September 1998
CSX and Norfolk Southern Formally Exercise Control of Conrail
CSX and Norfolk Southern formally exercised control of Conrail on August 22 by removing their shares of Conrail stock from a voting trust that had held the shares during the regulatory review and approval process. Control date has no immediate effect on operations, and is separate from "split date" when the actual division of the Conrail network will take place. Split date -- also called "Day One" -- will not take place until at least January 1, 1999, and possibly later, according to company reports. Originally, split date was to have been September 1, but the delay was implemented to proceed "methodically with the integration to ensure the least-possible disruption."
New Intermodal Trains Give CSXT Time Advantage, Company Says
CSXT says its new intermodal trains Q130 and Q139, operating between Chicago and Portsmouth, give the company a 12 to 14 hour advantage over what is offered between the same two points by Norfolk Southern.
J Tower in Willard Closes, Demolished
CSXT's J Tower in Willard, Ohio, has closed. It was demolished on August 18 to make room for track expansion.
Union Pacific to Repurchase 107-Mile Rail Line
Union Pacific has reached an agreement with RailTex, Inc., to repurchase a 107-mile rail line between Upland, Kansas, and St. Joseph, Missouri, to add capacity to the eastern portion of UP's coal corridor. RailTex had purchased the line, operated as the Northeast Kansas and Missouri Railroad, in 1990. UP is planning to upgrade the line and operate about 15 trains a day, according to a company new report.
Shorty Hansrote Retires
Roy Carr Hansrote Jr., veteran B&O interlocking tower operator, has retired. He ended his 41-year career on July 31 where he had served for a number of years as the first-shift operator at West Cumbo Tower near Martinsburg, West Virginia. Born near Hedgesville, West Virginia, he was given the nickname "Shorty" early on by his father, the name he has been known by throughout his career. His father worked in the B&O track department. Shorty also had a grandfather who was a B&O locomotive engineer. Shorty's entire career was as an operator, although he served the dual function of ticket agent when he worked at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.