Eastern Railroad Discussion > CSX OCS at Ashland, VA

Got a heads up that the OCS was going to run up the RF&P sub yesterday so grabbed the gear and got out to shoot it as he passed Gwathmey Chruch.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

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Very nice!


Jay

Thank you...

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

Very nice images, especially the first one the last and the middle one.

Thanks..

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

Sharon, congratulations on IOTD. You earned it : )
John

Got a question. In this day and age of electronic sophistication and measuring equipment Are these cars really used for rail inspection or more a seating area with a terrific view for executives to ride on? I know they claim to be built for clear visibility of the track but cars like the UP's that seat 24 in stepped seating and have kitchens and dining areas seem a bit overboard if all you want to do is really visually inspect track after the train has gone over it. Wouldn;t it be better to inspect it before in case there is a rail problem so you don't go off the rails? Seems like overkill if all you really want to do is a visual

The overkill has been going on for quite awhile. Regardless of all the electronic equipment available today, "seat of the pants" is still a viable and effective way to monitor a rail line. However, even more important than the monitoring of the trackwork is the visible, interactive, hands on experiences these trips offer for officials and loser employees.

In Morgrett's "Brosnan, The Railroads' Mesiah" an interesting observation is how much the Southern Railway changed once the railroad purchased its first corporate jet during Brosnan's reign. Brosnan's time out on the railroad reduced substantially once he took the air. The interactions and corporate culture did have a noticeable change.

Jay

This is a business car train or office car special used for transporting company executives and customers. This train is not a track geometry or rail inspection vehicle. It is more commonly used to transport big shippers to major events.

That can have a purpose , stroke the big buyers, but why are they called inspection cars ? I have seen them going 50 mph and a bunch of people in the back but how can you inspect track or see anything at that speed unless they have a bunch of instrumentation , magnatomitters and such in the car. Maybe in the kitchen lol. I was reading an article about the UP's Idaho and they call it an inspection car. I got the impression that it was a goody like a private jet but they called it inspection to forestal what might be criticism for having a luxury ride for bigwigs.

Idaho
Inspection Car – Stabled at Council Bluffs
The Idaho was built by American Car & Foundry in 1949 as
a 12-roomette, four-double bedroom car named the Western
Mountain. It was rebuilt by Pullman Standard in 1965 as
11-bedroom sleeper Sun Lane and converted to the inspection
car Idaho in 1980. This car features theater-type seating,
which faces a large rear picture window to permit unrestricted
viewing of the track and structures along the right of way.

If it was me I would use a Bar Car to shmooge my clients.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/14 08:48 by kingman.

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F40's for AMTRAK? No, get rid of them.

F40's for VIA and CSX? Yes, and they still run and look good!

jmbreitigan Wrote:
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> Sharon, congratulations on IOTD. You earned it :
> )
> John
Thank you very much John...

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

kingman Wrote:
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> Got a question. In this day and age of electronic
> sophistication and measuring equipment Are these
> cars really used for rail inspection or more a
> seating area with a terrific view for executives
> to ride on? I know they claim to be built for
> clear visibility of the track but cars like the
> UP's that seat 24 in stepped seating and have
> kitchens and dining areas seem a bit overboard if
> all you want to do is really visually inspect
> track after the train has gone over it. Wouldn;t
> it be better to inspect it before in case there is
> a rail problem so you don't go off the rails?
> Seems like overkill if all you really want to do
> is a visual

The UPRR Idaho (and Fox River) are actually referred to as "Theater-Observation Cars." As is this CSXT car. As is the BNSF full dome retrofitted as such (they also have a full dome that is untouched to original specs in the fleet, pretty much like the sole remaing Amtrak ex-NP Full Dome). The NS has one as well, a retrofitted full dome as I recall (just as they also have one that is "untouched" an in original configuration).

Shortly after the UP/SP Merger, a group of us that were engineer-certified were run around in circles on the Idaho with a short biz train from Pine Bluff, AR to Big Sandy, TX (and also down to Shreveport, LA), and back up from Longview, TX to North Little Rock, AR (northbound up the old MP side of the UP, southbound down the old SSW side), with a veteran conductor and veteran MOP (Road Foreman of Engines) narrating at the read as we all took notes in our track chart profiles and timetables...for over a week. And this experience proved INVALUABLE for getting us qualified for the work that we'd have to to as "Manager Engineer Pilots" for what was upcoming (of course, we also had to ride and take "stick time" on a lot of trains afterwards, but the time spent aboard the UP Idaho GREATLY shortened the learning curve for those of us that had a Herculean Task!!!). So no, these cars do not have any instrumentation, but serve a very valuable purpose both for middle managers, as well as for higher ups inspecting various other routes, their oown properties, etc. Just look at the photos of the UPRR Officer Special in the last couple of days going up the CP U.S. routes through Wisconsin behind a brand new EMD SD70AH with the theather-observation (or "inspection car" if you like), for the exploration of a possible new UPRR Crude-by-Oil routing.

Anybody that thinks that OCS Specials (or whatever each RR calls them) or that the RR brass shouldn't be out riding the rails--and--on a frequent basis, is "all wet." Yes, it's a pleasurable experience. But it also serves a serious business purpose. And that's whether it's for purely operating officers, or yes, for shippers, or even for the boards of directors.

Also, read the "Mad Dog Chronicles" on either the Nostalgia Board and/or Railroader's Nostaliga by "MDO," as a lot of these business car rides can be TERRIFYING for the lower-ranking officials involved. And many at the superintendent-level and below (even higher)--to this day--many a career has been ended on a business car ride!!! For those supposed to know their territory from one end to the other, and unable to come up with the right question from a Regional Vice President or above that doesn't get the answer right or obviously doesn't know what he's talking about!!! So it's not all "fun and games." That's why in many of the traditional biz cars (unlike this one...but I'm sure this one has one), there is often a couch or sometimes just a chair in them called "The Mourner's Bench." These are not just "toys." And one doesn't get the perspective of the RR at 30,000 feet--and--those that TRY to get a perspective of their RRs at 30,000 feet are the RRs that are SCREWED UP!!! Nuff said!!!

Photos and thread of the recent UP Inspection Train over the CPRR on the Western Board that I referred to with Theater-Observation, or "Inspection Car" Fox River:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3518723

But I can just hear stockholders on here writing in to the UPRR, BNSF, CSXT, NS, KCS, and all the rest of them: "I DEMAND that you get rid of your business car fleets!!!" I just wonder if the same will also demand that they also get rid of their corporate jets (of which all of the above have as well?)...



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/14 23:07 by Red.

By the way, I get conflicting information: how many of the F40PHs does CSX have? I know that it was once 4? But heard that possibly one was damaged beyond repair? (Unconfirmed). So is it 3 or 4?

P.S. I really like how the CSX put the enlarged fuel tanks and traditional GP40-2 style air reservoirs under its rebuilt ex-AMTK F40s, greatly lenghtening their fuel range!!! I totally agree with the gentleman above that mentions how the CSX, VIA Rail...and let me also mention the large fleet of Chicago METRA F40s that do hard duty every day...yet Amtrak had to "throw away" it's own F40s, and now is whining that the GEs that it replaced them with are "worn out" and need "replacement." Bah, Humbug!!! Amtrak should have Dash Three'd it's F40PHs and skipped a generation over the existing GE fleet and they'd have come out money ahead!!! LOTS of money ahead.

Editorial comment: only the BNSF doesn't have dedicated psgr power for its own inspection trains. Which are thus limited to 70 MPH even over the 90 MPH portions of its Transcon!!! Had the BNSF saved but 3 of its EMD FP45s (robust and virtually indestructible GM power), they could have had one of the more interesting power sets of all of the Class Ones...