Category: Chuck Hinrichs

Can you believe it? Effective 12:03 AM, on Tues. Sept. 4, 2012, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) ended the use of train orders, the flimsies of fact and fiction. Since the LIRR was the LAST US road to use them, this ends a long chapter in American railroading.

The first train order was written in the fall of 1851 on the New York & Erie at Turner’s (now Harriman) NY. Charles Minot, NY&E’s General Supt., was on an westbound passenger train holding for an eastbound to clear the single-track from Goshen. When it became obvious the eastbound was late, Minot used the newly-installed telegraph line to wire Goshen and order that when the tardy eastbound train finally arrived it was to be held until Minot’s westbound got there. Minot provided his conductor with written authorization to move against the timetable and the train order was born.

Now 161 years later that era ended as the last order was issued to LIRR Train 8743 for a speed restriction over Ocean Ave in Patchogue, NY. The LIRR has replaced the Form 19 flimsy with the Form L, a kind of combination flimsy and track warrant.

Ironically Patchogue is only about 100 air miles from Harriman where the FIRST order was written.

Submitted by Chuck Hinrichs

In 1986 the Seaboard System Railroad changed it name to CSX Transportation. Last summer a CSX Transportation Historical Society was formed. The society is just getting started and now is a good time to be in on the ground floor of this group. The society has membership information on it’s web site located at: http://www.trainweb.org/csxths/ The society has a yahoo group: http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/CSXTHS/ and a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/CSXTransportationHistoricalSociety The society is having it’s first convention and rail fanning weekend in Covington KY August 3-5. Here is some information on the convention. Please take a look at the society and consider joining.

Friday, August 3 – 12:30 – Meet at Holiday Inn; 1pm – Drive perimeter of Queensgate Yard; 2pm – Visit Greater Cincinnati Railroad Museum; 3:30pm – Tour Progressive Rail Car shop at DeCoursey Yard; 5pm – Drive to various CSX sites in Northern KY; 7pm – Dinner on your own at Frisch’s Big Boy, under CSX Ohio River Bridge.

Saturday, August 4 – 8am – Drive along CSX (ex-L&N) to Paris, KY; 10am – Tour TransKentucky Transportation Inc. (TTI) Yard at Paris (TTI is owned by CSX); 11:30am – Drive along TTI track to Maysville, KY; 1pm – Lunch at Maysville next to Amtrak Station; 2pm – Visit TTI coal loadout at Maysville; 3pm – Follow CSX track (ex-C&O) to Covington, KY; 5pm – Tower at Cincinnati Union Terminal (Pizza).

Sunday, August 5 – 8am – Drive to Worthville, KY, to visit CSX Yard and Carrolton Railroad Yard. (CR is owned by CSX); 11am – follow CSX track back to Covington; Convention ends upon arrival at Covington at 1pm.

NORFOLK, VA. – Norfolk Southern is making it easier for communities, businesses, and informed observers such as rail fans to report issues relating to public safety and security to the railroad’s police force. The NS announcement is a significant expansion of the community-based rail security initiative started by BNSF Railway.

Everyone with a stake in rail operations is invited to join Norfolk Southern’s new “Protect the Line” reporting program, an online resource that directly connects you with NS Police. By becoming a Protect the Line member at the new (http://www.protecttheline.com/) website, observers can report immediately to NS Police any suspicious activity relating to equipment maintenance, track obstructions, trespassing, vandalism, suspicious items and vehicles, and terrorism.

NS’ Protect the Line and BNSF’s Citizens for Rail Security are part of an industry-wide initiative that works to include everyone with an interest in railroads.
“Community awareness and participation are critical to keeping the railroad line safe and secure,” said David Julian, NS vice president safety and environmental. “Through Protect the Line and Citizens for Rail Security, the public can work directly with us to prevent and mitigate situations that jeopardize the railroad line and those whom we serve.”

Mark Sinquefield, NS director of police, said, “Protect the Line members will be doing their part to safeguard America’s critical commerce network by serving as responsible additional eyes and ears for railroads and our
employees.”

“More than 10,000 citizens have joined the Citizens for Rail Security effort and are making the rail network a safer place by reporting potential trespassers, stolen equipment, and suspicious behavior near the tracks,” said Duwayne Pennington, BNSF’s assistance vice president of Resource Protection.

Interested people can access the Protect the Line website a number of different ways: directly at  (http://www.protecttheline.com/), through the Norfolk Southern website at  (http://www.nscorp.com/), and through BNSF’s Citizens for Rail Security website at (http://www.citizensforrailsecurity.com/).

Visitors are encouraged to register by clicking Protect the Line and providing contact information. The Protect the Line website explains more about the program, including a link to BNSF’s site.

Citizen reports can be made to the NS Police at 800-453-2530 and nspolice@nscorp.com  (mailto:nspolice@nscorp.com) and to BNSF Police at
800-832-5452 and (http://www.citizensforrailsecurity.com/), either directly or through the website. Stay tuned. NS is developing an update to its smartphone app, NS Corp, that will include access to Protect the Line, with enhanced communications capabilities.

The NS and BNSF police forces are charged with safeguarding people and freight shipments over the systems. They work closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to protect railroads and communities.

Norfolk Southern Corporation (http://phx.corporate-ir.net/Tearsheet.ashx?c=69040) (NYSE: NSC) is one of the nation’s premier transportation companies. Its Norfolk Southern Railway subsidiary operates approximately 20,000 route miles (http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/map.html) in 22 states and the District of Columbia, serves every major container port in the eastern United States, and provides efficient connections to other rail carriers. Norfolk Southern operates the most extensive intermodal network in the East and is a major transporter of coal and industrial products.

BNSF Railway is one of North America’s leading freight transportation companies operating on 32,000 route miles of track in 28 states and two Canadian provinces. BNSF is one of the top transporters of grain, consumer goods, industrial goods and low-sulfur coal that help feed, clothe, supply, and power American homes and businesses every day. BNSF and its employees have developed one of the most technologically advanced, and efficient railroads in the industry. And we are working continuously to improve the value of the safety, service, energy, and environmental benefits we provide to our customers and the communities we serve. You can learn more about BNSF at (http://www.bnsf.com/).