Eastern Railroad Discussion > Folkston and Harrison

If Hunter Harrison is destroying CSX, I find little evidence today in Folkston. The number of trains are more than I expect for a Monday. The only thing I've noticed is that trains are much longer than in the past.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/13/17 12:41 by SOUCF25.

SOUCF25 Wrote:
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> If Hunter Harrison is destroying CSX, I find
> little evidence today in Folkston. The number of
> trains are more than I expect for a Monday. The
> only thing I've noticed is that train lengths are
> much longer than in the past.

While this is hardly scientific, my last three visits to the CSX ex NYC main in Upstate New York have been very disappointing.  It is very slow and this is the "peak shipping season".  Frankly, without Amtrak, single track would work find based on my last few visits.  If the trains aren't on the ex C&O, the ex B&O or the ex NYC, where are they?

As I already stated, not a scientific study - just a few random observations.

SOUCF25 Wrote:
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> If Hunter Harrison is destroying CSX, I find
> little evidence today in Folkston. The number of
> trains are more than I expect for a Monday. The
> only thing I've noticed is that trains are much
> longer than in the pastt

Train counts have seen better days in the past years through Folkston. In fact, during a 24-hour visit a few years ago, I saw 66 trains from midnight to midnight. Folkston is currently averaging about 46 trains in a 24-hour period (40 CSX and 6 Amtrak). Although trains are fewer, they are generally longer. Also since EHH has taken over, nearly every scheduled Q train through Folkston runs daily. Before, a good amount of the intermodals were running 5-6 days a week and some even fewer.

Andrew

My study is not scientific either. I'm not counting them.

SOUCF25 Wrote:
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> My study is not scientific either. I'm not
> counting them.

I believe you.  I am just saying that business appears to be terrible on a traditionally strong route.

Is NS getting more business from FEC in the Jacksonville area?

Posted from Android

SOUCF25 Wrote:
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> If Hunter Harrison is destroying CSX, I find
> little evidence today in Folkston. The number of
> trains are more than I expect for a Monday. The
> only thing I've noticed is that trains are much
> longer than in the past.


Trains aren't really any longer on the A-Line than before. If anything they're shorter due to the company finally giving up on running double-barrel coal and grain trains.

> SOUCF25 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> While this is hardly scientific, my last three
> visits to the CSX ex NYC main in Upstate New York
> have been very disappointing.  It is very slow
> and this is the "peak shipping season". 

A month ago, only one auto train was running west of Selkirk and was there for several hours.

florida581 Wrote:
> Train counts have seen better days in the past
> years through Folkston. In fact, during a 24-hour
> visit a few years ago, I saw 66 trains from
> midnight to midnight. Folkston is currently
> averaging about 46 trains in a 24-hour period (40
> CSX and 6 Amtrak). Although trains are fewer,
> they are generally longer.
>
> Andrew

What year did you witness 66 daily trains by Folkston? Some of that could be the economy, some could be the running of fewer longer trains as you stated.

Northern Wrote:
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> What year did you witness 66 daily trains by
> Folkston? Some of that could be the economy, some
> could be the running of fewer longer trains as you
> stated.

I guess it was a bit further back than I thought. It was on 12/15/11.
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,2637828,2637828#msg-2637828

The last time I had a 60+ train count in Folkston was in 2015.
https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,3715602,3715602#msg-3715602

The typical train count has been in the mid 40’s for the past two years now.

Andrew

How many coal trains were abolished? When I was here in the early 2000’s, a lot of coal ran down the Nahunta Sub from Jesup?

Posted from iPhone

The biggest change I've seen is the disappearance of most of the rock trains. Rock cars are being hauled on manifest trains now.

RFandPFan Wrote:
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> The biggest change I've seen is the disappearance
> of most of the rock trains. Rock cars are being
> hauled on manifest trains now.

With the exception of Q694 and Q695. They are unit rock trains using a manifest symbol.

Andrew

SOUCF25 Wrote:
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> How many coal trains were abolished? When I was
> here in the early 2000’s, a lot of coal ran down
> the Nahunta Sub from Jesup?
>

Just by my observations, there are about 3-4 coal trains through Folkston on an average day. They were averaging about 6 or so a day a few years ago.

Andrew

RFandPFan Wrote:
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> The biggest change I've seen is the disappearance
> of most of the rock trains. Rock cars are being
> hauled on manifest trains now.


The Portsmouth rock train still runs from Trego as a unit train, although of course he has to work Franklin and Magnolia en-route to the final rock yard in Portsmouth itself.

In addition a new 90-car rock train will begin running soon (I would imagine) to the new rock yard at what was the TDSI facility just outside Portsmouth. One in, one out a week supposedly. They've completely re-jiggered the north and south end leads for the old "yard" there and putting in radio-controlled switches.

Totallamer Wrote:
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He was asking about Folkston which is what I was referring to.

>
> The Portsmouth rock train still runs from Trego as
> a unit train, although of course he has to work
> Franklin and Magnolia en-route to the final rock
> yard in Portsmouth itself.
>
> In addition a new 90-car rock train will begin
> running soon (I would imagine) to the new rock
> yard at what was the TDSI facility just outside
> Portsmouth. One in, one out a week supposedly.
> They've completely re-jiggered the north and south
> end leads for the old "yard" there and putting in
> radio-controlled switches.

As far as the C&O, the 64 corridor is doing reasonably well. Not as good as in some past times...but improved over recent years. Our manifests are ridiculous lengths...but not ridiculous enough to run extra sections....not often.