The rail magazine for the computer age. =================================================== RAIL ONLINE VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 NOVEMBER 1993 =================================================== Editor-in-Chief: Peter Kirn, 73232,3534 CompuServe, 73232.3534@compuserve.com Internet Compilation Copyright (C) 1993 E/Press publishing A non-profit publication from E/Press. ============== 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". The indexing header has been changed from "@" to "@@" this issue. From the Editor..........................................@@A Where we are after five months & Census `93 results Letters..................................................@@B RAIL NEWS Insight: Railroads strongly support NAFTA................@@C US Headlines.............................................@@D Conrail News: 3rd quarter verdict in.....................@@E Santa Fe News: Flooding hurts SF in 3rd quarter..........@@F SP News..................................................@@G Northeast Transit News...................................@@H Chicago News: Finally, CTA Midway service!...............@@I International / Canada...................................@@J t I d B i T s: SEPTA Online..............................@@! RAILONLINE FEATURES: MODEL RAILROADING SPECIAL Chicago Hobby Show Report................................@@L What's in a name: Gimmicks in modeling...................@@M Modeling water and stratified rocks, step by step .......@@N Layout report: The Agony & Loose Springs Railroad........@@O Here's to the armchair modelers..........................@@P RailOnline info: staff, contacting RO, submitting to RO, copying RO, and the next issue, @^ Check out the RO Guide at @@1. It's your travel guide to the contents of this issue. - > A NEW ERA OF ELECTRONIC PUBLISHING BEGINS NOW You asked for it. We promised it. Now it's here. For Windows users, we proudly introduce the Replica edition of RailOnline. Now you can see RailOnline with the layout and appearance of a paper publication, complete with graphics and TrueType fonts (as well as bitmaps of PostScript ATM fonts), as if you were sitting here in Chicagoland at the RO Dell system, running Ami Pro. You don't need any special software or hardware. All you need is the Replica Edition of RailOnline, which includes a special, free Replica viewer package that allows you to view, copy, and print RailOnline. For your copy of the free Replica viewer and of RailOnline Magazine for Replica, log onto CompuServe's TRAINNET and search keyword ROR (RO Replica). If you're not a CIS member, mail us two HD 3.5" disks and enclose $1.00 an issue for your copy. Sorry, at the present time, we can't send Mac-formatted disks. Mac users must own a Macintosh with PC Exchange. - > THE RESULTS OF INTERNET/USENET CENSUS `93 ... are in the "From the Editor" section. Thanks to all who participated. If you're an Internet or UseNet reader and still haven't sent us a message with the words "I READ RO", feel free. __________________________________________________________________ FROM THE EDITOR: Where we are after five months: A status report from RailOnline Magazine @@A __________________________________________________________________ Those of you TrainNet members should remember a week in early June this summer when I appeared pretty much out of the blue and introduced the idea of RailOnline Magazine. Many of you now say RailOnline has far exceeded your expectations. I've been surprised, too. RailOnline has been a history of seizing opportunities, not necessarily being able to plan everything. Those of you real old-timers in RO's history will remember that RailOnline didn't even begin as a magazine. JP Flaherty created RailOnline and the RO name as a proposed forum on America Online. However, because of a small audience, a hobby forum hidden so far under the command structure that only the truly brave could find it, and restrictions on qualified SysOps on AOL, the idea flopped. I took over the responsibility of editing a small newsletter called RailOnline, which covered rail activities on AOL. The newsletter included forum news and highlighted rail files. I used a 250-person database of AOL members with anything related to trains listed as an interest to do some aggressive marketing, if you will. The people who read that first newsletter were very fond of it. However, it was already becoming clear that the RailOnline weekly conference and message bases would never become a successful reality. The success of the newsletter got me thinking. Despite the exciting aspects of the online world, its format could get very overwhelming. Keeping up with message threads and files was rapidly getting more and more time consuming and costly. Many users simply weren't getting connected with one another. It was hard for me to believe that out of the hundreds of thousands of AOL users, only a handful of railfans and model railroaders could find one another. Here we were in 1993, with the computer age blossoming, and what we needed to make it accessible to more people was a very traditional format - a magazine. GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME And the rest, of course, is history. Issue 1 was an exciting issue, with an in-depth look at the X2000 and a humorous piece by Richard McGrath which remains the most popular article RO has ever run. 330 CIS "lookers" downloaded the first issue of RailOnline, and by careful editing I was able to secure about 150 regular readers thereafter. Daniel Dawdy volunteered to do Internet and UseNet distribution and was so helpful that he was bumped up to associate editor. Matthew Mitchell's Delaware Valley Rail Passenger and TrainNet forum files including flood press releases from Santa Fe and the Conrail Newswire created RailOnline's pioneering news coverage in issue 2. In issue 3, I latched onto a critical issue with "Railfans and railroads: a relationship in jeopardy?", and followed it up in issue 4. Roger Hensley, Max Wyss, Ken May, Dennis Larson, and others joined in to write for RO. Now, finally, everything in RailOnline has fallen into place. RO has a clearly defined mix of stories, and enough contributions to keep it going each month. I've found a simple goal that you have all supported - each issue must be a little better than the last. SHAKING BABIES AND KISSING HANDS: CENSUS `93 I've argued it with people in the past, and I surely will again: readers make a publication. Many don't realize it, but they have more control over a publication than the editor as a group. RailOnline has responded very carefully to readers' input, demands, and even much-appreciated unsolicited contributions. I do a lot of politics and reader research, (shaking babies and kissing hands, or something like that), but up until issue 4, I still hadn't talked to the vast majority of RO's readership on Internet e-mail and on UseNet's news groups. Thanks to your generous cooperation, I finally got a chance. 64 people responded to the census invitation at the beginning of issue 4, which probably puts actual readership higher than 300, taking into account my experience with the number of people who actively respond to what they're reading. The response came quickly, too. Most of the responses immediately after Daniel Dawdy mailed out the issue. I logged onto CompuServe one evening, and there they were, 28 messages from the Internet in my mailbox. If nothing else, the census certainly revealed diversity. Only gender offered little diversity. Most readers were men, probably because most computer network users are male. Age groups ranged from college students to self-described "old timers". Professions reflected that of Internet users. Many of the readers received RO via a college campus, about a half and half split between teachers and students. Many of those responding were engineers, as in scientists, not locomotive engineers. NASA and Lockheed were in several of the signatures. RO reaches many corners of the world. Canada and Europe combined almost match US readership. Readers here in the States came from Minnesota, Tennessee, New York State, and California, and everywhere in between. Montreal, New Zealand, Germany, France, Norway, and England could be counted among nations receiving RailOnline. In fact, RO made it all the way to Australia. WHERE WE'RE HEADED RailOnline is a little older now, but it's still pioneering. As such, it's difficult to predict its future. However, I do plan each evolution for RO, though plans do change. And I can tell you, what you've seen so far is only the beginning. RailOnline becomes the first regular Farallon Replica publication with this issue. Replica allows it to be one of only a handful of electronic publications around the world to be distributed with full layout, formatted text, and graphics. Expect additional ground to be broken in the future. RO is not a traditional publication, and it's growth won't be, either. In addition to the full version you see here, I want to move much closer to the goal of making RO the "Associated Press" of railroading. CompuServe, the Internet, and UseNet are all at the center of the "Information Revolution". As online users, many of you realize that computer networks have tremendous power to connect people with other people and with information. RailOnline will soon be bringing the power of people to the railroading and model railroading communities. By allowing RO articles and graphics to be used by publications, some for free, some for a fee set by the author, we'll be achieving "RailOnline Everywhere". RO's new "Editor Services" will provide a comprehensive set of RailOnline articles, news, and graphics for rail publication editors. If you're an editor, drop me a line - for the first time, you'll be a market. A few people have predicted that soon electronic publishing and distribution will be the only publishing and distribution, making RailOnline the primary rail publication. That's a pleasant thought for me, of course, but the odds of that happening are extremely low. As we approach the 21st century, something is happening. Information is the next wave, albeit in a form that can't be recognized yet. It isn't as revolutionary or easy as optimists predict, or as dull and difficult as sceptics do. Somewhere in between, we can find something really exciting, though. We can get RailOnline to more readers, direct and indirect via the RO Editor Services. And in the end, I think we'll have something truly remarkable, by connecting people in the rail community that have never found each other before. And in the end, that's what this is about - people. And those people are you. Welcome aboard. RAILONLINE GUIDE: @@1 RO issue 5 has a lot of exciting news in it. With NAFTA now having passed the House, check out why the railroads are supporting it. The 3rd quarter results are in at Conrail, Santa Fe, and Southern Pacific. The results aren't great, but top management at the three rail empires have plans to increase profits and quality. As I said last month, changes are coming at Conrail. The first batch is already out. If you're in the northeast, read Northeast Transit News. Period. Matthew Mitchell brings the full story on northeast light rails, and I'm happy to say each month the file appears in my e-mailbox, Matthew has improved the quality to some extent. From SEPTA to NJT to MARC, you won't find coverage like this anywhere else. I'm also happy to offer the work of another veteran RO rail passenger association newsletter, Ken Wilt. From his publication, the 6:13, comes the story of Ohio's forward-looking commitment to mass transit. The Bill Hutchison story is in the US headlines section. It's the second Ohio Association of Rail Passengers story RO has run, the first one being in the very first issue. Chicagoans will finally see a RO news story as we inaugurate the Chicago News section in this issue. After a long string of delays, the CTA line to Chicago/Midway airport is open. Bill Vandervoort offers a complete look into the new line as well as an overview of where CTA is right now. In contrast to support of mass transit in Ohio and Chicago, Pennsylvania has slammed it, financially and verbally. The story is in the northeast transit section, as the lead story. Bryce Lee, RO correspondent for Canada, stuck a Post-It note on his submission for this month saying to especially note the news of the Nova Scotia Railtex shortline. The story is second in the Canadian news. Model railroaders are going to have a field day in this issue. We've found a bit of every possible end of the spectrum in our celebration of November, model railroading month, from the latest news in products from Chicago, to step-by-step modeling procedures for rock and water, to memories of a now-dismantled layout (the Loose Springs & Agony), to my own examination of armchair modeling. It's something of a risk to go all out for modelers in a magazine dedicated to a balance. Let us know what you think of it. I hope you enjoy issue 5. Happy Thanksgiving to all my US readers! -Peter Kirn, Editor CORRECTIONS: The Tracks Ahead story in last issue's Media News was supposed to be attributed to Joe Russ. From Paul R. Tupaczewski, Trustee, Whippany Railway Museum: "In Issue 1/4 of RO, Jerome Rosenfeld noted that the United Railway Historical Society of NJ (URHS) was donated two diesel units. First, the correct number of the NJT GP7 is 5902, not 5202. The Baldwin unit is a VO-1000, not VO-10000." "And perhaps most irksome to this writer is the mention of the Erie-Lackawanna crane/boom flat. This last piece of equipment is NOT owned by URHS, but was purchased from NJT by the Whippany Railway Museum in Whippany, NJ. The museum members put many long, hard hours of work getting the crane to its present location, due to bearing problems. The crane will be made operational next spring." "The Hackettstown NJT service item in the same issue needs a correction. Silverliner MU's will not come within 100 miles of Dover - the Silverliners are the former PRR MU's that SEPTA runs out of Philadelphia. NJT uses Arrow III MU's. "One last item: Last month, mention was made of a "New York & Greenwood Lake Railroad. I don't know who thought up this one! [Also in Jerome Rosenfeld's article. -Ed.] The Greenwood Lake branch is abandoned north of the NYS&W diamond, and south of there is NYS&W property (also abandoned) to Mountain View. CR still switches south of Mt. View, and has no intention of giving up that line. The NY&LB is reportedly planning on doing contract switching on ex-Erie branches along the "Graham Line" in Harriman, NY. My apologies, especially to the Whippany Railway Museum, for the long set of errors in Mr. Rosenfeld's articles in October which I neglected to correct. The problem is taken care of now, fortunately. -PK __________________________________________________________________ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: @@B __________________________________________________________________ 64 people responded to our call for Internet and UseNet readers to stand up and be counted. Here are only a few selections of RO's diverse, and thankfully enthusiastic, readership. The census alerted us to a problem involving bits of text exceeding 80 characters, which we have now fixed. A MODEL RAILROADER & RO FAN I very much enjoy your new monthly electronic publication ROL. I was impressed with the first one and each new month has been better than the last. As to a brief description of your reader let me just say, I'm a 50 year old blue collar worker. Living in Massachusetts. Basically a model railroader and occasional rail fan. I am a subscriber to several monthlies. Namely, Model Railroader, Railroad Model Craftsman and Trains. And I do pick up others from the news stand or hobby shops. This note may be coming from a local board I belong to but my downloading of ROL in done on GEnie. Thanks for a great publication and keep up the good work. - Dave Cremins in Tewksbury, MA, USA Via Internet NEW RAILONLINE READER OFFERS FEEDBACK I'm a new reader of Rail On-line and think it is a great idea! As requested, here are some thoughts about reading magazines via netnews and yours in particular. Issue 4 is 2500 lines long and in three pieces; in addition, my news reader (xrn on Unix) does not have a search capability within an article. Thus to search, I must first save the file and reopen it with an editor. Suggestion: first consider an ftp/gopher site and the use of WWW (World Wide Web) or some similar network browser in conjunction with a *very simple* hypertext markup. In this way, one may selective browse/search all text AND have access to all digitized photographs. [Editor's note: RO does have an FTP site. If you have any questions about Internet/UseNet distribution, please send them to Daniel Dawdy, Internet Distribution Manager, 70661.2422@compuserve.com Internet e-mail.] In terms of content, you already have a nice news section of timely reports and editorials. In addition to covering the industry of rail service providers, how about some news about the support industries such as locomotive manufacturers, etc. and cover topics such as new engineering techniques (tunneling, track laying, signalling, etc.) - but at a readable-by-the-general-public level? Rather than to suggest book reviews, how about mentioning bibliographic data for new books that YOU folks have encountered and enjoyed? Books seems to appear in several categories such as: photos, history, technical, etc. I am particularly interested in technical books, but have experienced difficulty finding good ones (or even bad ones), thus your contributions in this area would be most welcomed! Again, this is an exciting development in on-line information. Keep up the good work! Tom Glanzman at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center Stanford, CA, USA Via Internet e-mail CASUAL RAIL FAN ENJOYS RO, PASSES IT ON TO OTHERS I download RO and read it. I also make it available for users on my BBS (Terminal Pointe at (313) 239-2919) for free. Plus, I pass on the file to a co-worker who isn't on-line but is also a rail fan. I have been reading RO for the last couple of months once I discovered it on Usenet's rec.railroad group. I'm know next to nothing about the specifics of railroads, engines, etc. I'm just a 24-year old kid who likes to watch trains when I get a chance. The articles, particularly the special features on train museums, trips, etc are very interesting and easy to read for a novice like myself. Keep up the excellent work! Tim Klitz at University of Minnesota - Department of Psychology Minneapolis, MN, USA Via Internet e-mail UK RAILFAN "OLDIE" I've seen RO on rec.railroad and I've taken to downloading it and printing it off. I don't know much about US railroads, but I've been more interested since Wisconsin Central purchased New Zealand Rail. I'm an "oldie" and grew up in the steam age in the UK. Lost interest after the untimely demise of steam in that country, but have very recently picked it up again in NZ. Interestingly, since I know only the diesel age in NZ it is that, not steam, which interests me in NZ. That is not to say I've NO interest in NZ steam, but it is quite secondary. That tells me much about attitudes towards "change." To me, it is not so much the change to diesel in the UK which offended me, rather it was change itself. Since NZ diesel designs are almost all American, an interest in the local product is natural. I trust you'll get your monthly header sorted out for November :-) [Editor's note - Issue 4 incorrectly included the issue 3 header, with September instead of October. Everything else was from the right issue. This is actually due to a rather complex set of circumstances involving my editor and pasting text from various converted files. Now that I'm using Farallon Replica, it won't happen again - and I'm also looking to make sure each issue says the right thing at the top! Sorry!] Geoff (last name not given in signature) Via Internet e-mail __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS USA US Headlines INSIGHT: Railroads support North American Free Trade Agreement @@C __________________________________________________________________ As RailOnline Magazine goes to press, NAFTA has just made it through the House. The AAR, Southern Pacific, and Santa Fe are all in support of the controversial bill. This previous Tuesday, many viewers of the CNN debate between US Vice President Al Gore and Ross Perot were also just as convinced. The bill is a historical move in US trade policy if passed, even if it fails to aid the US economy. -PK AAR CHIEF URGES NAFTA APPROVAL, 'WOULD ADD 12,000 RAIL JOBS' Southern Pacific News, October 28 Edwin L. Harper, President of the Association of American Railroads, has written to all 535 members of Congress urging swift approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement. "Creation of a new North American Free Trade Zone will mean faster growth for America's railroads and more jobs for railroad workers," Harper said. Since Mexico liberalized its trade policy in 1986, U.S. trade with its southern neighbor has grown at a rate of 17 percent a year and rail traffic to and from Mexico has grown at nearly the same pace, Harper noted. "NAFTA would mean approximately $2 billion annually in additional gross revenue (and) almost 12,000 new jobs for the railroad industry by the year 2000." With six gateways to Mexico, more than any other railroad, Southern Pacific has a keen interest in NAFTA's passage. WITH HOUSE VOTE SOON ON NAFTA, SANTA FE URGES ENDORSEMENT Santa Fe News, November 2 According to Jeff Moreland, vice president-law and chairman of SAFEPAC, the United States House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on November 17. The vote is expected to be a close one. Moreland urges all employees to telephone their representative's district office to ask their representative to vote for NAFTA. NAFTA is important to Santa Fe Railway and its employees. If approved by all three countries, the trade agreement would remove, over 15 years, nearly all the export-import barriers among Canada, Mexico and the United States. Current Mexican trade barriers put U.S.-produced products at a competitive disadvantage in Mexico. NAFTA will level the playing field. Railroads are already benefiting from increased traffic from Canada and Mexico. Approval of NAFTA would further increase trade, especially with Mexico -- now the fastest growing market for United States exports and our second largest customer for manufactured goods. This should mean increased business for Santa Fe Railway and job opportunities for our employees. NAFTA should also enable us to provide better service to our customers by expediting the flow of traffic across borders. Santa Fe Railway is making NAFTA approval a top priority in its government relations efforts. Ultimately, however, most members of Congress are heavily influenced by their perceptions of their constituents' views on an issue. Personal calls and letters from constituents get their attention. Moreland is urging all employees to telephone their representative's district office as soon as possible to ask them to support NAFTA. __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS USA US Headlines @@E __________________________________________________________________ ACCESS OHIO MACRO PLAN RELEASED: A VIEW FROM AN OHIO RAIL PASSENGER ASSOCIATION by Bill Hutchison, OARP Vice-President From the _6:53_, Ohio Association of Rail Passengers, reprinted by permission On Friday, September 17, 1993, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) released it long awaited plan, which calls for a significant change in the state's approach to transportation needs. The plan, a result of testimony by some 3,500 Ohioans, including members of OARP, is the first attempt to establish a clear vision of the future through large scale public input. While not perfect, ACCESS OHIO is a major shift from the highway dominated transportation system of today, toward a seamless, multi-modal system, including a large rail passenger and transit component. The vision of the plan is amplified by ODOT's mission statement: "Our mission is to serve the people of Ohio by planning, and maintaining a safe, efficient, accessible transportation system that integrates highway, rail, air and water networks to foster economic growth and personal travel." As far as specifics go, the rail component would see added service on the Pittsburgh-Youngstown-Cleveland, Cleveland-Columbus-Dayton-Cincinnati and Cleveland-Akron-Canton corridors initially. Later improvements would include the Toledo-Cleveland, Toledo-Columbus, Toledo-Dayton-Cincinnati, and Columbus-Pittsburgh corridors, all of which would be state supported conventional services. Improved grade crossings and increased clearances for excess height equipment is also proposed. On the highway side, there is still a call for widening of rural interstate highways to the tune of about $1 billion and the development of IVHS or smart highway technology. This flies in the face of other ACCESS OHIO goals and those of the the Clean Air Act and ISTEA and hopefully, will be tested in court by environmental groups and others including OARP. ODOT does recognize that the huge scale of this programs means there will be a real need to find new funding sources with more flexible financing. The highway component alone is $5.6 billion, the equivalent of 58 years of the funds allocated in the 1995/95 biennium and that doesn't even include transit or passenger rail, which could add another $1-2 billion. This implies that a change in the state gas tax may be a reality, with funding for other modes. While not an endorsement of a more flexible approach, this is a surprising development and is quite candid, considering ODOT's pro-highway slant in the not-too-distant past. What's next? This report gave the broad macro overview and the next, or micro phase will concern itself with the actual details of the proposals. Hearings on this phase will start soon and after hearing public input the final plan will be released, probably within a year. Objections to the highway portion notwithstanding, ACCESS OHIO is a huge undertaking, representing a major break with the past and it deserves our support. RETIREMENT BOARD FUNCTIONS TO BE MOVED ELSEWHERE Conrail Newswire, October 5 A provision to transfer railroad retirement board functions to other agencies was part of the recommendations made by Vice President Al Gore's National Performance Review, released September 9. The review recommends that Tier 1 benefits be handled by the Social Security Administration, that unemployment benefits be transferred to state unemployment systems, and that administration of health care benefits be transferred to the Health Care Financing Administration. The report does not specify what should be done with Tier II benefits. Additional details on Tier II's disposition are expected shortly. CHEMICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT PLANNING MOVE TO RAILROADS Conrail Newswire, October 12 Chemical Waste Management, Inc., said Sept. 30 that it plans to reduce it's trucking operations and make greater use of railroads for long-haul shipments of waste. Chemical Waste Management is one of the nation's largest haulers and processors of hazardous waste. RECORD-SETTING INTERMODAL TRAFFIC IN SEPTEMBER Conrail Newswire, October 26 Intermodal traffic on the nation's railroads set records during two consecutive weeks in September. Volume for the week ended September 18 was an all-time high of 151,550 trailers and containers, but that record was broken during the week of September 25, when railroads moved 152,808 intermodal units. In all, intermodal volume nationwide is up 7 percent. MIDWEST FLOODING AS EXPENSIVE AS $300 MILLION FOR RAILROADS Conrail Newswire, October 26 Flooding in the midwest during summer months cost the railroad industry as much as $300 million, Association of American Railroads President Ed Harper told a House of Representatives committee recently. Physical damage to track and other physical assets is more than $130 million, including 10,000 miles of track out of service, 800 miles under water during the flooding, and damage to 16 locomotives and more than 2,000 freight cars. UP BUYING INTO GE AC LOCOS Conrail Newswire, October 26 Union Pacific said it will purchase three AC locomotives from General Electric, becoming the second major U.S. railroad to invest in AC locomotives. BN has already ordered 350 units. AC units are expected to provide greater horsepower and tractive effort than conventional DC units in use now. __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS USA Conrail News @@E __________________________________________________________________ -> Also see Chicago News for additional Conrail news! CONRAIL THIRD QUARTER EARNINGS UP 10.7 PERCENT BEFORE IMPACT OF NON-RECURRING ITEMS RELATED TO CONCORD RESOURCES, TAXES, -$3 million net loss afterward Conrail Newswire, October 26 Conrail today reported a $3 million -- 7 cents per share -- net loss for the third quarter of 1993, vs. $75 million -- 81 cents per share -- net income for the third quarter of 1992. The 1993 results reflect two non-recurring items: the estimated loss on the disposition of its Concord Resources Group subsidiary and the retroactive effects of the federal corporate income tax rate increase. Excluding these items, Conrail earned $83 million or 91 cents per share in the quarter, increases of 10.7 percent in net income and 12.3 percent in earnings per share vs. 1992. Revenue for third quarter 1993 was $854 million, a 0.8 percent increase vs. $847 million for the same period last year. CEO HAGEN: PERFORMANCE ACHIEVED DESPITE LIMITED TRAFFIC GROWTH Conrail Newswire, October 26 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Hagen said: "We're pleased and encouraged by the company's performance, achieved in the face of slow economic growth and the continuing coal strike, which limited traffic growth to just under three percent. We don't see a much different pace in traffic volume in the fourth quarter. Looking ahead to 1994, our preliminary expectations are for continued slow economic growth." For the first nine months of 1993, net income was $54 million, or 55 cents per share vs. $190 million, or $2.00 per share for the same period of 1992. Net income would have been $214 million, or $2.31 per share, a 12.6 percent increase in net income and a 15.5 percent increase in earnings per share, after excluding the non-recurring items and the one-time charges in the first quarter of $74 million (after taxes) for adoption of required changes in accounting for income taxes and post-retirement benefits other than pensions. Revenue for the first nine months of 1993 was $2.543 billion, an increase of 2.2 percent vs. $2.488 billion for the same period of 1992. The adjustment for the estimated loss on the future disposition of Concord Resources Group ($80 million less estimated tax benefits of $30 million) reduced earnings by $50 million, or 55 cents per share. The adjustments for the retroactive effects of the federal tax increase (to a corporate rate of 35 percent from 34 percent), reduced earnings by $36 million, or 40 cents per share. Third quarter traffic in units (freight cars and intermodal trailers and containers) increased 2.9 percent vs. the same period of 1992. Volume increased in automotive (10.7 percent), intermodal (7.9 percent), metals and related products (7.6 percent), forest products (7.2 percent), and chemicals and related products (6.0 percent). Decreases were registered in coal (11.8 percent) and food and grain (0.6 percent). SERVICE NETWORKS WORKING AS PLANNED, HAGEN TELLS ANALYSTS Conrail Newswire, October 26 Chairman, President and CEO Jim Hagen told Wall Street securities analysts last week that Conrail's transportation service networks, put in place nearly a year ago, have been successful in improving service quality, reducing Conrail's cost per train and improving turnaround on freight cars and locomotives. "We have three continuing focuses," he added. "We want to grow the business. We want to continue to improve service quality and productivity, and we're looking hard at getting rid of those assets that don't have any real payback." Hagen added that Conrail is continuing to look at classification yards as part of the effort to improve asset utilization, with the possibility of closing some facilities and moving more traffic through others. However, no major yard closings are planned before the end of 1993. Conrail is also continuing to look at ways of broadening the benefits of the transportation networks to management of the entire railroad. Hagen said that "We're currently working on supporting the service networks through improved information flow. Car ordering, shipment tracking, and billing are a few of the areas that will be improved and tailored to the differing requirements of our customer base." COAL TRAFFIC LOW WITH NO RECOVERY IN SIGHT IN NEAR FUTURE Conrail Newswire, October 26 Coal traffic continues to run behind levels of a year ago, because of the impacts of the ongoing mine workers strike, a soft export market and high stockpiles that remain at many utilities. Senior Vice President-Marketing and Sales Gordon Kuhn told analysts last week that for the third quarter, coal units were off about 11 percent and revenue by 20 percent. Revenue has declined more because some of the coal traffic this year -- to replace long-haul business that hasn't moved -- has come from short-haul moves to river terminals for barge loading. Kuhn said that coal traffic in the fourth quarter would continue to be soft, though not quite as soft has it has been through the earlier part of the year. CONRAIL, NORFOLK SOUTHERN EXPAND INTERMODAL SERVICE Conrail Newswire, October 26 Conrail and Norfolk Southern will begin new intermodal service between New England and the Southeast on November 1. Among the service additions is a new train between Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio, which will make third morning service available between New England and upstate New York and the Southeast. The new trains will also speed up existing intermodal service between Buffalo, Cleveland and Columbus and the South. The service will connect with existing Conrail and NS intermodal service at Columbus and with new NS intermodal trains in Cincinnati. Conrail will also be able to offer direct intermodal service at Cincinnati by using NS' terminal there. The train will use use NS equipment operated by Conrail crews over Conrail tracks, relieving pressure on a crowded NS line to the west and using surplus capacity on Conrail's Columbus-Cincinnati route. PITTSBURGH TO DEDICATE ENGINEER/CQI TRAINING FACILITY Conrail Newswire, November 2 The Pittsburgh Division will dedicate its newly refurbished Engineer Training and CQI training facility November 9 in the memory of former Assistant General Manager W.D. 'Bill' Murphy. The facility is located at Conway Yard, west of Pittsburgh, and will be called the William D. Murphy Training Center. Murphy, a longtime railroad employee with more than 50 years of service, died in a grade crossing accident while high-railing late last year. POSTAL SERVICE GIVES CONRAIL ITS EAGLE SPIRIT SERVICE AWARD Conrail Newswire, October 5 The U.S. Postal Service has honored Conrail with its 'Eagle Spirit' service award to recognize the quality of rail transportation Conrail provides for the U.S.P.S. Of 13 rail companies that provide service to the U.S.P.S., Conrail is the only one to win the award. Conrail handled 58,269 of the units dispatched from Postal Service facilities, 46 percent of all dispatches nationwide, and earned $70 million of the total $160 million the Postal Service spends annually on rail transportation. The award was presented to Conrail's two key contacts on the Postal Service business, Manager-TOFC Premium Service Jim Newton and Account Executive Charlie Niland. BRONX, LONG ISLAND OPENED UP TO LONGER RAILCARS Conrail Newswire, October 12 Conrail can now handle longer railcars, especially those carrying lumber, to destinations in the Bronx and Long Island, N.Y., as a result of a project that reduced a curve through the Port Morris section of the Bronx. The arc of the curve was reduced by realigning 1,700 feet of track, some of it by as much as 25 feet laterally. As a result of the $162,000 investment, the curve can now handle railcars longer than 70 feet, six inches, including cars carrying lumber, which are ordinarily centerbeam flat cars as long as 73 feet. Previously, lumber shipments bound for points in Long Island and the Bronx were unloaded in New Jersey or Connecticut and trucked. Now they can move through to Conrail's Oak Point Yard in the Bronx or to its interchange with the Long Island Railroad at Fresh Pond, Queens. The project was completed in early October. It also included grading, relocation of a switch and a customer rail siding. GENERAL MOTORS AWARDS CONRAIL U.S.-CANADA VEHICLE BUSINESS Conrail Newswire, October 12 General Motors recently awarded Conrail more than 2,400 carloads of annual vehicle business moving between the U.S. and Canada via connections with CP Rail. The lanes include more than 1,400 carloads of vehicles moving from two separate plants in Ontario to Framingham, Mass., and Selkirk, N.Y. Those vehicles include the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Lumina and Buick Regal models and pickup trucks. Another 1,000 carloads of business are moving from Linden, N.J., and Tarrytown, N.Y., to St. Therese, Quebec, including S-10 Sonoma pickups and S-10 Blazers from Linden and minivans from Tarrytown. Total revenue to Conrail for are the moves is nearly $2.5 million. The new business previously moved exclusively truck. The awards are part of a major bid package put together by a cross-functional product development team. That bid included several thousand carloads of finished vehicles and auto parts moving between the U.S., and Canada. CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROCESS ADOPTED BY AAR Conrail Newswire, October 12 Conrail's Continuous Quality Improvement process has been selected by the Association of American Railroads as the quality management training tool for its 750 employees. The first Awareness classes in CQI were conducted for AAR in Chicago in August. AAR selected CQI after an internal task force reviewed the quality management processes employed by major railroads. Since selecting CQI, the AAR has been working with Conrail's AVP-Continuous Quality Improvement Baxter Wellmon to implement training and select a quality council. ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF EMPLOYEES AFFECTED BY ENOLA CLOSING EXPECTED TO FIND NEW EMPLOYMENT WITHIN CONRAIL Conrail Newswire, October 26 More than 120 of the employees affected by the closing of classification operations at Enola Yard are expected to find new jobs within Conrail, once all of the employees affected by the closing have exercised their seniority. The classification yard at Enola was closed October 4, and 154 jobs were abolished. Of those 154, only about 30 are expected to result in furloughs. The classification operation was closed as a result of changes in traffic flows in the Harrisburg area that eliminated the need to reclassify traffic at Enola that is destined for other locations on the Conrail system. By eliminating that additional handling of cars, Conrail can provide better service to customers. Many of the employees whose jobs were abolished have moved to other vacant positions in the Harrisburg area or elsewhere on the division, and some Car Department employees affected by the closing have moved to positions at the system car repair shop at Hollidaysburg. After the yard closing was announced in late September, representatives of the Labor Relations/Personnel department met with employees invididually and in groups to help them identify other job opportunities within Conrail. HONDA PRODUCTION MOVE TO U.S. MEANS MORE TRAFFIC FOR CONRAIL Conrail Newswire, October 26 Honda recently announced that it will move some production of its Civic and Accord models from Japan to plants in the U.S., beginning in early 1994. The move means additional finished vehicle business for Conrail from Honda's East Liberty and Marysville, Ohio, manufacturing plants. Honda is moving the production to the U.S., because of the continuing rise of the yen vs. the U.S. dollar, which makes it less expensive for Honda to manufacture vehicles in the U.S. The automaker plans to move production of about 80,000 vehicles to the U.S. over a two-year period beginning early next year. Once fully phased in, the production shift could bring an additional 4,000 carloads of traffic -- worth more than $5 million -- to Conrail from the Honda plants, much of it destined for connections to markets in the Western U.S. The East Liberty plant manufactures Civics, while the Marysville plant builds Accords. CONRAIL ADDS TRAILERS AND CONTAINERS TO INTERMODAL FLEET Conrail Newswire, October 26 Conrail is acquiring 230 intermodal trailers and 507 containers to help meet the growing demand for intermodal service. The new equipment is valued at $12 million. Delivery of the new equipment is expected to be complete this week. Conrail is leasing the 45-foot trailers from XTRA Intermodal and the 48-foot containers from Transamerica Leasing Inc., and TRAC Lease Inc. The trailers were built by Monon Corporation and the containers by Monon and Hyundai Precision and Ind. Co. Conrail is leasing the equipment because of the growth of intermodal business, which is running 9 percent ahead of last year. __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS USA Santa Fe News @@F __________________________________________________________________ WESTERN WRITERS NEEDED: Let me know if you're interested in contribute to expanded West US coverage in RailOnline. -PK FLOOD CAUSES DECREASE IN THIRD QUARTER EARNINGS Santa Fe News, October 26 Santa Fe Pacific Corporation (SFP) reported a net loss for the third quarter of $2.8 million, or $0.01 per share compared to a net loss of $165.1 million, or $0.89 per share last year, which has been restated for a change in accounting for certain benefit costs. Excluding unusual items not related to current period operations, SFP's third quarter net income was $23.5 million or $0.13 per share, compared to $40.2 million or $0.22 per share in 1992. "The decline in net income excluding unusual items was caused by the effect on Santa Fe Railway of flood conditions in early July that continued throughout the reporting period. We estimate that the combination of lost business and increased costs reduced net income $32 million or $0.17 per share," said Rob Krebs, chairman, president and chief executive officer. "With the effect of the flood behind us, I expect Santa Fe Railway's operating income to recover in the fourth quarter." Railway reported operating income of $49.6 million, a 40% reduction compared to third quarter 1992 adjusted operating income. "Santa Fe lost approximately $40 million in revenues from the Midwest flooding," said Krebs. "In addition, operating expenses increased approximately $15 million because of the costs of flood repairs and train detours." ONLY TWO INJURIES DURING INJURY-FREE WEEK; ENGINEERING DEPT. PLANS `94 SAFETY PLAN Santa Fe News, October 26 As part of the month's safety campaign, last week (October 17-23) was designated injury-free week for the transportation department. The department nearly attained that goal, with only two injuries. In addition, throughout the month, the safety department is leading a safety campaign for transportation employees focusing on preventing injuries from switches, derails and hand tools. So far, only two injuries have been reported related to switches and derails. "The safety campaign has been a beautiful success," said Thad Baham, assistant vice president-safety. "Everyone in the transportation department is to be commended for participating in this program." Twenty-five engineering foremen are meeting in Kansas City this week to prepare their department's 1994 safety plan. "Foremen are the focal point of our safety effort," explained Ray Kaelin, assistant vice president and chief engineer. "Because foremen work most directly with maintenance of way and other engineering employees, they are the key to communicating and supporting our safety programs." WESTMONT INDUSTRIES TO LOCATE ON SANTA FE LINE Santa Fe News, November 2, 1993 Westmont Industries, fabricators of crane systems, material handling systems, portal cranes, aircraft turntables, cruise ship and airport gangways and moving walkway systems, announced that it will relocate to Bellemont, Ariz., six miles west of Flagstaff. They are currently located at Santa Fe Springs, Calif. The new multi-million dollar plant will contain 150,000 square feet on a 10-15 acre site. Scheduled startup date is projected for fourth quarter 1994. The current Santa Fe Springs plant is not rail-served. Rail access and service were critical prerequisites for locating this new manufacturing plant on Santa Fe. John Dugan, manager-industrial development, coordinated Santa Fe's program, which included locating the rail-served site, negotiating with the land owner, dealing with rezoning and utility issues and acting as a liaison between Westmont Industries and various departments at Santa Fe. Santa Fe traffic to result from the relocation will include inbound sheet and structural steel from various Midwestern and Western sources as well as outbound high-wide special train moves of cranes, portal crane systems, gangway and moving sidewalk systems, aircraft turntables and associated parts and material moves. Residual income may also result if material supply companies relocate to a Santa Fe- served industrial park in the area. Arizona Governor Fife Symington stated, "This is a great announcement for the Flagstaff area and the state of Arizona." He praised the efforts of the team that brought Westmont to Arizona -- including the Department of Commerce, Flagstaff community leaders and Santa Fe. CAR MOVEMENTS ============= COVERED HOPPER MOVES Santa Fe News October 26 Santa Fe has been moving 450-550 carloads of grain a day, resulting in a tight supply of covered hoppers. Movements include wheat to the Gulf for export and milo from western Kansas, Colorado and Superior, Nebraska, to domestic markets in Texas, California and the East. Potash shipments have been picking up, with heavy export loadings expected later this week. Cement is averaging more than 50 carloads a day. Fleet management has borrowed 100 covered hoppers from CNW to help meet the increased demand, but covered hopper equipment availability is tight across the industry. November 2 Grain loadings have been heavy out of Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado, resulting in a tight supply of grain cars. Unit grain trains have been ordered for shipments out of Enid, Wichita, Kansas City, Hutchinson and Abilene. Additional large orders for unit trains are anticipated for later this month and December from Kansas terminals. The milo harvest is heavy in western Kansas, creating high demand for covered hoppers. Most of the milo is moving to west Texas points for storage, allowing for quick turn times on equipment. Fleet management asks for assistance from all employees involved in these moves to expedite equipment utilization as much as possible. Potash is loading at a steady pace as Santa Fe gears up for a 300- load export move scheduled for the second week of November. Cement is loading steadily, but volume is expected to decline as colder weather sets in. Small and large airslide covered hoppers are in demand for flour shipments. AUTOMOTIVE TRAFFIC October 26 Automotive traffic, still very heavy, is expected to continue at current levels through the end of November. GM at Oklahoma City is averaging 50 loads a day, six days a week. Ford at Kansas City anticipates moving 150 loads later this week. Honda at Richmond expects to move 120 loads this week. Inbound shipments to the GM ramp at LaMirada are also very heavy. As a result, equipment is tight across the system. November 2 Automotive traffic continues at a heavy pace. GM at Oklahoma City will be working a double shift on Saturday, November 13, meaning heavy loadings over that weekend. This is the first scheduled overtime for the GM Oklahoma City plant this year. Honda at Richmond expects to load 140 tri-levels. Ford at Kansas City anticipates its heaviest loadings of the year, approaching 250 multi-levels a week. MILITARY MOVEMENTS October 26 Four unit trains of military equipment are being moved from Ft. Irwin, California, to Ft. Hood, Texas, this week. Santa Fe is also moving three military trains from Pinon Canyon to Ft. Carson, Colorado. November 2 One unit train of military equipment is scheduled to move next week from Ft. Polk to Ft. Hood, routed KCS-Santa Fe. BOXCAR MOVEMENTS October 26 Heavy loadings of canned goods and wine from California locations are expected to continue this week. Gallo at Modesto anticipates loading over 275 boxcars. These heavy loadings are taxing the availability of our airpack load divider fleet. Cushioned underframe plain boxcars are being used to supplement the shortfall. Planning has begun for the western Texas cotton harvest. A favorable growing season has resulted in a bumper crop. Due to competition from trucks, equipment availability and service are key to increasing our marketshare. November 2 In October, Santa Fe moved 993 boxcar loads of Gallo wine. Heavy wine loading should continue during November (900 carloads forecasted) and into the holidays. Canned good loadings will decrease slightly but should still reflect the forecasted 868 loads from our "big six" group of shippers. Carrots are being harvested in the San Joaquin Valley, and shipping is expected to commence immediately. No specific equipment estimates have been received, but Santa Fe is gearing up production of reefer cars to meet anticipated demand. Citrus movements are also expected to increase after mid-month. With the recent hard freeze in the Panhandle region of Texas, the cotton harvest is moving at full speed. Car orders are coming in, and the transition from harvesting to outbound shipping from area compresses should be as quick as usual. This year's crop is of high quality and in demand because of crop failures in the Southeast. Much of the West Texas crop will be used by Southeast mills. Other commodities, including metals and forest products, are moving at normal levels for this time of year. __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS INTERNATIONAL Southern Pacific News @@G __________________________________________________________________ WESTERN WRITERS NEEDED: Let me know if you're interested in contribute to expanded West US coverage in RailOnline. -PK All stories courtesy SP News, October 26 ALAMEDA CORRIDOR NEGOTIATIONS RESUME Talks have resumed between Southern Pacific and the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach on sale of the 20-mile Alameda Corridor. The ports had terminated an agreement to buy the property from SP for $260 million, saying several issues had to be resolved. This week, Vice Chairman Bob Starzel said negotiations were progressing "and we are encouraged." TOWN HALL MESSAGE REACHING MORE The Company's strategies and goals are being communicated in small versions of SP's TOWN HALL meetings that local managers are holding around the system for employees unable to attend the regular town halls. The goal is to reach as many train, engine, yard, mechanical and engineering employees as possible in meetings at crew change points, away-from-home terminals or on- duty points, said Vice President-Operations Glenn Michael. The meetings are to be completed by November 5. WAGE CONTINUATION PROGRAM ENDS Effective November 1, 1993 the Wage Continuation Program will be replaced by the Injured Employee's Assistance Program, which will be administered by the General Claims Department. "We are confident the new program will continue to accommodate the needs of injured employees," said Patricia A. Boynton, R.N., Director- Health Services. Employees should contact their local claims representative to determine their eligibility for the program, and to get more information about it, Boynton said. Under terms of the new program, employees who remain disabled after October 31 should apply to their local Railroad Retirement Board for sickness benefits, and any other benefits to which they may be entitled. Medical aspects of the program will be managed by the Medical Department; the area nurse will continue to process approved medical bills, arrange for medical care and assist with medical needs. Employees should contact their local claims representative or the Medical Department at (415) 541-2678, for the name and phone number of the nurse for their area, Boynton said. SP FILES ABANDONMENT NOTICE ON FORMER ROCK ISLAND LINE Southern Pacific has filed notice with the Interstate Commerce Commission to abandon a 196-mile line between Owensville, MO. and Leeds Junction, near Kansas City. The line was constructed in the late 1800's and has not carried traffic since 1980, when it was acquired by SP from the Rock Island Railroad. At the time, the estimated cost of rehabilitation was more than $50 million, which was not economically justified. The line also became unneeded in 1983 when SP obtained trackage rights over a parallel Union Pacific route. Several proposals have been advanced for use of the corridor, including making it a recreational trail. NEW SAFETY RULE BOOK ON TAP SP will introduce a new "Safety & General Rules" book in April, 1994, said Director of Safety Lawson McDowell. "The Company wants to consider any changes that will promote safety by modernizing and simplifying the safety rules," he said. Suggestions from employees are welcome and may be FAXed to McDowell at (303) 634-2195, or mailed to: Safety Department, Southern Pacific Lines, 1515 Arapahoe Street, Room 1287, Denver, CO 80202. PEOPLE The ranks of retired SPers lost a well known member last Thursday, October 21, when former conductor Don Nash was fatally stricken while visiting the yard office at Tucumcari, N.M. Nash spent 40 years with SP before retiring in 1991 and served two terms as UTU Local Chairman, said Road Foreman of Engines Bob Wolcott. "He was a very popular guy and will be sorely missed," Bob said. Larry Bennett, SP's Government Relations Representative for Nevada, was recently given the Outstanding Private Sector Leader Award by the American Legislative Exchange Council, the nation's largest organization of state legislators. __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS USA Northeast Transit News @@H __________________________________________________________________ With the Delaware Valley Rail Passenger, November 1993 DVRP is an official member of the RO Newswire Matthew Mitchell, DVRP Editor Thanks to the news team at DVRP: Howard Bender, Chuck Bode, Tom Borawski, Larry Joyce, Mike McEnaney, Don Nigro, John Pawson. All DVRP stories (C)1993, used with permission. Some stories may have been edited for use in RailOnline. SOUND BYTE: ----------- "Transit [is for] people who can't afford an automobile..." - Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Yerusalim ---------- YERUSALIM SLAMS TRANSIT AT CONGRESSIONAL HEARING In a hearing before Congress, Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation said he had little interest in supporting mass transit, reports the Inquirer. He claimed: "Transit [is for] people who can't afford an automobile..." As a result, only 2.5 percent of Federal 'flexible' transportation funds were spent on transit in Pennsylvania, compared to New York, which also has both big city and rural areas. CHILD STRUCK IN NORTH WALES A North Wales 4th grader was killed when she tried to cross the SEPTA R5 tracks while the gates were down and was struck by a train. The accident triggered angry protests aimed at both SEPTA and motorists. North Wales Mayor Frank Hartman told in the Reporter, "These gates have been a problem for years. If the gates are down for any length of time, the cars go around them because they think the gates are stuck." But he never testified to this at any SEPTA public hearings. The Reporter stated that the Mayor remembered a meeting with SEPTA officials about two years ago where SEPTA offered to upgrade 4 crossings if the borough would abandon one. SEPTA AGM James Palmer held a meeting with North Wales residents to discuss their concerns about train speed. The Reporter quoted him as offering to reduce the speed limit to 35 mph from the current limit of 55. STATE FUNDS SAVE HARRISBURG COMMUTERS Matthew Mitchell A last-minute deal between Amtrak and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation stopped Amtrak's plan to eliminate rush-hour service on its Harrisburg-Philadelphia route. While full details of the agreement are not available at press time, the state funding guarantees the three trains until June 30, buying time for a permanent answer to the question of who will control the service, who will operate it, and who will pay for it. Several alternatives have been proposed for the long-term future of the Harrisburg service, which has been in a state of decline for a decade because of Amtrak's neglect. Many of them call operation of the service to be transferred to SEPTA, because SEPTA's costs are lower than Amtrak's. Restoring service to Center City Philadelphia is also high on many lists; Amtrak pulled its service out of Suburban Station when it faced a shortage of serviceable electric locomotives. Riders and service planners have also eyed a transfer of Harrisburg Line responsibility for what it would do for SEPTA's R5 Paoli-Parkesburg service. As reported here several times previously, many reliability problems with the Paoli service occur because Amtrak dispatchers give higher priority to Amtrak trains, regardless of the consequences to the busy local service. One thing which is apparent under the existing dual-operator scheme between Paoli and Parkesburg is a stratification of the market into two segments, a price-sensitive commuter and student market and a service- sensitive business and leisure market. The distance to Harrisburg is just about the distance to New York, and with a two-hour travel time, some passengers may not settle for the spartan accommodations of a commuter train. PENNSYLVANIA MISSES HIGH SPEED OPPORTUNITIES; NEW YORK WINS Chuck Bode After dreaming of a $10 billion high-tech maglev system, Pennsylvania has twice missed opportunities for practical projects. ISTEA provided for five corridors to be designated high-speed rail demonstration areas. Portland-Seattle-Vancouver, Chicago, and even North Carolina got on board that time. This time $5 million was available for high speed projects. Grab the money and speed up Philadelphia-Harrisburg-Pittsburgh a bit? Empire State Passenger Association reports that New York snatched 60% of the funds to upgrade a turboliner for 125 mph operation. Now New York is pursuing federal funds to test four quadrant gates at grade crossings (four gates to completely close the crossing so drivers cannot go around the lowered arm). NJT PRESENTS RAIL PLAN TO DELAWARE VALLEY ASSOCIATION OF RAIL PASSENGERS William A. Ritzler The New Jersey Transit Burlington-Gloucester Corridor Assessment initiative was the subject of the October DVARP meeting. James Schwarzwalder, NJT Area Planning Manager made a presentation to the general membership. The presentation consisted primarily of slides of the rail corridors under consideration, and examples of potential vehicle and station designs. During the presentation, Schwarzwalder revealed several key pieces of information: - Moorestown Township officials do not feel that utilizing the existing Conrail right of way through the town center is the answer to what they perceive as a regional, and not a local, mobility problem. He stated that utilizing Route 73, I-295, or depressing the trackage through the town center are possible alternatives under review. - Gloucester County officials do not want a busway. That option has been eliminated from further consideration. - NJT will study an electrified regional rail option from Maple Shade, Burlington Co. to Market East Station in Philadelphia, over the Delair Bridge and the Northeast Corridor. Suggested service frequency is twenty minutes peak-direction, hourly off-peak using electric MU trains. The terminal station site near Route 73, a major arterial road, will utilize an abandoned bus garage owned by NJT. Other station locations include Fork Landing Road, Maple Shade and a site adjacent to a recreation field in Pennsauken. The DVARP expressed concern with the remote location and physical layout of the proposed Pennsauken site. Another site at Westfield Avenue may be more suitable. A large parking lot exists on the site of an abandoned warehouse, with easy access to and from Route 130 is possible. - A minimum operating segment from Camden to South Barber Ave., Woodbury and near Route 73, Maple Shade is under consideration as a first phase for the LRT and 'Modified PATCO' options. Extensions beyond these points would be built as money and public support permit. - NJT believes the possibility exists for the Camden waterfront to experience a development boom similar to Hudson County, NJ. The Delaware River Port Authority is planning to relocate its administrative offices to the waterfront. NJT will study the Conrail waterfront branch in South Camden as a Gloucester County LRT alignment option. The right of way along the branch is narrow and traverses a busy industrial area with a great deal of vehicular traffic. A short elevated structure would be built to avoid conflicts at Conrail's Bulson Yard between freight and LRVs. Operation in downtown Camden would utilize the median of Mickle Blvd. from Front Street to near Tenth Street. Burlington County LRVs would then enter a ramp to join the existing railroad grade in that vicinity. - LRT headways could be closer than modified PATCO, due to the fact that the operation would be independent of the existing PATCO line. Schwarzwalder described PATCO as reluctant about operating a multi- branch system. The study noted that a two branch system was feasible. PATCO officials claim they have the ability to operate eight car trains on a two minute headway, provided that track modifications are made in Philadelphia. Schwarzwalder said that LRT could be operated by NJT if PATCO declines. - NJT is sensitive to changes that will result from a new rail rail line operating at grade. Schwarzwalder pointed out that many of the communities through which the proposed rail line would pass, have not seen frequent rail service for years. Accidents and lifestyle disruptions that would generate negative opinions about transit are something that NJT would like to avoid. - LRT may be more readily accepted by residents in Burlington and Gloucester County communities. Schwarzwalder stated that the corridors under study are unlike the existing PATCO corridor, and may require "an entirely different thought process" than the existing PATCO line. He asserts that smaller stations that are closer together may be a better operating scenario for Burlington and Gloucester Counties. Although plausible for a short distance line, such a situation may have a negative impact on long distance riders, and may preclude extensions beyond Glassboro and Mt. Holly should they ever become feasible. The presentation can be summarized as interesting, informative and frank. DVARP thanks James Schwarzwalder and NJT for their time and effort on behalf of South Jersey transportation improvement. SEPTA SLATES 30TH ST. FIX-UP A two-part project will finally bring relief to SEPTA passengers who endure the dilapidated conditions of the commuter section of 30th St. Station. A "Fast Action" element with construction scheduled for about a year from now will include escalator repair, renovation of the headhouses (the enclosures at the top of each stairway), new benches and announcer's booths, and repairs to information screens and PA system. The main portion of the project will include new elevators to each platform, repairs to stairways, floors, and walls; improved signage, and heaters and ceiling fans to make passengers more comfortable. These are scheduled to go in during 1996. > CORRIDOR ROUNDUP MARC HIKES FARES Maryland MARC commuter rail increased its fares by an average of 19 percent last month. It was the first increase in five years. NEW STATION GO-AHEAD IN NEW YORK President Clinton has promised that Federal funding will be available to create jobs by converting the old Post Office into a new Amtrak station. The project will cost $315 million. MBTA GETS NEW CARS The first of 86 new Red Line cars have been delivered to the T from Bombardier. METRO GREEN LINE SLATED FOR DEC. 11 Opening day for the Washington Metro line to Greenbelt, MD will come next month, but outer Green Line riders will have to transfer to Red Line trains to get downtown or to Anacostia until 1996, when the rest of the line is completed. HARTFORD EYES LIGHT RAIL ConnDOT and local agencies are studying the feasibility of light rail service over an abandoned freight line running from Hartford to Bloomfield, CT. A decision to build is expected in spring. __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS USA Chicago News @@I __________________________________________________________________ CTA UPDATE: MIDWAY AIRPORT LINE BEGINS SERVICE, Bill Vandervoort for RailOnline * "Times have been tough for the CTA financially, but the CTA seems to be on the road to becoming an overall better transit system for Chicago's residents and visitors." * On October 31, trains started running over the CTA's new line to Chicago's Midway Airport. The 9 mile route mostly uses existing railroad rights of way, along with some new elevated structures. This type of construction was more inexpensive than other options considered, including subway or expressway median strip. In downtown Chicago the route uses the historic "Loop" elevated structure, making nine stops. South of the Loop, the route then uses about 2 miles of existing elevated structure as far as 18th Street, where the new route begins. Southwest of there, there are 6 new intermediate stops before ending at the Midway station. The Midway station is located about a block east of the airport, and is connected to the airport by a glass enclosed bridge with moving walkways. If the station had been constructed closer to the airport, it would have been more costly. Also the station's location would enable a future extension of the line 2 miles further south to the Ford City shopping mall. Trains leave Midway every 6-10 minutes from 5 am to 11 pm. On Sundays the first train leaves Midway at 7:30 am. About a half hour after leaving Midway, trains circle the Loop and return south. If traffic warrants, service could be extended in the future. Trains make all stops, with no "A" and "B" skip stop operation as on some other CTA lines. Cars are from the new 3200 series built by Morrison Knudsen. The conductor has been eliminated, and the motorman operates the doors from a full width cab. Cars are equipped with intercoms enabling passengers to talk to the motorman. New stations use an "exact fare" system, where the agents handle no money. Vending machines at the stations sell tokens and make change. The CTA rail fare currently is $1.50, with a transfer to a bus costing 30 cents extra. Transfers to other rapid transit lines downtown are free. This new line means that Chicago's southwest side finally gets rail transit, something which the area has lacked over the years. Without rail transit, passengers would use buses travelling on Archer Avenue and the Stevenson Expressway. This had been one of the busiest bus corridors in the country. The rail line is intended to make the various express buses unnecessary, with just local service on Archer remaining. Unfortunately many riders are resistant to changes, even for the better. So the CTA gave in to public pressure and agreed to retain 6 express bus routes for six more months, with reduced frequencies. The southwest suburbs also gain from the Midway line, with 6 PACE suburban bus routes extended into the Midway station. There is another separate development which has also started to result in improved transit in the southwest suburbs. Metra, the commuter rail agency, recently assumed direct operation of the commuter trains to Orland Park, which had been operated by Norfolk Southern. Now with direct control of the line, Metra can start increasing service and making needed track improvements to enable the increased service. An early afternoon round trip was added on the line in July. The new Midway line gives Chicago the distinction of being the only city in the United States with rapid transit lines to two airports. Once the world's busiest airport, Midway lost nearly all of its flights to O'Hare Airport in the 1960's. There was a brief renaissance at Midway in the early 1970's, but a jet crash in 1972 is what may have eventually resulted in Midway once again becoming a "ghost town." Then in the early 1980's Midway Airlines was formed, and they quickly proved that there is a demand for flights at Midway Airport. Unfortunately Midway Airlines had financial problems, caused by higher jet fuel prices and perhaps by overly aggressive attempts to enter the Philadelphia market. So the airline shut down in 1991. Meanwhile other airlines had moved into Midway Airport, with Southwest Airlines emerging as the carrier currently with the biggest presence there. Soon a brand new airline carrying the Midway name plans to start operations there. The Midway line represents the CTA's first rail expansion since 1984, when the line to O'Hare Airport was completed. Nevertheless this is the second significant new development to happen this year on the CTA. In February, a new mile long tunnel opened connecting the Dan Ryan route to the State Street Subway and the Howard route. This newly connected line is now known as the Red Line. The CTA is adopting user friendly color names similar to systems in Boston and Washington DC. The Lake Street and the Englewood/Jackson Park routes are now connected via the Loop Elevated and is now known as the Green Line. The O'Hare-Congress/Douglas line is now the Blue Line, the Ravenswood is Brown, Evanston Purple, Skokie Yellow, and the new Midway line is the Orange Line. New route maps at the stations use the colors. One reason for the Howard-Dan Ryan link up is to connect the two busiest segments into one line, improving efficiency. Population and ridership has declined along the Lake, Englewood and Jackson Park segments, resulting in a need for fewer trains on the Green Line. Those trains are now better able to share the Loop elevated with other trains, including the added trains from the new Midway line. The busy Howard-Dan Ryan Red Line has exclusive use of its route through the State Street Subway. There is one area where the Red Line temporarily shares tracks with another line. That is during the weekday rush hours with the Purple Line Evanston Express trains, in the vicinity of the Addison/Wrigley Field stop. There is a temporary two track bottle neck where they are building a new Addison station. The route is generally four tracks north to Howard Street, with Red Line trains using the inner tracks and the Evanston trains using the outer tracks. But the Addison station had been built long ago with side platforms on the outer tracks. The new center island platform will eliminate the need for Red Line trains to cross over to the outer tracks, as had previously been done. Addison is a busy stop on summer afternoons when the Chicago Cubs are playing. The next significant development on the CTA is not one which is likely to be popular in the short term. The Green Line now links the oldest elevated segments together, and many of these elevated structures are in need of repair. So the CTA has proposed shutting down the entire route for two years for extensive renovation starting in December. The CTA insists that this would be better than doing gradual renovation while the line is still operating. The hope is that the renovation would spark redevelopment of the neighborhoods, with new stations integrated into the new developments. At this writing the CTA is still working on details of the project, including temporary bus alternatives during the line closure. So 1993 has been an interesting year for the CTA rapid transit. Times have been tough for the CTA financially, but the CTA seems to be on the road to becoming an overall better transit system for Chicago's residents and visitors. J.B. HUNT BEGINS DOUBLE-STACK MOVES TO NORTH JERSEY; CONRAIL EXPANDS INTERMODAL SERVICE FROM CHICAGO October 5 J.B. Hunt, one of the nation's largest truckload carriers, has begun to convert its traffic on Conrail's Chicago-North Jersey corridor to double-stack containers. "We have been extremely pleased with our relationship with Conrail," said Tom Williams, Hunt's vice president- Intermodal. "Our volumes with Conrail continue to grow at an astounding pace, largely due to the very consistent and dependable levels of service." In addition, Conrail said it is expanding its intermodal capacity by adding more frequent trains and more capacity between Chicago and New England and adding new double-stack service between Chicago and Columbus, Ohio. The Chicago-New England service is on TV-24, which leaves Chicago mid-afternoon Monday through Saturday, with second morning availability in New England. The addition of TV-24 brings the number of near-daily Chicago-New England trains to three both eastbound and westbound. TV-220 and TV-221 provides additional double-stack service between Chicago and Columbus, Ohio, with eight trains a week. Both new services went into effect on September 15. CONRAIL AND EJE MOVING TEST COAL FOR U.S. STEEL Conrail Newswire, October 5 Conrail and the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railroad are moving loads of test coal for U.S. Steel from High Power Mountain and Terry Eagle, W.Va. The coal is moving under a short-term contract to U.S. Steel's Gary, Ind., manufacturing facilities for testing in U.S. Steel's pulverized coal injection process Current volume totals about 140,000 tons of coal and about $1.4 million in Conrail revenue. If High Power Mountain coal passes U.S. Steel's tests, annual volume for 1994 could total 500,000 tons. __________________________________________________________________ RAILNEWS INTERNATIONAL Canadian rails @@J __________________________________________________________________ ANOTHER CANADIAN NEEDED: Bryce Lee told me this issue that RO needs an eastern Canadian rail source, since he focuses mostly on western affairs. Let me know if you have ability in this area. -PK SOUND BYTE: ----------- "CN maintains one of the largest rail networks in North America. Our core network, carrying 92% of our total volume, amounts to only 39% of our track. By 1995, we want to reduce our network in Eastern and central Canada by roughly 20%. We want to sell another third, leaving CN operating a network in the East of about half the current size, fed by a cluster of viable short lines." - CN President Paul Tellier Association of American Railroads Conference, New Orleans ---------- CANADA TO INTRODUCE LEGISLATION SPEEDING UP SELLING OF RAIL LINES Bryce Lee, RailOnline News Staff Canada is in the throes of enacting legislation similar to the Staggers Act of 1980 in the US. Canada's National Transportation Act Review Commission's preliminary report indicates uncomplicating and speeding up the process of selling railway lines. CN president Tellier wants to be able to dispose of unwanted lines quickly; it took more than a year to sell the line from Goderich to Stratford to Railtex and selling another line in Nova Soctia was even more difficult. In a story filed by Canadian Press in early October, a railway analyst for a consulting company outlined the likely candidates for abandonment or short-lining by CN. Virtually all proposed routes would affect VIA's services. They include the former Inter-Colonial line between Riviere-du-Loop and Moncton, used by VIA's "Ocean" (CN would keep the ex-Canadian Northern Transcontinental route between these two cities, and the "Ocean" would be shifted to this route), and the branch from Matapedia to Gaspe, used by VIA's Chaleur." CN's lines to northern Quebec are described as vulnerable and could be offered for sale. The CN line between Winnipeg and North Bay might be abandoned with the two railways sharing the CP tracks on this route. This would send the "Canadian" back to its pre-1990 route east of Winnipeg. One of CN's two routes north from Toronto, to Sudbury and North Bay, could be cut as well as CP's Toronto-Sudbury line as well. Both the "Canadian" and the Ontario Northland's "Northlander" would be affected by these cuts. RAILTEX OBTAINS FORMER CN NOVA SCOTIA LINE Bryce Lee, RailOnline Staff Railtex has finally taken over the former Canadian National North America line in Nova Scotia, now renamed "The Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway." Railtex has purchased 6 M630s, built between 1967 and 1968, and have leased 4 RSC-18 units, and 2 RS-18s. The M630 units have the CN logo painted out on both the nose and the rear end of the units; the leased units retain their Canadian National identification. An extra light engine movement departed Moncton's CN Gordon Yard for Truro during the early morning of Friday, October 1, arriving in Truro just after 2:30 pm with the above noted units. Three M630 units were left in Truro for CN&CNS #408 of October 2; the other units left for Sydney later that afternoon, dropping off units left Sydney later that afternoon dropping off locomotives at Stellarton and Port Hawkesbury enroute. The last CN train, no. 407, departed Sydney, Nova Scotia at 11:00 on October 1, collecting everything remaining belonging to CN as well as CN-owned units at Stellarton and Port Hawkesbury. Our correspondent was told that Railtex shall eventually repaint their own units black with gold colored ends, perhaps with a chevron-shaped gold design on the nose. Present plans indicate that the CB&CNS Railway will retain freight train numbers 407/408 and the same schedule CN has been utilizing. Headquarters of the fifty employee railway will be in the old depot at Port Hawkesbury. VIA CONSIDERS ELIMINATING MORE NON-UNION JOBS Bryce Lee, RailOnline News Staff VIA Rail Canada is contemplating eliminating an additional 10-12 percent of its 2600 non-unionized jobs. VIA is offering a severance package to encourage voluntary resignations or early retirements, but firing has not been ruled out. The job cuts are in anticipation of a major reduction in VIA's federal government subsidy. Currently about C$320 million a year, the subsidy is scheduled to fall to C$300 million in 1995 and to C$250 million later on. VIA is working on a new 5 year plan to be presented to the yet-unnamed Transport Minister in Jean Chretian's newly elected government. VIA's plan will reduce service to the Montreal-Halifax "Atlantic", the Montreal-Gaspe "Chaleur", and VIA's "remote" trains to northern communities. Purchase of Dominion Atlantic Railway: Update... NEW GROUND BROKEN FOR FUTURE SHORTLINE OPERATIONS Bryce Lee, RailOnline News Staff The Windsor & Hantsport Railway has broken new ground for future shortline operations in Canada. A unique incentive package has been included which will encourage the new operators to provide current CP Rail system employees with an opportunity to join the new railway. This will provide the W&H with a pool of highly skilled labor to draw upon and will help minimize the sale of the railway to the current employees of CP Rail. The new railway will take responsibility for 93 kilometers of track between New Minas and Windsor Junction, eight locomotives, and 76 rail cars. The new manager of the line will be Dan Sabin, a former operating officer with CP Rail system. The railway will utilize eight RS-23 locomotives. The locomotives, all built in 1959, incorporate an MLW 6-251C engine, rated at 1000 horsepower. The sale of the line was approved by the CP Limited Board of Directors on September 13, 1993. It will take at least six months to set a final closing date for the sale. CP WANTS TO MERGE OR SHARE ASSETS WITH CN IN MONEY-LOSING AREAS Bryce Lee, RailOnline News Staff CP Rail System's president Robert Ritchie has gone on record that his company is seeking to reach an agreement with Canadian National North America to merge or share assets in central and eastern Canada by mid-1994; both railways are incurring large losses in these parts of Canada. Ritchie says, "this situation cannot continue. CP TO ASK FOR GOVERNMENT MONEY Bryce Lee, RailOnline News Staff CP Rail has now advised it wants the federal government to pay C$6.1 million now to keep the Canadian Atlantic Railway open until January 1, 1995, four months beyond the originally approved abandonment date of September 1, 1993. In addition, CP plans to ask for another C$9.6 million in compensation for operating losses of C$50,000 per day since February 24, 1993, when CP first applied to the NTA for abandonment. CN TO EXPAND INTERMODAL FACILITY Bryce Lee, RailOnline News Staff Canadian National announced on September 21 that it will expand its 195-acre truck-train terminal in Brampton, Ontario, in order to cope with sharply higher container volumes. During the next three years, CN will invest in its Brampton Intermodal Terminal (BIT) and another C$3.3 million to buy three large new gantry cranes, which will be used to transfer containers between road vehicles and railway cars. Work will begin immediately on redesigning and upgrading the BIT's entrance gate for improved service, security and traffic flow. The entrance facility will be the first of its kind in Canada to offer automated electronic identification scanners for trucks and containers. The expansion project also involves the construction of two additional pad tracks used to support cranes, as well as extended storage tracks, new crane maintenance facilities and other improvements to handle anticipated volumes. Although CN has offered intermodal service for more than 40 years, it is only now coming to full fruition as the fastest-growing segment of the railway business. CN has successfully increased market share by forming partnerships with large road transport firms, offering doublestack container capability and focusing on improving customer service. CP SHORT ON POWER; BEATEN BY CN ON UP UNITS Bryce Lee, RailOnline News Staff Like all North American railroads, CP Rail System is short on large usable motive power. CP continues to remove and scrap large (4500/4700 series) MLW/ALCO locomotives as these locomotives continue to fail. This also means CP is again looking for usable motive power to replace the MLWs now lost to the scrapline. CP is leasing SD40-2s from various sources, and may soon be supplied GP-38s by HELM. CN is also short on power, and outbidded CP on the lease of former UP/MP 4090-4130 series locomotives. No word yet on when these locomotives are expected. __________________________________________________________________ RailNews t I d B i T s ! @@! __________________________________________________________________ RailNews with flavor! 'SWIMMING WITH THE SHARKS' OLD STUFF FOR THIS SP MANAGER SP News, October 28 For Kriss Nelson, SP's new Manager of Equal Opportunity in San Francisco, the saying about "Swimming with the sharks" is more than a saying -- it's a fond memory. Before Kriss came to SP, she was Manager of Human Resources at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. "I volunteered to help clean the tanks," she said, and thus entered a world of sharks, dolphins and sea lions, among other critters. "Dolphins and sea lions are very friendly, they'll come by and bump you playfully. "As for sharks, they just swim up to you really fast, then dart away. They're usually no threat, except for one called the Seven-Gill shark -- if you bump it, then it'll bite." ONLINE ACCESS TO SEPTA RAIL SCHEDULES Delaware Association of Rail Passengers A dream come true? Thanks to the collaboration of SEPTA staffers and University of Pennsylvania computer network administrators, you can now see up-to-date commuter train schedules on your computer screen! Penn has put the data in its menu-driven PennInfo server, which can be accessed by telnet (penninfo. upenn.edu) or Gopher. (follow the menus to the Univ. of Pennsylvania) Once you connect to PennInfo, choose the Student Services menu, then Transportation and Parking. Kudos to Glen Morris & Alan Wickersham of SEPTA, and Gayle Belford of Penn. NEWS OF THE WEIRD FROM OHIO ARP Peter Kirn News of the weird... in railroading? Nope, that's not another misprint. The Ohio Association of Rail Passengers' publication, the 6:53, is running stories of the bizarre from the rails in addition to its usual stories. The 6:53 for November is the first issue to include the unique feature. According to the 6:53, "The first year of OARP membership costs only $15, and includes a subscription to "the 6:53". Membership dues are $20/year after that. All contributions to OARP are tax-deductible. To join, send a check or money order payable to OARP to: George Bayless, Treasurer, 2422 S. Patterson Blvd, Dayton, OH 45409." Follow up: SANTA FE BIG PLAYER AT JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT BOWL-A-THON Santa Fe News, October 26 Saturday, October 23, was a great success, with 15 Santa Fe teams participating. Adelman Travel and McKinsey & Co. were also well represented. Participants were from the carload business unit, intermodal business unit, executive, finance & treasury, human resources, transportation along with family and friends. Denis Springer, senior vice president and chief financial officer, threw the first ball, getting a strike. The award for the highest series score went to the team of Marvin Christmon, Jerry Luzi, Mary Luzi, Eric Tom and Pete Stoynoff. Gerri Heitzman and Cindy Hendzel coordinated Santa Fe's participation in this event. Follow up: PHILLIES TRAIN A SUCCESS, BUT A SMALL ONE Delaware Valley Rail Passenger Thousands of smart 'phans' used the Broad Street Subway to get to LCS and World Series games, as SEPTA beefed up its Phillies Express service and got much publicity for doing so. Just about anywhere you looked, the media was advising people to leave their car at home and ride SEPTA. The intractability of the car habit is still evident; an average of only 4,000 fans used the train. SEPTA FIXES TICKET MACHINES, DVARP OFFERS TIPS FOR SMART USE Delaware Valley Rail Passenger SEPTA has turned on the ticket machines which had been out of service nearly two years for lack of will to keep them working. Penalty fares will be enforced from stations where machines are available, so riders should familiarize themselves with their use. Here are some hints: - $5.00 bills are most convenient to use; you'll spend less time feeding money into the machine, and they seem to reject ones more frequently. - New bills work better once they have been crumpled into a ball and then unfolded. - Consider buying extra tickets downtown, but be warned of the unreasonable short validity: once expired, SEPTA won't even refund your tickets by mail! __________________________________________________________________ RAILONLINE FEATURES Model Railroading Industry Connection Special: CHICAGO HOBBY SHOW REPORT @@K __________________________________________________________________ The industry reveals what it has in store for modelers in 1994 by Peter Kirn As fall fades away, and the first snowflakes touch the rooftops of houses across the country, winter isn't the only season that begins. Another one shifts into full gear: model railroading season. As the temperatures begin to drop, the call of the wild beckons model railroaders to retreat to their basements and labor away at their miniature worlds. Combine that with the coming of Christmas season, and the metropolis at the gateway to the midwest, the area most traditionally "into" model railroading, and you have one dynamite model railroading show. While model railroading in actuality shares floor space with other hobbies, it by no means takes a back seat. To put things quite simply, in the summer there is the NMRA Convention. In the winter, the retailers have their day, at the Chicago Hobby Show. Here's a glimpse into the future of model railroading from the industry, with selected products from only a part of the displayers. Manufacturers are in alphabetical order. > ATLAS First HO freight car, "Mixed N scale bag" Atlas continues to display a fast-expanding line of products for both HO and N. HO modelers will be most interested in the first ever HO freight car from Atlas. "We've been wanting to surprise our HO modelers with something so different, it would send a resounding message that HO remains a major area of development and innovation at Atlas," said Tom Haedrich, CEO. Atlas displayed a pre-production sample of a modern tank car available undecorated or decorated for J.M. Huber, Englehard, or Georgia Kaolin. Release is slated in time for the holidays. Atlas billed its N scale line as a "mixed bag", and that it is. The popular GP-30 is returning with more roads and paint schemes. The GP-30 will be released, all without nose headlights, in undecorated and for five roadnames with two road numbers each. Paint schemes include Great Northern green & orange, Santa Fe blue & yellow, Pennsy green, whiteface BN "GP-39M", and blue & yellow C&O. The GP-35, first released in March 1992, and part of a holiday run last year, is also returning in phase Ia (all with dynamic brakes) and Ib models. Paint schemes are available for 5 roadnames, 2 road numbers each, and as undecorated models. Western Pacific silver & orange, Western Maryland red, white, & black, and Union Pacific yellow & gray are numbered among phase Ia schemes. The phase Ib will be in black & orange Rio Grande and gray & maroon Canadian Pacific livery. The Geeps are due in to hobby shops by early December. Atlas revealed their "mystery car" we ran a story on a few months ago, as the N scale ACF 4-bay Centerflow Hopper. The cars feature corrugations, a thinner roof-walk, stirrups, ladder rungs, correct roof-hatch spacing and finer hopper outlet detail and printing, as well as a lacier brake wheel. Models will already be in hobby shops by the time you read this. The hopper will be released undecorated, and in BN, UP, Conrail, ADM, Norchem, and Carlon paint, as well as in a limited edition 3-pack for ADM in three different schemes. Atlas also announced an assortment of N scale schemes this month. Cars included a Penn Central 90 Ton Hopper, a Lackawanna 40' box car, a Pillsbury and a Jack Frost GATX Airslide, a Conrail, CSX, and Montana Rail Link 2-bay Centerflow, and a 3-pack of Conrail 2-bay Centerflows. All cars should be in hobby shops by RO press time. Atlas had their USRA 2-8-8-2 Articulated N scale steam locomotive, the first such release since 1968, on hand. RO covered the locomotive last issue. The locomotives should be shipped to Atlas in late November. The `94 catalog is available free at local retailers or by calling 1-800-872-2521. > BACHMANN A truckload of new products, and a train on a tree The Bachmann representative I spoke with put it simply. What's new from Bachmann? "Everything." I was surprised to see so many new products from Bachmann that I couldn't even cover them! Bachmann had shelves of pre-production models for the coming year. According to one representative, their research leads them to believe that their new EMD Geep model will be the most successful. 1994 appears to have the most releases in the Bachmann Plus and Spectrum lines to date, ranging from passenger cars in new schemes to a Dash 8 loco. Certainly the most unusual of Bachmann's product lines recently is "Trim-a-Train". Two read-to-run N scale sets have already been released for easy mounting on artificial or live trees. I doubt any of our readers will be able to find a more unique idea for tree decorating. However, as Senior Vice President Dick Maddox put it, "The market for Trim-a-Train is huge... 85 million Christmas trees are sold in this country a year..." Don't worry, though, I won't leave my loyal readers in the dark through 1994. I'll be keeping in touch with Bachmann to keep you up to date in our greatly expanded Industry Connection section here in RailOnline. > CHALLENGER E's galore and 1938 Pennsy cars Challenger will import a number of different versions of EMD E7s, E8s and E9s from Samhongsa, following the success of previous projects. Samhongsa has crafted a GN E7A, a CB&Q E7A, a CRI&P E7A, a CRI&P E7A and B, a CB&Q E8A, a PRR E8A, a B&O E8A, an SRR E8A, an EL E8A, a C&O E8A, an AT&SF E8A and B, a UP E8A and B, a CB&Q E9A, and a UP E9A and B. The Pennsy unit has never been modeled absolutely accurately before, and never in prototypical Brunswick five-stripe scheme, and the two CB&Q units have never been modeled before. The models are due in May `94 for HO scalers. In June `94, Challenger will offer the 1938 Broadway Limited in HO scale in two four-packs. The models feature 1938's "Fleet of Modernism" scheme, originally a design by Raymond Loewy for the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Challenger model is the first import of this livery. The models include fully detailed interior partitions, windows, and window treatments, also from Samhongsa. Challenger's newsletter offered some "non-announcements" - unofficial looks at what the future may hold for Challenger. Modelers can look for SD7's, SD9's, and GP 30's from Samhongsa in late 1994 or early 95. In steam, the CRI&P's road class $67b, C&O's J2 are on the possibilities list. Challenger says the DD-2 is a "very possible" model soon. > DIGITRAX DCC for beginners The NMRA's Digital Command Control (DCC) Committee was on hand at the Chicago Hobby Show, with a working layout using the proposed DCC standard for the first time. (The committee includes RO Assistant Editor Daniel Dawdy.) Meanwhile, Digitrax displayed an actual product for consumers. Digitrax was showing off their NMRA DCC-compatible Challenger system, which is geared as a first system for modelers interested in DCC, easily upgradable to future technology. The Challenger package includes a quad throttle, DB100 booster (their basic unit, also aimed at first-time DCC modelers, which is about everyone anyway), and a DH82 or DN82 receiver, all for a $250.00 retail. Digitrax also had a pre-production sample of their DCS 200 command station, due for December delivery at $325, aimed at higher-level users. The unit adds stationary receiver control and many advanced features the Challenger lacks, including the ability to inventory rolling stock, and even add inputs for a car scanner, like the prototype uses. Now available from Digitrax are the DB100 receiver, described as a "Big Boy Smart Booster with Intelligent Auto Reverse" ($179.99), a booster, and receivers for HO, N, G, and Marklin modelers. Receivers range from $49.99 to $69.99 and include different combinations of such added features as directional lighting and function outputs. Coming in the next few months from Digitrax are a stationary quad switch receiver, a computer drive interface, and a handheld throttle. > DESIGN PRESERVATION MODELS More power to `ya - literally DPM has added a powerhouse to their structure model line, literally, which retails at $29.98. The large HO model (11 1/4W x 5 3/4 D x 10 1/2 H), features dramatic 3-story windows. RO hopes to provide CompuServe readers with a GIF file shortly. DPM has also greatly expanded their HO scale modular wall system, which allows users to design their own structures through use of general-purpose, common components such as loading dock walls. The line has grown from 15 to 27 wall sections. The DPM powerhouse is actually composed of modular wall components. The new line includes more ornate storefronts and entrances, more complex windows, and the 4-story powerhouse window walls. Each package includes 4 of one kind with pilasters for joining with any plastic cement, windows, doors, and clear window material where applicable, complete instructions, and "idea" drawings. The line now includes 3 different cornices and loading dock walls, 6 single story sections, 10 two story sections, 1 4 story section, and 22 ground floor sections. > HEKI New roads & trees Heki introduced a new line of "premium" trees, its Artline Series. Heki calls the new trees "a new level in `ready built' trees from Heki... the Artline Series trees are finely detailed and ready to install in prominent places on your layout." The line includes 7" linden and elm trees each for $12.99 list, and 7" beech trees, 5.5" tall shade trees, and 4" mountain ash trees two for $12.99. 4" fruit trees are two for $8.99, and 3" fruit trees, 2" fruit trees, 7" poplar trees, and 5.5" poplar trees are all three for $8.99. Heki is also releasing its "Insta-Road" product. The roads are available in light gray plain or with a dotted center line and solid edge for HO and N scales at $4.99 list. Heiki also has "sheets of streets" - 9.5" x 19" sheets of street material for large parking lots and irregularly shaped paved areas. The material comes in dark or light gray, $8.99 each. Lastly, Heki displayed nine new mini-forest assortments at a lower price of $19.99. > Key Imports Classics in brass Key Imports will be releasing some very well-known locomotives in the coming month. In HO scale, a Southern Pacific Daylight train is due in December. The train will include 17 cars in multi-car sets from 1940 and 1941. Cars will be painted and lettered. In February, SP fans will get even more in HO. In response to requests to finish out the modern AC series, the AC-9 2-8-8-4 will be modeled in both coal and oil cars. The prototype is described as looking something like an "articulated daylight engine without the side skirts", since it is semi-streamlined. The model will be available painted and unpainted. Some time in spring, Key will be releasing Great Northern steam class Y-1 1-C+C-1 units from Alco, painted and lettered in Empire Builder Orange & Green, Great Northern Green, and Pennsy Brunswick Green (for helper service). N scalers need not feel left out. The same AC-9 model in HO is also coming to N some time in spring. Also, due in March is Pennsylvania's M-1A 4-8-2, available painted and lettered. > LIFE-LIKE PROTO 2000 E8, more FA schemes, N GP-18 Life-Like offered its first official look at its handsome E8/E9 models in its popular Proto 2000 line. The loco will be graced with B&O blue & gray, C&NW, Pennsylvania tuscan & buff, L&N 50s-era cream and blue, Amtrak "pointless arrow", famed Santa Fe warbonnet, UP, and EMD Demonstrator paint, two road numbers per scheme, as well as in undecorated. Approximate retail value is $85.00. Life-Like is also doing a fourth release of their FA2/FB2 in the Proto 2000 line in Great Northern, NYC cigar band, Erie, Pennsy Brunswick, Western Maryland circus, and undecorated schemes. Value is $80.00 for powered A's, $40 for unpowered dummy B's. In N-scale, the first generation Gp18 is being released for Rock Island, MoPac, Nickel Plate, IC, N&W, Northern Pacific, Seaboard Air Lines, and undecorated for $37.50. > LIONEL Thomas the tank engine Forget Barney. The real star from PBS is Thomas the Tank Engine. He's not ugly, he has a much better personality, parents won't balk at him, and, heck, he's a train. And now, he's a Lionel, train, too. (Don't worry, folks, don't think Lionel has any plans to make a Barney train!) Thomas is the star of a PBS television series called Shining Times Station, which incorporates not only charming, elaborate model railroading on television to play out children's stories but also includes live action plots surrounding them. Thomas comes from a series of English childrens books by Rev. W. Awdry, which use personified locomotives to talk about human failings like egos and carelessness. The stories are so well done that they were a great success, but nothing matched with the success the appealing characters, English steam engines and rolling stock with faces, have had in the toy market. Lionel has jumped on the bandwagon with a model that nearly rivals the ones in the television series. The engine is certainly the farthest Lionel has gone into specifically "toy trains" for several decades, and it will be interesting to see whether or not it is a success. In fact, Thomas is the first children's character to go electric with Lionel since Mickey, Goofy, and Donald in the 30s. There is a graphic file of Thomas on CompuServe. Watch RailOnline for a review next issue. > MICRO-TRAINS N and Z scalers have plenty of releases announced in November alone. In N scale, modelers can look forward to a D&RGW 2-bay ACF Centerflow covered hopper, a GN 40' `circus car' box car (circus cars were used by GN to test paint schemes), a special Micro-Trains holiday car with "I'm dreaming of a Micro-Trains Christmas", a C&O "Progress 34' red wood sheathed caboose, and a WWII-built Grand Trunk Western 50 composite gondala. Z scalers can also purchase the holiday car. Prices on the N scale cars range from $10.40 to $16.95; Z scale cars range are $18.40 if Marklin compatible, $20.50 with Magne-Matic couplers. N scalers with Life-Like FA2s will be interested in Micro-Trains' new pilot conversion #1165, at $10.95. The kit includes everything needed to convert the front and rear of the FA2 to Micro-Trains couplers, while creating a more prototypical look. Lastly, the NMRA has commissioned Micro-Trains to produce the 3rd "Delta Lines" car in the NMRA's Heritage Collection. The "Delta Lines" logo and name are from Frank Ellison's famous railroad. The car is an exclusive for NMRA members. > MINIATRONICS Light up model pikes with neon and clean track with a flip of a switch Modelers sick of cleaning track themselves have another alternative. Electrak Clean sends a rapid series of high frequency impulses between the wheels and the track which vaporizes the dirt. The technology is not harmful to the locomotives; in fact, it actually cleans the wheels. The unit is available for $4.95. Miniatronics has also added to its lighted signs designed to look like neon. N scalers now have access to "Bar & Grill", "EATS", "HOTEL", "TAVERN", "RX" and "OPEN" signs. Meanwhile, HO, O, and G scalers can now purchase holiday-theme signs. Four designs are available, a Christmas Tree, a wreath with "Season's Greetings", a sign with "Happy Holidays", and a sign with "Merry Christmas". The N scale signs are $14.95, the HO and O scale signs are $15.95, and the G scale signs run for $19.95. To get these signs flashing, Miniatronics has an incandescent lamp flasher board for all scales at $15.95, including a free slide switch. A knob sets frequency. The board will work with almost any application for lighting. A similar dual unit is available for $17.45 which will alternate between two flashers, suitable for applications such as alternately flashing red and blue lights on police cars. > WALTHERS Walthers jumps into the beginner's ring? Walthers was the only manufacturer other than Bachmann with so many products that they couldn't even tell me about them all. Perhaps the most interesting product on display was an experimental beginning set. Many of you will probably remember buying that first train set, the kind found in toy stores. Most are cheap thrills. Walthers is hoping to provide a higher quality one now. Walthers had a rough idea of what the set will include, and provided test samples of a box design. Visitors to the show that provided comments on the appeal of the product according to just looking at the box compared to Life-Like and Bachmann competitors received a free Walthers tank car. I'm told many experienced modelers also had some ideas for improving the set. As it stands now, and this is almost sure to change, the Walthers set is a combination of products from not only Walthers but others as well. The "TrainMaster" set as it's currently called included Atlas nickel silver track. Beyond that, details are still very tentative. The locomotive is currently based on a Con-Cor shell with Walthers innards. The power pack appeared to be a basic Model Rectifier car, but I couldn't tell for sure. Packaging resembles Walthers' Cornerstone Series packaging. The set currently includes several cars, a locomotive, a loop of track, a power pack, a station, and some signs. Walthers hopes to aim it at beginners, depending partly on experienced modelers familiar with the Walthers name buying it for family members or friends, or recommending it to them. It appears that along with major expansions, the Cornerstone Collection series will be divided up in large collections based on the original core model. For instance, the Medusa Cement model might become a whole cement collection. Walthers has always done this, but now it will be more clearly defined in marketing, and the collections will be larger. One such model that will have new companions soon is the relatively new Northern Light & Power (NL&P). Design Preservation Models wasn't the only displayer with a powerhouse. Walthers had some literature which explained the expansions due in its own "Genuine Electric" collection. All the currently announced additions are due in January. Carrying the Cornerstone Series name are a new NL&P substation at $24.98, a chain-link fence at $9.98, and a transformer at $9.98. A dealer multipack is due in its freight car line. Twelve 75' depressed-center flat cars, $12.98 each, will sell for $155.76. Six roadnames will be modeled: TTX, BN, UP, SP, DODX, and GECX. > INDUSTRY CONNECTION The industry connection is your private link to the industry via RailOnline Magazine, as a monthly feature in RO. RO already receives info from Walthers, Life-Like, Atlas, and Stewart Hobbies, and thanks to the connections made in Chicago, will soon offer most of the names mentioned above. As always, stay tuned. Check your local hobby store for the products mentioned above. Many of the announcements are tentative, of course. Here's how you can contact the manufacturers above. ATLAS: 378 Florence Ave. Hillside, NJ 07205 USA / 1-800-872-2521 BACHMANN: 1400 E. Erie Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19124 USA CHALLENGER IMPORTS: P.O. Box 93244 Capital Sq. Station Des Moines, Iowa 50393 USA / (515)280-8363 DIGITRAX: P.O. Box 1424 Norcross, GA 30091 (404)441-7992 Digitrax is also available via CompuServe. Details in next issue. DESIGN PRESERVATION MODELS: P.O. Box 66 Linn Creek, MO 65052 USA HEKI (Via Portman Hobby Distributors): 851 Washington St. Peekskill, NY 10566 USA / (914)737-6633 / Fax: (914)737-6984 KEY IMPORTS: P.O. Box 1848 Rogue River, OR 97537 USA LIFE-LIKE: 1600 Union Ave. Baltimore, MD 21211-1998 USA / (410)889-1023 MICRO-TRAINS: 351 Rogue River Parkway P.O. Box 1200 Talent, OR 97540-1200 USA (503)535-1755 MINIATRONICS: 44-V Jefryn Blvd. Deer Park, NY USA 11729 WALTHERS: 5601 W. Florist Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53218 USA > DO YOU HAVE A PRODUCT FOR MODEL RAILROADERS? Let us know about it. Send a press release or announcement to RailOnline, 25777 Tara Drive, Barrington, IL 60010-1452. Voice (708)526-8074. -Peter Kirn __________________________________________________________________ RAILONLINE FEATURES Model Railroading Special: What's in a Name? @@M __________________________________________________________________ Model railroading "gimmicks": these funny names have been popular for a long time, were championed by the modeling wizard John Allen, and have even received criticism from modelers more concerned with prototypical naming. Surprisingly enough, even the prototype, though, has a few "gimmicks"! by Steve Kay for RailOnline Did you ever notice that many model railroads have a "gimmick"; namely the assignment of snappy names to model railroads and the fictitious industries that they serve? It's really interesting to see the ingenuity that model railroaders apply to their miniature creations, and that applies equally as well to the names they select for their rail lines and industries. This gimmickry may have started as long ago as the hobby itself, but the late, great John Allen (also known as "the Wizard of Monterey") gave this practice a big boost by naming his outstanding model railroad the Gorre and Daphetid (pronounced "gory and defeated"). Regardless of where it got started or who may have started it, such names add a little variety to our model railroads and sometimes border on the comedic! Industries often bear such names as "Toosetza Books" and "Hissen Radiators". Additional fun can be introduced by posting a company motto or slogan, such as "Home of the Miracle Chair Company: If it's a good chair, it's a Miracle"! Then, there's the playful use of acronyms. My own model railroad, the Cinnaminson, Rangeley and Upper Darby, carries the reporting marks "CRUD" on all of its own rolling stock! But the road's slogan is a little bit more serious, namely "Serving Millions from atop the Alleghenies". (Please don't tell anyone, but this slogan was purloined from T-V station WJAC in Johnstown, Pennsylvania many years ago)! All it takes to "spice up" your railroad and its lineside industries is a little inventiveness and a few decals. Most of the major decal manufacturers (Champ, MicroScale, Walthers, etc) make alphabet sets that contain letters and numbers that can be cut out and arranged to form any combination of words. Just pick a type style (Railroad Gothic, Helvetica Bold, etc.) and go to it! Don't forget to use Solvaset on the completed decals to make them "settle in" to the clapboards, brickwork, wood panels, or whatever the structure or car is composed of. Then finish everything off with a coat of Testors Dullcote to hide the decal film and provide a realistic flat finish. Weathering is, of course, optional. Gimmickry is not limited to railroad and industry names, but can be applied to cities and to stores that are found there. For instance, if you were modeling an area of the Pennsylvania Railroad, you could name cities such as Payola, Fiddledelphia, and Presson. The tunnel that bores through the big mountain after the train goes over the "Muleshoe Curve" could be called "Galavantin Tunnel". Many modelers have named stores after friends and relatives, and some businesses receive funny names such as "I Pullem, Dentist". A friend of mine has employed a gimmick in naming his "O" hi-rail line. It all started innocently enough. We were enjoying an operating session on his model railroad one night when a 2-4-2 Columbia steam locomotive derailed on the upper level and tumbled headlong directly into an Alco FA-2 running along the lower level. I immediately piped up: "What is this, the Kamikaze Central?" And the rest is history! He now has an A-B-A set of Alcos and a caboose which were custom-painted for his railroad with a gimmickey name that just happened during the course of conversation: "Kamikaze Central; the Ban-Zai Line". The road's color is Penn-Central green with white lettering, a yellow stripe, and a "target" herald. I made the herald by piecing together the curved portions of two Conrail decal heralds so that they form a set of concentric circles. With a little ingenuity, you too can employ a gimmick in naming your model railroad and providing it with some privately-owned equipment. Of course, real railroads have used their share of gimmicks as well. As an example, the Eastern Tennessee and Western North Carolina railroad is most often referred to as the "Tweetsie" railroad. It would be interesting to know how that gimmickey nickname came about. Then there was the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern railroad, who had a catchy motto on their box cars describing the line's circuitous route "around, not through, Chicago". And many of us remember the stylized graphics used by the Susquehanna railroad on their steam-era box cars, along with the slogan "ship with Susie-Q". The list is endless, but you get the idea; gimmicks are nothing new, even to the real railroads. [Editor's own favorite prototype gimmick: The South East Coal Company's own railroad in eastern Kentucky labeled its locos with SECX, leading locals to dub the trains "Sexy trains"! -PK] Why do model railroaders go for "gimmicks", namely the invention of these snappy names for their railroads, industries, towns, and businesses? To heighten their enjoyment of the Model Railroad hobby, of course! --- This is Steve Kay's debut in RailOnline Magazine. Steve is a freelance railroad author. __________________________________________________________________ RAILONLINE FEATURES Model Railroading Special: Modeling water and stratified rocks, step by step @@N __________________________________________________________________ Water with acrylic gloss medium, as used by Dave Frary, and stratified rock without a mold. by Giuliano Volpini for RailOnline WATER More information about modeling water is available in Dave Frary's book on scenery but out of all the methods I found that using the acrylic gloss medium is the simplest, cheapest and best of all healthiest. Let me extend on these three points before I get into the actual process; it is simple in the you do not need to do much to prepare your water base other than paint it first, it is cheap in that acrylic gloss medium is available in all art supply stores as well as craft shops and even hardware stores you can even sometimes find it in the stationary areas at some large department stores, it is the healthiest because acrylic gloss medium does not give off any harmful fumes and that is a big plus when you have children as well it is water soluble and makes cleanup easy. OK now for the method: 1. Prepare your water base using either flat wood or modeling with plaster. 2. Paint the base using water soluble colors such as lampert black and aquamarine blue. Use the black just to make the water look dark not black; I found that painting the base first with blue (mixed with some water) and then using a pinch of full strength black to give some dark color work best. Experiment on some wood or piece of flat plaster first. 3. Let the entire surface DRY THOROUGHLY; sometimes this will take up to three days, depending on air circulation. Do not rush into glossing the surface until it is COMPLETELY dry (not tacky) to the touch. 4. Now get your acrylic gloss medium and using a deep measuring spoon take two or three big scoops into a cup or baby jar glass. Now add a pinch; about 1/8 of an inch; of aquamarine blue to the medium. Stir mixture well until one color. 5. Using a one inch brush start to spread the mixture onto the dry paint. The reason for adding blue to the medium is to create a depth to the "water". Again, let dry thoroughly. 6. Perform step 5 two more time; what you want to do is make several layers of acrylic medium. At this point you can also add some detailing rocks, tires, wood, etc to the "water" base and paint over them. 7. After giving the "water" two or three coats of blue tinted acrylic gloss medium now using reefer white and dry brush the high points to create the white "water" look. 8. Now using the medium in it's white state give the surface a final coat for the high gloss of "water" look. 9. Add to the still wet final coat any detailing that is to be floating on the water or partly in and partly out. Let dry THOROUGHLY. 10. Using reefer white dry brush white around detailing that is sticking out or floating on the "water" and let dry. 11. Using white medium cover the white around the detailing items only. 12. Bring the banks out to the water with rocks and other debris or detailing. Some may like to plaster the banks up to the "water", if you do this be very careful not to get plaster on the "water" or simply cover it up. STRATIFIED ROCK I have used this method to model stratified rock without using any molds quite successfully. I do not know if it has been used by others before (probably has) so I am not taking a pioneer position on this one. The method is quite simple and goes as follows: 1. Start by mixing up some hydrocal or whatever modeling plaster you use in a fairly think but not waterless state; ie runny but not to much. 2. Once your plaster is ready, take some tissue paper or paper towels and form it in a ball the size of the rock you want to model. 3. Dip the crumpled tissue into the plaster mixture and thoroughly cover it with plaster. 4. Have a piece of fairly smooth wood beside you (the smoother the better to remove the rock model later). Remove the plaster-wet ball and place on the wood. 5. Push it down so that the part touching the wood goes flat. 6. Now spread the edges out in whatever shape you want and let the plaster start to cure. In the mean time make more of these from step 2 to 6. 7. When you have used up all your plaster, start with the first rock and using the dull side of the knife run it over the rock model in straight runs creating stratified rock. Follow the models in order of make ie first out; first stratified. Let the plaster get cured though or else your lines won't stay when you run your knife through the rock. 8. Let rocks cure totally until plaster is a complete white color and then color the molds by just spraying with black wash relief (1 cup water, two drops dish wash detergent, three drops of black India ink). 9. Let the rock absorb the wash and then using reefer white paint, dry brush the high points of the model And there you have it: stratified rock without a mold. --- Giuliano Volpini, a freelance model railroad author, makes his debut in RailOnline with this article. Giuliano actually approached us about writing the guest story rather than the other way around, and we're happy to be able to run his material in this issue. __________________________________________________________________ RAILONLINE FEATURES Model railroading special: The Agony & Loose Springs Railroad @@O __________________________________________________________________ A discovered HO sign brings back memories of a long-lost model railroad By Roger Hensley, RailOnline staff While putting together some new buildings for my town of Westport that I am currently rebuilding, I came across two signs simply saying "Agony". When I thought about it, I soon remembered that they came from Lew Shapiro's 'Agony and Loose Springs' HO scale railroad. A few days later I was looking at the pictures of the 'Agony and Loose Springs' that I have hung on the wall in my den and memories began to flood in and take over. The A&LS filled the majority of a large basement here in Anderson, Indiana with steam and early diesel, a city with a trolley line, oil refineries, a major town, countryside and a viable traction line serving points in between. I remember what seemed to be acres and acres of yard tracks with the main passing through them only to disappear under the city or to be switched into the passenger station trackage. There, disembarking passengers found the comfort of the large glass and steel train sheds protecting them from the inconvenience of the elements. Once in the station they could take advantage of the many restaurants and shops as they made their way up to street level and the city which contained many elements of New Orleans. . . It is dusk in the city and the street lights are beginning to come on as the traffic moves through the streets and alley ways. As I look across the street, the flash from an arcing trolley pole momentarily catches my eye as the trolley car makes its way down the street toward me. The automobile traffic is light as the city is still recovering from the war years, so I can't help but notice the '48 Ford Coupe that is just turning the corner. The old hotel on the corner has some fantastic ornate iron works and columns and, although old, it shows the tender loving care that has maintained it over the years. I swung aboard the trolley and was settling into my seat just as we rumbled past the White Castle restaurant where their special White Castle Hamburgers are only 5 cents each. Of course the catch to that is that you can't eat just one. It always seems to take 3 or 4 and darn it... we went past the Uptown Theatre so fast that I didn't get a chance to see what was playing. I did notice that it's a double feature with Charlie Chaplin in one film and Gloria Swanson in the other. I watch the shops and people through the windows as the trolley passes along the street picking up and dropping off riders. The traction motors whine as the Motorman brings the car up to speed with only an occasional snap and pop from the trolley pole as it rides against the overhead wire. The putt-putt sound of the air compressor keeping up the air adds a soothing quality to the ride and soon my destination, the park, is in sight. The lights are on in the park now and the band is warming up in the Bandstand. There are a few people already here and I watch a mother walking down the main aisle toward the Bandstand with her little girl as I swing down from the trolley's step. She's early enough that they will be able to get good seats down front. Dixieland is on the program tonight. As a matter of fact, Dixieland is generally on the program every night because that's the way that Lew wanted it. . . . and I lay aside the third of the pictures that I have and come back to the real world. The 'Agony and Loose Springs Railroad' was dismantled and sold off piece by piece when Lew changed scales to O Scale Traction. You see, Lew has a love of Chicago Elevated Trainsand the El car that he had been waiting for had finally been produced in O scale and Lew set out to do downtown Chicago with both Subway and Elevated. Later, he changed jobs and moved (a couple of times) and the O Scale has gone into boxes awaiting another day. The center piece of the first picture was not the Magnuson Models '48 Ford, but rather the hotel with the ornate iron works. I watched Lew build that building using pictures that he had taken of the prototype in New Orleans. I remember how he fussed over capturing the look of the iron works in HO scale and would not have even tried if Grandt Line hadn't brought out its 'Wells Fargo' Balcony Railing at just the right time. He was extremely proud of the way the finished product looked. It was a labor of love. The Large city station was either the Faller or Kibri 'Bonn' station that Lew Americanized. He put the Faller Passenger Bridge together with 2 Kibri Train Sheds and a unique creation was born. The second picture was made up of Magnuson's Merchant Row 2, the Art Deco Theatre and White Tower (White Castle) Restaurant. All of these were basically out of the box models with window blinds, curtains and other details added. Ah, and the last of the pictures I described was the Summer Bandstand by Campbell Scale Models. All of these are still available today although other models on the A&LS are not. Why do I mention this railroad at all? Simple; I have been privileged to have seen several model railroads that were very well done and none of them made it into the pages of our magazines. It's not because they weren't good. They were. It just never happened. This was one of them. There is more to tell about the 'Agony and Loose Springs' but time doesn't allow . . . Oh, remember the 'Agony' signs that I mentioned earlier? They were from an SS Ltd Victorian Station (no longer available). That structure is now a Victorian home museum in Henderson, the main terminus on my East Central Indiana Railroad. The Interurban car speeds swiftly through the rural countryside toward the 'Junction' after leaving the Hillside Resort. I am engrossed in thought as the car rocks gently to and fro. I scarcely notice the movement as I have spent a lot of time on these cars.. "How long can the line stay functional with people turning away from Interurbans towards the new freedom of the automobile?" I am wondering. The auto manufacturers are doing their best to woo away the ridership and to move them into more and more cars and even into those new inter-city buses. Buses and cars can go places where there are no tracks. The scenery passes but I do not see it. Our car shudders slightly as the Motorman applies the brakes and I am jolted out of my reverie as we come to a stop at the 'Junction'. We have to come to a complete stop before we can cross the diamond and proceed on. The A&LS RR holds sway here and has priority. As we wait for the Green, my eyes can't help but be attracted to the line of Beer Reefers on the siding by the Brewery. Schlitz, Blatz, Pabst, Anheuser-Busch, Tivoli, Berghoff, Stroh's, Budweiser and Genessee billboard reefers are all lined up and waiting. "Thank God some things will never change," I muttered. All of those companies will probably be around forever. Trains and Interurbans have their troubles but beer goes on forever. We have the Green at last; the Motorman notches out and we rattle across the diamond and deeper into A&LS territory. As our car picks up speed, I catch just a glimpse of the funnel stack of the Quarry locomotive climbing the grade to pick up empties. That little guy must have been around forever. It almost screams 'Turn of the Century' when you see it. "Let a bus or a car match that!" I say with emphasis and two of the other riders give me a side glance. Then we are past the Quarry lead and ahead and to the right is the Oil Refinery with its tanks and towers and sidings of tank cars being filled or waiting their turn. The odor is quite rank and almost overpowering. It's funny how you try to hold your breath and take only small gulps of air. It doesn't help at all, but you do it anyway. Appreciation for our industry fills me as we roll by the refinery. Sure, it stinks and is sometimes dirty but it is the life blood of our people and our cities. And then for a moment we are running along side of an A&LS heavy freight moving slowly and ponderously upgrade as our tracks briefly parallel their main and then even this sign of industrial strength is left behind as we near the city. The well worn station that is our destination comes into sight ahead as our car rocks back and forth on track that is not as well kept as I know the Company would like and our all too brief trip is coming to an end. Once again, I had seen the Haunted House dominating the hill over the small town with it's slow rural manner, the resort where the rich and powerful once spent vacations and weekends, the rural countryside and the small farms and businesses. There was the Junction and Brewery, Quarry and Refinery. It was a good trip even though the equipment is showing its age and usage. "How long can this way of life last?" I ask myself, and I know that I just don't have an answer to that... ...and I hang the last of the pictures of Lew Shapiro's Agony and Loose Springs HO Scale Railroad back on my wall. It was two good trips filled with reminiscence. The steam locos and the reefers with their roof hatches open. The well done overhead wire feeding the Trolley Poles of the Traction cars. The city and the country, the rural town and Resort. Lord, I have forgotten a lot, but I still remember so much. The operating sessions for the layout tours and the time spent in construction and detailing. These are things that we all do and our railroads come and go. Sometimes they even leave a piece of themselves in our memory and that is nostalgia. --- Roger Hensley writes for RailOnline on a monthly basis. __________________________________________________________________ RAILONLINE FEATURES Dan's not here right now... HERE'S TO THE ARMCHAIR MODELERS @@P __________________________________________________________________ by Peter Kirn With Daniel Dawdy resting this month, my comments not only head up the issue, but finish it off as well. I'd like to say a few words about a rather large group of people who are often ignored. They're called simply "armchair modelers". Hundreds of thousands strong, in countries around the world, they can be defined simply as spectators in model railroading. Spectators are what make sports. Huddled around radios in the early part of this century, then televisions in the later part of the century, they are a truly great breed. Many have what goes on down to a science, knowing more about the sport than some of the sportcasters. Spectators provide the necessary mental energy required to make something truly beautiful. The players are idols to them, and they sit at home dreaming in their armchairs, planning what they'd do in the place of the players. Armchair modelers are no different. Fed by Model Railroader, they sit and absorb model railroading knowledge. They eaglerly read everything they can get there hands on, cover to cover. And not only do they know all the layouts and modelers, but have an elaborate plan for their own layout which they'll build - someday. I'm sure we've all been armchair modelers at some point. Perhaps we don't realize how important armchair modelers are to modeling, though. Sports are nowhere without fans to watch them (and spend money on them). Artists are nothing without artgoers coming to see their work, and to invest in it. Model railroading is theater, and it's artwork, and it's a sport. And it is a spectator sport. So, as a long-time armchair modeler myself, and an ordinary modeler, too, let me just thank you. Keep giving us someone to model for. Maybe even join in with some modeling of your own. You've been a wonderful audience. -Peter Kirn, Editor __________________________________________________________________ RAILCALENDAR __________________________________________________________________ Your event here! If you have a rail-related event, just send it to us. We'll publish it for no charge! We recommend that you notify us two months in advance of the event. __________________________________________________________________ RAIL ONLINE @^ __________________________________________________________________ ===== STAFF ===== Peter Kirn Editor-in-Chief CompuServe Distribution Daniel Dawdy Assistant Editor Internet Distribution SENIOR CONTRIBUTORS: Matthew Mitchell Rail passenger news (from the Delaware Valley Rail Passenger) ASSOCIATE CONTRIBUTORS: Bryce Lee Canadian news coverage Ken May Northeast news coverage Roger Hensley Model railroading Additional. submissions: BritRail Travel Int'l, Atlas Model Railroading Co., Conrail, Santa Fe Railroad, VIA Rail, Life-Like, and Dorr Alitzer, SysOp of the CompuServe TrainNet forum, as well as all our guest authors. RailOnline is a non-profit organization. RailOnline is copyright (C)1993 E/Press publications. Copying RO in a manner contrary to the way defined by the section "copying RO" is a federal offense. 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And remember, as long as you don't modify it, you can copy RO as much as you like. ================== COMING NEXT MONTH: ================== A MYSTERY EMPLOYEE FEATURE - Continuing coverage of the ICE train - The Digital Command Control format - what it means for you - The latest RailNews, right up to printing And much more... ...all in the December issue of RailOnline 1993 The international rail magazine for the computer age.