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 Post subject: Strasburg Rail Road on Local News
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 11:19 am 

Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:52 am
Posts: 2561
Location: Strasburg, PA
We made the local news.

Keeping the lights on until we get past this thing. Under the state's business shutdown rules, freight railroads (and the support that they require) are allowed to operate, but none of our other business lines. To that end, we are keeping enough staff on hand to run freight trains, and transload freight, as well as enough support to maintain track, #8618, and cover any derailment or need to fire up a rescue engine.

With a skeleton support staff on duty in the shops, a minuscule amount of mechanical work is moving forward when they are not actively engaged in supporting the freight operation.

To date, nothing but crickets in reply to all of our requests to assist with the medical logistics crisis. What a way to run a railroad!


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 Post subject: Re: Strasburg Rail Road on Local News
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 12:13 pm 

Joined: Wed Nov 29, 2017 2:32 pm
Posts: 68
Kelly,

Please share with us.....

How many freight cars do you handle per year? What kind of schedule does the freight crew work (assuming nights to stay out of the way of passenger operations)? Annual tonnage? Materials handled? Class I interchange partner? Handle billing and routing in house?

I assume you handle your own Rule 1 repairs (Rule 88/89)....? I am sure many of us are interested in some of the facets of the freight side of the Burg....!

Kindly,

JohnE.

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Wasatch Railroad Contractors
Cheyenne, Wyoming


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 Post subject: Re: Strasburg Rail Road on Local News
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 1:01 pm 

Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:08 am
Posts: 705
Wasatch RR Cont wrote:
Kelly,

Please share with us.....

How many freight cars do you handle per year? What kind of schedule does the freight crew work (assuming nights to stay out of the way of passenger operations)? Annual tonnage? Materials handled? Class I interchange partner? Handle billing and routing in house?

I assume you handle your own Rule 1 repairs (Rule 88/89)....? I am sure many of us are interested in some of the facets of the freight side of the Burg....!

Kindly,

JohnE.

Nick Ozorak does a great job with his "The Roundhouse" podcasts. They are very informative and enjoyable. He is a very enthusiastic and methodical interviewer who knows how to create an interesting dialogue with his guests. Back in August 2019, he posted a podcast in which Steve Weaver, VP of Freight Services for the Strasburg Rail Road, discusses their freight operations. Here's the link for those who missed it or did not attend the Heritage Rail Alliance meeting.

https://theroundhousepodcast.com/2019/08/20/085-strasburg-rail-road-freight-traffic/


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 Post subject: Re: Strasburg Rail Road on Local News
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 1:39 pm 

Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2017 6:47 pm
Posts: 1398
Location: Philadelphia, PA
That's Steve Weaver, Freight VP, on the TV story in Kelly's post above.

Kelly, have you thought of going through local or state agencies to find a need for your services? I'm guessing what you offer is machining and similar services to manufacturers to maintain (or resurrect) their production machinery. They don't know where to look for what you can do any more than you know where to look for them.

I think your biggest asset is the flexibility of the workers. Working on steam engines requires a lot of thinking on your feet and improvising; your guys are good at it.

Can you work on the other diesel? I know it's not a pay job and you may not need it right away, but it will need done.

Phil Mulligan


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 Post subject: Re: Strasburg Rail Road on Local News
PostPosted: Fri Mar 27, 2020 11:31 pm 

Joined: Tue Sep 14, 2004 7:52 am
Posts: 2561
Location: Strasburg, PA
EJ Berry wrote:
Kelly, have you thought of going through local or state agencies to find a need for your services? I'm guessing what you offer is machining and similar services to manufacturers to maintain (or resurrect) their production machinery. They don't know where to look for what you can do any more than you know where to look for them.

I think your biggest asset is the flexibility of the workers. Working on steam engines requires a lot of thinking on your feet and improvising; your guys are good at it.

Can you work on the other diesel? I know it's not a pay job and you may not need it right away, but it will need done.
We have made contacts up and down the supply chain, from all of our state and local politicos to the small ventilator company Ventec, to the Hospital in Lancaster. Everyone thinks it’s wonderful and promises to pass the information on, and then nothing else happens. Either I’m glad that the entire supply chain is so well organized that no one needs anything (don’t put your money there), or everyone’s so overwhelmed and confused that they don’t know whether to shit or wind their watch (what I’m betting on).

The other diesel is in need of a bundle of expensive parts, and as I said, the cash flow isn’t great right now.

Per John’s questions, keeping in mind that it’s not my department:

Last year we handled about 500 cars. Mostly loads inbound, but also some outbound. Trying for 700 this year.

The freight crew starts at 7:00 am, Monday through Friday. Part of our success over the service that was offered by NS in Lancaster is our level of service moving cars when needed. Our customers are always after one truckload from this hopper then one truckload from that hopper, all day long, so the crew is often switching our little yard several hours per day, then taking off for the interchange in between moves. When the crew quits depends on traffic. During the fall rush last year, at one point, we had fifty cars on the line at one time (our official capacity is 35). I was the freight engineer once during that time, and we didn’t sign out until 11:00 pm (after taking a mandatory four-hour respite).

We bring in a variety of grains and feeds in covered hoppers, and lumber in box cars and bulkhead flats. We ship out covered hoppers of “chicken byproducts”, I’m not sure what that is, but it stinks (parts is parts). And tank cars of I guess cooking grease (also stinky).

We interchange with NS at Leaman Place. Nominally they come out daily, a local freight that runs from Lancaster to Coatesville (I think) and return.

Billing and routing is in cahoots with NS.

We will handle very minor repairs, and will call NS to come out in their truck for more major defects (they just aren’t worth our time for the standard rates paid when we haven’t got the parts inventory, etc). I’m always impressed at the junk that NS delivers to us that have supposedly been inspected several times on their trips across the country (cars with no brakes at all being my personal favorite). KCS box cars are the worst of the worst, with busted doors and couplers sagging half a knuckle low being completely routine.


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