Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS vs CSXT Mixed Freight Train Speed Questions

Good Evening:

Does CSXT still run manifest trains at 60 mph, or did they drop speeds to 50 mph on most trains like NS did recently?

Also, does CSXT still run intermodal trains at 70 MPH on parts of their system?

Thank you in advance.

On most of the Nahunta Sub in Georgia it's still Intermodal 70, Freight 60. (Passenger 79)

RFandPFan Wrote:
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> On most of the Nahunta Sub in Georgia it's still
> Intermodal 70, Freight 60. (Passenger 79)

Not unless something changed recently. CSX does not operate any class five track which would allow intermodal to operate at 70 mph.
Class four 60 mph freight and 80 mph passenger. Intermodal is included in freight.

Posted from iPhone

farmer Wrote:
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> RFandPFan Wrote:
> Not unless something changed recently. CSX does
> not operate any class five track which would allow
> intermodal to operate at 70 mph.
> Class four 60 mph freight and 80 mph passenger.
> Intermodal is included in freight.

Well, according to a good friend I just spoke to, who is a CSX engineer out of Waycross and runs this line almost every day, it’s still 70/60 MPH. I trust he would know.

Just for the record, last week I videoed Q455 going through the Dyal Hill DD north of Callahan and the transmission had its speed as 61MPH so that would also indicate the speed limit is still 60. I’ve also heard Amtrak 97 and 98 going thru the DD’s at 79 all the time. That being said, it is one of the few parts of CSX that run at those speeds.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/20 18:16 by RFandPFan.

Glad to hear general freight trains running at 60 mph on CSXT. NS seems to be taking a back seat to CSXT now. I once believed NS to be a better managed railroad, but I do not think that way anymore.

PRR_4859 Wrote:
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> Glad to hear general freight trains running at 60
> mph on CSXT. NS seems to be taking a back seat to
> CSXT now. I once believed NS to be a better
> managed railroad, but I do not think that way
> anymore.

NS is managing cost. They have determined that running non-premium intermodals at 50mph saves fuel cost where the slower run time doesn't matter. For all you know, CSX may be irresponsible in this respect by continuing to run them all at 60. I don't know that we have the information to be able to make the easy judgement you seem to want to make. Many railfans seem to disregard the pressure on RR managements to make the financial results expected by Wall Street. It's not ALL about how the trains perform. That's just the part we can easily see.

RFandPFan Wrote:
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> On most of the Nahunta Sub in Georgia it's still
> Intermodal 70, Freight 60. (Passenger 79)

there are freight and passenger trains.

simple examples : an intermodal is a type freight train with containers/pigs.  a manifest is also a type of freight train with boxcars, tanks, gons, flats, etc.

SSI's explain more of the car types and related speeds........

66

goneon66 Wrote:
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> RFandPFan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > On most of the Nahunta Sub in Georgia it's
> still
> > Intermodal 70, Freight 60. (Passenger 79)
>
> there are freight and passenger trains.
>
> simple examples : an intermodal is a type freight
> train with containers/pigs.  a manifest is also a
> type of freight train with boxcars, tanks, gons,
> flats, etc.
>
> SSI's explain more of the car types and related
> speeds........
>
> 66

Looking at the timetable for the Nahunta Sub, there are speeds for freight, intermodal, and passenger.

http://www.multimodalways.org/docs/railroads/companies/CSX/CSX%20ETTs/CSX%20Jacksonville%20Div%20ETT%20%234%201-1-2005.pdf

it is interesting how some subdivisions (auburndale) have just P and F speeds while another subdivision (nahunta) has P, I, and F speeds. 

thanks very  much for the link.............

66

 

halfmoonharold Wrote:
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> PRR_4859 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Glad to hear general freight trains running at
> 60
> > mph on CSXT. NS seems to be taking a back seat
> to
> > CSXT now. I once believed NS to be a better
> > managed railroad, but I do not think that way
> > anymore.
>
> NS is managing cost. They have determined that
> running non-premium intermodals at 50mph saves
> fuel cost where the slower run time doesn't
> matter. For all you know, CSX may be irresponsible
> in this respect by continuing to run them all at
> 60. I don't know that we have the information to
> be able to make the easy judgement you seem to
> want to make. Many railfans seem to disregard the
> pressure on RR managements to make the financial
> results expected by Wall Street. It's not ALL
> about how the trains perform. That's just the part
> we can easily see.

I understand your point. However, I get very concerned with any degrading of service, regardless of the reasons, especially with loosening of truck capacity.

PRR_4859 Wrote:
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> I get very concerned with any degrading of service, regardless of the reasons, especially with loosening of truck capacity.

Is it a degradation of service if a car spends an hour longer in motion at a slower speed instead of an hour sitting nowhere in a yard?
We have a situation where trains were racing across country burning extra fuel just to sit in a parking lot at the destination. No service benefit.

NS kept the faster speeds on their hot intermodals - where the faster speed could benefit service.