Rail roads and their tracks.

[MossRoad]

Went out US33 between Goshen and Elkhart today, and there was a container train setting parked in the west side track. I measured it on my odometer and it was a shade over 2 1/2 miles long. Went to Meijers for a couple of things and when I left, the shortest way home was to cross the tracks, so of course just as I got to the crossing the gates went down and that same train came through. I counted 173 cars with either one or two containers on them. That's a lot of freight.

Yep. One of our kids used to run cross country at Oxbow Park.

We learned to cross over the tracks as soon as we got off of 20 heading south and saw an open crossing, pretty much regardless of how far we were still from the park.

 

[ArlyA]

For this Quincy Mining Monday, we see what was coming out of the mine. Although Quincy made most of its profits from copper ore (small bits of copper encased in rock), large chunks of pure metallic copper were a common occurrence underground. Because of copper's malleable nature, massive finds were nearly impossible to blast apart or cut up. Thus, they would be left underground. Pieces of a more manageable size could easily be blasted from the surrounding rock, hoisted to the surface, then transported directly to the smelter to be melted and cast for shipping. Quincy Mine, Hancock MI
Image courtesy Historic American Engineering Record (special note, the mines lost money getting flow copper out and started to simply mine around them.

 

[Hay Dude]

Simply amazing the garbage coming from that state and then unfortunately a few other states trip all over themselves trying to copy the same garbage and shove it down peoples throats.

From what I see, hauling coal by rail appears to be a large chunk of the American & Canadian Railroads profits.
What’s going to happen to the railroads when coal is legislated out of existence as a fuel source in the US and Canada?

How will the railroads survive the loss of revenue of hauling billions of tons of coal?

I like all the railroad nostalgia posted here, but it seems like we’re whistling past the graveyard on this????

 

[ultrarunner]

From what I see, hauling coal by rail appears to be a large chunk of the American & Canadian Railroads profits.
What’s going to happen to the railroads when coal is legislated out of existence as a fuel source in the US and Canada?

How will the railroads survive the loss of revenue of hauling billions of tons of coal?

I like all the railroad nostalgia posted here, but it seems like we’re whistling past the graveyard on this????

The coal trains would go for miles in Washington State are no one

In the SF Bay Area some have yard signs saying NO COAL trains… the signs are because of a concerted effort to not export any coal from a California port.

 

[bcp]

How will the railroads survive the loss of revenue of hauling billions of tons of coal?

They can haul wind for the windmills built in calm areas.



Bruce

 

[California]

How will the railroads survive the loss of revenue of hauling billions of tons of coal?

Why should we care? Nostalgia?

There will still be things to haul. 40 ft cans, automobiles, UPS trailers, general freight.

 

[MossRoad]

The drop in coal usage can largely be attributed to the rise in natural gas and to a much lesser extent wind and solar.

Coal still accounts for about 11% of rail profits.

Just to keep things on topic, here's a train with some JD tractors heading one way and a coal train heading the other in Goshen, IN.

 

[LouNY]

The drop in coal usage can largely be attributed to the rise in natural gas and to a much lesser extent wind and solar.

Coal still accounts for about 11% of rail profits.

Just to keep things on topic, here's a train with some JD tractors heading one way and a coal train heading the other in Goshen, IN.

"The drop in coal usage can largely be attributed to the rise in natural gas and to a much lesser extent wind and solar."

I'll have to disagree with this the drop in coal usage can be directly traced to bureaucratic over reach and the corresponding nightmarish over board unrealistic regulations.

 

[ultrarunner]

Keep Coal Out of Oakland: yard signs available now!

"Keep Coal Out of Oakland" yard signs began popping up across the city this week! You can support the continuing campaign to keep coal out of Oakland by putting a sign in your yard (or large window) -- we'll deliver, all you have to do is let us know where (your Oakland address w/ cross street...

nocoalinoakland.info

 

[Hay Dude]

The drop in coal usage can largely be attributed to the rise in natural gas and to a much lesser extent wind and solar.

We know why coal usage has declined-it’s been legislated out of existence.
That’s not my question. My question is, “how will the railroads survive the loss of revenues of hauling coal”
So wouldn’t the railroads do much better is they had both? Is the addition of NG with the elimination of coal something for railroads to feel good about? LOL
I don’t know about you but that sounds like “breaking even”.

Coal still accounts for about 11% of rail profits.

Just to keep things on topic, here's a train with some JD tractors heading one way and a coal train heading the other in Goshen, IN.

Why isn’t coal trains “on topic”

The topic is “rail roads and their tracks”