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Sightings and 'OS' Reports

Scroll down this page for daily reports of railfan news, sightings and interesting operations in our area... 

Note to our Site Visitors...  We are ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS for the 2008 Railfanning Season.  CALL [724] 843-7023 or WRITE:  The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B, 62 Beaver Street, Fallston, PA 15066 for our NEW BROCHURE.  We're now booking through the end of November, 2008.  Request our free INFORMATION PACKET!  Call [724] 843-7023 to inquire regarding your specific interests.

TO CONTACT US VIA E-MAIL:  innkeeper@fallstonflagstop.com

Please use the e-mail address above.  Or call us at: [724] 843-7023

10/15/08

NOTE:  The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B will be CLOSED until Thursday, October 23, 2008.  We are performing upgrades both to our physical plant and to our computer system.  Our new WEBCAM will soon be online!  The next online 'OS/Sightings' Report will probably be posted on or about October 24, 2008.

Today: A slight chance of showers after 2pm. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 73. Calm wind becoming west between 5 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight: A chance of showers before 2am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2am and 3am, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 3am. Cloudy, with a low around 55. South wind between 3 and 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday: Showers likely, mainly before noon. Cloudy, with a high near 63. West wind between 7 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

CSX scores revenue and income gains, sets third-quarter operating ratio record

Despite a time of "significant economic uncertainty," CSX Corp. delivered "impressive" financial results in the third quarter, senior executives said during the Class I's earnings conference this morning in Jacksonville, Fla. The primary reason: Manufacturers and distributors continue to view rail as the best ground transportation alternative and CSX is positioned to capitalize on that demand driver, said Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Ward.

The company's earnings from continuing operations totaled $382 million or 94 cents per share, up 40 percent compared with third-quarter 2007's earnings. Operating income jumped 31 percent to a record $733 million and revenue increased 18 percent to about $3 billion.

Nine of CSX's 10 market segments posted revenue gains despite ongoing softness in the housing and automotive sectors. Merchandise revenue increased 16 percent to $1.5 billion, coal revenue jumped 31 percent to $850 million (primarily because the export market remains strong and utilities' stockpiles are below prior-year levels) and intermodal revenue rose 18 percent to $399 million, said Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Clarence Gooden. In addition, total revenue per unit increased 21 percent vs. third-quarter 2007's level.

The automotive sector registered the only revenue drop, falling 2 percent to $195 million, because automakers have decreased production to match demand, said Gooden.

CSX is generating revenue growth for two main reasons: The railroad is setting rates based on the value it's creating for customers and "our diverse business portfolio allows us to capitalize on some segments while others are experiencing weakness," said Ward.

CSX also continued to lower its operating ratio, which improved 2.5 points to a third-quarter record 75.2. The Class I remains on its path of lowering the ratio to the high 60s by 2010, said Ward. Since 2005, the Class I has improved its third-quarter ratio by 8 points, from 83.2 to 75.2.

The only blemish on CSX's third-quarter ledger is operating expenses, which rose 15 percent to $2.2 billion compared with third-quarter 2007 expenses. Excluding fuel costs - which soared up 54 percent to $508 million - operating expenses would have increased by 7 percent, said EVP and Chief Financial Officer Oscar Munoz.

Overall, CSX's quarterly results show revenue and income growth are sustainable in a tough economic environment, senior execs said.

"CSX has momentum in our business and confidence in our ability to produce good results, even in periods of economic uncertainty," said Ward.

(source: Progressive Railroading)

The NS Office Car Special is ON THE MOVE Again...

The latest in a series of trips by the NS 955 [westbound version] overnighted in Latrobe, PA on Monday.  Tom Granville obtained this striking night shot of its four-unit power lash-up.

David Baer caught the NS 955 from the Sewickley Bridge on Tuesday afternoon.  The OCS passed The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B a short time later just as dusk was setting in.

Contrasts in Color...

Wes Shankland sent us this photo of UP power on a CSX freight near Fostoria, OH.  Wes took his photo on Monday.  Note how much more colorful the Fall Foliage is in our area in David Baer's photo [of the Norfolk Southern's Office Car Special] the very next day.

And almost nowhere will Fall Colors be more pronounced than near the Allegheny National Forest in Warren, PA.  Steve Timko was there over the weekend and caught B&P 2001 on the engine service tracks.  Your Webmaster knows this area well.  Many years ago he visited here almost daily to inspect PENNSY ALCO RS-3's which occupied these same tracks.  At the time he was working for the local radio stations [WNAE/WRRN-FM].  Steve recalls shooting PC 8088, a GP38, at the same location during the first month of CONRAIL.  Those were, indeed, 'The Days!'

And One from Canada...

Our good friend, Ken Heyl, is back from another Canadian vacation with plenty of photography to show for his time up North of the Border with his faithful canine companion, Yogi.  We chose a VIA Rail shot, as Canadians are much more fortunate than their American counterparts to have PASSENGER RAIL service on many key routes.  That's Yogi waiting in the car with some handy snacks available as Ken is out doing his photographic duty.

We catch Via #915 racing west at Tate Road with an all stainless steel coach train.

Via still operates several of these older passenger cars and I like the looks of them over
their more modern cars. In this shot Via # 915 is running on the south track.

Yogi and I are happy to be home in Ohio and we had a great summer up at
the cottage --- I will keep in touch and I hope to get out to my old
railfan haunts in this area soon.

BE SAFE OUT THERE, GANG! --- Ken & Yogi.

Still ANOTHER, 'We Told You So!'

Don Harper sent us this National Transportation Safety Board Report on that tragic Metrolink accident in California.  The investigation is ongoing, but its has already resulted in the drafting of new Federal regulations banning all use of cell phones and text messaging by crews on duty aboard moving trains.  Unfortunately, the new Federal mandate comes too late!

NTSB Advisory
National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594
October 1, 2008

UPDATE: NTSB'S INVESTIGATION OF THE METROLINK, UNION PACIFIC ACCIDENT IN CALIFORNIA

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The following is an update of the NTSB's investigation of the September 12, 2008 accident in Chatsworth, California involving a Metrolink commuter train and a Union Pacific freight train. As a result of the head-on collision, there were 25 fatalities and numerous injuries.

Information regarding the Metrolink engineer's cell phone activity on the day of the accident was obtained from his service provider under subpoena from the NTSB. As part of the ongoing investigation, this information is being used to determine the timing of cell phone activity, which includes text messaging to and from the engineer's cell number, in relation to the engineer's duty hours and train operations. Although the precise timing and correlation of these events is still underway at the Safety Board's Recorder Laboratory, preliminary information is being released regarding the approximate cell phone activity during the engineer's duty hours on the day of the accident.

On the day of the accident, the Metrolink engineer was on duty for two periods of time. The engineer was responsible for the operation of a train from 6:44 am until 8:53 am. During this period of time, the engineer's cell phone received 21 text messages and sent 24 text messages.

He was then off duty until 2:00 pm. The engineer was responsible for the operation of Metrolink train 111 from 3:03 pm until the time of the accident. During this time period, the engineer's cell phone received 7 text messages and sent 5 text messages. According to the time on the cell phone provider's records, the last text message received by the engineer's phone before the accident was at 4:21:03 pm, and the last text message sent from the engineer's cell phone was 4:22:01 pm.

A preliminary estimate for the time of the accident, according to the Union Pacific train's onboard recorders, is 4:22:23 pm. The Safety Board's Recorder Laboratory is continuing to correlate times recorded for use of the Metrolink engineer's cell phone, train recorder data, and signal system data to a common time base.

"I am pleased with the progress of this major investigation to date," Acting NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said today. "We are continuing to pursue many avenues of inquiry to find what caused this accident and what can be done to prevent such a tragedy in the future."

Going Green in Virginia...

Not much can be seen of RPRX 1705.  New track panels are being placed at the Conway Diesel Terminal, where the Port of Virginia's new Railpower unit was passing time on Monday.  Your Webmaster did the best he could.

Amtrak reports Illinois rider spike
Editorial Note...  See the third paragraph, underlined phrase?  While many believe PASSENGER RAIL is aimed primarily at business travel, this is NOT the case.  Frustration with high gas prices and traffic congestion is causing WEEKEND TRAVELERS to move in the direction of PASSENGER RAIL, too.  Who wants to get caught in traffic and risk the dangers of the highway when a comfortable, convenient, passenger train is available instead?  Americans ARE beginning to catch on to what The World has known all along.  There IS a better way to travel!

Amtrak ridership topped 1 million passengers in the past year for the first time in at least three decades on routes between Chicago and Downstate cities, the railroad reported today.

In addition, Amtrak trains between Chicago and Milwaukee carried about 750,000 riders, a 25 percent increase from a year earlier.

The surging ridership numbers, the product of high gasoline prices and drivers' frustration with traffic congestion, leave little guesswork as to why Amtrak trains are often sold out, especially on weekends.

"What stands between us and even higher numbers are infrastructure improvements on the routes and the need for more rail equipment,'' said Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari.

The Illinois Department of Transportation substantially boosted funding several years ago for Amtrak to increase the number of runs operated on state routes. The funding totals about $28 million this year. The state-supported routes have added almost 300,000 passengers in the last fiscal year, Amtrak said.

About 1.1 million tickets were sold in the past year on Amtrak lines from Chicago serving Bloomington/Normal, Carbondale, Champaign, Galesburg, Macomb, Mattoon, Springfield, St. Louis and Quincy. It reflected a 15 percent ridership increase, Amtrak said.

With ridership going strong, there is equally strong pressure on Amtrak to improve its on-time performance. Increased interference from freight trains is a major cause of delays, costing Amtrak more than $100 million annually. Amtrak trains serving Illinois arrived late 50 percent of the time on average in August, according to Amtrak.

Track improvements on the freight railroads where Amtrak operates is also a high priority. The Federal Railroad Administration last month awarded Illinois $3.4 million to upgrade signaling systems to improve reliability on the 284-mile Chicago-to-St. Louis route, which is designated as a future high-speed corridor.

Meanwhile, ridership across the entire Amtrak system increased 11 percent in the last year, totaling 28.7 million passengers. Total ticket revenue reached $1.7 billion.

Legislation passed by Congress this month would give $13.1 billion to Amtrak over five years to enhance existing routes and develop new corridors across the country. The funding could help stimulate high-speed rail plans in the Midwest, of which Chicago would be a major hub.

(source: Chicago Tribune)

10/14/08

NOTE:  The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B will be CLOSED until Thursday, October 23, 2008.  We are performing upgrades both to our physical plant and to our computer system.  Our new WEBCAM will soon be online!  Stay tuned to this website for details.

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 76. West wind between 3 and 9 mph.

Tonight: Scattered sprinkles after 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. Light and variable wind.

Wednesday: A slight chance of showers after 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Calm wind becoming west between 4 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

More LOCAL PHOTOS from our B&B!

David Baer continues his coverage of 'local' rail subjects--this time only five minutes away on the CSX Pittsburgh Sub at BEAVER FALLS, PA...

Terry,

Hello again. This morning started out with WB CSX Q385 stopped at Beaver Falls waiting for an EB U994 coal train. Q385 has a nice surprise on the point, CEFX SD9043Mac 100. The fog has just lifted as CEFX 100 leads 3 CSX units toward New Castle.

Thanks!

David

And here's another CEFX unit.  This eastbound CSX freight stopped IN OUR BACK YARD a few days ago, behind a second freight stopped at BEAVER FALLS [where David took his photo].  The crew seemed to know that railfans stay here at The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B.  They positioned the unit perfectly for a 'roster shot.'  We Solicit Your Attention!

Photo above by your Webmaster.

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Show your support for PASSENGER RAIL!

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The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B will send you a FULL SHEET [count of 30] self-stick LABELS with YOUR CHOICE of these eye-catching messages AT NO COST TO YOU WHATSOEVER.  All we ask is that you USE THESE LABELS on your outgoing mail!  Write or e-mail [use the mailbox on the Home Page] us and specify either the 'PENICILLIN' or 'FLY' wording.  We'll send you your sheet of LABELS by return mail so you can begin telling all of your correspondents that you support PASSENGER RAIL as the alternative to airport security madness, high gas prices, and traffic gridlock, etc.  Let's SHOW OUR SUPPORT for the modality which every other developed country on Planet Earth has continued to build, enhance, and upgrade while America instead turned backward and all but destroyed its PASSENGER RAIL network.  Let's put the PASSENGER TRAINS back on their tracks!  NO CHARGE!  This is our way of supporting PASSENGER RAIL in America.  One page per site visitor.  We'll include information on The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B.

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In Memoriam...

8/27/07

Heidi

(1992 -- 2007)

Known to hundreds of guests, family and friends as our 'Security Chief,' Heidi Marie Snuffles Stuart died Sunday, August 26, 2007 after a brief illness. Heidi's affectionate and amicable nature and remarkable personality won her friendship with all who knew her. She understood her role as a hostess perfectly, and made her way into the hearts of countless guests as well as other friends. Numerous people remarked about Heidi's 'very large bell,' which she wore proudly around her neck along with a gold star, as she was in truth 'A Gold Star Dachshund.' In her feisty manner, she would occasionally check on a guest's well-being and frequently peer into the refrigerator to see whether any red peppers (her favorite) or other tasty items had 'grown in there' since her last visit. Often described as 'smarter and better-behaved than most kids' (an observation with which we found no disagreement), she earned her oft-remarked reputation as 'The Perfect Long-Haired Red Miniature Dachshund.'

Rest in Peace in Dog Heaven, Dear Friend!

12/7/06

We wish to thank Dan Cupper and the Editors of Trains Magazine for the wonderful article on Pennsylvania railfan attractions and particularly for the very complimentary mention of The FALLSTON FLAGSTOP Railfan B&B in their January 2007 edition.

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