Is CSX Starting To Melt Down?

[John Bobinyec]

In the last month CSX has been running some very long trains along the line from Atlanta to Marietta. One even had two sets of distributed power. The trouble is, they've started parking them on the double track there and in some cases leave them there for several days - DPU's and all. And since the trains are so long, they've had to cut the trains in two places to open road crossings.

To me it's an indicator that the company is in severe trouble (at least in that area), when it starts parking trains on the mainlines. The last time I saw that firsthand was when UP melted down after the UP-SP merger.

Anyone know what's going on in the Atlanta area? One theory I have is that the trains are so extremely long that the yards can't take them.

jb

 

[me_little_me]

Precision Scheduled Railroading is like Just-in-time manufacturing. It saves you a lot until something goes wrong. Then it collapses.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

CSX is hiring. A lot of T/E position. Big bonus for relocating of current employees.

 

[cocojacoby]

What a major cluster **** around Wildwood Yard today. A southbound tank train stopped at the signal at route 104 blocking four road crossings. It previously was blocking the crossing at Route 42 and the traffic backup there was major. It was following a slow moving hopper train that was crawling into the yard blocking the crossing at Route 462. (The stretch between Route 42 and Route 472 - which is about two miles north of the yard - is single track.)

Later we saw two trains blocking the crossings just north and south of the yard at Route 462 and Lynum Street. One was moving slowly southbound while another was just sitting there.

I have never seen the area so bogged down. It appeared that there was simply no place to put these trains or there was a lack of ability for the trains to pass each other because they were so long.

I have seen trains of 205 cars leave Wildwood Yard and crawl north taking forever to clear the crossings in the area. CSX is running monster trains lately.

 

[neroden]

Sounds like it's already melting down, yes. Hopefully more states will buy track off of CSX and get it out of their incompetent little hands.

 

[Willbridge]

Fond [sarcasm] memories of Denver RTD bus routes 24 and 48 having their on-time performance go down the drain due to blocked crossings thanks to UP coal trains after the UP-SP merger. Eventually they got a planned track connection built and we got back to normal crossing delays but first they had to fix Texas.

How would they add the potential tank car unit trains if the Colonial pipeline stays shut down? The railways handled it in WWII when U-boats curtailed waterborne shipments, but they didn't have PSR.

 

[toddinde]

What a major cluster **** around Wildwood Yard today. A southbound tank train stopped at the signal at route 104 blocking four road crossings. It previously was blocking the crossing at Route 42 and the traffic backup there was major. It was following a slow moving hopper train that was crawling into the yard blocking the crossing at Route 462. (The stretch between Route 42 and Route 472 - which is about two miles north of the yard - is single track.)

Later we saw two trains blocking the crossings just north and south of the yard at Route 462 and Lynum Street. One was moving slowly southbound while another was just sitting there.

I have never seen the area so bogged down. It appeared that there was simply no place to put these trains or there was a lack of ability for the trains to pass each other because they were so long.

I have seen trains of 205 cars leave Wildwood Yard and crawl north taking forever to clear the crossings in the area. CSX is running monster trains lately.

Precision Scheduled Railroading at its finest.

 

[Just-Thinking-51]

Part of the issue is the mega train. If your running a two mile train on a district that is designed for a one mile train. You might have some issues. If your yards are designed for a one mile train how do they send out or receive a two mile train? If your running a two mile train because you will save on crew, are you providing the necessary horsepower ratio so the train can get up to speed?

Watching these monsters go past on the relatively flat water level route here in NY. They are not at track speed, and just kind of drift past you.

Sounds like the gee-wiz kids straight out of college have taken over at CSX.

Why does this keep repeating?
Why does the freight railroad not have to do a computer study before try this in real life?
Why can’t we improve the yards, and the passing tracks before we run a mega train?

Moving freight is not rocket science, but some math skills are needed.

 

[TrackWalker]

I have no doubt this has been an ongoing issue ever since the first 1/2 mile long trains would not fit the original 1/4 mile (1320ft, 24 car) sidings.