposing the gold bearing strata underneath. The railroad had to hire armed guards to prevent the over zealous miners from washing away the roadbed under the tracks. Eventually this destructive mining method was outlawed by the State Supreme Court, but much damage had been done to the waterways and hillsides of the state. Look to the south, across the gorge of the North Fork of the American River, and you get a good idea of the gentleness of the western slope of the Sierra. It has been described as shaped like the top of your kitchen table, should you grasp one side and tilt it several inches off the floor. Look two thousand feet [600 m] almost straight down, at the narrow ribbon of water. This is Cape Horn, where the Chinese laborers who built this railroad had to blast and pick their way through a ledge of solid rock, working on the edge of the abyss to your left. The country has changed here, as we have descended several thousand feet from the summit. Oaks abound, and curiously twisted Digger Pines, Pinus Sabinius. In spring, this is a glorious part of the state, green with new grass, and filled with flowers. Traveling from the summit to the floor of the Sacramento Valley is the equivalent of traveling at sea level from Northern Canada to the Sonora Desert of Mexico. Roseville rail yards stretch for miles on the left, the largest rail yard in California, and home base for the elite "Snowfighters" of the Southern Pacific. These folks fight an unending battle with Old Man Winter, struggling to keep this vital rail link open year round. Sacramento, and the Sacramento River next. Look for the State Railroad Museum on the left, as well as the Delta King paddle wheeler. Across the great Central Valley Mid-Westerners will feel right at home. Flat endless farm land, groves of shade trees marking the widely scattered farm houses, richest agricultural area of the state, probably the world. California agriculture provides nearly half of the nation's food products, from ten per cent of the nation's farms. Agriculture contributes ten times the value of all the gold ever found in California EVERY YEAR to the state economy. Entering the low lying hills at the southwestern corner of the valley, look to the east for Air Force C-5A Galaxy Starlifters lazily circling above Travis Air Force Base, where James Dolittle's squadron perfected take offs from a short runway. Leaving Suisun, the tracks cross the largest contiguous estuarine tidal salt marsh in North America, the Suisun Bay Marsh, which stretches off in both directions for miles. The train hits 79 miles per hour [127 km/h] across this straight level stretch, belying the difficulty encountered by the builders of this line in laying a track bed across a spongy marsh. Off to the left are row upon row of ghostly gray ships lying quietly at anchor. These are veterans of WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam, mostly cargo and support vessels waiting their fate, the Suisun Bay National Maritime Reserve Fleet. The largest of these ships, closest to the tracks, is the famous Glomar Explorer, built by the Howard Hughes owned Glomar Corporation, and used in a top-secret, highly publicized attempt to raise a sunken Soviet nuclear submarine from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. The results of this mission are still classified, and afterwards the Glomar Explorer was quickly mothballed. Next is the S.P.'s Suisun Bay Bridge, largest west of the Mississippi, spanning the western end of the Carquinez Straits, the only sea-level opening in the entire Coast Range of California. Under this impressive structure flows about eighty-five percent of the fresh water runoff of California. Large ships can often be seen. Tankers call at the five major refineries in this area. Odd looking slab-sided auto carriers bring in loads of Toyotas, Mazdas, Subarus, Volvos, and Mercedes-Benzes. This bridge was completed in 1930, after an eighteen month construction period. It cost the astronomical sum of twelve million dollars, and the four hundred ton [350 t] lift section can rise sixty feet [18 m] in just over a minute, to allow ocean going vessels to pass under it. Ships have the right of way, but today we'll scoot right across, and stop at Martinez, birth place of the DiMaggio brothers, home of John Muir, and the spot where the dry Martini was invented. After that, a scenic run along Pacific Tidewater, past the largest sugar mill in North America along San Pablo Bay, and a final stop at Oakland, connection here for San Francisco. Oakland has a great literary tradition; association with names like Jack London, Jaoquin Miller, Ismael Reed, and, of course, Gertrude Stein. Let's let the sun set behind the Golden Gate Bridge, and bring this journey to a close. *** Special thanks to Harry Sutton __________________________________________________________________ EDITORIAL: Rail Hopping is Wrong //I __________________________________________________________________ Rail hopping, basically stowing away on a train, goes back to the beginning of the railroad. Most rail hopping went on in the Depression as an escape from both economical and mental depression. Today, however, with conditions not nearly as harsh as they were in the thirties, the practice can be more easily called into question. For those of you who thought Daniel Dawdy was just some laid-back, cool-headed guy who mostly just cared about making sure everyone on the Internet got their copy of RailOnline, this should change your mind. Daniel has some very strong opinions, and he's willing to flame other users for them. In this case, the opinion is that of RailOnline as well. Read his article and decide for yourself. -PK *** A few weeks ago on the Internet news group rec.railroad, there was someone who asked about hopping freight trains in California. He was going to have some extra time this summer and was asking the best places to try this. Well, as I was having a bad day anyway, I wrote back and, with both boosters on full, preceded to flame him up one side and down the other. To top it off, in a real display of stupidity, I offered to take on all comers who may disagree with my stance. (I've got to knock off those damn caffeine pills :--) Well, most people who contacted me or continued the thread agreed with me, however there were a few who took a different view. A particular gentleman (see, I have really calmed down) said that this type of thing had been going on for a hundred years and it will still go on in the future. Instead of flames, I should be more understanding and eccept the situation and try to help the guy so he would not get caught or become injured. Another suggested that he (the writer) has been a railfan for years and "knows railroads and the dangers." Yea, right, tell that to the widows of career railroad men who were careless just that one time. Still another said that although he would not want to try it, he would love to hear the adventures of others who did. I tried to reason with some of these people, but it is sometimes difficult to reason logically with some of these "new age touchie-freely" types. To me, it comes down to right and wrong. Forget the fact you could be injured or killed trying to jump on or off a moving freight. Screw the fact that a shifting load in an open gondola could pin or squash you. How many out there can say: TRESPASS. That's right, trespassing is what you're doing and it's illegal. OK, I can hear the first knee jerk answer come back now. "Like, well Mr. Smarty, "like" I suppose you have never stepped on "like" railroad property to take a picture without asking. "Like" that's trespassing too, right? "Like" well??? "Like" isn't it???" (Well, the original poster was from California, like ya know) Yes, I probably have stepped on railroad property and snapped a picture without asking. But the difference between taking a picture on property and jumping a freight, is like walking across someone's lawn or breaking in their house making a pizza and watching a ball game on their TV. We so-called railfans are getting a bad rap lately with some goings on in the press. Look what happened on the East Coast a few months ago with a railfan cutting locks off switches and derailing a train, or the kid in New York who stole an entire subway train and drove around for a few hours. Believe me, we have enough know-it-all idiots in this hobby as it is without a few more getting hurt or killed trying to get a free train ride. FIRE UP YOUR GRILLS... ...OR YOUR APPLAUSE This is RailOnline's first ever true editorial, so we'd like to hear from you. What do you think about rail hopping? If you feel you must, feel free to give Daniel a standing ovation for his thoughts... or flame-broil us for them. Is rail hopping wrong? For that matter, do you prefer having Daniel be a distributor to a writer? Tell us. __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS USA Late US News //J __________________________________________________________________ SANFA FE AND CONRAIL EXPAND QTC SERVICE Santa Fe Railway Santa Fe Railway will expand its Quality Tank Container (QTC) service July 26, 1993, into the northeast. "QTC service now offers 76-hour east coast to west coast service," said Steve Burke, director-quality tank container business unit. Santa Fe Railway currently offers QTC service in the Midwest, Southwest and on the West Coast. Conrail will haul loads between Chicago and North Bergen, N.J. QTC bulk liquid containers have a protective steel frame allowing it to be used in all modes of transportation -- rail, water and highway, enabling customers to participate in international and domestic intermodal markets. In anticipation of new business generated by the expanded service territory, Santa Fe ordered 100 additional 21,000 and 24,000 liter tanks for delivery during the third and fourth quarters of 1993. SF REPORTS 50% INCREASE IN SECOND QUARTER EARNINGS PER SHARE Santa Fe Railway Santa Fe Pacific Corporation (SFP) reported second quarter net income, excluding an asset exchange gain, of $39.2 million or $0.21 per share, a significant improvement over the $26.5 million or $0.14 per share in 1992, which has been restated to reflect additional expenses related to an accounting change adopted in the first quarter of 1992. Including the asset exchange gain, net income for the quarter was $147.5 million or $0.79 per share. "Improved operating results at each of our businesses and lower interest expense are responsible for the overall improvement," said Robert D. Krebs, chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Santa Fe Railway increased carloadings 12% and benefitted from continued operating efficiencies which allowed it to achieve year over year gains in operating income, excluding special items, for the tenth consecutive quarter." Flood Update: THE LATEST FROM SANTA FE, AS OF PRINTING Santa Fe Railway Water rose along the track near Kansas City, endangering this line for a few hours yesterday, with soggy roadbed requiring maintenance work that curtrailed train operations over the route for several hours. Only one Santa Fe train was permitted to operate over the route overnight. As a result, Santa Fe began exercising other options including re-instituting detours over other railroads between Chicago and Texas. Santa Fe and BN maintenance crews are working to keep the Bucklin detour route open for the Santa Fe, BN and Norfolk Southern trains that need to use it. Four Santa Fe trains are currently being detoured on other railroads, and others will soon follow. CSX, SP, BN, IC and UP are helping SF where they can. However, detours over these railroads are being hampered by congestion and water-related problems they are experiencing on portion of their lines. Numerous BN and SP trains are detouring over portions of the Santa Fe, with an occasional NS train on SF lines. Last week, there were 28 Santa Fe trains being held, waiting to detour over the BN Bucklin route or an alternate. Part of President Clinton's proposed $3 billion aid package for flood-stricken areas of the midwest may include money for the Federal Railroad Administration to pass on to railroads for flood damage. Figures being batted around in Washington, for the FRA portion, range between $10 million and $20 million. The money will be distributed through state Dpartment of Transportation agencies in the form of federal grants and low interest loans. SF is looking into possible aid for damage incurred by Santa Fe. Santa Fe is losing approximately $750,000 per day in revenue due to the effects of the flooding. Overnight Burlington Northern maintenance crews installed 50 railroad ties at Bucklin, Missouri to improve the connection there, where two Santa Fe trains incurred minor derailments over the past few days. Ballast has been dumped there and Santa Fe surfacing crews and equipment worked over the area after BN installed the ties. A Norfolk Southern train derailed while detouring over an SF line near La Plata, Missouri, between Marceline and Ft. Madison. Approximately 600 feet of track was damaged, but the derailment was cleaned up quickly. Near Kansas City, the line SF is detouring over on the BN still has several hundred feet of track under water, with about one inch over the rail. SF can still operate over this section of track. On a more positive note, work at bridge 364.4 is moving smoothly and steadily towards completion early next week, with a possibility of an earlier completion. The 252-foot bridge will replace the 40-foot span that washed away. Many of the nine spans were scheduled to have already been completed by the time you read this. Many of the pilings have been driven, with work continuing around the clock. Signal crews are working to restore CTC to the area so it will be operational when the bridge opens. The north track will open on the bridge first. A 2.5 mile, 10 mile-per-hour slow order will be in effect through the area then the bridge opens. Signal circuits at Niota have been reactivated, which will help move trains through the area. Slow orders are in effect there due to the slowly receding water that continues to hamper operations and maintenance efforts. By this week, 132 trains had completed detours since July 10, 38 of them over the BN via Bucklin, MO. Seven westbound and four eastbound trains are currently on their detour routes, with 20 more ready to go when they can. There are 28 trains being held at various points on Santa Fe, awaiting their turn to move into the detour rotation. A field command post of Santa Fe and BN officials is being set up at Brookfield, MO. to expedite operations over the Bucklin detour route. Rick Lederer, general director of system operations is representing Santa Fe there. Brookfield is 10 miles west of Bucklin. Water is threatening at least two points on the Topeka subdivision, which currently remains open. The Strong City subdivision is out of service due to a washout and may not be placed back into service until crews can work on it this week. __________________________________________________________________ RAIL ONLINE //K __________________________________________________________________ ===== STAFF ===== Peter Kirn ---------- Editor-in-Chief CompuServe Distribution Jerome Rosenfeld ---------------- Associate Editor Rail photographer Daniel Dawdy ------------ Assistant Editor Internet Distribution Adrian Turner ------------- Image Editor J.P. 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Simply send us a disk mailer, any size disk (IBM format only, please), and return postage. ================== COMING NEXT MONTH: ================== - The National Model Railroad Convention in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania - Return to Switerland's Rhaetian Railway with a native - A completely remodeled Cyberspace Report - The latest RailNews, right up to printing - Two new pages of rail photo excitement, in color and b&w ...all in the September issue of RailOnline 1993