Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS long pool segments

Indications are that NS might have started a long pool segment from Belevue ohio to Altoona pa for 14G and other trains that were shifted from conway to belevue.  Does anyone have knowledge of this?   One apparently went over the time limit sunday at Cresson pa.

r
 

I haven't heard about that one, but it wouldn't surprise me because NS has definitely established a "super pool" between Conway and Elkhart, Ind., for a few hot intermodals. Bellevue-Altoona could be a "super pool" if it exists, too, because it skips not just one, but two crew-change locations (Cleveland and Conway).

NS can hardly keep 40 trains moving from Columbus to Bellevue. ;)



toledopatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I haven't heard about that one, but it wouldn't
> surprise me because NS has definitely established
> a "super pool" between Conway and Elkhart, Ind.,
> for a few hot intermodals. Bellevue-Altoona could
> be a "super pool" if it exists, too, because it
> skips not just one, but two crew-change locations
> (Cleveland and Conway).

Posted from Android

This is Bellvue to Altoona rumor is untrue, still just Bellevue to Conway. Most likely a 14G that was recrewed at Conway, then other delays. Not unherd of a Conway to Altoona pool train not making it all the way to Altoona without a head end helper or recrew.

The PRR and PC had a Conway to Ft Wayne long pool in the '60s and 70s when most of that territory had little CWR and was mostly controlled by towers. But at the beginning of that time the hours of service law was 14 hours and only the really hot freights used it. After 12 hours became the service law and the railroad prefering to move traffic via Cleveland (because there was not enough traffic to support both lines) the pool went away. Conway to Elkhart is not much fruther with today's modern locos, cars, track, and traffic control, and I could see it for intermodal or multilevel trains. But I think that is a stretch for a big carload train. I do not see how crews could make Altoona to Elkhart with helper crews needed on most carload trains in various places east of Pittsburgh. Altoona to Elkhart might be possible for smaller intermodal trains, but what would it accomplish? You still need short crews Altoona to Harrisburg and Elkhart to Chicago area. Using those three districts, as I think some trains do now, and changing at Conway and Toledo more evenly splits the distance.  

The three trains pulled out of Conway have been back for a couple months now. Bellevue, excuse me Moorman yard couldn't handle the extra traffic. It is built, worked, and departed off third turn.

Untrue rumor...west of Conway is Nickle Plate agreement, east of Conway is Southern agreement...run through trains are technically possible, but would involve equity for each labor agreement...and NS isn't a fan of double sided pools (although they do exist)...also 14G, 10G and 16N all originate out of Conway again, as they had prior to the expansion of Moorman/Bellevue...and it's usually 10-12 hours to get a merchandise train built at Conway to Altoona, 8-10 hours to get a train built at Bellevue to Conway.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/15 02:59 by 5grump.