THE MEMPHIS BUFF
VOLUME 36, ISSUE 6
NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
“Private Varnish” visits Memphis IC 8963 and the “Hot Cut” Casey's Railroad - Gone?
JUNE 2009
Memphis Chapter Officers President – David Chase
dchase@memphisredbirds.com
Vice President – Bruce Smedley National Director – Bill Strong
williambstrong@bellsouth.net
Secretary – Oliver Doughtie
doughtio@bellsouth.net
Treasurer – Thomas Doherty
TRDoherty@aol.com
Librarian – Mike Pendergrass Publication Editor – Tom Parker
tscottparker@gmail.com
Last Month’s Meeting The May meeting was called to order by Bill Strong. The program was David Johnston's slide show presentation of his visit to Southern Appalachia Railroad Museum (SARM) at Oak Ridge, TN last August which had been postponed due to technical difficulties last month. Bill Strong gave a historical perspective to the presentation, outlining the history of Oak Ridge and the atomic energy program there. Discussion followed about activities on the Nashville and Eastern Railroad and proposals to build a new railroad between Nashville and Knoxville. Bill Strong finished up the meeting with a slide show of Tennessee Central photos.
This Month's Meeting June's program will be a video presentation by Bruce Smedley titled “American Steam's Last Decade: The Large and the Small of It”, featuring a couple of videos furnished by Carl Lancaster. BUFF ONLINE: www.buff.illinoiscentral.net User Name:Member Password: Buff (Capital “M” & “B”)
Cover Photo: Grass grows where there once was a busy railroad yard serving North Memphis industries. Illinois Central's North Yard now consists of a couple of tracks which are used mainly for storage of derelict rail cars. Tom Parker Photo
“Private Varnish” Visits Memphis by Tom Parker
into my mind and I decided to give Bill a call and see if he still needed a lift. He had already snagged a ride, but he
told us to come on down and he would give us the fifty cent tour anyway.
Amtrak #58, City of New Orleans arrives Memphis Central Station 4/25/09 “Attention: Can anyone pick up Bill Strong at the train station tonight? Saturday’s Amtrak no.58 (northbound “City of New Orleans”)will be carrying two PVs in its consist: Sleeper-observation ROYAL STREET (ex L&N) Sleeper CIMMARON RIVER (exFrisco) One of our chapter members, Bill Strong, is riding the ROYAL STREET back from the NARP convention in Washington DC, and needs someone to pick him up at Central Station. Bill promised a tour of the passenger cars for anyone who could give him a ride back to the east Memphis/Germantown area. Thanks, David Johnston”
The above e-mail showed up in my in box Saturday afternoon, April 25th. I read it and moved on to other things, but after dinner it popped back
"Cimarron River" and "Royal Street" bring up the markers
"Cimarron River"
"Royal Street"
After dinner, I told Glenda what was about, and asked her if she would like to take a trip down to Central Station. We got there in plenty of time and one of the first faces we saw was that of Kinney Young, also waiting on the train.
Inside the "Royal Street"
After a short delay at Broadway, waiting for a westbound freight to clear, the “City” arrived a fashionable fourteen minutes late. I spotted Bill through one of the windows of the “Royal Street” as as the train rolled by.
Bill Strong and the "Royal Street"
Kinney Young aboard the "Cimarron River"
After exchanging pleasantries, Bill, true to his word, invited us on board to get a closer look at the cars.
The Cimarron River (original #1466) was built by Pullman Standard in 1948 as a 14 roomette-4 double bedroom
sleeper for the Frisco Railway's streamlined "Meteor". The "Meteor" ran from St. Louis Union Station to Oklahoma and had through sleepers to Chicago, New York and Washington. The sleepers were all named for rivers along the train's route. The Frisco substantially reduced their passenger system 1965 and the CIMARRON RIVER and other sleepers were sold to the Canadian National Railway. The Canadian National rebuilt the car, removed the stainless steel fluted siding and renamed the car RAINBOW FALLS. The interior configuration was not changed. VIA Rail Canada assumed ownership of the car in the late 1970's and repainted it blue. In 1981, VIA discontinued many trains and RAINBOW FALLS was surplus to their needs. In June 1983, two brothers, Andy and Tony Marchiando, bought the car from VIA. The car was returned home to St. Louis and renovation work began. The exterior is now repainted in the original colors and lettering. (from the Cimarron River Website (www.cimriver.com)) Built by Pullman- Standard in 1950, the “Royal Street” (number 3301) was one of four five double bedroom-
buffet-lounge-observation cars assigned to the “Crescent”. One was owned by the Southern Railway, two, including the ROYAL STREET, were owned by the Louisville & Nashville, and one was owned by the Western Railway of Alabama, The “Crescent” was a jointly-operated train between New York, Washington , Atlanta and New Orleans. North of Washington to New York, the "Crescent" was handled by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Between Washington and Atlanta, 637 miles, the train operated on the Southern Railway. From Atlanta to Montgomery, Alabama, 175 miles, the train traveled on Atlanta & West Point and Western Railway of Alabama rails. The final 318 miles to New Orleans were on the Louisville & Nashville. "The finest atmosphere is found in the luxurious observation car on The NEW Crescent, A Grand New Train With A Grand Old Name", said the L&N about the train in the July, 1950, edition of The Official Guide, intended primarily for use by railroad ticket agents and travel agents. "Recommend and sell the year¹s finest travel package", the ad continued, "and remember, you are offering your customers the best when you route them on The Cres-
cent". A Southern Railway ad in the same Guide indicated its passengers were saying, "The man who designed the cars for the new Crescent is indeed a genius. The last word in comfort, courtesy, and convenience, and marvelous accommodations the Crescent is now the best train between New Orleans and New York". After 20 years working for the L&N, the ROYAL STREET was sold to its first private owner in 1970. By the time current owner Dr. Jim Giganti of St. Louis rescued the car and began the lengthy restoration process in 1992, the car was pretty far gone, to say the least. The completely restored ROYAL STREET, with its gleaming new interior and stunning "Lookout Observation Lounge", a full 10 inches above the floor level of the rest of the car that features oversized picture windows, is today a stellar example of the lightweight-era railroad passenger car restoration process. (from American Rail Excursions website (www.americanrail.com/Royal_Street.htm )) CLICK HERE For more pictures of the “Cimarron River” and the “Royal Street”. CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO of
the “City” at Central Station” and past at the Pyramid.
Illinois Central's “Hot Cut” - By Tom Parker
North Yard transfer job with IC GP-7 8963 and SW-7 403 passes through Central Station in July 1968 . Note southbound “City of New Orleans on adjacent track. Photo by Phil Gosney and used with permission
I happened across the above photograph on Mike Condren's website and and it immediately took me back to the early days of my railroad career over forty years ago. I first became acquainted with IC 8963 working a data processing (keypunch) job at Johnston Yard. Aside from telegraph operators at Central Station and Johnston Yard, the “IBM Room” in the “Big Office” was the only interface
between the Memphis Terminal and the IC's telegraphy based information system. In-
terchange cuts and and the “Woodstock Switcher” had to be punched into IBM cards
A railroad IBM card. This is a later "ICG" version
each night and transmitted via telegraph to the IC's computer in Chicago. (Records of transfers between the yards and industrial moves were 100% pencil and paper and were not transmitted to Chicago.) IC 8963 was the engine assigned to the “Woodstock Switcher” and after a few days typing “IC 8963” four times a night the number began to stick in your head, even after forty years. Phil Gosney's picture is what was the afternoon transfer to North Yard. There were three of these transfer jobs, one for each shift and operated seven days a week, The jobs went to work at South Yard and would take track 9, where the North Yard cars were classified to North Yard. 8963 was probably on its way back to North Yard after being serviced at the Johnston Roundhouse. Its usual home was the engine track behind the North Yard office.
8963 was usually tied up on the North Yard Engine Track behind the yard office
After the transfer job yarded its cut, it would double together tracks containing blocks of
cars destined to South Yard and “A” and “C” Yards at Johnston Yard. This Southbound transfer was known as the “Hot Cut”. A number of Memphis' largest industries such as Humko, Firestone, International Harvester and Kimberly Clark were located in the North Yard territory. Additionally, the aforementioned “Woodstock Switcher” operated out of North Yard and cars from Dupont, W.R. Grace and other Woodstock industries were added to the mix. Companion to the “Hot Cut” was the “Hot Sheet”. Issued by the Superintendent's Office each day and updated frequently, the “Hot Sheet” was telegraphed to all the yard offices on the terminal, listing cars requiring expedited handling, many of the on the “Hot Cuts”. At South Yard, the northbound and southbound loading were set over into the “North” and “South” classification tracks for other jobs to take to Johnston's “A” and “C” Yards respectively. At all three yards, the cuts would be switched immediately upon arrival and the loading would move on the very next train, interchange or industrial cut, many times within just a few hours after the leaving North Yard.
My dad was an engineer for the Illinois Central. In the years that he worked for the IC, he probably sat at the throttle of a majority of the IC's engines, but 8963 is the only engine that I can definitively say he operated. More than once, he got stuck with working the night switcher at Woodstock. IC GP-7 8963 was built in 1953. It spent most of the 1960's assigned to the “Woodstock Switcher” operating out of Memphis North Yard. It was rebuilt in 1978 by VMV at Paducah, KY into a GP-8 and renumbered IC 7973. It was sold to Steel Processing on May 26, 1993, and presumably scrapped.
Map showing yard locations
Casey's Railroad - - - - GONE? By Tom Parker
lines, maintaining every customer's seamless access to the broader CN network. “CN recognizes the importance of rail service to Mississippi and remains committed to the state. We continue to operate nearly 600 miles of mainline track serving scores of Mississippi businesses and carrying Amtrak passenger service,” concluded Vena.
Red indicates sold lines. (Green is CN track, blue is KCS)
“HOMEWOOD, Ill., May 13, 2009 – CN (TSX: CNR)(NYSE: CNI) today announced the completion of agreements to sell three Mississippi line segments to Grenada Railway, LLC and Natchez Railway, LLC both noncarrier affiliates of V&S Railway and A&K Railroad Materials. This deal transfers ownership of 252 miles of track and preserves rail service on the two longest of these rail lines for at least the next two years. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “CN is pleased that this deal with Grenada Railway and Natchez Railway will allow these rail lines to remain in place serving Mississippi business,” said Jim Vena, CN's senior vice president, Southern Region. “CN will continue to offer interchange service to the new short
Since 2003, CN has worked with the State of Mississippi in its economic development efforts to bring additional rail business to these routes. Those efforts have not created a substantial increase in rail traffic and volume on these routes has dropped to the point where it is no longer economically viable for CN to continue their operation. This transaction involves the former CN Grenada subdivision, the Water Valley Branch Line and the former CN Natchez subdivision. The Grenada line runs roughly 175 miles from the Mississippi/Tennessee border to approximately two miles north of Canton, Miss. The 11-mile Water Valley Branch Line intersects the Grenada Line at W.V. Junction and extends to Coffeeville, Miss. The 66-mile Natchez branch runs from Brookhaven, Miss., to Natchez, Miss. V&S Railway LLC operates successful short lines in Kansas and Colorado.”
This news release by the Canadian National Railroad probably signals the end of the line for the track that carried Casey Jones to his fabled end. The demise probably can be traced back to September 10th, 1965. when Amtrak, due to the Illinois Central's reluctance to maintain passenger train standards over the district, rerouted the “City of New Orleans” over the IC's track through Greenwood, MS, leaving only local service for the line's dwindling customer base. The final blow for the Natchez line was the closing of International Paper's mill at Natchez. Despite assurances in the news release that the new railroads “ will allow these lines to remain in place serving Mississippi business”, the parent of Grenada Railway and Natchez Railway is A&K Railway Materials, “the nation's leading supplier of new and used track materials” according to their website. A&K's founder, president and majority shareholder, Kern W. Schumacher, began his career at the age of nineteen when he organized A&K Tie Company to salvage thousands of used railway
ties being removed from the lower deck of the Oakland Bay Bridge in Oakland California. A&K purchased the redwood ties at .60 each and resold them to landscapers for $6.00 each. In papers filed with the Surface Transportation Board, both the Grenada Railway and Natchez Railway are shown as “controlled by Mr. Schumacher”. V&S Railway, is cited in the news release as operating “successful” short line railroads in Kansas and Colorado. The Facts In December of 2000 the V&S petitioned the STB to purchase a 41 mile segment of former ATSF trackage between Sun City and Attica, KS from the Central Kansas Railway. In May of 2003, the V&S petitioned to abandon 20 miles of the line between Sun City and Medicine Lodge. The remaining 22 miles of the line is still in use between a connection with the BNSF at Attica, KS, and Medicine Lodge where National Gypsum has a facility. The V&S also operates a 5 mile switching line at Hutchinson KS, which it purchased from the Hutchinson and Northern Railway in 2006.
Another venture of the V&S is the Kern Valley Railroad. On October 31, 2001, The Kern Valley purchased the 30 mile line of the Trinidad Railway on Colorado with the express purpose of salvage, the Trinidad Railway already having filed for abandonment. Latest filings with the STB indicate that two miles of the line remain. In 2008, V&S purchased the Gloster & Southern Railroad between Gloster, MS, and Slaughter, LA, from Georgia Pacific which owns an idled paper mill at Gloster. In 1992, in conjunction with Michael Van Wagenen of Kyle Railways, Schumacher and Morris Kulmer, CFO of A&K, formed the Tulare Valley Railroad Company. TVR's original 158 miles has shrunk to 6.1 miles, with the rest of the line either being abandoned or sold to the San Joquin Valley Railroad. On March 12, 2009, TVR petitioned the STB to abandon the remainder of the railroad. In 1999, the Canadian National Railroad transferred 145 miles of track to the Southern Manitoba Railway, an affiliate of the TVR. In March of 2006, the Southern Manitoba Railway applied to Manitoba's Motor Transport Board to discontinue operations over the last 78.6 miles of its line
between Morris and Mariapolis, MB. The 122 mile Colorado, Kansas and Pacific Railway was sold to V&S by the state of Colorado in December, 2005, for 10.35 million dollars, with a down payment of one million dollars with the remainder to be paid over a six year period. In August of 2007 grain shippers were complaining of having to use trucks due to the railroads inability to supply cars and Colorado reported that it no payments had been received after the initial down payment. In 2006 a rail fan reported finding only two locomotives on the entire line, neither running and with rusty wheels and only five rail cars on line, four flats and a “5 Pack” intermodal spine car. There are numerous other acquisitions and attempts at acquisitions by Schumacher and friends in filings with the STB, and also numerous abandonments. While it is difficult to match acquisitions with abandonments, presumably these earlier “V&S” lines no longer exist. Unless some action is taken by communities and industries along the line, the Grenada and Natchez Railways will probably join its former corporate brothers as short lived “Fallen Flags”.
CABOOSE
“Royal Street� Meeting Schedule June 8, 2009 July 13, 2009 August 10, 2009 September 14, 2009 October 12, 2009 November 9, 2009 Meetings are the 2nd Monday of each month in the White Station Branch Library from 7-9 pm. 5094 Poplar Avenue Memphis, TN (in front of Clark Tower)
Contact the Editor Tom Parker 3012 Wood Thrush Drive Memphis, TN 38134 tscottparker@gmail.com
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