Rip Track

Final Thoughts, for now at least . . . . .

2009-10-12T16:09:00.002-05:00

The reports of my demise, retirement, disability, or death are all in error. However, this will more than likely be Rip's last post at this blog. Why? Two reasons.

First, Riptrack the blog never really lived up to my expectations. At the outset I was excited, but maybe I overestimated the need to provide an avenue for the exchange of opinions regarding the frustrations of track construction, primarily with Transit and Commuter Rail Agencies. True, there was some early interest, but a combination of the tapering off of repeat visits to the site by initial readers, very few word-of-mouth referrals by readers to non-readers, and even perhaps Rip's inability to galvanize the typical Maintenance of Way persona to contribute may be to blame. The biggest responses I received did not have much to do with Track Construction and Maintenance as they did with Fuel Surcharges or the Metrolink tragedy near Chatsworth. It was never my intent to cover such items in the first place, but I have to admit that limiting written items to "tracks" only leads to the dreaded "slow news month". All of this has led me to believe that Riptrack was an answer to a question that was never asked.

Are things better for those of us who deal with these Agencies? Not by a long shot. Those agencies who had entrenched interal bureaucracies and entangling external relationships with consultants still remain bound and inflexible. Many agencies who were once labeled as serving the public in an efficient and tax-saving way have taken the same diverging route to problems and frustration as many of the entrenched and entangled ones. As I speak with my colleagues, we agree that there are maybe a couple of agencies that can do with $1 what the bad guys take $3 to do. There is no point in naming names now, but a review of the past Ripper Awards will give clues to who a couple of the good guys are.

Second, Rip believes that technology, the same technology that spawned blogs in general and Riptrack in particular, has moved on. Twitter, Facebook, and to some extent even text messaging have fulfilled the need to express oneself in a way that starts to make blogging obsolete. Don't believe it? All you have to do is to check out the blogs now provided by the professionals, like Progressive Railroading. Even with the extensive website promotion, the professional graphics, and the printed word, these professionally published blogs have become the haven of certain opinionated types who live to stir up the few readers who dare to respond. Meaningful dialog is, how do they say, flamed.

Make no mistake. I am better off for my efforts here. I have learned. I have appreciated the kind as well as the not-so-kind words. I am not bitter or angry. But, I am moving on, even after this ten month interval. For those who need the blog fix, I do recommend the Progressive Railroading site. As for me, maybe I will finally try to tweet, or to update my profile, or whatever becomes the next effort in communication that leads us all to more efficient Railroad Construction and Maintenance.

Thanks for reading.

Short Lines, not as long but just as wide: Happy 2009!

2009-01-08T14:53:00.003-06:00

Most are glad to see the New Year. But it is beginning to look like the railroad supply business won't be a whole lot better than '08. Everyone is trying to remain optimistic nonetheless.

Light Rail Blogger noted in the last post that Light Rail has opened in Phoenix, Arizona! As does New Mexico Rail Runner, it looks really good. Here are a couple of photos from Metro's own webpage:

Impressive!

There is a great quote, maybe from Dr. Beverly Scott of MARTA in Atlanta, in the latest issue of Mass Transit. On page twelve it says, Transit is kind of like Chinese food; no matter how much you get, eventually you'll get hungry for more. That seems to be the case with almost all light rail systems in the USA.

According to Railway Age, Union Pacific has set new tonnage records for coal in the Powder River Basin.

The Chatsworth Metrolink Disaster is having a far-ranging ripple effect, even before the government mandates their changes. Some Class One Railroads have now forbidden the possession and use of cell phones. Several rail shippers have commented that this change has made it more difficult to communicate with local train crews who service their sidings. Cell phones had made it helpful in getting an idea of when and how many cars would be spotted. No more.

Can we mention the BCS? At least for a couple of points:

-We all agree that there has to be a better way, right? Rip would like to know how it is that the NCAA once said "no tournament because we cannot play more games than we already do" and yet turn around and allow a twelfth regular season game to be added to everyone's schedule?

-Rip never thought that he would miss the ESPN announcers, but the Fox play-by-play types have managed to make me do just that. Fox People, watch your own monitors, or better yet look at the game! Then, you would actually know what is going on.

-Tonight's Oklahoma-Florida game will answer questions. Can the Big Twelve actually play defense? Will an SEC team do it again? Understand that Rip has no dog in this hunt, but he may have to watch the game with the sound off, to avoid hearing that "Boomer Sooner" thing ad nauseam.

The new "Track Guy" Newsletter is out. If you don't get it, go here to see it.

Here's hoping that you have a safe, productive, and fulfilling 2009!

Congrats to New Mexico Rail Runner!

2008-12-23T16:41:00.004-06:00

Good planning and execution have led to the opening of an extension of the New Mexico Rail Runner operation from Bernalillo to Santa Fe! This project was a favorite of Governor Bill Richardson. Looking at this photo brings one question to mind: Can a rail commuter operation prosper in such a sparse landscape?

If you have ever driven from Santa Fe to Albuquerque on Interstate 25, you will agree that the amount of vehicular traffic is truly amazing. Much of the new trackage runs in the media of that Interstate. A fast train will, as usual, be its own best advertising while it speeds by auto traffic. No doubt his will be an interesting operation to watch.

A review of ridership on transits across the nation indicate that patronage is up, even in the face of much, much lower gasoline prices. APTA has said so here and here. Want more specific examples? How about Texas? Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Trinity Rail Express seem to be increasing by the minute. Both were doing well for the summer, and have continued in October and November. Tri-Met in Portland continues to impress.

How about auto happy California? VTA in San Jose checks in impressivesly. Not to be outdone, Los Angeles MTA is going strong, too. And, don't forget Amtrak! That Agency is up in California, too. It looks like last summer's outrageous gasoline prices have resulted in decisions by many that have modified how travel is done.

So, in today's travel environment where light rail and commuter trains are being favored, New Mexico Rail Runner should do well. New Mexicans are surprisingly open to innovation and change, and should embrace the idea of taking the train between Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Let's hope so! Success here will breed success elsewhere, for sure.

Just for good luck, here is one more photo:

So, good luck on ya, New Mexico. And, Merry Christmas to all!

Metrorail Shows Good Thinking

2008-11-26T14:27:00.003-06:00

Just got my November '08 copy of Railway Track and Structures, and was pleased to read a story about how Metrorail dealt with a Track Inspector who failed to identify poor track (scroll down to October 17) that ultimately led to the derailment on June 9th of Train 905 near their Court House Station. I read this article wondering if that Inspector was "let go" as a result. I was gratified that such was not the case!

I was even more gratified to read that Metrorail has put into place a great deal of effort to insure that a similar superficial inspection was less likely to happen again. The inspector was not fired, but retrained. Further, Metrorail has installed a new Track Inspector Certification Program involving both written and other practical exams, and has made the Program mandatory for not only new but also current Track Inspectors. I was amazed to read that Metrorail employs a total of thirty-seven track inspectors, and that they all had completed the new training program by mid-October.

To be sure, as you read the article you will learn that the inspector failed to comply with many existing directives. To be sure, readers of Rip Track have, in the past, been critical of some of Metrorail's policies and operational practices. But this has to be seen as a step in the right direction when compared with what was traditionally done.

When I was climbing up the engineering organizational chart, the normal procedure was to send a new recruit out to inspect track without much more training than that recruit had learned as a laborer/machine operator/foreman. Such training could be good or bad, depending on who the recruit had worked for. In other words, a good boss equaled good training, and vice versa. If the new recruit was lucky, and learned the nuances of his trade, survival! If, on the other hand, the recruit shared the experience of our Metrorail Inspector, it was "back to your tools."

Metrorail's approach is better, more proactive. Good on 'em!

And, Happy Thanksgiving, too!

SCRRA Crash Today . . .

2008-11-20T17:27:00.002-06:00

Metrolink (SCRRA) is still having bad luck. A Metrolink Train sideswiped a freight train in Rialto, California. The story is here, at least as much as there is now.

There have been recent developments in the Chatsworth disaster, too. Rip is putting together some links and some thoughts that will hopefully be up soon.

Short Lines, not as long but just as wide: Election Results!

2008-11-07T16:04:00.005-06:00

Not the results you already know about, but other important results. It was a big day for many Rail Commuter and Transit Agencies last Tuesday. For the most part, voters strongly supported tax and bond issues to fund construction and expansion of Commuter Rail and Light Rail projects. The NRC reviews many outcomes. A blog at Progressive Railroading comments as well.

APTA makes a sweeping comment about the vast number of projects awaiting funding, projects already approved and ready to go.

The old voting patterns remain: Areas that have rail transit know the benefits and support these projects; areas that do not (ie. Kansas City) reject them. Many have wondered if recent lower gasoline prices gave some voters a short memory concerning our undesireable dependence on foreign oil.

An example of a city that has embraced Light Rail Transit is Portland, Oregon. Congrats are in order for the area, as the new Westside Rail Commuter Line is about to be opened. There is no doubt in my mind that cities like Portland will thrive in the future while cities like Kansas City will not, simply due to the investment made in rail transit infrastructure.

Another issue: When will the economy pick up? I have no better idea than anyone else, but I do know an excellent indicator. When centerbeam flatcars such as these are no longer seen stored along lonely desert sidings, the recovery will be underway!

AREMA 2008 Annual Conference

2008-10-06T11:56:00.007-05:00

As many predicted, the whole affair in Salt Lake City came off very well. Having noted that, most believed that the Exhibits came off better than the Sessions. The Salt Lake City Convention Center was a wonderful setting no matter what objections or praise could be heard. The exhibit space entrance was sharp, and led attendees into a variety of displays; a choice could be made between visiting old supplier friends and making new ones. I did hear that the total square footage seemed less than one of the major shows from maybe five years ago, but I believe that the Salt Lake City event seemed definitely larger than last year's show in Chicago, and probably larger than the show two years ago in Louisville, Kentucky.

No outdoor exhibits were to be seen, but there were static displays of various heavy equipment in the Hall to offset that fact. While seeing innovations in trackwork machinery actually happening in front of your eyes on track is a great thing, there is no doubt that pulling off these outdoor displays is tough. First, there must be a little used yard facility that can be dedicated for the time required to set up, show, and take down. Little used yard facilities are not easy to find, and this fact alone limits potential sites for AREMA Rail Expos. Second, the logistics of transportation, insurance, basic creature comforts, and the potential for bad weather have to be accomodated. Did we see our last outdoor displays in Louisville? Time will tell.

One thing that worked was the close proximity of the exhibits to the sessions. A quick escalator ride brought attendees to whichever. A quick look over the railing from the walkway going by the session rooms could even be used to locate colleagues.

Enough about the exhibits, how about the sessions? I heard more than one comment that the sessions seemed a bit "lightweight" in comparison to years past. It seems redundant to say that teamwork shortened our project time and saved us money. But I heard it over and over again. Others said that most of the information presented was already available elsewhere, or had been previously presented elsewhere. When I asked one presenter if I should attend his, or another that was in conflict, he remarked that he would like to go with me to the other! One presentation that I had planned to take in was cancelled entirely!

Having done presentations such as these myself, I can attest to the difficulty of doing something that becomes worthwhile to those in attendance. It is easy to simply decide that "something is good enough", but there is a danger here for AREMA. In the end, there absolutely HAS to be value in these sessions and presentations, or our bosses will make it even more difficult for us to justify going. That does neither AREMA nor individuals any good. Simply filling timeslots in an ambitious session schedule will not do at all.

Was the AREMA 2008 Annual Conference worthwhile? Yes, of course! I did, and others I know of, made the event a place where problems could be solved and efforts could be smoothed.

See you in Chicago in September 2009!

Short Lines, not as long but just as wide: Chatsworth and AREMA

2008-09-18T15:22:00.004-05:00

Mass Transit Magazine has a very good review of the investigation of the Metrolink disaster up until now. What is the reaction of the politicians? As noted by Railway Age, it is pretty predictable, especially in an election year. I remember Will Rogers once saying that all a politician has to do is "Point with pride and view with alarm". More important, as the investigation goes forward, everyone learns not to jump to conclusions. Hopefully, the media is learning that, but probably not.

The Annual American Railway Engineering and Maintenance Association Conference is happening next week in Salt Lake City.

Rip will be there, of course! I have marked a session on the New Mexico Rail Runner Project, Flange Bearing Technology, and some new technology involving Track Substructure Characterization Using Ground Penetrating Radar as those I want to attend.

Hedge Funds have been rightfully pounded lately. Here are more blows. Last week, before it was known whether Hedge Fund reps would be seated on CSX's Board, the railroad's common stock closed at 61.61. Once speculation occurred that all four Hedge Fund reps would have to be seated according to Court Order, the railroad's common was all the way down to 50.60 before rebounding to 56.65 in today's rally. Doesn't look like investors like those Hedge Fund guys.

Looking for an interesting read? Check out "The Men Who Loved Trains" by Rush Loving, Jr. It cronicles the fall and rise of northeastern railroads from the mid fifties until the present, discussing the personalities, decisions, and directions of the PRR, NYC, Penn Central, Amtrak, Conrail, CSX, and Norfolk Southern as routes were cut up and handed out. One of the basic messages of the book is that the Penn Central was the Enron of its day, and if the government had held firm on its promise to control such abuse, events such as Enron and Worldcom would have never happened. My favorite part is a quote that distills the opinions of many concerning the accounting profession, to wit: “Despite the profession’s protestations that it ensures accuracy, accounting can be notoriously subjective, and one can make a logical case for two opposite treatments of the same business transaction.” Beautiful!

Metrolink Disaster

2008-09-15T10:57:00.004-05:00

This morning, our thoughts and prayers are with all of the employees and patrons, and their families, who have been devastated by the head-on collision near Chatsworth involving Metrolink.

Links to various news items will not be posted here, for two reasons. First, you have already read at least one, depending on the depth of your personal interest. And second, the media is doing its usual "jumping to conclusions" with certain aspects of the story, and Rip will not be an accomplice to the spreading of stories that may or may not be true.

Having been a part of the management team of a Class One, and having been involved with the media as they investigate a rail disaster, I understand fully why the usual line, "It is still too early to say what caused this disaster; our investigation is still underway and ongoing, and still inconclusive at this time" is used by the railroad's media contact. My experience is that the media rarely comes back for the facts after reporting the initial sensationalism. However, I do believe that in this particular case, a better job in reporting will ultimately happen. Until then, patience is a virtue.

No investigation or reporting will ease the pain of those who have lost so much in this disaster, as evidenced by the emotion of Metrolink's spokesperson. Once again, let's keep them all in thought and prayer.

Short Lines, not as long but just as wide: A New Riptrack Item

2008-08-27T17:12:00.003-05:00

New ideas are good! New ideas can be good. I hope this is one of them. From time to time, there are "one liners" that occur in the railroad industry that don't warrant a full page effort, but are important nonetheless. With that in mind, "Short Lines" here at Riptrack is born.

Some of these items might be nothing more than a simple thought that is derived from an arbitrary, electrical verbage syntax that had occurred in my brain. So here goes:

Can someone please come up with a better one of these?

This is the weak link in everyone's railroad. Figure out a better one and you will never work another day in your life.

Arcady asked what my opinion was concerning the California High Speed Rail Initiative. It should be no surprise that Rip is strongly in favor. California is one of at least three locations where High Speed Rail has been discussed. In Texas, the idea of linking DFW with Houston and San Antonio looked like a distinct possibility. Florida also looked at Miami to Orlando to Tampa, if memory serves. High Speed Passenger Rail will be much like Light Rail, insofar as once the first demo is built, the question moves from "why" to "when are we getting ours?" California is a logical first place because, based on the Amtrak success story there, it will be a success.

Ridership is still going up, not only at DART/TRE but also Amtrak. There are many more examples. The downside is that some Agencies are having to choose between service cuts or fare increases. Here is what Sacramento RT is doing.

We Need More Trains!

2008-08-15T16:34:00.006-05:00

No argument here. In fact, no argument almost anywhere. I gave up posting links to stories about whose ridership is up. Throw a dart into a USA wallmap. No matter where the dart hits, there is a train nearby with a healthy ridership increase. And, that includes Amtrak.

Agreed, then. We all want alot more of this.

And, let's be clear. We are talking all rail passenger transportation. Light Rail, Heavy Rail, Subways, High-Speed Rail. We are not limiting ourselves to Amtrak in general or Amtrak California in particular, at least as shown above.

Can we do it? Can we build it, knowing that if we build it, they WILL come. Can we build it is the real " . . . is the train on time . . ." question. In order to build the infrastructure needed for these trains that we all dream about, it will take rail, ties, turnouts, ballast, not to mention the right-of-way to build on.

Let's not even address the issue of rolling stock just yet. The thing to remember is, if we did have the track to operate more trains, we might not be able to get the train itself to run on our track! But that's another issue. We're just talking track, here.

OK. To build the track, we need material, the aforementioned rail, ties, turnouts, etc. Could we get the material? In general, the answer is, probably not as fast as we would like. In fact, it will probably be much longer than we would like. Especially if the politicos all of a sudden turn on a financial faucet. Everybody would be ordering the same stuff for their new track.

If you have ordered track material lately, you know what the supply situation is. Planning is key. Delay is expensive, and that is not just because of higher and higher steel prices.

It is a cliche to note that corporations cannot see beyond the current quarter, and that long range planning involves something for the next fiscal year. Government funding has become the same. Financial incentives for rail passenger transportation are non-existent at the worst and a low priority at best.

When gasoline is priced at $4.25 a gallon, every elected rep jumps on the "we need more trains" express. But, isn't amazing that as the price per barrel drops, and the price at the pump begins its lazy price retreat along side, the whole political system easily forgets how rail could help the situation. High gas prices and the resulting grand discussions of building some track takes a backseat to the latest international crisis.

What to do? Somehow, we need to solve the capital problem. We need to make those with the capital understand that it is good to think beyond the current oil price gouge. Sure, there is Light Rail money available, but we need more. And, we need more for Amtrak. More than that, material suppliers need to know that there will be justification to come up with an ability to produce that can meet the demand that will surely come in the future. In other words, we will be walking down the expensive oil road again, and we need to do a better job of preparation.

Track material suppliers will, repeat will, increase their ability to produce material if the market is there. And, right now it isn't. Supply meets demand, and today they are meeting right in the middle. Or on the edge, if you prefer.

Need an example? How about Salt Lake City!

UTA started with a small Light Rail Line. They did not stop. Now, their Light Rail is being built all over town. And, it will soon connect with commuter rail from Ogden to Provo! Those people will have some options the next time gas hits $4.00 per gallon! Think of Portland, Oregon. Sacramento and San Diego California. People in these towns are learning what people in New York, Boston, DC, Philly, and Chicago already know.

Rail Passenger Transportation works. Let's get together to make it work more.

Ridership Still Going Up!

2008-07-24T11:04:00.004-05:00

Rip has discussed this earlier. Even so, the riders just keep on coming, especially in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Here's the story according to Railway Age.

True enough that Rip has been less than kind to DART in the past, their ridership is a success story.

Their relationship with Trinity Rail Express is symbiotic, to be sure. So, not surprisingly TRE is experiencing growth as well. One contributing factor is the ridiculously low fare to transfer from one to the other. Metroplex residents are clearly taking advantage!

On another note, a forum in Flyertalk mentions how Amtrak's Acela is doing quite well, too. The forum specifically addresses the Boston to New York portion of the run, a segment that has been criticized for being slower than planned. But, the point is that it is all good news.

It is clear that the traveling public is embracing rail transportation. The question we all hear more and more now, can the rail industry respond by updating old facilities and building new infrastucture? Good question! We'll talk more later!

Isn't It Time for This Year's Rippers?

2008-07-23T12:01:00.004-05:00

Yes, but . . . . .

When the idea for the Rippers came about, it seemed logical to mention in an on-line format both the good and the bad of the Transit Agency Community. The goal was noble enough, maybe some positive and negative reaction would benefit all of us. Sort of a "rising tide lifts all boats" way of thinking.

I was also aware that you had your nominees for these awards, as did I. The problem is, I never heard about yours! Except on one or two occasions.

Not only that, but lately it seems that the quality common denominator of Construction Documents from almost all of these Transit Agencies is going down rather than up. These dastardly downward cosmic forces are clearly more powerful than a simple blog-created award.

Therefore, the Ripper, as the coveted award it was, is going away. That doesn't mean that comments directed toward transit agencies, whether nasty or supportive, are going away. It just means that they will be more informal, and done on a more frequent basis than annually.

Just to set the record straight, here is a "Ripper" . . .

. . . from Rutt's Hut in Clifton, New Jersey!

Long may these Rippers be served!

A Long Island Scrap Drive Success Story

2008-07-16T17:47:00.002-05:00

Progressive Railroading notes the financial success of picking up the scrap steel that litters the Right-of-Way. How many times have track workers said that getting the scrap rights to a railroad would be lucrative?

Good on ya, LIRR!

A Riptrack "Tip-of-the-Hat" to . . .

2008-07-09T11:50:00.003-05:00

. . . all the workers who are putting the railroad back in order after the flooding. Progressive Railroading has an update to a story that has flown under the radar of the MSM.

If this photo courtesy of Drudge from Missouri is typical,

alot of long and tiring work was and is required. Thanks again to all involved.

FRA Safety Concerns

2008-07-08T10:34:00.002-05:00

A quick note that the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) has a link to a letter from Federal Railway Administration's Joe Boardman concerning railway worker protection. You can get to it here.

Basically, the FRA is concerned about the increase in worker deaths over the past few years, and is stepping up inspections and will "issue violations where conditions warrant".

Safety is always of prime importance when working on or around the railroad. Anything that can help protect track workers, whether Railroad employees or Contract employees, is good. The potential that the FRA for a positive impact here is up for discussion, but now that the Safety Issue is on their radar, those who actually can make a positive impact must now do so.

You Probably Already Realize That . . . . .

2008-06-04T16:50:00.004-05:00

Rail ridership is way up, WAY up, due to fuel price increases. You may not realize how much higher it is, because for what ever reason, the MSM has not covered that story.

Here are some examples, according to a story from Mass Transit Magazine: Light Rail ridership in Baltimore is up 17%. Subway ridership in Boston is up 9%. The West Coast provides impressive numbers, too, with Seattle Commuter Rail ridership up 28%! More detail is in the article.

All four trains in this photo of CTA's Chicago Loop are probably full, too!

Progressive Railroading reports similar information, with South Florida Commuter Rail ridership up over 22%. Railway Age/Railway Track and Structures has an article with more figures, too.

Amtrak is doing well, too. An article from the Palm Beach Post details some of the thinking of new customers, and speaks to the good and bad for Amtrak's operation nationwide.

Amtrak is also more easily available to residents of many smaller towns in the USA, allowing them to avoid not only high gas prices but also the increasingly complex labyrinth associated with airline travel. Bottom line, the reasons are many to invest in all forms of rail passenger service.

The problem is that it takes time to get not only the facilities but also the rolling stock in place. Say that the price of fuel drops in the next few weeks or months. Suddenly, commuters will go back to their less fuel efficient ways. The result is that funding for rail passengers, which is so dependent on politics, seems less important. This country cannot afford to be that short sighted.

Rail Passenger service is not the only answer, but it is a mighty good one. Hopefully, those who control the money agree now, for the benefit of all of us no matter what price fluctuations occur.

Future Looks Good! How About the Present?

2008-05-30T16:11:00.004-05:00

Matt Rose, Grand Pharoah of the BNSF Railway, was quoted today in an interesting Associated Press article that ran pretty much nationwide concerning the future of railroads. Long story short, he predicts major gridlock in the not-so distant future. This is news, because there are still many who cannot get their arms around the fact that the Railroad Industry is a growth industry today, unlike the paradigm of the 1950's thru the 1980's. These people are not as enlightened as Warren Buffett and Jim Cramer, who do understand exactly what Mr. Rose is discussing here.

"It's getting busy out here!"

Question is, does Railroad Management understand what such growth means? Moreover, do the bankers and major investors understand as well? How will all of them grasp the interface of the intense Capital Expenditure required to simply maintain the railroad with the major Capital for expansion that will be needed?

Frankly, I don't think the message is understood by these folks. If it was, properties like Matt Rose's BNSF would not have cut Capital Expenditures for '08. Now that Mr. Rose is spearheading the case for the money needed to increase rail capacity so that rail gridlock can be avoided, let's see if he can be as effective in convincing the beancounters to spend some money now rather than tomorrow. I can guarantee that the total expenditure is going to be less.

The Last Spike

2008-05-22T11:29:00.004-05:00

This month marks the 139th Anniversary of the driving of the "Last Spike" at Promontory Summit, Utah. Many people today easily acknowledge the significance of the occasion so many years ago, but have not updated their perception of railroad track construction as performed today.

In order to correct that, I offer two photos that demonstrate the hugh difference between "then" and "now".

As it once was:

And, as it is now
(courtesy Harsco Track):

If required, please update your paradigms accordingly!

Steel Is Not a Steal

2008-04-24T15:54:00.004-05:00

It looks like rail. If you hit it with a hammer, it would sound like rail. If it got up and walked, it would walk like rail. And, if it could speak, it would even talk like rail!
But today, what looks like rail is acting more like gold! Why? Steel is becoming much more expensive, and the increases are coming faster than a speeding TGV!

Doesn't take a railroad expert to know that steel is a HUGH component of the business. In spite of that, the paradigm is that steel, in all of its forms, is always there, and will be there at a reasonable price. That paradigm is gone, maybe for a good, long time. Recent steel price increases are significantly affecting the way things will be done.

Steel suppliers have raised prices twice in the past four weeks. They promise to raise prices again before another four weeks have past. Suppliers who provided material with a guaranteed price for three months are now guaranteeing a price for no more than fifteen days!

Steel components in trackwork, that area that interests Rip, are significant. Rails, spikes, bolts, tieplates, anchors, all have gone up in price as a result. No one is waiting for their old inventory to be depleted, either. It's like the price of gasoline going up when the price of crude goes up, even though the gas in the neighborhood station's tanks were there the day before. But something interesting is happening above and beyond all that we acknowledge to be true.

Certain end users, notably Agencies and Contractors, are now forced to accept prices much, much more quickly than the time frame that they have known in the past. No more playing the "your cost is too high, we are going to the competition" game. Suppliers are telling customers, "If you don't take this price within days, the next price will be much higher!" Suppliers know that their competitors are going to do the same thing. Pay me now, or pay me alot more later! Ah, there's a new paradigm! Let's see what changes occur over the next months and years.

Record Profits but Reduced Capital Budgets

2008-04-17T10:40:00.002-05:00

It doesn't add up! Class Ones are pulling down big bucks. Trains are pounding heavily used tracks into the ground. Must be that the railroads are spending big bucks this year for maintenance, right? Wrong!

Last Autumn, the big Class Ones announced to their track material suppliers that orders would be way down for '08 in anticipation of much lower carloadings, hence much lower profits. So, are carloadings down? Not really. At least according to this and this from Railway Age.

But profits are up! At least judging by the initial 1st quarter report from CSX. No one disagrees that this is great news! Question is, are these same Class One Railroads so inflexible that they cannot revise their Capital Programs? They seem to be able to revise them downward quickly. The smarter of them will revise upward, too, and revise them now! Why?

-Track Material Suppliers are not that busy right now. Favorable pricing can happen. Not only that, but steel prices have gone significantly higher just in the past few weeks!And, higher petroleum prices will make an impact on pricing, too. '08 will be cheaper than '09. As the auto mechanic said, "You can pay me now, or pay me later!"

-Due to some accounting hocus-pocus, Capital Costs are suddenly cheaper!

-Many lines, such as the Wyoming Coal Lines, are busier than ever. Track is getting worn down, and strong track costs less and lasts longer than worn down track.

-Class Ones can become good neighbors by hiring and rehiring, and all of their suppliers will look good, too, as they do the same. This is a new paradigm for railroads, I know, but I hold out hope that somebody, somewhere, will take advantage.

So, why won't what is an obviously good idea happen? Why did these somewhat speculative decisions happen, too? I am guessing that hedge funds and other bankers are behind it somehow. During the past thirty to forty years, it was only the railroaders themselves who had to be educated every five years or so about how capital intensive the business is. Now, maybe, hedge fund managers and bankers outside the railroad's own headquarter buildings have to be told, too.

Whatever. It needs to be done. Now. Class Ones: Review the Capital Budget, and spend some of that money now, when it will buy so much more.

My Demise Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

2007-12-12T12:41:00.000-06:00

Yep, I am still here, and even kicking! It has been quite some time now, and the only story I can tell is how things have been just this side of frantic. I have told several customers that the amount of work and the number of bids is unprecidented, at least in my memory.

The "Rippers" have obviously been delayed as well, and recently it has seemed that even the good transit agencies have descended to the lows of their "less-than-stellar" brethern. So, what seemed like the onerous task of selecting the lesser of evils for Best overcame any initiative I might have had.

I promise to at least try to do better. There has been many happenings besides big projects. Hedge Funds, for one, have made their way into our conversations. The STB has as well. I know that visits are still occurring to this site, so that is encouraging as well. My efforts will, hopefully, justify more of your visits in the future.

Thanks for your patience over these past months.

Nominees for the '07 Rippers

2007-07-05T15:12:00.000-05:00

Ah, July! Fireworks, baseball, barbeques, and, of course, the Annual Ripper Awards! Think of these awards as our own kind of Fireworks!

Some believe that a Ripper is really a particular kind of Hot Dog from Rutt's Hut in Clifton, New Jersey. That maybe true, but what we are talking about here is Riptrack's Annual Awards for the "Best" and "Worst" Transit and Rail Commuter Agencies. Awards are generally limited to the United States.

In 2005, Rippers for Best Agency went to Caltrain, Denver RTD, Southern California Regional Railway Authority (Metrolink), Trinity Rail Express, and the Utah Transit Authority. In '06, Caltrain, Denver RTD, Metrolink, and Trinity Rail Express repeated, but the UTA dropped out in favor of the Port Authority Trans Hudson.

The less-desired Worst Awards went to MARTA in Atlanta, North San Diego County, VTA in Santa Clara County, St. Louis Metro, and WMATA in the District of Columbia in 2005, with Dallas Area Rapid Transit and Tren Urbano replacing St. Louis Metro and VTA in '06.

Who will it be in '07? Let your voice be heard! Simply leave your comments below, and they will be considered in the final, completely arbitrary and non-binding final awards.

DM & E Goes After Private Equity

2007-06-26T16:41:00.000-05:00

The fact that I have not posted has not meant that there is no news of interest to report. For example, there is an item about the continued efforts to force the Class One Rails to scrap their Fuel Surcharges.

But the item of interest that has caught the attention of many, both on the line haul side and on the supply side, is that the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern is not taking the Federal Railroad Administration's rejection of their Loan Application lying down. In a proactive move, the DM&E is going after private financing. This is a move that is no surprise; even Rip figured it would happen, too.

Several had speculated that the Canadian National would be interested in making access to the Powder River Basin a "Three Railroad" affair. But two other rail players have also allegedly asked to add their ante-up into the game as well. One, the Canadian Pacific, is not that big of a surprise. The other, an unnamed Short Line Operator, is a surprise.

Both the CN and the CP have connections with the DM&E at Minneapolis/St. Paul. Both carriers, on the surface at least, would love access to the Coal-rich Wyoming Mines. Add to that the support of several Electric Utilities who feel that the BNSF/UPRR duopoly needs some competition, and support for lending money for DM&E's access into Wyoming looks alot stronger.

But it is hard to see through the applications of the "Venture Capitalists" as to who really is willing to lend the money.

Sometimes, it just looks easier to build than it really is!

Even the BNSF and UPRR could be hoping for construction of the line, in a clandestine way of course. Why? If the cost of the loan becomes such a burden to the DM&E that liquidation at pennies on the dollar of the new line becomes necessary, either carrier would be only too happy to get in line to pick up the pieces.

But the best part is that, for once, private enterprise would be able to thumb their nose at the Feds. For that reason alone, many hope that the DM&E is successful.

Memorial Day 2007

2007-05-28T09:25:00.000-05:00

During the predawn hours, when the human mind hangs in that zone that is not quite dream, not quite fully aware, new thoughts often emerge. Before I fully awoke this Memorial Day morning, my new thought was that I need to acknowledge the debt that I owe not only to those who have died in military service to the USA, but also those who were wounded during their service. Their struggle may still continue after the military conflict, and their contributions and outlook on life certainly do, too.

Often, their wisdom, outlook, and experience is so profound that I can only pause quietly, and wordlessly realize how little I can identify with the price that has been paid. And, I realize once again how grateful I am to all of these Veterans, not only dead but also alive.

Two years ago, I recognized a High School friend, Garland. Today, my predawn mind led me to recall Ray. Ray is the son of a man who owned a business in the same town that my Father also owned a business. Ray went to Nam. I did not. Ray took a bullet in the hip, and I did not. Yes, at times I do wrestle with "survivor Syndrome" even though Ray did return to the USA.

I was, happily, Ray's Best Man. He and his bride were deeply in love, but unfortunately, it wasn't soon after the wedding that we drifted apart. So now, it has been something like thirty years that I have spoken with Ray. I have decided to do something about that, and to let Ray know that I am thankful for what he did. I don't think I really was able to do that in person, while I was a Twenty-something young man who did not know how to express those innermost feelings. It is time.

Yes, we have Veterans Day in November. Then, we thank them all. But that does not mean we have to limit Memorial Day to those who gave everything, their very lives. I have wrestled with that, too, but I am not letting that stop me from expanding my personal expression of gratitude. So, Ray, get ready! I'm going to be looking for you, and I am looking forward to catching up.

All Work and No Play . . .

2007-04-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

. . . means no blogging! No fun at all. Work has been that frantic. It is still very much a "Sellers' Market" in railroad material. Result? Everyone is slammed. My company cannot produce enough material to answer all the Requests for Quotations that are now being received.

But it still is fun to notice how Railroads and their Suppliers have suddenly become the Apple of Wall Street's eye. Warren Buffett buys a hugh stack in Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and the next think you know, Jim Cramer is talking about Trinity Industries, American Railcar Industries, in addition to UP and CSX. It's a heady time.

In the meantime, along the lines of "let's take a break from the fray, I pass along this website, especially if you are like me. Certain misspellings drive me crazy, like "seperate" where "separate" is correct, or "definate" instead of "definite". If you think of yourself as an overachieving speller, try the test at this site. It is fun, and you might be surprised!

Fuel Charges: What Next?

2007-03-30T18:01:00.000-05:00

After much heartburn from various Rail Shippers Organizations, the Surface Transportation Board (STB) made a ruling that banned "excessive" Fuel Surcharges, and seemed to force Railroads into at least modifying their use of this additional tariff. Trains Magazine has a good summary in their May 2007 Issue.

But the question remains, are the Railroads going to take this lying down or are they going to try to outsmart the ruling, and figure out ways to get around the Feds and keep charging this most-profitable add-on? Looking at first-blush reactions from three Railroads doesn't show any consistency.

CSX seems to be rewriting their policy and basing Fuel Surcharges on mileage.

Union Pacific's reaction is complicated, and will probably vary according to each shipper.

Trains Magazine says that the BNSF so far is the only property to base Fuel Surcharges on mileage and/or tonnage. I think the BNSF is providing a bit more complicated policy than that, a policy that, once again, depends on what commodity is shipped.

Time will tell if the STB Ruling is more "appearance over substance". Something needs to be in place that allows protection for both Customer and Carrier when fuel prices fluctuate wildly. Hopefully, that goal is in sight.

***

Previous:

Fuel Surcharge Still an Ugly Situation
Fuel Surcharges Continue to Mystify

TTCI Continues to "Reduce the Stress-State"

2007-03-24T11:21:00.000-05:00

The recent TTCI Open House in Pueblo, Colorado that was held March 13th and 14th, continued the theme of how engineering solutions involving both track and rolling stock can make the lives of professional railroaders better.

This attitude must be hitting a resonance with many railroaders and suppliers alike. Attendance in 2007 reached an all-time high. Now that AREMA does not hold a Technical Conference in March of each year, the TTCI has taken that time to create and hold a most worthwhile Open House during that vacated time period. Now, other meetings are being held in conjunction with the Open House.

Another great thing about this year's event was the wonderful weather. Past attendees can attest to the unpredictable nature of March weather on the High Plains of Colorado. At least twice during the past eight to ten years, the walk of the FAST High Tonnage Loop was met by sub-zero wind chills. This year, inspectors could look over their shoulder and clearly see Pikes Peak in the distance!

Do yourself a favor in '08, check out the TTCI website in a few months and register for the next TTCI Open House.

***
Previously: TTCI Is Changing the Railroad Engineering Paradigm

FRA to DM&E: No Way!

2007-02-27T18:23:00.000-06:00

The DM&E's Loan Request was denied by the FRA! There are some absolutely stunning quotes in this article from Business Week.

I know that the DM&E does have several contingiency plans to overcome this setback. I also believe that the FRA Denial will merely hold up, rather than defeat, the DM&E's expansion project into the Powder River Basin. Ultimately, a project that will improve the quality of life for many, on and off the DM&E's line, will prevail over the short-sighted objections of Minnesota's Governor, the Mayo Clinic, the current Administration, and yes, even the nasty politicizing by Tom Daschle.

It won't be long that the DM&E, through private enterprise, will triumph over these transparent political motives. Yes, it will cost the railroad, but it will also cost the government some interest income as well. The DM&E's Loan, not gift as some would have you believe, would have been similar to that given to Chrysler some years ago, which proved to be a great deal for all.

If the politicians do prevail, then it will be just one more indication that here in the United States we have the best government that money can buy.

RT&S Verifies . . . . .

2007-01-31T17:32:00.000-06:00

. . . what rip noted some time ago. The Class One Railroads are spending in a big way this year! Check out the article in the January '07 issue. You will note that Amtrak's spending is going from $525M in '06 to $650M in '07, that BNSF is going from $1.76B to $1.87B, and that UPRR is going from $2.35B to $2.45B CN and CP are also up, as is Norfolk Southern. Only CSX is flat from '06 to '07.

That must be why I am hearing almost every day now from people who are trying to buy track material that it is getting tough to find what they need. It looks like a good year ahead for the supply side people!

Gators!

2007-01-10T17:56:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to the Florida Gators on their victory in the BCS Championship game. I finally have some time after two hectic days following the game, and I will take my dose of humility along with many others who thought Ohio State would prevail.

Meyer may have established a new dynasty in Gainesville, similar to that other dynasty that seems to have surfaced out on the Left Coast. Who knows, maybe next year's BCS Championship game in New Orleans will feature these two.

At the same time, I am not ready to agree that the SEC is the Nation's Best, any more than agreeing that the Big East is the best. The fact is that the conference's representatives did not lose one single Bowl Game this season. You cannot judge the best and worst simply on Bowl Game records. After all, the woebegone Big Ten went two and one against the SEC.

It just makes College Football all the more fun. For me personally, it is a most pleasant relief from the pressures of day-to-day business. Nevertheless, nothing, really, has been settled by these games that are held weeks after the end of the regular season. Nothing, except one thing: The Florida Gators can rightfully claim this year's National Championship. They won it. They deserve it. And if the Meyer dynasty happens, the future may find every other team fighting for the runner up spot.

2007: A Quick and Dirty Outlook

2007-01-08T10:27:00.000-06:00

The brand new year is now underway and in full swing. Already, some trends are beginning to show themselves.

Track material will be in short supply all year. Even the Wall Street gurus have noted that Class One Railroads have shorted their Capital Spending for several years, and will be making up for it this year with more and greater expenditures. We all know that delivery of rail is always delayed for a matter of months after receipt of order (ARO), and that has been going on for years now. Delivery of special trackwork has also been in a very similar situation, but maybe for not quite as long as rail. But now you can add ties, at least wood ties, to the list of "hard to get" material. I have heard from several track contractors who say that they simply cannot find available ties for their projects because of extensive railroad purchases. Other track material (OTM) is similar, depending on the specific product.

As an aside, a topic for another time is: The Class Ones have created a paradigm of fewer track material manufacturers and suppliers during the recent era of low spending; now that these same railroads are ramping up there is a shortage of material to be had.

Of course, 2007 will bring with it the usual opportunities for education and seminars.

The Transportation Research Board will hold its usual January Seminars beginning on the 21st in Washington, DC.

The TTCI Open House will be in March as usual at the Pueblo, Colorado Test Center, this year it will be March 13 and 14.

A Wheel/Rail Seminar is going to be held in Chicago on May 8th and 9th.

Once again, AREMA will be meeting in Spetember, this time it will be the 9th thru the 12th. This year is the now semi-annual stop at the Palmer House in Chicago. Hopefully, this year it will not interfere with the RPI Meeting!

And, two excellent sources of Seminars will be active again, both The Track Guy, John Zuspan, and the University of Wisconsin's Continuing Education Series. John selects sites across the entire nation, making attendance easy. You will have to travel to the Midwest to attend the U of W sessions.

I will not use such overused words as "promising" or "challenging" to describe my prediction for the upcoming twelve months. Rather, I will simply say that it will be a busy year, somewhere between crazy and frantic.

A Sign of a Merry Christmas

2006-12-27T12:29:00.000-06:00

Hope you and yours had a Merry Christmas. I am making this wish because we are still in the season; in fact, it is day three of "The Twelve Days of Christmas".

More than that, I hope you may have received one of those gifts that surprise and illuminate your life in a new and surprising way. It's the sort of gift that teaches something valuable. How fitting it is that such a gift can come at Christmas!

Such a gift may be a total surprise, and probably didn't cost much, either. I was lucky this Christmas, I received that very sort of gift from my Parents. It was a book entitled, "Mighty Fitz, the Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald", by Michael Schumacher. The book is recently done, copyrighted in 2005.

I have always had an interest in the Edmund Fitzgerald, ever since I first heard Gordon Lightfoot's song in September 1976. It seems Mr. Schumacher may have had a similar experience, due to the fact that much of his work revolves around documenting music and musicians. At any rate, during the afternoon lull that frequently comes around Christmas Day afternoon, I started reading the book. Once I started, I could not put it down!

The author managed to flesh out the crew in a personal way, bringing them to life in a way that was new to me. But more than that, Mr. Schumacher traced in captivating detail the events of the days just before the wreck, describing the work and decisions that all of those who were associated with The Fitz performed, things that all of us who have been in the business of transportation do, almost by rote. But, the fascination comes out of the results of those deeds when cast onto the stage of the unique events of November 9th and 10th, 1975 on Lake Superior.

Not stopping at that ppoint in the story, the reader is then guided thru the investigations of the Coast Guard, the NTSB, and even the efforts of Jacques Cousteau's Calypso. Numerous deep dives were made and recounted.

If you, like me, have ever been involved in the Investigation of a Railroad Rules Infraction, it is very interesting to see how these things work in such a context. The demands of Insurance Companies and others that the cause be immediately determined, in spite of winter conditions on the Big Lake, simply cause you to nod your head as you sympathize with all who went thru those horrible hours during the tragedy, as they did their jobs and then had to retell their stories within the legal framework that was required. They knew, and we know, that nothing would be determined until the next Spring.

As we now know, even the following Spring would not reveal any answers.

It is hard to comprehend that today, we are fully thirty years beyond the tragedy that has been called, "The Titanic of The Great Lakes". Those thirty years have not been enough to allow the families and friends of the twenty-nine men on the crew to heal. The author reminds us of that, as he describes the legal situations that accompanied the raising of the Ship's Bell, or how one person went to Whitefish Point to claim a small amount of Lake Superior water that hopefully contained a loved one's DNA.

Read this book. Then go to the websites that are noted. You will learn much about human nature, about how captivating these five Great Lakes are to many, about how legal investigations can become so irritating, and how much risk there is in the simple act of transportation. And, you may never look out to the horizon from the shoreline of one of the Great Lakes in quite the same way ever again.

Ohio State, Florida, BCS, and SEC

2006-12-04T13:28:00.000-06:00

The BCS Title Game is set. All of us who care a lick about College Football know that Ohio State will take on Florida for the title of National Champion. I've heard all the arguments for and against the Gators being in this game.

Valid: The idea of a rematch between the Buckeyes and the Michigan Wolverines is not desireable. What if Michigan wins? Should there be a best two-out-of-three between these two teams? But the major issue, at least as brought up by one poster on another blog, is that the rematch would not be as financially lucrative to the BCS as another game. I heard alot of spin from the media-types as they tried to justify Florida as #2, but what it all boils down to is whether or not the voters wanted a rematch. And whether there is more money to be made with one team over another.

Not valid: The idea that the Southeastern Conference is the best in the US is just another old and worn out idea from years ago, just like how invincible any college team from Florida is.

One of the favorite mantras of all SEC fans is how much better their teams are than the Big Ten.

Honestly, I am not as upset about Florida playing in the Championship Game as I am about how all these pundits and so-called experts keep saying how the SEC is the toughest conference going. I will grant you that they are even from top to bottom, but I am convinced that had Ohio State, Michigan, or Southern Cal been in the SEC, either of the three teams would have been the conference's champion.

Example: Let's look at the last eight Outback and Capitol One Bowls (or whatever those Bowl Games were once known as), where the Big Ten faced off directly with the SEC.

Over the past eight years, the Capitol One Bowl record shows the Big Ten has a 5 to 3 advantage, and one of the SEC wins was an overtime game that could have gone either way. The Outback Bowl is even and 4 to 4, but once again, the SEC secured one win in overtime.

Last year did not look good for the SEC. Check the results, Wisconsin beat the pollster's darling Auburn by a lopsided 24 to 10 score. And Iowa beat LSU 30 to 25. Poor Big Ten, they really don't measure up to the SEC, do they?

So, now. Just for fun, let's see how this year's Bowl schedule might resolve itself.

Independence Bowl, Oklahoma State versus Alabama: Could go either way, but if the Okie State team that beat Nebraska and barely lost to the Sooners shows up, Alabama will be in for a big surprise and a long game.

Music City Bowl, Kentucky versus Clemson: Another game that depends on who wants to play. The team that feels better about being here will probably win.

Liberty Bowl, Houston versus South Carolina: Edge to South Carolina because of Spurrier.

Chick-fil-A Bowl, Virginia Tech versus Georgia: Who besides the most rabid SEC fans think that the Bulldogs, who barely beat the hapless Colorado Buffalos at home, have much of a chance? The short trip for UGA will help, but not nearly enough.

Cotton Bowl, Nebraska versus Auburn: This is a step up for the Cornhuskers to a bigger bowl, another chance for them to show everyone that they are back. Tommy "I should have stayed in Oxford" Tuberville will find a way to lose again. Nebraska will want this game, and so will their fans, and that will make a difference.

Outback Bowl, Penn State versus Tennessee: Is there any more of an overrated team than the Volunteers? They beat a worse than average Air Force team by one at home! I am so tired of everyone saying, "But we beat Tennessee". Penn State always overachieves in Bowl Games, chalk this one up as a win for the lowly Big Ten.

Capitol One Bowl, Wisconsin versus Arkansas: Please. This might be the mismatch of the season. Wisconsin is mad that teams like Boise State and Notre Dame and Wake Forest are in a BCS Bowl. Arkansas is only glad to be here. Result: The Badgers roll. Big Ten two, SEC nothing!

Sugar Bowl, Louisiana State versus Notre Dame: This looks like a lock for the SEC, but, as Lee Corso says, "a game that will be closer than the experts think". One big advantage for LSU is the short trip from Baton Rouge to the Big Easy.

BCS Championship, Ohio State versus Florida: Meyer got his wish, on January 9th, he will wish that he didn't. There is no way that Florida wins a sloppy game against Ohio State. Jim Tressel is the best game day coach in the country. This game will remind fans of the Nebraska romp over Florida a few years ago. Don't compare this Florida team with the Ohio State team that beat Miami of Florida for their Title a few years ago, this Florida team doesn't have the Coach that OSU has.

So, what are we at now? I see the once mighty SEC winning three Bowl Games and losing six, with the Big Ten winning three to the SEC's nothing. That's my prediction. Mine is as valid as Mark May's, only he has the ESPN camera and I don't.

Fuel Surcharges Continue to Mystify

2006-11-30T13:31:00.000-06:00

Progressive Railroading is reporting that CSX has increased its Fuel Surcharge for December '06 to 17.5%.

However, BNSF not only has a lower Fuel Surcharge of 13% for December '06, but has notified its customers that the same 13% surcharge will apply in January '07!

That 4.5% difference amounts to more than a 34% higher price that CSX customers are paying for fuel versus BNSF customers. OK, argue with the math if you will, but the matter here is the difference. OK, too, argue with the methods that each railroad uses to determine their Fuel Surcharges. Neither case made will diminish the fact that such a difference looks bad to customers, and looks like more ammunition for some zealot bureaucrat who might ultimately tackle this issue.

***
Previous:

Fuel Surcharge: Still an Ugly Situation
Oil Prices, Railroad Profits, and Fuel Surcharges
Fuel Surcharge Tyranny

Thanksgiving 2006

2006-11-22T11:53:00.000-06:00

Years prior to 2006, our family began to realize that Thanksgiving had become a holiday that had not nearly been affected as other holidays by commercialism. As I remember past Thanksgivings, I recall the joy and laughter shared by my Dad and his two brothers, laughter that began to teach me the importance of family. I recall being snowed in during another Thanksgiving, where my Mom's family were reacquainted in a memorable and wonderful way that would not have happened otherwise. There are other times, too, but it is only important to note on this post that Thanksgiving memories are there simply because the family was together.

I have always hoped that my efforts at work, no matter who was my employer, eventually contributed to making it easier for families to get together, at some time, somehow, somewhere. It doesn't matter to me exactly what that might look like. It doesn't matter whether someone's journey to be with family is made easier, or whether someone doesn't have to be called out away from their family for an emergency. What matters to me is that special time people can share together.

Here's hoping that you and yours have a wonderful and memorable Thanksgiving together!

Evidence of Higher Track Material Pricing to Agencies

2006-11-20T17:01:00.000-06:00

Earlier discussions here have noted the possibility. Now, it is happening.

In order to continue my anonymity, I must not divulge too many facts or names. But I can note that for the same track material, our quoted price has increased almost 30% in a matter of twelve months. The material was essentially the same, the customer was the same, only the price was different!

In another case, our bid to another customer rose over 50% for the same material. There was a greater difference in time, that increase came after a four year interval.

Why? Several reasons. Fuel costs, material costs (primarily because all of our suppliers' fuel costs have risen as well), and a higher "Contingency" factor have all contributed. The ability to add that contingency increase is due to how much more material the Class One Railroads are buying.

I mentioned in an earlier post that at the AREMA Conference, almost all suppliers spoke of how busy they are. One told me, "At this time last year, our quoted lead time to our customers was one week. Then it slipped to two weeks, then to two to four weeks. Now, we are at eight to ten weeks out!" This is just one indication of increased Class One Railroad track material purchasing.

The fact that fewer Transit and Commuter Rail Projects seem to be in the pipeline now may contribute to why many Agencies have not come to grips with this situation. However, I am hearing that some of the more "far-sighted and aware" Agencies are lining up committments for material now, even before their RFQ's go out. These Agencies will get their needed material, and at a reasonable cost. It will be interesting to see what happens to some of the others.

This Year's "Game of the Century"

2006-11-16T09:42:00.000-06:00

Of course, it's this year's edition of the Michigan - Ohio State game. No predictions here, but something of interest nonetheless.

I uncovered some old programs from previous games, and have posted three of them here. These speak to the times they were printed as well as to the game.

Nothing to say but typical art from the early twentieth century. But the clothing is clearly "thoroughly modern".

From 1930, the Art Deco influence is clear. Love the "G" in Michigan!

What can you say about the attitude of the Late Sixties? It's a pleasant afternoon in the park, and dropping chestnuts on the opposing player who is picking daisys is as serious as life could get.

Hopefully you found these interesting! You can see more here.

Fuel Surcharge: Still an Ugly Situation

2006-10-24T12:18:00.000-05:00

Might get worse, too. Although this has been discussed here previously, I had my interest picqued again when I overheard a CSX employee comment on the recent 3rd Quarter Report. Mention was made of the upbeat nature of President Ward's comments, and that the issue of Fuel Surcharges was brought up in a way that indicated that changes might be on the horizon. You won't find such comments in the Report, however.

Customers are generally upset with some of the stunts that railroads are pulling these days. Bad feelings are resulting in the dreaded "R" word being bounced around. In this case, the bad word is "Reregulation".

Of course, the railroads don't like anyone messing with their situation.

Here's an example of why shippers are getting more and more vocal. Consider the BNSF, and its Fuel Surcharge on Intermodal Shipments. If you check out this article and click on the links to previous year's surcharges, you will find that these surcharges have ranged from a low of 4% to a high of 22.5%. Right now, it is hovering around 17% to 18%. You can also find out some of the complicated methods used to determine what this percentage is.

Customers have a tough time dealing with that large of fluctuation in tariffs. Pick your commodity, and it is easy to see why there might be issues with such fluctuations.

So what should be done? The quick and dirty way to start these Fuel Surcharges was to simply add the percentage onto whatever tariff was in place. Now, there is discussion about mileage based surcharges. Forget all of that.

The easy way is to change the basic tariff! Admit that fuel prices are NOT going back to the historical lows of a few years ago. Just raise the tariff, and get back to some surcharge that hovers around the 2% to 5% range. No one will be frothing, and no use of the "R" word will happen.

If fuel prices change dramatically, then simply change the basic tariff again. Isn't that what deregulation was supposed to allow in the first place?

The whole idea was so simple that it was even proposed here, and some time ago, too. The choice for Railroads is easy, do something that works, or face some government intervention of some kind down the track.

Election 2006

2006-10-19T21:30:00.000-05:00

Everyone has something to say about elections and the political process, especially during these days leading up to an election. And so do I.

I get extremely frustrated when politicians attempt to take the moral "high-ground". Makes no difference, Republican or Democrat. Candidates from both parties routinely do this during speeches and as part of advertising campaigns. But most voters are now becoming aware that no politician or party has a right to claim an elevation that places them on a higher righteous plateau than the opposition. Just remember, politicians rank somewhere between Used Car Salesmen and Lawyers in most polls concerning ethics.

A very wise political observer once shared with me a very salient observation. It goes like this: "There are only two types of politicians, and it isn't Republican or Democrat, or Liberal or Conservative; one politician has been elected, and the other politician wants to be elected. It's as simple as that." Many elections later, I have learned how simple and brilliant this observation is.

Nothing more needs to be written on Rip Track concerning this election.

The "D" in DM & E is Not for Daschle

2006-10-07T21:42:00.000-05:00

All of us in the supply side of the railroad industry, as well as many others, know that the DM & E is a common reference to the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad. This is the line that has tried to get a track into Wyoming's Powder River Basin for something like ten years, now. If they get permission for the proposed line, half will be a significant rebuild of existing trackage, and half will be totally new construction, which will add even more pressure to the RR suppliers, as previously noted here. The DM&E's material and machinery requirements are that significant.

The BNSF and UPRR obviously would rather the DM&E be held out of the Powder River, which would allow them to maintain a hammerlock on all coal shipments. These two Class One Railroads have made no bones about that fact, but the problems that came up last summer with degrading track conditions did their case no good at all, as it allowed the DM&E to make a point that Wyoming's Powder River Basin Coal needs another railroad shipping option. All this is no secret, and is typical of past and present railroad competion.

What is also well know is that one of the last remaining pieces of formal opposition is provided by a group headed by the Mayo Clinic of Rochester, Minnesota. The DM&E runs in close proximity to the Clinic, and their worry concerns how an increase in coal train traffic will impact their facility. The Mayo Clinic Group has gone so far to enlist and include several other ranchers down the line, hopefully to add to their legitimacy.

Much of this is all reported in a good article in the November issue of Trains Magazine.

What is not reported by Trains Magazine, or anyone else in the MSM that I can find, is how former South Dakota Senator, Mr. Tom Daschle, may be involved with the Mayo Group. Why might that be the case? Perhaps it has to do with hard feelings that Mr. Daschle still harbors, having lost his seat to Mr. John Thune in November 2004. Since his election, you will recall that Mr. Thune spearheaded an amendment that assisted the DM&E in its effort to gain permission to build their line.

Would Mr. Daschle be so much of a sore loser to do such a thing, to help deny the DM&E permission for their line? Rumors say, yes, indeed. Someone needs to confirm or deny these rumors, and then report. Hard to believe that Mr. Daschle would put his own self esteem ahead of his former constituents, but if true, those former constituents and current fellow South Dakotans should know the truth.

Love-Fest at AREMA? No Way!

2006-09-27T12:47:00.000-05:00

All the work that piled up while I was at the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association Conference in Louisville had to be taken care of before I could post, and today it looks like I can, so here goes.

Creosote made a comment to my post made prior to the Conference, referring to the AREMA Event as a "love-fest". His main point was the conflict with the Railway Supply Institute affair, which occurred in Chicago. I asked several people about this, and really got no answer that satisfies. That said, this conflict was only part of more dissatisfaction and frustration then I have ever seen at an AREMA Conference. Love-fest is was not!

The date conflict may have been due to the coordination between AREMA and REMSA for the Trade Show portion of this year's event. You will recall that there have been over the past years a clash of "organization egos" to determine whose show would be where and when. Every year, one or the other group asked suppliers to trot out their exhibits, buy more giveaways, and spend three days hawking their products to an audience that was comprised of fewer and fewer real customers. Suppliers were getting tired and edgy. So, this year was the first "Expo" coordinated by the two rival groups. It could be that the only date they could agree upon created the conflict with the Railway Supply Institute's event.

But more than that, there were real issues from many suppliers who found out that the fee required for the Conference did not allow for attendance to the Expo, unless you happen to work for a Railroad! Consultants and Agency types had to fork over another $150 to $250, depending on whose story you believe. So, many potential customers and contacts decided to go to the Louisville Slugger Museum rather than the Expo. That did not sit well with many suppliers.

In fact, I heard one person mention that their company would not be exhibiting again if more money was required for admission.

One other item, at least two presenters who were scheduled were late for THEIR OWN PRESENTATION! It is hard to take seriously someone's presentation if they don't take it seriously themselves.

On a reaffirming note, all of the suppliers I spoke with confirmed my opinion noted in an earlier post, that production was at a record high, and that future material bids were going to be much higher, if a bid were to be made at all.

Another positive, almost everyone commented on what wonderful hosts the people of Louisville, Kentucky were to the entire group.

However, I have heard rumblings of dissatisfaction with the direction the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association is headed, now more than ever. More on that in future posts. The 2006 Conference only seemed to add to the rumblings.

Sending Out RFQ's for a Transit Agency? Your Bids May Surprise You!

2006-09-14T18:08:00.000-05:00

Recently, I submitted a Bid in response to a Request for Quotation (RFQ) from a particular Transit Agency. Our company priced our product fully 50% higher than previous bids for similar material. In talking with other non-competing suppliers, I am hearing similar stories from them. Bids are coming in at higher prices everywhere and for everything.

Wish I could be more specific, like naming materials and Agencies. I just cannot.

But that's not as important as the trend. I believe this is ultimately going to result in bad news for Public Agencies. Prices are going to go higher. Supply at those higher prices is going to be harder for them to find. Why? Several reasons.

-Suppliers are finally beginning to assign a cost to the voluminous and over-complicated Bidding Documents. In other words, Agencies and their Consultants are "Scaring their Bids". Take, for example, my Bid noted above. The Bid Form alone totaled over two dozen pages! Many of the forms required information that was frankly obtrusive. As is typical with any government agency, these things are not getting simpler. The cost in time and money to do business with these Public Transportation Agencies is out of proportion when compared to other customers, which leads me to the fact that:

-Class One Railroads are buying things like never before! Everybody that I talk with is crazy busy! I know I am, which is one reason my posts are more infrequent. So, if you were making widgets as fast as you can, and one customer is buying almost everything you can make, but here comes another customer who requires this-that-and-the-other to be happy, you will ask yourself, why put up with the hassle here? Case in point: For some time, railroad material suppliers have filled their production schedules with work obtained by winning bids from Agencies. Suppliers put up with the associated aggrevation in order to cut overhead with full production. Now, Class One Railroads are claiming all of that once-excess production. And, I don't know any supplier who would rather deal with an Agency than a Railroad.

-Not only that, but US Suppliers are being courted by foreign concerns! And these people are more than willing to purchase a quality US-made product without anywhere near the problems that must be dealt with when working with a domestic concern. That means nothing but more pressure on production.

Here's what it boils down to: Production capacity is not increasing; production demands are increasing. The result will be, believe it or not, that suppliers can begin to select their customers!

It is already happening. Our Bid resulted in a call from the Agency wondering why our Bid was so high. We explained. Believe me, we explained. If that Agency could read between the lines, the message was that we just didn't want the problems that came with doing business with them. And, we are running pretty close to capacity! Bottom line: It's going to cost you.

So what will happen? No-hassle Railroad customers will be the first to be supplied. Customers whose adversarial RFQ's and Bidding Documents look like CYA documents for potential lawsuits will not. Should be interesting.

New Secretary of Transportation

2006-09-05T15:18:00.000-05:00

UPDATE:

The Association of American Railroads weighs in with a prepared statement.

Getting There comments comprehensively.

* * *

According to Reuters, President Bush will formally name Mary Peters as his nominee for the Secretary of Transportation post recently vacated by Norman Mineta. This is the closest thing to a bio I could quickly find on Ms. Peters.

The Air Transport Association was gushing over the selection.

Obviously, her experience is much deeper with the Highway side of life than it is with rail. Looking thru the quotes of her speeches while at the FHWA in 2003 and 2004 don't lend much light on what we can expect from her. But some things are visible.

She comments at several times and in several ways about creating public-private partnerships that are viable on a value added basis. We shall see how that translates into that particular partnership as defined by Amtrak. We know that highways are often a "Big P" Public and "little p" private situation. We also know that such an outlook was not part of the Administrations' Amtrak situation.

Stay tuned.

Something Fun!

2006-08-17T11:43:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Live From the Thirdrail and Urban Planning Blog you can create your own "I've ridden on these systems" Logo Set. Go to this site to create your own.

Here's mine:

Had there been some more logos, such as Sacramento RT and Tri-Met in Portland, I could have included them as well. But it's fun anyway!

2006 AREMA Annual Conference

2006-08-15T10:45:00.000-05:00

It's coming up, this year it will be held between September 17th and 20th in Louisville, Kentucky. This year will also feature the REMSA World Rail Expo, with both indoor and outdoor exhibits. These outdoor exhibits generally mean high attendance for the Conference.

The Exhibit combined with the Technical Presentations are usually enough to convince any boss to pop for travel expenses required to get there. This year's presentations cover topics such as eliminating mud in track, how to deal with 200 MGT's traffic on a flood plane, performance of asphalt underlayment, recycling an open deck half through plate girder span, and the preliminary design of the Silicon Valley Tunnel Segment. Plus, there are at least a couple items that deal with the new generation of employees, from special opportunities to meet them to justifying training them, and that's a very good thing.

A couple of Presentations stood out for me, and will definitely be on my "must see" list. The first one, "Railroad Security Efforts Post Hurricanes Katrina and Rita" by Mr. Gary Gordon, PE and Mr. Curt Secrest of the Transportation Security Administration should provide a positive reaction to recent hurricane damage and give all railroaders some ammunition to use when it comes time to brag on how the industry can respond to emergencies.

The second is a very interesting sounding presentation, "How Agencies Can 'Railroad' a Railroad: A Case Study" by Mr. Gary Lewis of Parsons Water and Infrastructure and Mr. Mark McCune of the Union Pacific Railroad. Common experience is that the UPRR gets its own way when it comes to dealing with any agency. I will be interested in hearing if and how Uncle Pete was out maneuvered by someone. At least, it will shed some insight into one particular agency's thought process.

Figure on somewhere around 1,200 railroad track engineering professionals in attendance. If you have any connection at all, you have probably already made your reservation. If not, you should do it soon.

The 2006 "Rippers" for Worst Agency

2006-08-02T16:53:00.000-05:00

Here, the proverbial "tails" to the "heads" of the Best Agencies noted previously. These are the "not-so-coveted" awards, and are, once again, totally arbitrary. Generally, either vague Construction Documents, or even covert attempts to skewer a Supplier or Contractor have resulted in strained relationships, higher costs, and lower quality. The result is the award of a "Worst Agency Ripper".

Unlike the "Best Agencies", where four out of last years five award winners repeated, only three out of the '05 worst maintained their lowly status. However, it was not so much of a case of their improvement as it was the lowering of others.

Rest easily, though. Surely the FTA is on this, and will see fit to shed some light on whatever these people are doing to make life more difficult for suppliers and contractors, and more costly for their patrons.

As before, this list is entirely subjective and is shown in alphabetical order to avoid having to choose the total loser of the group.

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART): Even the staff admits that suppliers and contractors add a sizeable dollar amount to their estimates called the "DART Factor". This is in addition to the usual fudge factors that are part of bidding. Sadly, DART does not get a better product for the extra money, although that money will cover the mountain of paperwork that must be done while doing business with them. An anonymous contributer thinks that it even goes beyond that, to the point that DART actually wants to bankrupt contractors!

Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA): No perceived change has occurred here, those who know nothing may still be directing those in the know.

North San Diego County Transit District: Just when the Sprinter Project seems to be going better, along comes a new contracting operator, and on-time performance suffers. Read this story, and you will see that officials are good at spinning.

Tren Urbano: It may not be on the mainland, but it is part of the United States. So, what happened in San Juan? Who is responsible? Wasn't there alot of money spent? Answers to the first question will come before answers to the second, for sure. And then, there will be embarrasment concerning the third question. Oh, and will this project prove that the Feds are better at funding than administering?

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA): Just because the facilities are nice doesn't mean things are better. Just because the once critical Blog is no longer current doesn't mean things are better, either.

Last years agencies that climbed out of the morass include the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, and St. Louis Metro Transit (Metrolink). This is probably due to the fact that no new projects are underway for either, and both are enjoying increased ridership.

You might be thinking, why did Rip exclude the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)? I know, there's a blog that records some crazy stuff, but in spite of their recent derailment due to wide gage, CTA moves alot of people on an aging system. And, they seem to get along well with suppliers and contractors. That is a plus today.

How about Amtrak? In the midwest, there is an expression that goes, "making a silk purse out of a sow's ear". It is hard to imagine any agency that does more with less, with national political nonsense thrown in besides, than Amtrak.

If you are an employee of one of the losing agencies, you are probably not surprised. All I can say is, better luck in the future.

As with the Best Agency Rippers, comments and observations are welcome.

The 2006 "Rippers" for Best Agency

2006-07-26T13:46:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's the second annual "Ripper" Awards! At least, these are the Awards for the Top Five Agencies. These five awards are the more coveted, as opposed to the Five Worst Awards. That group will be selected in the next few days.

Awards are totally arbitrary, based in part on the quality of Construction Documents, relationships with Suppliers and Contractors, quality of Completed Projects, perceived value of their Patrons, and other totally subjective factors. Awards are limited to those agencies operating in the United States.

Four out of five are repeats from last year. Read below for the agency that may have received its one and only "Ripper".

Once again, the list is entirely subjective and is shown in alphabetical order to avoid having to choose a winner versus an also-ran.

Caltrain: Big success story with the Baby Bullets. Can electrification be far behind? Speaking of big, losing Mr. Darrell Maxey will mean big shoes to fill.

Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH): An agency suggested by an anonymous contributor. Rip checked, sure enough, quality people and relationships amidst the clatter of the Big Apple.

Regional Transportation District (Denver RTD): TRex is opening early and under budget. One nit to pick, once the new LRT is open, RTD has developed a fare structure that even confuses the computers!

Southern California Railroad Authority (Metrolink): A success story in the face of auto-loving Southern California. One of the good guys, Mr. Mike McGinley, has retired. Hopefully, the new guy, Mr. Darrell Maxey, will continue Mike's fine record of quality relationships with employees, contractors, and suppliers.

Trinity Railway Express (TRE): Second year in a row for this agency, which continues to upgrade its trackage and right-of-way in an efficient and effective way. Only question: How can they keep their high service standards at those ridiculously low fares?

Bubbling under these Top Five: Once again, Portland Tri-met is close. Their story is good enough that the soon-to-be under construction Portland area commuter rail took advantage of their expertise and record of quality.

Falling out of the Top Five: Utah Transit Authority. There are rumors about less than up-front bidding during material procurement for the Front Runner Project, Utah's commuter rail effort between Ogden and Salt Lake City. Are these rumors true? Time will tell.

Congrats to the five winners! My wish for you, if you are employed by any of the winning Agencies, is that your Board and your Patrons appreciate what you do.

Of course, comments and observations are welcome.

Gunn: "It was like talking to a mannequin."

2006-07-21T14:38:00.000-05:00

Read more in a very interesting interview with former Amtrak head David Gunn here.

These kind of interviews are great, very revealing too, but in the case of Norman Mineta, not all that surprising.

And if you are a Bush basher, you'll find more grist for the mill, too.

Retiring Old Heads, Confidence, and Specifications

2006-07-13T14:38:00.000-05:00

I spoke the other day with a customer, a man employed by one particular agency. His lament was that several "old heads" were retiring, and the "young guns" hired to replace them were making life difficult. You may insert your preferred description for an unsavory co-worker or boss, something like "a piece of work", "something else", or "unqualified". After the conversation, I began to realize that this is yet another manifestation of the problem that is growing up before our eyes, and quickly becoming the eight hundred pound gorilla in the room.

That problem? There are no well-qualified people to replace the retiring, or soon to retire, old heads who make up the greater portion of our Railroad Engineering expertise. Issues have been reported before here at Rip Track. But a more subtle facet of the problem has not. And that's where the confidence factor comes in.

Let's say you are the new guy coming to work for some particular agency. Once all the welcomes and staff introductions are over, you sit at your desk, awash in the consuming silence of your own thoughts. You realize your worst fears, that you may be forced to decide something. And that something has to do with an urgent matter with which you have absolutely no experience! What to do.

You might ask one of your older, experienced staffers. But who? Who can you trust? Ah, you could ask a consultant. Good idea, but many of you are thinking at this very moment while reading, that there are many, many consultants who have no better clue, either! Never mind, once that path is chosen, you as the new guy are pretty much committed to the consultant's recommendation. Don't believe it? A review of your memory should provide you with your own example. Just look in your mental file marked, "The Expert lives sixty miles down the road".

You might go it on your own. This is where my colleague had issues with his new superior. Reminds me of the chorus of salesmen on the rocking passenger car that made up one of the first scenes of "The Music Man", if they changed their lyrics to say, "Doesn't know the property, doesn't know the property!" The new superior is making decisions and spending money based on his former paradigm, and it won't work in his new one.

The confidence factor, yes. Have you noticed that no one goes around yelling that it will be dark right after the evening meal? Everyone knows that! If you have ever gone to a sports officiating training session, you will recall being told that the more unsure you are of a call, the louder you yell it out. Same thing in the railroad business, the more unsure you are of your decision, the more forceful you yell. Lack of confidence, and lack of knowledge for that matter, soon becomes clear to fellow staff and subordinates. Result? Bad work environment.

How about specifications? Might work, might take too long, too. And where did specifications come from originally, anyway? I mean long ago. When did someone move from knowing exactly what was needed to what had to be written down? I think it might have involved purchasing, either the desire to bid competitively or to obtain identical products. For fun, think of the specifications that General Dodge used for the Union Pacific in the 1860's versus what we have now. Interesting thought.

But specs are only as good as the writer. Inexperienced writer, bad specs. We are right back where we started. Even worse, a set of bad specs enforced by an inexperienced person.

This seemingly hopeless situation can be cut down to size. More on that later.

Your Ideas for the '06 Rippers

2006-06-30T11:23:00.000-05:00

Due to some Blogger quirks, I inadvertently deleted my post about the upcoming Ripper Awards for the Nation's Best and Worst Transit and Rail Commuter Agencies.

Basically, this is a solicitation for your thoughts. Please consider adding them in the comment section below. Confidentiality will be, of course, maintained if you so desire.

To get an idea of awards were handed out in '05, visit here for the Best, and here for the Worst.

One somewhat late news item from Progressive Railroading Magazine and APTA seems to indicate that Los Angeles Metro should be considered for the "Best" list.

Are You Looking for some Good News Today?

2006-06-23T11:38:00.000-05:00

I've got some! Norman Mineta is retiring his post as Secretary of Transportation!

Comparing Amtrak's Appropriation against the MTA Budget

2006-05-30T12:26:00.000-05:00

It's starvation in comparison!

Check out today's news listing from Progressive Railroading Magazine. According to the first story, the US House has appropriated $900 Million for Amtrak in '07. This compares with a $1.3 BILLION appropriation in '06!

Then, read the second story. Los Angeles MTA has budgeted $720 Million for Rail Operations, and an additional $57 Million for Metrolink!

Amtrak gets $900M for nationwide passenger service. LAMTA has $777M for Los Angeles and environs alone!

Does anyone else agree as to how absolutely CRAZY the funding for Amtrak truly is?

Memorial Day 2006

2006-05-29T15:34:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day is usually a tough one for me. I think it is related to "survivor syndrom". At least that is something that seems possible as I reflect on hearing and reading two first-person accounts of escaping death in civilian life.

My first concept of remembering those who sacrificed it all for our Nation versus those who survive came in my early teenage years, as my Family was visiting Arlington National Cemetery. My Father decided to seek out the grave of a very good friend from his High School years. At first, he wondered if it would be possible to find the exact headstone in the vast sea of markers at the cemetery. With the help of the Visitor Center, it turned out to be incredibly easy. We were there within minutes. And my Dad was hiding his tears as he read the name on the tombstone. Seeing my Father cry made quite an impact on me, because it was an extreme rarity. His only words were to the fact that had that been him and not his friend buried at Arlington, he would not be a Father of two boys. The concept of the fragile nature of life, and the arbitrary nature of death was born in my mind, only to be fleshed out later.

The event with the most impact for my own personal survival, naturally for those of my generation, was Vietnam. Friends left for the war. Some did not come back. Some did, but were changed profoundly. I wanted to avoid rolling the dice on my own mortality, and did whatever I could short of moving out of the country or marching with Joan Baez, to stay at home in the good ole' U. S. A. I succeeded.

Since then, I have become a Father. I am not sure my daughters understand that their conception might not have happened if my "fortunes of war" were different, just like my conception was due to events of a generation earlier. One of my daughters, however, did travel to "The Wall" in DC, and found the name of my own High School buddy, and made a rubbing of his name. Maybe she somehow knows.

This is all related to the tough issue. Memorial Day was designated, by Abraham Lincoln if memory serves, to simply remember and thank those who gave it all for our Nation. It was not intended as a vehicle to make some political statement as to the virtues of war. And it certainly was not intended as a Holiday to begin the summer season. But maybe all of that is somehow OK anyway.

The gift we all enjoy, the freedom to camp at our favorite site, boat on our favorite lake, hike in our favorite forest, barbeque our favorite recipe, or verbally blather on about our favorite point-of-view on our Nation, is due in large measure to those veterans who fought the valient fight to keep those freedoms alive. So, just for a moment, regardless of what we think or what we do, it is "altogether fitting and proper", to borrow Abe's own words, for us to pause and mentally give thanks to those gave "the last full measure of devotion.

So to all who died for us and our Nation, thank you, each of you, one and all. Somehow, I believe that each of you know how thankful so many of us are. May our Nation continue to flourish, and continue to provide freedoms for many.

Light Rail Central is Active Again

2006-05-22T16:22:00.000-05:00

Many, including Rip, had used this site to get updates on the Light Rail situation across the United States. For personal reasons, the site has been inactive, but not down.

Thanksfully, it has recently become active. Keep up by reading all the newspaper articles from across the country concerning Light Rail. Welcome back, Light Rail Central!

I'm also posting the link over on the right for future reference.

Oil Prices, Railroad Profits, and Fuel Surcharges

2006-05-18T12:07:00.000-05:00

All of these are related. Over the past few months, it has been possible to pull together some news items, and make some observations. Bottom line: If the Class One Railroads are not careful, their run of prosperity could be threatened. Here’s why.

Let's begin with some facts: 2004 and 2005 were the best two-years-in-a-row for the Railroads in quite some time. The First Quarter of 2006 makes a third year in a row almost a certainty. In fact, ’06 looks more and more like a record breaker.

A record breaker? The Union Pacific says so!
So does CSX.
CN says their quarter was the best ever!
The BNSF is up, too.
Don't forget Norfolk Southern.
KCS completes this story, and even the Short Lines are showing improvement.

Isn’t that OK? Yes, but combine this with what is going on with the price of oil and the resulting fuel surcharges and it may not be so OK.

Of course, the rising price of fuel has put many, many truck trailers on trains. Containers and TOFC (Trailers on Flat Cars) traffic is way up. And, of course, other traffic is up as well. But the Railroad’s record profit is not a result of this increase in traffic alone. Those Profits are due in part to their infamous Fuel Surcharges.

Some customers are now saying that these Fuel Surcharges are excessive. Customers have raised other issues as well. The rapid increase of Fuel Surcharges has already been dealt with at Rip Track. But is what CSX did indicate a railroad management attitude? CSX raised their surcharge right in the face of these customer protests.

Traffic Increases and Fuel Surcharges are all related to the price per barrel of oil. As the price goes up, the efficiency of rail transportation becomes more appealing. The Fuel Surcharge goes up as well. We have all heard the expression that a higher price for a barrel of oil is just like a tax increase. It is not a stretch to see that the resulting increase in the Fuel Surcharge looks like a windfall profit. Rail Customers are already saying such things.

If enough customers start to feel that they are being taken advantage of, and convince others in various legislative branches, some government attention is going to be paid to the record earnings and profits currently enjoyed by the Railroads. Then, sooner or later, the term “windfall profit” will be heard from the politicians. Those of us with a memory strong enough to recall events that have occurred over the past thirty or forty years regarding similar issues know immediately that this is not a good thing when politicians use these words.

Railroad Management MUST review their policy of the Fuel Surcharge. It must be made to appear to be fair. When it hovers in the twenty percent range, as it is at CSX, then Jacksonville we’ve got a problem!

To their credit, railroads are increasing spending levels for all Capital Improvements, both rolling stock and track. Specifically, spending for Ties has increased. This is good, and it reflects what we are seeing on the supply side as all of this business is pounding some tracks into the ground.

Let’s be realistic here. No one wants Railroads to return to the dark ages of the 1960’s. And profits are not a bad thing, especially when some of the money is plowed back into the property. But giving the impression that an excessive profit is happening because of an advantage is a bad thing. Railroad Management can’t let that impression prevail. Changing the paradigm of the Fuel Surcharge may be one way to dispel any of these nasty impressions. Let’s hope it happens.

It Has Been a Long Time!

2006-05-09T17:31:00.000-05:00

Been SUPER busy the past few weeks. The Railroad Material business is absolutely booming. Business is so good for the Class One's that their track is being beaten into the ground. So maintenance is up, purchase of track material is up.

But storm clouds may be in the forecast. There are ominous rumblings with shippers. Questions that began with issues about Fuel Surcharges now include questions about excessive profits born of excessive tariffs.

I'll have more soon. But the "Gravy Train" may get a "red block" if Class One Management does not heed the "advance approach" that can be seen.

New Links to Transit Blogs

2006-04-14T11:51:00.000-05:00

I thought I was keeping up on these blogs, but a recent search revealed many of which I was unaware. I am linking to them on the right, and noting them below. Select your favorite city and have a look.

Portland, Oregon: This is a good, up-to-date review of what goes on with the extensive Tri-Met Light Rail System, as well as their busses. Tri-Met was just out of the running for a "Best Agency Ripper" last July. Maybe a review of this blog will elevate them this summer.

San Jose, California (VTA): People are frustrated enough with VTA that there are two blogs! One is current and written by a citizen, the other seems to be more infrequent, but written by an insider. Together, they both justify last July's "Worst Agency Ripper" Award.

General Transit Blog: The grabber says, "Transportation for the Masses" and it is that for sure. There are many articles of interest from all over.

Salt Lake City (UTA): Now that Utah is following up a very successful Light Rail Operation with a Commuter Rail effort, it will be interesting to keep up with current developments in Utah. Once again, by reading this blog we will learn whether last July's "Ripper for Best Agency" Award was justified to UTA.

Boston (The "T"): This Blog has a rather ominous title. Bad Transit, indeed! Read about the Boston situation and make up your own mind.

Hopefully, these sites will link back to Riptrack, but regardless, they will be read.

Lessons from a Transit Strike

2006-04-11T09:15:00.000-05:00

Transit strikes happen. When they happen in New York, Chicago, Boston, or Philadelphia, the nation takes notice. The transit strike in Denver didn't measure quite as high on National Radar. But it should have made a much bigger blip in other places like Detroit, Kansas City, and Austin. Why? Denver is a western town that has only in the past five to ten years or so been able to see the benefits of Light Rail. And this strike made those benefits crystal clear.

The Denver Post reports the increase in traffic and the attitudes of drivers during the strike. "Stop and Go Nightmare" and "Red Light Blues" are two of the descriptive expressions used.

After the strike, another Denver Post article reported on opinions about the benefits of Light Rail. Scroll down to see what one Light Rail patron had to say.

But the real capper was an editorial from Diane Carman. Scroll down to Items 2 and 5. Diane nails the "anti-FasTracks crowd" as wrong! You may recall that FasTracks was the ballot issue in last November's election in the Denver area where voters were asked to approve a Sales Tax increase for continued rail commuter construction, including both Light Rail and Commuter Rail. It was approved above the same "rant and rave" that is heard in every election where the voters are asked to spend money for rail transit.

So here's the lesson for those of you in Detroit, Kansas City, and Austin. Read Diane Carman again and understand fully what she is saying. The lesson is there. It is this:

There are VERY strong and intrenched special interest groups that DO NOT want Light Rail or Commuter Rail to be built. Car Manufacturers and Dealers, Insurance Companies, Paving Contractors and Suppliers, and even small businesses like Tire Dealers band together and tell you that no one will ride these trains, that they are expensive, and that they won't make a difference. They will refer to statistics that point out misleading information about the percentage of traffic removed from streets and roads.

They are wrong.

People WILL ride Light Rail or Commuter Rail when they won't ride a bus. The riders on these trains WILL reduce auto traffic. And, the ultimate cost to the commuting population WILL go down.

To those urban areas still debating this issue, learn from Diane and from Denver. Spend the money for rail. Make life better.

It's Been a Year! Already!!

2006-04-06T11:14:00.000-05:00

It has flown by! It dawned on me today that Rip Track has been part of the blog scene now for a few days over a year. By and large, it has been a good year, and I have to say that I have learned alot. Some things I expected never happened. Some things happened that surprised me.

I am still amazed at how many blogs about Amtrak are written from the Railfan's point of view. Don't get me wrong, I love riding passenger trains, and have done strange things like going to Los Angeles and intentionally avoided renting a car, just to see how things would go (they went VERY well, by the way!). But during the firing of David Gunn, and subsequent battles in our US Congress, very little of consequence seems to be written about the very events that will profoundly impact the scores of "Train Trip Travelogs" that appear. Somehow, word has to get to the appropriating politicians that there is a real economic benefit in putting passengers on rails. Check the web for stories about recent rides on the California Zephyr versus stories about what the House and Senate are now doing with Amtrak Appropriations and you will see what I mean. We have to be louder and more coordinated.

I am disappointed that more AREMA Members have not come forward and contributed. There are real concerns with AREMA among members who have the nerve to discuss their specific concerns in confidence. I truly believe that a web vehicle for discussion of these concerns is extremely valid, and thought it might happen at Rip Track. So far, no go. I do acknowledge that part of the problem is that search engines may not refer someone looking for "AREMA" to Rip Track. I am hoping that word of mouth will fill that void, and that Rip Track can become the "vehicle" that I had envisioned.

On the other hand, I have been very encouraged by comments received from Contractors and Suppliers, at least that is what I infer from the comments I read. Many EXTREMELY thoughtful observations and conclusions have appeared here. That is good news! Some of these comments appeared during the award of the "Rippers" last summer, for Best and Worst Agencies. Those comments will be combined with my personal observations and considered during this year's "Ripper Awards".

I have also been encouraged by Dan Zukowski, The Country Pundit, Passenger Rail, Live From the Third Rail, and others. I have been saddened by a few blogs which have ceased publication. Thanks to all of you.

So, I'm looking forward to another year! I hope that Amtrak will be fully funded, that Transit Agencies across the country will find answers to why they pay more money for the same material, and that Contractors will be able to bid Rail and Transit jobs without adding contingencies for what is commonly known as the "Insert Specific Agency Here Factor". I hope that AREMA Members finally find this blog. And, I hope that Rip Track is part of this improvement process!

Thanks for your reading, for your input, and for your support over the past year.

Almost Didn't See This Myself!

2006-04-04T12:06:00.000-05:00

Back on Friday February 17th, I posted AREMA Recommends, Consultants Must Specify! Click the link and then, check out the anonymous comment. I generally don't check my own posts for more than a couple of weeks back, for some reason I did, and I'm glad I found that comment. Good idea, well thought out. Definitely worth it for you to check out, too.

Thanks!

AREMA to Students: Don't Bother!

2006-03-30T10:55:00.000-06:00

AREMA (American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association) is sending mixed messages. Help me figure out which is the message I should believe.

First Message: Last September, at the Annual Technical Conference in Chicago, AREMA honored several college students for their work done in Railroad Engineering.

Second Message: A recent check of upcoming AREMA Seminars reveals that Registration Fees are quite high. For example, a one-half day seminar on Roadway Worker Safety is priced at $449. A two day seminar on Practical Railway Engineering is $625. A Concrete Tie Seminar is $500 for a day and a half. And, a one day AC Power Conference carries a registration fee of an astounding $575! I say astounding, because I'm comparing that fee of $575 with the recently completed TTCI Research Review, which included one day of presentations from various experts, a one-half day track walk of the FAST Facility including bus transportation, two lunches, one dinner, and a DVD containing all material from all presentations. TTCI's fee: $400!

I'm looking at this and realizing that there is no Student Discount for these AREMA Seminars! I am also recalling that the number of students in Chicago was pretty low.

My conclusion, therefore, is that AREMA could care less about Student Participation in their activities. The second message is the believable one, and those AREMA Members who are far sighted enough to realize that every opportunity should be given to encourage student participation in Railroad Engineering ought to be concerned.

Some of AREMA's predecessors, such as the American Railway Engineering Association and the Roadmasters and Maintenance of Way Association, made the sharing of railway engineering information a priority. If AREMA has lowered that priority to some level below making money, we've got a problem.

Especially when it comes at this critical time when Engineering Students must be encouraged to consider a career with the Railroads. AREMA, you need to change your message to a consistent "Students, we encouage you and value your participation".

***
Previous:

Where Are the Railroad Track Engineers Going?

TTCI Is Changing the Railroad Engineering Paradigm

2006-03-27T15:31:00.000-06:00

Gradually, but it is changing! The recently held 11th Annual Research Review demonstrated that once again. So, what's going on?

For years, make that for generations now, Railroad Engineering has consisted of making various track and rolling stock components bigger. Yes, you can point out exceptions that really were innovative, but for the most part, the Railroad Engineer's answer was to "beef it up".

Think about rail sections. In the late 19th Century, ASCE Engineers designed rail sections in five pound increments from fifty-five pounds per yard to ninety pounds per yard. Each rail carried the designation "ASCE", and some of those rails rolled over 125 years ago are still in service! But the interesting thing is that the Civil Engineers designed a theoretical 100ASCE Section; it was called theoretical because no one at the time could comprehend the need of such a large rail section!

100ASCE Rail was, indeed, rolled, and has long ago been updated with heavier and heavier rails, designed and supplied as engineers "beefed up" rail sections. Today we have a recently designed 141AB or 141RE section that is fast becoming a standard. Larger sections prove the paradigm that, "If our rail sections are causing problems, we'll make them bigger". In great measure, the same thing is true with wheels, axles, side frames, bolsters, and even ties. Once, ties were typically eight feet long. One day, they became, 8'-3", then 8'-6", and now it is not uncommon to hear of 9'-0" long ties in standard trackage.

Enter the TTCI: Their charter, as described at the Research Review, is to use "Automation and detection of dynamics that lead to the identification of high loadings and derailments, and then reducing or eliminating them." In other words, rather than simply increase the size of components, we can do things to actually REDUCE the loading! The concept is catching on, for several reasons.

Railroads are finding themselves at capacity on many mainlines. This means that track maintenance time is at a premium. Not only that, but the bean counters now assign a cost to train and maintenance delays. Add the cost of derailments, and these dollars begin to demand attention! So, if better track construction and maintenance procedures can be utilized to reduce impact loads, less maintenance time is required, and the chance of a derailment becomes much lower, too.

What kind of procedures?

Here are just a few: Looking at the wheel-rail interface, that is, what grinding or even profile design can do. More reliable non-destructive testing of wheels and rail. Identifying and reducing the forces of truck hunting. Reducing track stiffness, quantified as the Track Modulus, and making it more uniform at problem areas such as bridge approaches and bridge decks. Strengthening insulated joints. Creating new designs for rail crossings.

Not only does TTCI have quantities to back up their thoughts, but at least two sites, one on the Norfolk Southern and another on the Union Pacific, will be identified as "Mega Sites" to further demonstrate the viability of reducing dynamic loads on the track structure.

Good stuff! Thank you, TTCI, for encouraging us all to look at Railroad Engineering problems in a new way!

Another Blog of Note

2006-03-23T17:23:00.000-06:00

I have been remiss in linking to Cold Spring Shops, a blog that is always fun to read and almost always creates new wiring in my brain, all in an entertaining way. The writing is described as, "Observations on economics, the academy, the wider world, and things that run on rails". Of course, that last part is of particular interest here.

Check it out, and see if your brain benefits from an overhaul in the Cold Spring Shops. The link is on the right, too.

Another Fun Web Site!

2006-03-21T11:55:00.000-06:00

Check out Albert Einstein making an important point as noted on the Union Pacific website:

Just go to this website, and create your own Einstein image to add impact to whatever. You will also find a couple of other fun images that you can personalize.

AAR Notes Expenditure Increase, What Could It Mean?

2006-03-20T11:08:00.000-06:00

Check out this article from the AAR Website. Capital Expenditures for Railroads are going up at the incredible rate of 21% in '06! I wish my IRA had that kind of growth.

What will it mean? I have already heard some suppliers comment that, if you can't make money in this market, you need to do something else. Now, we will be looking at even more pricing pressure.

Most track material manufacturers and suppliers I know of are looking at any new work wondering how it will fit into current production schedules, rather than considering whatever pricing will get the job. If it doesn't fit the schedule, the price goes up. Even if it does fit, the capacity of the competition is considered, and the price still goes up. Now, the industry will be asked to produce 21% more, just for the Class One Railroads.

At least two things will probably happen, besides price increases.

First, Public Agencies will be amazed at the amount of that price increase, if and when Request for Proposals are issued for a particular project. Some people say that public money is getting tighter all the time, with dollars once intended for transportation being diverted to Katrina Repair Efforts, as well as the War in Iraq. Higher track material prices are going to squeeze Light Rail and Commuter Rail projects even more.

Second, more foreign suppliers will be looking at the US Market with an eye to capture part of it. We have already seen rail from Japan used in US Railroad Projects. Now, other manufacturers and suppliers will follow. Being a believer in the Free Market System, I think the ultimate outcome here will be positive. Over the long term, competition will increase, product selection should increase, and prices should drop as well.

It should be noted that if such a scenario of international involvement happens, material prices will drop for the Class One Railroads, but not necessarily for Public Agencies. That is due to the famous "Buy America" clause that is part of all Federally Funded projects. Unless these foreign suppliers actually build their manufacturing facilities on US soil, their products will not qualify under "Buy America". So, Agencies will be stuck with dealing with homegrown manufacturing facilities, and the aforementioned capacity and pricing issues, at least in the short term.

Not only that, but I haven't even mentioned the potential for supplier mergers and buyouts, something that has been rumored for some time, at least as a way to counter the humongous size of the Class One Railroad customers. That could happen, too.

$8 Billion is a big number. A 21% increase also gets some attention. Interesting things are sure to happen in the next year or two with the Railroad Supply Industry. And, if you believe what I wrote some time ago, it is an indication of continuing strength in the US Economy. Hang on!

. . . and Back from TTCI!

2006-03-17T12:54:00.000-06:00

Almost everyone agreed that the 11th Annual Research Review was the best yet. There were more attendees than ever. It is almost to the point that some of the Test Center facilities are being swamped.

I will blog about various thoughts later. But, in the meantime, let me tell you that the MOST exciting thing to me was the participation of college students! A brief overview was given during the sessions themselves, but out in the hallway were posters that detailed specific projects.

Check out some of the research that was presented. The Railroad Engineering Program at the University of Illinois presented "Prospects for Energy Recovery from Freight Locomotive Dynamic Brakes" and "Optimizing the Aerodynamic Efficiency of Intermodal Freight Trains". The Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A & M University provided "Automated Wireless Instrumentation for the Monitoring of Potential Landslide Hazards". And Virginia Tech had several presentations involving Train Crew Fatigue, including how to measure it unobtrusively and how to prevent it.

U of I has long been know for filling the pipeline with very capable Railroad Engineers. The recent addition of the Aggies and VaTech is most welcome, and will hopefully continue.

Everyone I spoke with was genuinely excited about the contribution made by these collegians. And, almost everyone agreed that this was a great way to get more college students interested in Railroad Engineering as a career choice. These topics were just a sample of others, and all of the projects I saw indicated the benefit of looking at today's railroad operations thru a different paradigm, and coming up with great ideas that escape those of us preoccupied with everyday problems.

There is reason to be optimistic about the future of this industry.

Off to TTCI

2006-03-13T12:35:00.000-06:00

And just as I noted before, the weather in Pueblo in March will make you wonder whether to pack a golf shirt or a parka!

So right on cue, the weather in Denver was apparently pretty nasty over the past weekend. So maybe flying into Colorado Springs is the best idea this year. Hopefully, things will clear up and be reasonably nice for the trackwalk on Wednesday morning.

The TTCI sets on the High Plains about twenty-five miles northeast of Pueblo. Weather systems come and go like minor conference entries during March Madness.

Tuesday will feature the usual lineup of interesting items seen at the TTCI Reasearch Review. Special Trackwork and Reduced Impact Track have often led to much discussion in past years.

I'll see if any progress has been made on increasing the life of rail crossing diamonds, and let you know of any other developments, too.

Needed: A New Paradigm for Track Inspection

2006-03-09T20:52:00.000-06:00

During my formative years with Railroad Track, the old heads gave me many tidbits of knowledge that each of them thought important enough for me to remember. Some of it was flat-out wrong, like the time I was told, "that fine chat makes way better ballast than that big granite rock." Some of it I did not want to hear, like the time I heard, "Diamonds are created by time and pressure." You might have guessed that someone told me that during the pressure cooker of a derailment clean-up.

But some of what I heard was profound. Sometimes, a simple statement illuminates, often in a very deep and widespread way, exactly why things are the way they are. Such a statement was, "Track Inspection is based on the exception. We look for those exceptions that make bad track out of good track."

The exceptions that we would find included such things as defective joints for whatever reason, defective ties, defective rails, degraded ballast, poorly fitting switch points, as well as line and surface defects that did not meet Company Standards. No doubt this idea of finding the exception is a good rule to follow. But maybe, we need to widen our beam of light to illuminate more possibilities.

I am thinking about the Powder River Basin in Wyoming, and how coal dust has created major track maintenance problems.
Looking at the track to the right, from the Powder River Basin by the way, it is hard to imagine finding a defect, or an "exception that makes bad track out of good track." But indeed, there is something going on here that led to big maintenance problems.

I have to admit that I do not have a quick answer to this problem. I also readily admit that I am not aware of much of any new thinking regarding more comprehensive track inspection methods. No matter, it is a problem worth discussing, the sooner the better.

Part of the reason for such discussion is that, when more and more light rail and commuter rail operations carry more and more passengers, there will be less and less tolerance for any accidents. Inconvenience, lost time, or the unthinkable injury or loss of life, will become major issues. The DOT has already started to look at specific ways to prevent human error. Looking at ways to anticipate and find defective track must be talked about and developed now. The passengers and other customers of today and tomorrow will not simply allow us to wait until "inspection by exception" finds the problem.

David Gunn is STILL Hitting the Nail on the Head!

2006-03-01T16:42:00.000-06:00

Even if he isn't at Amtrak! Imagine what would happen if we had David Gunn as Secretary of Transportation and Norman Mineta as CEO of Amtrak. But I digress.

Gunn was part of the "Building Inter-Metropolitan Rail Corridors" Forum recently held at the University of Delaware. He had some very interesting observations.

Point: We are losing mobility for freight and passenger at an alarming rate, and that applies to not only rail, but also highway and even airlines! Currently, the infrastructure cannot keep up.

Sidebar: As a Track Material Supplier, I can say that the demand for track material has not varied significantly in the past twenty years or so. The wild ups-and-downs associated with rail car orders do not apply here. Wear and tear on the track has increased significantly. Rebuilding that track has not been keeping up, at least based on the delivery of material.

Point: There is about to be a major paradigm shift in how we see our petroleum based transportation system, as a result of demand coming from the exploding Chinese economy.

Point: Cities and States now understand what the Feds do not concerning the funding and subsequent building of transportation infrastructure.

Sidebar: A realistic look at the U. S. Congress reveals that it has been and probably will always be reactive and not proactive. And this is the organization that seems to pull, or not pull as the case may be, the Amtrak strings.

Read the whole thought provoking story with Mr. Gunn's comments here in the University of Delaware Daily.

Another Worthwhile Blog to Read

2006-02-28T17:47:00.000-06:00

Check out Passenger Rail. There's some good thinking here.

I'm going to link it over on the right.

Where Are the Railroad Track Engineers Going?

2006-02-27T18:26:00.000-06:00

Recently, I was discussing with a colleague of mine the fact that there will be a significant loss of Railroad Track Engineering talent from one specific Class One Railroad within the next two to three years. Where are they going? Retirement.

There are a few people coming up thru the ranks to fill these vacancies, but not nearly enough. This particular railroad is not alone. If you don't believe that, go to any AREMA (American Railway Engineering and Mainenance Association) Meeting and see how many young turks are in the group.

The problem is seen by others, too. Railway Track and Structures Magazine, in their February '06 issue, features a salient editorial from Mr. Tom Judge that asks simply, "Enough Engineers?" Answer: No! Mr. Judge says that railroads need to recognize the problem and get involved.

His three main points are, railroads, get involved with colleges and universities that support the needed training and support them, get promising people involved with AREMA by sending them to technical conferences and seminars, and get acclimated to the idea that the twenty-four/seven lifestyle now demanded won't cut it with today's people.

This is not the first time such a need for young engineers has been discussed. Even here at Rip Track it has been noted. I hope railroads will not fall into the trap that has tripped up other disciplines that now must rely on untrained and incapable people to do a job (consultants to Transit Agencies, are you reading?) The railroads may not, but it will take a major wake-up call to change their current paradigm. And that's too bad.

Fun Web Sites

2006-02-22T13:31:00.000-06:00

All work and no play, you know the story. So here is a fun site that lists the #1 Song on any particular date. Find your birthday, graduation day, wedding day, whatever, using this site, and mentally hum the hit. Unlike astrological claims, these songs should have no impact on your personality. Or maybe.

HT: Hugh Hewitt.

The Bush FY '06 Appropriation for Amtrak

2006-02-21T14:37:00.000-06:00

The National Association of Railroad Passengers has the most comprehensive writeup that I have yet read about the Administration's Amtrak Appropriation Proposal. You will note that the Administration gives itself a political "pat-on-the-back" by earmarking $900 million in '06 versus ZERO in '05.

However, you will also notice that $900M is $400M LESS than Congress appropriated last year. Some have said that Amtrak needs last year's $1.3 billion, plus another $700M for a total of $2B, just to perform needed repairs to infrastructure that has been deferred.

Deferred Maintenance is an accounting method used to preserve capital by cutting expenses. It was common practice for Railroads to do this during their Dark Ages of the fifties, sixties, and seventies. The idea of spending capital as an investment to create profits is a concept almost entirely lost on the previous generation of Railroad Execs. Only recently has that concept been put into practice again.

So now, the Executive Branch and the Congress should, once again, take their cue from private enterprise and create funding for a passenger system that would be a big part of President Bush's plan to fight our "oil addition". Down the road, it might even lead to a break-even proposition. And, the United States would have a fine way to move people quickly and safely.

By the way, we all realize that "Accounting" is a four letter word, right?

There just isn't alot more to say about this $900M Appropriation, plus $400M for "incentive grants" as Stormin' Norman Mineta calls them, except that it is politics as usual. Some members of Congress are getting vocal, but let's remember what Mark Twain once said:

"Thunder is good, thunder is impressive, but it is lightning that does the work."

Here's hoping for a little lightning.

AREMA Recommends, but Consultants Must Specify!

2006-02-17T16:44:00.000-06:00

But what happens when AREMA recommendations from years ago become unchanged by Railroad Engineering Consultants, or Transit Agencies? Short answer, what happens isn't good.

Changing the direction of momentum is a tough thing to do. Both Consultants and Agencies can have their own built-in momentum to continue going with what has worked in the past. Even ISO 9000 can give force to this momentum. Problem is, momentum isn't changed. New technology goes unused. Old products prevail. Money is spent that might be saved.

As an example, I am told that Committee 30 of AREMA (The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association) has updated the standard for Tie Plugs. Right, this is a small item, but it does show some of the momentum that can take hold. The current AREMA Chapter 30 notes a standard for an old wooden plug that was obviously designed for timber ties. For years, now, railroads have been using various other materials and methods to fill the holes in timber ties left by a pulled spike. So if a spec writer from today calls for Tie Plugs that meet AREMA Chapter 30, all new technology is eliminated!

Sometimes, AREMA Committees rewrite their various chapters in advance of new developments. Sometimes, these committees are reactive. No matter, these rewrites are pertinent and valuable.

Then, it is the job of the consulting spec writers to take these AREMA Recommendations and turn them into good Project Specifications that are precise enough to get the required level of quality, but simple enough to avoid "frightening the bid".

So, spec writers and users have to be vigilant. It is important that Consultants keep up-to-date with industry developments, and update their specs accordingly.

It is equally important that Agencies review the specs submitted to them, and not rely on something outdated in lockstep fashion. Their staff must hold consultants responsible for providing an up-to-date and quality specification.

It does take vigilance. That's what billable hours are for. But the results will be worth it, for everyone. Most of all, the taxpayers will benefit, because they won't be paying more for outdated material.

Amtrak and the Constitution

2006-02-13T15:34:00.000-06:00

I could not figure out why certain Senators were not very vocal about President Bush's two recent "appointments" to the Amtrak Board. So I thought I would read the Constitution, specifically Article II, Section 2:

"The President shall have Power to fill up Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the end of their next session."

These Presidential Appointments have been going on for as long as the Republic has existed. I don't understand why a legal challenge has not been issued regarding the fact that it can be interpreted that such a vacancy should have happened DURING the Recess, rather than a vacancy that existed BEFORE the Recess. Be that as it may, I am sympathetic to the Framers' desire to keep the Legislative Branch from paralyzing the Executive Branch.

Regardless, I do now understand why there has been no public outrage by various Amtrak-supporting Senators over these recent Bush Appointees.

I haven't had time yet to fully digest the recent Administration Budget Proposals for both Amtrak and the FTA. Hopefully, that will happen before the end of the week.

Ridership: Up, Way Up!!!

2006-02-02T15:21:00.000-06:00

By checking various sources, including Progressive Railroading and APTA, some impressive ridership increases from '04 to '05 are showing up, to wit:

-Amtrak California Capitol Corridor up 6.5%
-Amtrak Sacramento to Richmond up 9.4%
-Amtrak Surfliner up 4.6%, with the LA to San Diego portion up 6.0%
-Metro North up 3.8%
-Nationwide Transit ridership up over 3%, with specifics as follows,
-Philadelphia up 9.5%
-Dallas up 8.3%
-St. Louis up 6.9%
-Denver up 6%
-Boston up 5.5%
-Los Angeles up 5.2%
-Chicago's CTA up 4.5% for the highest increase since 1985

You might remember the "Rule of Seventy" from class, as it applies to percentages. The rule simply states that by dividing the percentage of increase into seventy, you arrive at a number that indicates when the base number will double. For example, if Amtrak's Capitol Corridor ridership continued to increase at a rate of 6.5% per year, ridership will doubled in 70 divided by 6.5, or in 10 years 9 months!

You can argue that ridership will not continue such growth. You may be right. Or, it might actually increase, if fuel prices go up, or if any number of things happen.

Let's assume that ridership increases average 3.5% over the foreseeable future. That means we will need roughly twice as much capacity in twenty years as we have today. I don't think we'll have to double our infrastructure, but I do think we'd better get busy!

And combined with the fact that carload freight increases are happening, these ridership increases show me that a lot of effort and material will be heading toward our railroad infrastructure over the next few years.

Who would have thought twenty years ago that railroads would be a growth industry?

TTCI-AAR Research Review Set for March

2006-01-31T16:14:00.000-06:00

Just received my mailing for the 11th Annual AAR Research Review. It will be held in Pueblo, Colorado on Tuesday March 14th and Wednesday March 15th.

After AREA and Roadmasters merged, and combined with other organizations as well, the Annual Technical Conference held by AREA was moved to September by its successor, AREMA (American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association). Years and years of meeting in March left a void in many railroaders' schedules that needed to be filled with the results of updated railroad engineering research.

The TTCI (Transportation Technology Center, Inc.) has done just that, and very admirably, too. This Annual Review has now become the March event that AREA used to be. Attendance has been significant, and is growing.

The AAR Review concentrates on research findings of Heavy Axle Load (HAL) experiments on track and car components, Wheel/Rail Profile Design and Maintenance, and more specific results involving Special Trackwork and Bridges. The first full day happens at the Pueblo Convention Center. The second half-day is spent walking the FAST/HAL Loop east of town.

Part of the fun of the track walk is never knowing what weather will occur. It has been anything from a near white-out blizzard to a balmy seventy degree beauty, depending on the year.

If you have any interest in railroad research, you can register here.

Amtrak CEO Headhunter is Chosen

2006-01-20T12:03:00.000-06:00

Just got my internet update from Progressive Railroading, and there was an interesting tidbit there! Apparently, the Amtrak Board has hired an Executive Search Firm to find the next President and CEO! The firm name is Heidrick and Struggles.

A quick look at their website shows that Heidrick and Struggles is an impressive international firm that deals with consulting services as well as executive searches. A deeper check of their list of testimonials reveals many impressive letters from their past clients.

But look at the list of the "arenas" that these clients are in:

-Commercial Services
-Financial Services
-Technology
-Media and Publishing
-Education
-Commercial and Investment Banking
-Manufacturing and Distribution
-Application Software
-Real Estate Management
-An Industry Association
-A Non-Profit Concern

Notice anything missing? Yep, transportation! I never expected to see "railroading", but at least I thought the firm might have had some experience with consulting or searching in the field of transportation!

By stretching the point, some of these fields are a part of Amtrak's business. But it is the juggling of the combination of such fields together with specific fields involving transportation in general, and Amtrak in particular, that makes the business of operating a passenger agency unique.

I hope Heidrick and Struggles finds someone suitable. My fear is that the cronies on Amtrak's Board have selected another group of cronies to find yet another cronie. I am trying to remain optimistic. But past experience with Amtrak shows that high powered execs not experienced with transportation become failures.

When Congress reconvenes, it will be interesting if anything is said or done in regards to the recent appointments made during their recess. The speed and intent of these apppointments and their work is unusual for DC. Let's watch Congress and see what happens.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

2006-01-20T10:50:00.000-06:00

Apologies for a ten day interval between posts, but it seems like track material is a hot commodity these days! Usually things pick up after the first of the year, but in 2006 things have been crazy. There are many unexpected projects to keep up on, RFQ's, and other situations to spend energy on. In short, business is good, and most everyone I speak with on the Railroad Supply side agrees.

Why? Right now, it is commuter rail. Last Autumn's gasoline price increases combined with Iranian extortion has led many to seriously investigate some sort of rail passenger transportation. Tennessee, Minnesota, and Oregon are all looking. Others are farther behind, but "getting aboard". The Detroits and the Austins still seem to be a lost cause.

Understand the timeframe. Politicians are "reactive", not "proactive". So now, the time is right for their sudden interest. Obviously, that's OK with me, as long as something gets to the table.

There are rumors that the Feds are diverting monies once earmarked for rail transit and commuter projects to the needs created by Hurricane Katrina. That will mean that local governments will have to write their own check. If these rumors come true, I believe the more visionary governments will grab their pens and do just that.

The New York City Transit Strike

2006-01-10T14:18:00.000-06:00

I was listening to the Hugh Hewitt Radio Show on my way home last night. I will be honest in saying that Hewitt was a big influence that got me started with Rip Track. He does his own blog, and has convinced many others like myself to start one as well.

It isn't often that Hugh speaks about issues regarding Amtrak, or Transit, or railroads for that matter. So when the subject of the New York Transit Strike came up as he was speaking with Mr. John Podhoretz, my attention locked on to the discussion. Podhoretz is a New York Post columnist who is a bit irreverant and more than just a little fun to hear.

You may want to read the whole discussion, which can be found on Radio Blogger. It is a word-for-word transcript of what was said on the radio show. Get to the January 9th entry and scroll down to a point just above the discussion the House Rules Committee (the Podhoretz interview covers several other topics).

If you do go to the site, you will read, among other things, that the Union was paid $131,700,000 to settle the strike (an amount verified by Dan Zukowski), that no one really know whether MTA has a $1 billion surplus or a $600 million deficit, that such financial irregularities are due to the tremendous amount of cash taken in daily, that the average NYC Transit Worker makes on average $15,000 more than the median income in New York, and that the term "thugs" as used by the New York City Mayor is a racist comment.

Another interesting observation was that when the MTA in particular, and government in general, wishes to come up with some money, somehow they find it if the government itself thinks there is high enough importance. This is an idea that appeals to those who vote against any tax increase or bond enabling measure.

Obviously, I cannot verify Mr. Podhoretz's allegations. No matter. I am going to be interested in seeing whether such information is reported in the New York Times, or other media outlets read by NYC citizens. If and when it is, the reaction of those people who were delayed and stranded, and those businesses who lost millions, will be very interesting, indeed.

The other lesson I am learning here is that bidding the supply of track material and labor to the MTA and looking for every nickel in my cost for each item submitted may not matter in the grand scheme of things with this particular agency. There must be other forces at work with them.

More on the Amtrak Board Appointments

2006-01-06T15:08:00.000-06:00

Progressive Railroading has today's reactions from Congress and the Unions. These are reactions you would pretty much expect, but the questions are salient. Don't buy the nonsense that the President is a dictator, or worse, as you can read on some blogs. Bush is simply filling the void left by Congress with its inaction. Hopefully, some action will occur out of one or both Chambers of Congress.

TCP has some thoughts in the Comments Section of yesterday's Rip Track posting. He doesn't want to overreact to these two appointees, but joins many of us who would like to see real railroaders getting on the Amtrak Board instead.

What astounds me even more that these back door appointments, or whatever non-action Congress takes, is how Norman Mineta keeps singing the song that this is all being done for the good of Amtrak. Apparently, he still uses the ploy currently in vogue by some politicos of saying something often and long enough that it eventually is seen as truth. Not this time, Norman!

Bush Tinkers with Amtrak Board Again!

2006-01-05T12:05:00.000-06:00

Progressive Railroading has the overview.

Reuters has a little more detail.

Two things strike me. First, Mineta has alot of nerve to make such comments as quoted by Reuters that do not obscure at all what he is trying to do to Amtrak. Second, the ball is now fully in Congress' Court; those legislatures who stomped and screamed when Gunn was fired need to step up now and squash these new Amtrak Board Appointees.

Otherwise, it is politics as usual and Amtrak, once again, becomes a victim.

Monday Morning . . . on Thursday!

2006-01-05T09:02:00.000-06:00

Yes, Thursday only because of the BCS situation, which has probably forever altered the designation of January 1 as “Bowl Day”. Congratulations to Texas and Vince Young, now everyone knows what the Big Twelve knows. Have you ever seen a player dominate a game like Young? Not me. Congratulations also to West Virginia, LSU, and Utah, who, like Texas, made the so-called experts look their worst.

In addition, here are some awards not normally noted on that particular, or any other, network:

Least Promising Broadcast Team: Ron Franklin and Bob Davie. You thought I would mention Brent Musberger and his “whoever my partner is this year” team. Everyone knows he is awful. Here’s a new name for you to bash: Ron Franklin! Good voice, but is he really watching the game? I can call his game watching my TV at home better than he can from the pressbox, and he has his team of spotters, back room analysts, etc! You can tell when Ron misses a call because Bob gets really quiet, apparently not wanting to draw attention to a play-by-play announcer who has missed something major. Yep, fumbles, first downs, penalties, time outs, Ron misses ‘em all. Pay attention, Ron.

Most Deserving Team that Should Have Been in the BCS but Wasn’t: It certainly wasn’t Oregon. Maybe LSU. Ohio State proved that they deserved to be there, beyond a doubt.

Most Disappointing Performance by a Conference: ACC, no doubt. Yes, I have much respect now for Florida State after an Orange Bowl where both teams left nothing on the field. But look at how the Miami Hurricanes got pounded, enough that substantial coaching changes resulted. Look at how Utah pounded Georgia Tech. Victories by Clemson over a Colorado team that was ready to play golf weeks ago, by NC State, and by a Boston College who wasn’t even in the ACC a few years ago don’t help the reputation of the conference. Big Ten? Maybe, but read below about what has happened with at least two sets of Game Officials, both involving Big Ten teams. And no Big Ten team got the drubbing that the Hurricanes or the Wreck did.

Most Annoying Crowd Chant: Close call, but it has to be that FSU Indian-War-Chant-Tomahawk-Chop thing they do, with that USC three note band extravaganza a close second. See also this previous post. Penn State knew they were doing fine when the FSU Band would start that Chant after a Nittany Lion incomplete pass.

Officiating Crew Not Ready for Prime Time: Dead even, between the Conference USA crew that botched the Iowa-Florida game and the Sunbelt Conference Team that “called” the Nebraska-Michigan game. Not just my opinion, the blown call on Iowa’s onside kick toward the game’s end was so bad that the NCAA is going to review their referee assignment to bowl game policy. And, the Alamo Bowl crew is often added to any reference made to that Conference USA officiating mess. Even ESPN commented about how bad the Sunbelt zebras were doing in San Antonio. Only hard-core Husker Nation card carriers have overlooked the bad officiating. But after watching how the Big Twelve refs nearly lost control of the Gator Bowl between Virginia Tech and Louisville did I begin to understand. Nebraska fans see this kind of game official ineptitude on a weekly basis during their entire Big 12 season; it was business as usual for them.

Best Officiating Crew: The Big East Officials who covered the Orange Bowl. Could you sense the intensity of that game? Everyone I spoke with on Wednesday morning commented on that game with a level of reverence not often seen. The fact that everyone stayed up way past their bedtime to see the outcome speaks to how intense the game was. The officials never lost control. A lesser group of officials, say a group from Conference USA or the Sunbelt Conference, would not have done so well.

Best Thing About NCAA Football: It remains the players, the coaches, the stories of success and of the lives changed for the better. Congratulations to all participants of all teams who take part in this most wonderful time of the year. Now that it’s over, I’m going to have to check out how the new NHL looks, at least until National Letter-of-Intent Day!

Sad Surprise for AREMA in September 2007

2006-01-04T10:31:00.000-06:00

AREMA (The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association) is not scheduled to meet in Chicago at the Palmer House until September 2007. Some sad news will greet attendees at that time.

The Berghoff, a favorite restaurant of many, is closing soon.

Read the whole sad story here.

Tragedy in West Virginia

2006-01-04T10:15:00.000-06:00

Like many of you, I went peacefully to sleep last night thinking that twelve buried miners had miraculously survived the mine explosion in West Virginia. Also like you, I was stunned to hear that this morning's news was, in fact, just the opposite. Indeed, only one survivor was found.

Hopefully, family and friends of the victims will somehow find peace during the coming days, months and years.

Fuel Surcharge Tyranny

2006-01-03T16:12:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year to all! Of course, our prayers and thoughts are with the miners and their families in West Virginia. We all hope for a happy outcome to that disaster.

But on to the topic at hand today, and that is "The Fuel Surcharge, the new "device" used by Class One Railroads to accomodate fluctuating diesel fuel prices in their tariffs. Anyone who ships by rail today is aware of the "Fuel Surcharge", a tariff that is added to all published freight rates. Several months ago when the surcharge was initiated, rates would fluctuate somewhere between 2% and 4.5% to 5%. Then everything changed. As Autumn '05 approached, the surcharge ballooned to 10%, 11%, and 12%, finally resting at an unbelievable 18.5% for BNSF Shippers for December 2005!

One problem is obvious for Rail Shippers. If you work up a competitive quotation, and base your freight component on a lower surcharge, the increases which we have recently seen blow your bid out of the water. The difference between a 4% fuel surcharge and a 12% fuel surcharge will ultimately mean a financial loss for such a project as bid. And guess what? No owner who awards a contract based on your bid will cut much slack here. All things equal, you lose!

Another problem: The 18.5% Fuel Surcharge for the BSNF was announced to shippers on the first day of November. At that time, is was an accurate reflection of fuel prices. Guess what happened? If you recall, fuel went down in price. But the BNSF, in this case, did not lower their surcharge, it remained in place. The verbal abuse heaped on the BNSF in this case is similar to the abuse heaped on any Gas Station who raises the price for gasoline already in their tanks just because OPEC raised their price at the wellhead.

Here is a simple solution. Please, Class Ones, do this. If you are a high-powered exec, you can even take credit for thinking it up. The solution? Admit that fuel prices are not going back to the levels of late 2004. Simply raise your published tariffs so that the fuel surcharge can be lowered to a much smaller and more controllable percentage. Easy enough. It will make life much better for those of us who can take advantage of shipping by rail.

Christmas and Trains

2005-12-23T10:49:00.000-06:00

Please accept my wishes for a deeper level of peace and spirituality during this Season, however that works for you. Personally, I will be happily and thankfully celebrating Christmas. For me, part of the Christmas Season is recalling memories linked to the celebration. Of course, not all of these memories have some sort of deep spiritual significance. That does not diminish the value of these memories for me, especitally those memories that include trains.

Like many of you, not only Model Trains but also One-to-One Scale Trains provide me with many pleasant recollections. When I was seven or eight, I did not even know what an electric train was. Do you remember that they were "electric trains" then, not model railroads. During whichever year it was, I awoke Christmas Morning to find a brand-new American Flyer NYC Hudson circling the Tree! I was hooked. I watched it go round and round for hours. Ultimately, my Dad built a table downstairs with a double main, added a diesel passenger train, so that my Brother and I had that electric train set that was the envy of all the kids.

The Full-sized Trains are not slighted in my memories, either. There are many scenes I can easily recall. I met my girlfriend at the time by getting on a Wabash Railroad train, one that she was on from an earlier stop, to meet my Mom and Dad further down the line. I rode out of Grand Central Station on Christmas Eve in order to travel all night so that I could once again be home; traveling thru upstate New York in a snowstorm is a memory that shall not fade. Once in a while on Christmas, I found myself alone, so I would spend at least a little time in the afternoon at the local depot, where I could hopefully see a train. Once a train did pass, the feeling of loneliness seemed to go away just a little bit.

I am thankful for all of those railroad "Right of Ways" that criss-cross my memories of Christmas. I am also thankful for being a part of the wonderful Railroad Industry. My wish for you and yours this Season is to be thankful, too.

LA Metro Mole Comments on Bus Riders Union

2005-12-21T10:23:00.000-06:00

Interesting read, scoll down to December 17th. I wonder what the membership thinks about what is going on in New York these days.

Check our earlier comments made here at Rip Track.

What Amtrak Doesn't Need

2005-12-16T16:35:00.000-06:00

An editorial in the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel nails it.

To paraphase, . . . Amtrak deserves the support of teh American People. What it doesn't need is underhanded attempts, like that of Congressman Knollenberg, to syphon off resources . . .

Well stated. At least one in Congress is no bigger friend to Amtrak than is the Admininstration.

***

UPDATE: Live from the Third Rail has more.

Thank You APTA for a Revelation

2005-12-13T12:29:00.000-06:00

An article this week from APTA (American Public Transportation Association) opened my eyes to something. On the surface, the title of the piece sums it up: Most Seniors Worry About Being Stranded Without Transportation.

Any of us with older parents, or those of us who know older people, are fully aware that admitting the fact that driving a car is no longer a safe option is a tough ticket for Seniors. It is one of those demarcations in life when things change. Losing the level of mobility that we all take for granted these days is significant. So what the title of the article says is obvious.

My revelation as a result of this article may have happened because of another story I read that mentioned that the first of the Baby Boomers will hit sixty years of age this coming year. If it is true that the impact from this groundswell of aging people will redefine the retirement lifestyle as we know it, then a good transit system might be a deciding influence when these people decide where to live.

If a Senior who no longer has use of a car can choose to live in a home where it is possible to access a good LRT line that ultimately delivers them to whatever activity or function is available, I bet that is exactly where such a Senior will live. These Seniors could have much of what they like in the suburbs, but yet have access to the advantages of the urban environment, simply because of a good LRT System.

So that's my revelation, simple as that. As arguments are made in favor of spending money for LRT, this new argument will be that accessible, convenient, and safe transportation will result in an improved lifestyle for Seniors, a lifestyle and location that will be selected over something else. It's even more reason that cities like Portland, Denver, Salt Lake City, Dallas, and Charlotte, which are building these very Transportation alternatives, will add their names to San Francisco, Chicago, and the other Northeastern Cities as places desirable to live. Everyone will benefit in ways too numerous to mention here. Everyone, that is, except places like San Antonio, Kansas City, and Detroit, places that continue to listen to LRT naysayers.

The result will be that Seniors will avoid some places, and will actually decide to move to others, taking with them their vitality, time, and tax dollars, too. It is going to be just another benefit of the construction of viable LRT Systems.

Monday Morning VI

2005-12-12T10:15:00.000-06:00

Each year about this time I watch more NFL than usual, because the NCAA Football season takes a bit of a breather before Bowl Games begin. And each year, I learn all over again how much better the NCAA game is than the NFL, in part due to specific rules.

The most obvious difference is Overtime! What is the statistic, something like the majority of all NFL games that go into overtime are won by the team that wins the coin toss, simply because the other team never gets its hands on the ball! Incredible. Of course, the goofy commentators rarely note the fact, because of the dim light that would be cast on the NFL.

NCAA Overtime is soooo much better. And I admit, it is not perfect. If a college team has an excellent field goal kicker, three-and-out means about a forty-two yard attempt, which is not out of the realm of doable. If the NCAA started each offensive position at, say, the thirty-five yard line instead, it would be an almost perfect overtime system. But even now, as I have said, it is still soooo much better than the NFL.

Even Baseball, the sport that true football fans love to hate, has a maturity in its rules that puts football to shame. If you have ever been to some kind of umpire school, you quickly learn that Baseball Rules are designed to penalize a player or team who does something wrong to gain an advantage. And The Rules of Baseball do just that.

But check out Sunday Night's Packers-Lions game. I know, I know, two rotten teams. But the Green Bay Packer player did something bad to avoid a Safety, which would have given the ball and two points to Detroit. He tried to lob the ball out of the endzone. By the quirk of a rule that says, if a passer is "out of the pocket", it is not intentional grounding, so the Packers ended up with the ball, and the Lions lost two points. Even the game officials seemed to meet for an extraordinary amount of time, almost in disbelief that the rules would have them do what they had to do. Eventually, the game went into overtime, the Lions lost the coin toss and the game.

I also know that both teams had their chances in regular time. But my point is that the NFL is too much controlled by the Rules Committee and Officials, and not enough by the play on the field. History has shown us that when the NCAA takes the lead with something innovative, say like the two point conversion, it can take DECADES before the NFL swallows its pride and institutes that same rule.

The NFL should once again, swallow its pride, admit that the NCAA is on to something, and redo their archaic overtime.

***

Previous:

Monday Morning V
Monday Morning IV
Monday Morning III
Monday Morning II
Monday Morning

Stability and Improvement for Amtrak

2005-12-05T10:49:00.000-06:00

After rehashing my thoughts, other thoughts, all within the context of watching Amtrak for thirty-five years, I submit the following for the consideration of anyone, singular or plural, who desires to improve Amtrak.

Use the firing of David Gunn as a positive. No, the firing itself was certainly not a positive. But the subsequent dialogue is. Read and think about what everyone is saying. Wherever you come down, it is clear that the current Amtrak Business Plan is flawed. Agreed. Let's dare to drastically change it for the better.

Admit that Passenger Trains are NEVER going to make money. Ever. No matter how busy or crowded they are. Passenger Trains should be just like autos, barges, trucks, and airplanes. Subsidized. If you don't understand that all modes are subsidized, your credibility comes into question. Not only that, but whatever subsidy is given to Passenger Trains will probably be less than whatever subsidy is given to any replacement form of transportation.

Remove the Politicians from the Operation. Remove them all. Remove Congress and the Administration. Remove the Democrats and the Republicans. Remove the annual Amtrak Beg-a-thon for operating and capital budgets. OK, now what?

How about setting up a system that provides money under certain guidelines? Sort of like the FTA. If the Feds want some sort of framework that define what is required for appropriations, fine. Set it up, then give up the money when those parameters are met. Something like Amtrak will be there, and can certainly make it work. But maybe the State of California wants to do something. Great! The door is open. Areas with the need for Passenger Trains will figure out how to make it work.

I understand that the FTA is not an ideal model to follow. Maybe Amtrak becomes a combination of an operator and a funder. They're almost there now in certain operations. But think of the possibilities! It is not much of a stretch to imagine an SCRRA, or a METRA, or a Metro North operating passenger trains that cover greater distances. It can be done, if those people know precisely what ground rules cover their subsidies. Ah, but what happens to the long haul trains?

Rethink Accounting Systems to give a true Cost Statement. I've seen convincing arguments that Long Distance Passenger Trains are cost inefficient. I've also seen convincing arguments that Long Distance Passenger Trains are more than paying their way! What's the difference? Only how the Accounting System cooks the books. That isn't fair to anyone but the bookkeepers, who need this sort of discussion to hold a job. Whatever business model is selected, let's make sure that the question of "Train on or Train off" is answered with a realistic cost recap and projection.

Consider dedicated Railroad Right-of-Ways for Passenger Trains. This may be easier said than done. But it has happened, and the results are almost always impressive. Amtrak generally maintains trackage to a higher standard than a freight railroad needs. There is no argument or discussion about how much more it costs to build and/or maintain Class 3 (60mph) track versus Class 4 (80mph) track. Consequently, passenger trains impress their riders with on-time, high-speed performance.

The difficulty is that after long years of rail line rationalization and short years of traffic growth, many are running at capacity. There is scant little room for a passenger train on such a line, and when there is, there is no incentive for any railroad to run it any faster than the rest of the on-line rail traffic.

One of the reasons that passenger trains work better in Europe is that freights run shorter and faster, so it is much easier to move everything at a higher relative speed. Plus, there is nowhere near the amount of freight in Europe. European freight trains are shorter and European freight cars are much lighter. The United States rail operation is never going to be like the European system. That is not better or worse, it is what it is. With that in mind, we must learn from other failed systems.

Do NOT duplicate what happened in the United Kingdom. Didn't work there. Won't work here. It's that simple.

There are many other ideas that can help. Railroads may need more realistic and lucrative incentives to operate Amtrak more efficiently. Dining and Sleeping Car service should be eliminated; Dining and Sleeping Car service should be enhanced. Build more sidings. String up catenary. Lots of ideas. But don't loose sight of the bigger issues at work with Amtrak.

Let's think big. This is maybe THE one time to really change the Amtrak Paradigm, to really think out of the box. The firing of Gunn can be the catalyst. It should be. Our Nation owes it to itself to have better Passenger Trains. Let's do it!

Amtrak: Others Are Weighing In

2005-12-02T10:48:00.000-06:00

It always amazes me what insights come out, if I can stay patient and interested enough in a situation to keep looking. Now that Gunn has been gone for a few weeks, others are coming forward. As an example, here are some very interesting comments from Paul Weyrich concerning the Amtrak story that came out yesterday.

Mr. Weyrich actually worked on the creation of Amtrak some thirty-five years ago, and has served six one-year terms on the Amtrak Board under three separate Secretaries of Transportation. He was also appointed to the newly created Amtrak Reform Council by the Senate Majority Leader. The man's word and opinion count for alot.

If you go to the above link, you will find many interesting observations from Mr. Weyrich, like the fact that the Bush Administration has shown little interest in Amtrak.

Like the fact that Gunn reduced the Amtrak work force from 24,000 to 19,000, that he reduced Amtrak's debt, that he increased ridership AND productivity.

Like the fact that Gunn had difficulties dealing with Transit Boards in Washington, DC and Toronto due to their unwieldy nature and subservient nature regarding local interests.

Like the fact that Gunn turned around the Philadelphis Transit System, and that it reverted back to its former self following his departure.

Like the fact that Gunn almost singlehandedly saved the New York City Transit System, with an amazing record of accomplishments.

Like the fact that President Bush demonstrated sound judgement when he asked certain cabinet secretaries to serve a second term, but that "The selection of Mineta did not reflect that. Bush had promised to choose a Democrat for his cabinet. Considering the hatred of many Democrats for Bush Mineta may have been his only choice." And, "Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta knows little and cares less about Amtrak."

Weyrich has a few ideas that can help Amtrak, noting that right now the future does indeed look bleak. Here's the list, with my comments in italics:

-Select a Secretary of Transportation "who could work hand in glove with the Amtrak Board and its President to make things happen. That is unlikely considering Mineta and his disinterest in Amtrak." Yeah, man, but I think we are stuck with Mineta until the next administration hits town. Maybe another reason to not vote for any Democrat nominee for President is that there might be a chance Norman would stay on for another four years!

-"We need a system of high speed corridors, such as those recommended years ago by the Department of Transportation. We need those corridors to be interconnected so longer trips could be taken within the system." Smart, very smart. Think of the airlines' Hub-and-Spoke mode. And for everyones' sake, think west Harrisburg and south of Richmond!

-"Let's see if we have any forward thinking candidates (in the next Presidential Election) who could make Amtrak an issue. Short of that Amtrak is a dead letter. And the one guy who knew how to run Amtrak returned to Nova Scotia." Enough said.

Where are the others weighing in? Go to Railroad News by Railserve. There, you will find links to several stories and opinions, including the predicable stuff from Vranich and Haswell that appeared in the Baltimore Sun.

I think anyone with some sense of cause and effect logic can see that Amtrak needs reform. And today, President Bush signed legislation which appropriates more money to Amtrak, a move that is not only inconsistent with the messages we have recently heard as Gunn was fired, but also delays meaningful Amtrak Reform (more on this in a later post). Another year from now, the same continuing situation means that those who like what they hear from Mineta will be able to say that they told us so.

Consequently, I believe now more than ever that the current Administration wants Amtrak to disappear. The enablers who applaud the firing of Gunn fail to realize that leadership is needed to reform the beast. Gunn would have provided that leadership.

A year or two of this Amtrak situation is bad luck. A decade or two is bad management. Both Congress and whichever Administration is currently at the helm need to look in the mirror, decide what they really want, and get politics as well as themselves out of the way. Until then, we will have either a bad Amtrak or no Amtrak.

New Links

2005-11-30T16:23:00.000-06:00

Rip Track postings have been a little thin, lately. Work is getting a bit busy. That's good news!

But I have had a little time to uncover a couple of interesting links.

The first is written by a daily commuter on the Long Island. All the delays and red blocks are noted in the Blog Railroad Hell. No postings have been made since October. I hope nothing serious has happened. Patience is a virtue, indeed.

Second is a well written effort on Amtrak, specifically commuting between Philly and New York. So far, it is the only Blog I have found that treats Amtrak like the CTA Tattler treats the CTA, or Oh Metro treats WMATA. The blog is concentrated on the Northeast Corridor, but the viewpoint sheds light on the current condition of Amtrak as it impacts thousands of riders. Go to the cleverly named Amtraktrack Blog.

Finally, on a more official note, I discovered a site that tabulates election outcomes from around the country as they relate to transportation issues. You have to wade thru some bus related stuff, but the summary is worth it. It's at the Center for Transportation Excellence site.

I've been thinking about what can be done to put Amtrak on tangent track and zero cross level. A couple of thoughts may be worth someone else's time, so hopefully in the next few days I can write them in some intelligent fashion that might provoke some positive thinking.

Please Mr. Gunn:

2005-11-28T18:14:00.000-06:00

Don't get chippy! In this article from the New York Daily News, he does exactly that. In a tone reminiscent of a scorned teenager, he notes that the New York City Transit Authority will be impacted soon just like Amtrak has with the recent Bush Administration posture.

Mr. Gunn does not need to use this tone to gain support, mine or others, when it comes to stating the obvious.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2005-11-23T16:17:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite Holidays. Spending time with friends and loved ones, as well as giving thanks for life's goodness, is a fine thing to do.

I remember several past train trips made this time of year, some with bad weather and some with good. But even if my trip carried over into Thanksgiving Day itself, the train crews performed their duties in good spirits, even during pre-Amtrak days on the Penn Central! I appreciated that, because I knew that in part due to their efforts, I would be able to spend much of the day with my Family. I hoped the crew had time with theirs as well.

I hope that you spend the day with many of your favorite people, too!

National Corridors Initiatives Has Amtrak Notes

2005-11-23T09:06:00.000-06:00

If you have been keeping up with all that has been going on and said about Amtrak since the Gunn firing, you might want to visit the National Corridors Initiatives. I read some stuff there that I had not seen or heard anywhere else.

I am also going to link their site on the right for future reference.

Legislative Response to the Amtrak Situation

2005-11-21T15:58:00.000-06:00

Representative Castle (R-DE) has proposed legislation to reorganize Amtrak's Board. Is this the start of Congressional Reaction to Gunn's dismissal? We are within one year of an election. You bet your boxcars it's the start!

Monday Morning V

2005-11-21T14:29:00.000-06:00

What does The University of Southern California, The Ohio State University, and The University of Oklahoma all have in common? Each has a Band that plays an irritating little ditty during football games!

You've heard "Boomer Sooner" over and over again, ad nauseam during games in Norman, and even during some of their away games. It comes on over, and over, and over again, especially when the Band thinks that the chances of the team overcoming all obstacles against overwhelming odds is directly proportional to the number of times "Boomer Sooner" is played. Ditto for that simplistic three chord thing the USC Trojan Band plays, and for whatever it is that the OSU Buckeye Band plays, too.

I find myself hoping the opponent of either of these three prevails, no matter who they are playing. Team spirit is one thing, water torture by band music is another.

***

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Monday Morning IV
Monday Morning III
Monday Morning II
Monday Morning