Leo, Thanks for the information you presented. The first thing that struck me was how the Q and other roads run HIGH speed passenger trains on that light a rail and slag ballast. Years ago a friend showed me a slow order for the Morning and Afternoon Zephyrs "do not exceed 95 mph"
Second it appears to me that the Q might have been ahead of its time with the short fast trains. Isn't thats what manufacturing wanted "just in time delivers" to cut down on inventories? Isn't that the concept of some of the regionals offer frequent fast trains to provide better service. With the freight rates the way they were that was the only thing railroads had to offer was speed.
Did the Q at anytime think or plan to double track the C&I?
Mitch
--- In CBQ@yahoogroups.com, qutlx1@... wrote:
>
> I started on the Aurora Div of the BN on 1/20/73. The C&I and mainline
> crews received a fist full of slow orders when they reported for work. Mud was
> pumping from joints all along the lines. Branch lines were,of course,even
> worse.Bob Harding and other high seniority operating employees could not
> express their disbelieve strongly enough. I have an opinion as to why this
> situation existed but will keep them to myself.
> This situation hadn't occured overnight.
>
> Bottom line the Q physical plant had been maintained to run Zephyrs at
> 90-100 MPH plus(the Z90 signs were still in place for curves) and 50 and 70
> ton frt cars in short trains at 50-60 MPH with a wink and a nod beyond that.
> I dont recall the exact year of the first PBR unit coal train on the C&I
> but I'll say '75 for the sake of discussion. These trains and the ore
> trains,even limited to 40MPH, beat the living hell out of what was left of 90-110
> LB rail on steel mill slag ballast. The slow orders got even more numerous
> and then it was clear mgmt changed course.
>
> Over a number of years rail was upgraded,granite ballast laid,new ties by
> the hundreds of thousands inserted. We had a railroad we could run on and
> be proud of as long as we didnt want to go over 60MPH.
>
> Put in the simplest sentance I can,in my opinion, the Q had been
> maintained for a high speed,short train operation and times had changed to running
> long slow freight trains with maximum tonnages.
>
> The first day in 1979 I reported to the "White House" on Jackson Blvd in
> Chicago my boss told me straight out. The trains we run are rolling
> warehouses. It's not when you get it there. It's just get it there. The old days
> are gone.
>
> Not looking to start a debate,just hoping to shed a little light .
>
> Leo Phillipp
>