Eastern Railroad Discussion > Chicago, Ft.Wayne & Eastern question

Does anyone know whether the new lease gives the CFW&E the right to set trackage rights fees? The only STB filing I've seen doesn't mention the topic.

Here's my reason for asking: when CSX acquired the Ft.Wayne line as part of the CR split, the previous owner was NS (who had purchased it from CR a few years earlier). NS was given trackage rights and continued to dispatch the line--at least from Hobart east to Ft.Wayne. When CSX upped the trackage rights fees, NS pulled their trains off the line (but continued to dispatch it and may still be doing so). If Rail America inherited the right to set the fees, we might possibly see a return of NS road trains to the FW line.

NS didn't run very many trains on the FWL, but it might be a nice easy revenue source for the new RR.

The I&O and NS already have a good relation going in Cincy (at least when I was there several years ago) on the Oasis line, my bet that NS will get a fee they can work with and will probally dispatch the line east of Bucyrus in the CTC territory, I&O Cincinnati Dispatcher will probally dispatch the rest of the line.

NS didn't purchase the entire Ft. Wayne line from Conrail. Only the portion form Ft Wayne west. The track east of Ft. Wayne to Crestline was under Conrail ownership up until the merger.

NS does indeed still dispatch this line. My question is who will dispatch the section between Bucyrus and Crestline, a portion that still sees a few NS trains per day.

CG


calumet Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone know whether the new lease gives the
> CFW&E the right to set trackage rights fees?
> The only STB filing I've seen doesn't mention the
> topic.
>
> Here's my reason for asking: when CSX acquired the
> Ft.Wayne line as part of the CR split, the
> previous owner was NS (who had purchased it from
> CR a few years earlier). NS was given trackage
> rights and continued to dispatch the line--at
> least from Hobart east to Ft.Wayne. When CSX
> upped the trackage rights fees, NS pulled their
> trains off the line (but continued to dispatch it
> and may still be doing so). If Rail America
> inherited the right to set the fees, we might
> possibly see a return of NS road trains to the FW
> line.
>
> NS didn't run very many trains on the FWL, but it
> might be a nice easy revenue source for the new
> RR.
>

CGTower Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NS didn't purchase the entire Ft. Wayne line from
> Conrail. Only the portion form Ft Wayne west. The
> track east of Ft. Wayne to Crestline was under
> Conrail ownership up until the merger.


And I understand that NS owns some of the property in Fort Wayne.

The thing is, this isn't the I&O, its CERA as the controller. The cost might be prohibitive for CERA/RA to move the dispatching of the line. (yes I know CERA/CIND/I&O are under the same umbrella at Cincinnati now, but its still different) Since the I&O was brought in to this, here ya go. NS has dispatched the I&O line (Oasis Line), since the VAST majority of the traffic use to be NS over that line.
The other thing to weigh in, is if NS uses the RA takeover of the Pennsy FWL to rid itself of the dispatching (board space) to allow the Marion Branch to be brought in to the New Haven DS office.

The big thing with NS running trains over the FWL is having qualified crews. I am not certain, but I doubt there are any FRA territory qualified engineers left (could be wrong though, its been awhile).

Certainly interesting.
My other head scratcher would be the portion from Mike tower to the cutover (Sand-Hill).
I seriously doubt the RA will get control to DS this, as NS already has it, and it the one that uses it the most, also this is very crutial to operations. East and West of these locations, anyones guess right now.

Here is another question re: this new lease. Why is Crestline yard not included in the package? Will all 3 rr's have equal yard access? As for dispatching, the NS Pittsburgh West desk presently controls the East end of the PRR, as far West as Bucyrus, or so it seems on the scanner, anyway.

Currently, RA's employment website doesn't show a dispatcher position for this line. Out of curiosity, anybody else here have experience applying to a job with RA and care to discuss the process, including a timeline please? Thanks

The line will be dispatched out of the I&O Cincinnati Office. A second DS desk will be added. Cincinnati serves as a sort of regional Dispatching office even though, as Throttle Jockey stated, CFW&E is a division of the CERA. One reason that these RR's and new acquisitions are affiliated as they are is to maintain Class 3 status. I question some of the commentary above concerning the portion(s) operated by NS as being "owned" by NS. I don't believe that to be the case, but anyone with anything more definitive can feel free to correct my comments.

NS doesn't own the line through Fort Wayne. The only portion that is owned in Fort Wayne is part of the old PRR Piqua Yard, that is now the Triple Crown terminal, including the north track from Piqua wye to Mike. The trackage that is run from Mike to the new connection at Sand/Hill is owned by CSX (given to CSX from NS during the Conrail split).
NS dispatches this, as they move by far more trains over it.
This segment (I can almost 99% say won't go to RA control) NS will keep this segment, since its signalled and so forth. I pretty sure there would be a HUGE cost for RA to move this, and I doubt NS will give it up, since its how the Atlanta-Chicago corridor traffic moves from the New Castle District to the Chicago District.

As for the rest of the line, its TWC west of Fort Wayne, and Form D?? east, with TC inside CTC from Mike to the Sand-Hill connection.
The far west end, NS uses as a second main, passing track....so it might be interesting to see how that will play out.
Honestly I can't see RA wanting to move the CTC portion, nor can I see NS letting control go. Since RA is just leasing the line, I don't see them getting total control of dispatching. Kinda the old "its already here, so why change it".
Other then that I imagine they will take it over.