Eastern Railroad Discussion > A Crack In The CSX Armor?

Over the past 3 weeks ending week 7/1/2020 there has been an increase in the CSX numbers provided to the STB for Weekly Average Number Of Trains Holding By Cause. Each Class 1 provides the “Methodology” as to how they arrive at the numbers provided for all categories. As you would expect in some cases it is difficult to totally understand how they actually arrive at the performance results provided. Not to mention the differences in the calculation process between each of the Class 1's.

For the metric Trains Holding there are three categories: CREW LOCOMOTIVE & OTHER. It goes without saying that most of the “Holds” get placed in the “Other” bucket for a majority of causes reported for most of the Class 1's!Over the past 3 weeks there has been a steady increase in the numbers reported delays by CSX for cause “CREW”. 

#1. Shows the 16 week Trains Holding numbers for CSX 

#2. Shows the 8 week Trains Holding average for 5 Class 1's
Thanks for stopping by and always be safe when out track side!!!

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA

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At Willard, OH CSX has called everyone back to train service.  Even those three years or more of furlough.  

MEKoch Wrote:
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> At Willard, OH CSX has called everyone back to
> train service.  Even those three years or more of
> furlough.  

Thanks for the reply..I was beginning to think the CSX fans here had thrown in the towel. Given the amount of posts in the early days of PSR on the CSX.
NSSpike
 

Phil Maton
Villa Rica, GA

After 3 years of being furloghed, one has to wonder just how many will even come back.

          Looks like Union Pacific stinks the worst.

It sure seems like there are a lot more CSX trains out now then a couple months ago. CSX looks like it is attempting run a railway again. Perhaps the mentality here is "NS, who knows? Better get your pictures now!"

Jim

It's amazing how the auto industry has added to the traffic, things will get interesting here real soon

Posted from Android

tq-07fan Wrote:
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> It sure seems like there are a lot more CSX trains
> out now then a couple months ago. CSX looks like
> it is attempting run a railway again. Perhaps the
> mentality here is "NS, who knows? Better get your
> pictures now!"
>
> Jim

Looks as if KCS and NS are doing a better job of getting the trains on the move.  With easing of the Covid19 restrictions, NS train lengths in my area have dramatically increased and noticing new traffic on the intermodals.  For the nay sayers, NS isn't dead.

bravesfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> tq-07fan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > It sure seems like there are a lot more CSX
> trains
> > out now then a couple months ago. CSX looks
> like
> > it is attempting run a railway again. Perhaps
> the
> > mentality here is "NS, who knows? Better get
> your
> > pictures now!"
> >
> > Jim
>
> Looks as if KCS and NS are doing a better job of
> getting the trains on the move.  With easing of
> the Covid19 restrictions, NS train lengths in my
> area have dramatically increased and noticing new
> traffic on the intermodals.  For the nay sayers,
> NS isn't dead.

We are having crew problems on my territory....there ain't enough of us......not nearly....and we are NOT going to bring anyone back and we are NOT going to hire....and management has been heard to say that when we have trains sitting they will sit until a crew is rested and available....even if it means days.  

engineerinvirginia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bravesfan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > tq-07fan Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > It sure seems like there are a lot more CSX
> > trains
> > > out now then a couple months ago. CSX looks
> > like
> > > it is attempting run a railway again. Perhaps
> > the
> > > mentality here is "NS, who knows? Better get
> > your
> > > pictures now!"
> > >
> > > Jim
> >
> > Looks as if KCS and NS are doing a better job
> of
> > getting the trains on the move.  With easing
> of
> > the Covid19 restrictions, NS train lengths in
> my
> > area have dramatically increased and noticing
> new
> > traffic on the intermodals.  For the nay
> sayers,
> > NS isn't dead.
>
> We are having crew problems on my
> territory....there ain't enough of us......not
> nearly....and we are NOT going to bring anyone
> back and we are NOT going to hire....and
> management has been heard to say that when we have
> trains sitting they will sit until a crew is
> rested and available....even if it means days.  

If true, this means that they have no concept of  how the transportion business (or ANY business) really works.

junctiontower Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> engineerinvirginia Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > bravesfan Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > tq-07fan Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > It sure seems like there are a lot more CSX
> > > trains
> > > > out now then a couple months ago. CSX looks
> > > like
> > > > it is attempting run a railway again.
> Perhaps
> > > the
> > > > mentality here is "NS, who knows? Better
> get
> > > your
> > > > pictures now!"
> > > >
> > > > Jim
> > >
> > > Looks as if KCS and NS are doing a better job
> > of
> > > getting the trains on the move.  With easing
> > of
> > > the Covid19 restrictions, NS train lengths in
> > my
> > > area have dramatically increased and noticing
> > new
> > > traffic on the intermodals.  For the nay
> > sayers,
> > > NS isn't dead.
> >
> > We are having crew problems on my
> > territory....there ain't enough of us......not
> > nearly....and we are NOT going to bring anyone
> > back and we are NOT going to hire....and
> > management has been heard to say that when we
> have
> > trains sitting they will sit until a crew is
> > rested and available....even if it means
> days.  
>
> If true, this means that they have no concept of 
> how the transportion business (or ANY business)
> really works.

I love my job most when I realize I work for three year olds!

I just went past an empty CSX coal train sitting dead on what I think is the Rupert Sub outside of Rainelle, WV. I wonder if that is because there isn't a rush to load yet, or if it is a lack of crews.

Posted from Android

It is  possible that the coal train you saw  parked is waiting  due to vacation periods at the mine / the mine might not be ready to load it yet.

I have a guideline that management for railroads or any or company for that matter can follow and get the desired results.  I call it the 6 P's:

Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.  

Think of it as an upside down triange.  It's the roll of management to support their employees, not the other way around.

Looking at the numbers, it would appear that UP is indeed the worst performer out there.  However, consideing the number of trains that UP runs, maybe the numbers aren't so bad.  BNSF's numbers, overall, appear to be pretty good, when you consider the number of trains that they run.  What I'd like to see is a graph that takes into account the number of trains held four plus hours vs. total trains operated.  That graph might look considerably different.

What I found interesting is that holds for locomotives were very low for everyone except UP.  That tells me that everyone has plenty of power for the trains they're running, except UP.  I recall the days when we all said that UP stood for "Unlimited Power".  Looks like that is no longer the case.  The efforts by BNSF and KCS to buy new power and NS to upgrade existing units in combination with power purchases, is paying off for them.  I'm wondering if UP has gotten behind the curve with buying new power, so to speak.

VBR Out

engineerinvirginia Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bravesfan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > tq-07fan Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > It sure seems like there are a lot more CSX
> > trains
> > > out now then a couple months ago. CSX looks
> > like
> > > it is attempting run a railway again. Perhaps
> > the
> > > mentality here is "NS, who knows? Better get
> > your
> > > pictures now!"
> > >
> > > Jim
> >
> > Looks as if KCS and NS are doing a better job
> of
> > getting the trains on the move.  With easing
> of
> > the Covid19 restrictions, NS train lengths in
> my
> > area have dramatically increased and noticing
> new
> > traffic on the intermodals.  For the nay
> sayers,
> > NS isn't dead.
>
> We are having crew problems on my
> territory....there ain't enough of us......not
> nearly....and we are NOT going to bring anyone
> back and we are NOT going to hire....and
> management has been heard to say that when we have
> trains sitting they will sit until a crew is
> rested and available....even if it means days.  

When you say "we," does that mean NS or CSX?

Posted from Android

...it has abolished all the road-crew jobs at Garrett, Indiana. They think they can do all their block swapping at North Baltimore. We'll see.

bravesfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have a guideline that management for railroads
> or any or company for that matter can follow and
> get the desired results.  I call it the 6 P's:

I have been using that slogan for about 40 years. Depending upon the audience, sometimes I sanitize it to Proper Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance.

TAW

Should be interesting to see NS’ report for the week ending 7/10. They were most definitely holding trains last weekend due to a shortage of rested conductors which would fall under the crew category.

Posted from iPhone

BNSF is doing as fine job helping Amtrak by moving crews around! 

Out