Northern Region

PARTNERSHIP TO STORE RAILCARS FOR BP/SHELL

In June 2016, Shell Chemical Appalachia (BP/Shell) announced plans to build a multibillion-dollar petrochemical plant, also known as an ethane cracker plant (industry lingo for a facility that breaks oil and gas byproducts into smaller molecules), in Monaca, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh. When completed, the operation is expected to make 1.6 million tons a year of ethylene, which is used in products from food packaging to automotive parts. However, due to the pandemic, plant construction will not be finished on schedule. As a result, BP/Shell needs somewhere to temporarily store 4,000 new covered hoppers they purchased for the plant. Brian Stussie, general manager of Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad (BPRR), Rochester & Southern Railroad, South Buffalo Railway and Wellsboro & Corning Railroad, agreed to store 2,200 cars. “We are putting them on every piece of track I have from Buffalo to Pittsburgh,” says Stussie. “This will be a $2-3 million revenue jolt for us just for parking railcars. Coming out of the pandemic, this is a strong piece of revenue that certainly will benefit us. We now have 974 cars on our properties and are on our way to 2,200. Considering one car is 65 feet long, we are looking at 27 miles of dedicated storage for BP/Shell. That’s pretty eye-opening.” Stussie says that Shell’s plant may not be ready for the cars until late 2024. “It has been a team effort by everyone; however, I’d especially like to thank Director of Engineering Rich Pavetto, former Assistant General Manager Garth Studstill (now general manager of G&W’s Chicago, Ft. Wayne & Eastern Railroad) and Roadmaster Jordan Early,” he says. “They were instrumental in getting us this opportunity and brainstorming ideas to get pieces of rail into service in order to store these cars.” Now that cars are being stored and more are on the way, BPRR Trainmaster Ron Simmons has taken the lead on the project. “Ron keeps up with the number of cars we have and where they are located,” says Stussie.

CONTINUED GOOD SERVICE FOR REPUBLIC STEEL TRANSLATES TO MORE CARLOADS AT BUFFALO & PITTSBURGH RAILROAD

Delivering on its commitment to customers has led to growth at Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad (BPRR). One of those customers is Republic Steel, a leading supplier of special bar quality steel, which is a highly engineered product used in axles, drive trains, suspensions and other critical components of automobiles, off-highway vehicles and industrial equipment. The company’s special bar quality products include hot-rolled steel bars, coldfinished steel bars and bottompoured ingots. With headquarters and special bar quality steelmaking capabilities in Canton, Ohio, Republic Steel operates facilities in Canton, Lorain, and Massillon, Ohio; Lackawanna, New York; Gary, Indiana; and Hamilton, Ontario. “Currently, we partner with Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway along with Allegheny Valley Railroad to move 50- to 65-car unit trains on a weekly basis for Republic Steel,” says BPRR General Manager Brian Stussie. “There is potential for a lot of growth with them.” In April 2021, test cars were used to determine transit time on trains that originate in Canton, Ohio. BPRR picks up the trains in Butler, Pennsylvania, and moves them to Lackawanna, New York. “We have gained Republic Steel’s trust and have proven our service to be reliable,” says Stussie. “They pay a special fee for us to run unit trains and dedicated service for them.” A unit train consists of cars carrying the same commodity, shipped from the same origin to the same destination without being split up or stored en route.

“Unit trains are beneficial for Republic Steel from a shipping standpoint because it allows us to provide speed and efficiency,” says Stussie. “Additionally, it reduces highway and interstate traffic as every carload of steel would require three tractor trailers to transport.” Stussie says that it has been a team effort at BPRR to provide this top-notch service. “The locomotive mechanics find power and keep it reliable for us,” he says. “Our carmen inspect each train that comes to us, and they haven’t missed a beat. Our MOW team and track inspectors are out ahead of each train inspecting for downed trees and washouts. Our Transportation people do a great job as well.”

Northern Region

NEW ENGLAND CENTRAL RAILROAD TEAM RACES AGAINST CLOCK TO SAFELY REPAIR TRACK

Days before Amtrak’s Vermonter passenger service was set to resume on a portion of New England Central Railroad (NECR) track after months of pandemic-related suspension, a flash flood washed out an NECR culvert in Putney, Vermont. Two NECR crews and a contractor worked tirelessly to safely and quickly repair the washout and avoid delays.

Above: Washout repair nears completion Left: A culvert washout leaves track suspended mid-air.

SOUTH BUFFALO RAILWAY LOOKS TO EXPAND SERVICE TO SUCRO SUGAR PLANT

South Buffalo Railway (SB) welcomed a new customer, Sucro Sourcing, this year, according to Ryan Fischer, vice president of G&W’s Northern Region railroads. The Florida-based sugar cane refiner and distributor is transforming the remains of three abandoned and decaying industrial structures on the former Bethlehem Steel complex in Lackawanna, New York, into repurposed facilities that include a raw storage warehouse, sugar refinery, packaging and finished-good warehouse, and offices. “SB has been working with Sucro on two phases,” says Fischer. “The first phase, which began mid2021, is serving their processing and packaging facility at the port that receives product by ship. The second phase involves expansion plans that include a sugar refinery. We are working with them now to finalize their track design.” These plans could lead to three new carloads per day for SB. “Construction on the building is well underway, and the company hopes to begin building track for the refining facility by the end of the year,” says Fischer. “They hope to be shipping by mid-2022.” Because Sucro will be sending cars to multiple locations, the company will be able to take advantage of all the connections SB has with the eastern Class I carriers. “The access SB has with the Class I railroads is a unique benefit that no other short lines around here have, and Sucro can take advantage of that for its shipping needs and get competitive rates,” says Fischer.

Sucro Sourcing complex

Fischer adds that the camaraderie exhibited from cross-functional teams has been exceptional. “We have had our operations, engineering and industrial development folks working with Sucro a number of months to put this plan in place,” he says.

Upon completion of the entire project, it is anticipated that Sucro will create a total of 75 new jobs in Lackawanna and expand its ability to receive approximately 10 ocean freighters annually and distribute sugar to customers within the Great Lakes region, according to published reports.

The freighter Federal Churchill delivers a shipment of granular sugar to Sucro Sourcing.

INDIANA & OHIO RAILWAY’S LIMA YARD TEAM: TOUGH, INDUSTRIOUS AND RISING

Indiana & Ohio Railway (IORY) Trainmaster Wyatt Heilman characterizes IORY employees at Lima Yard as “having grit” after seeing how they handled the past year and the challenges that came with it. “Tough – in a good way,” says Heilman. “They are resilient. I came up through TY&E employees on BNSF here in Lima, and they taught me how to railroad. The core of this group is strong.” The yard serves as a major conveyor for pig iron out of Cincinnati for one of IORY’s biggest customers, North Star BlueScope Steel in Delta, Ohio. Heilman also credits persistent efforts of the Northern Region marketing team to bring in new business throughout the last five years. Additionally, the reorganization of various connections resulted in big traffic increases to IORY’s Chicago gateway. “Our revenue is high,” he says. “We are always up against it as far as how busy we are with available manpower and locomotives. It is a challenge every day, but we always find a way to get it done.” Throughout the pandemic, IORY’s Lima team confronted frequent crew shortages as illness or exposure sidelined some for two weeks or longer. Heilman admits that they struggled at times, lacking extras to fill in, but the crew powered through each day. “I’m proud to represent this railroad,” says Heilman. “Lima Yard has come a long way, and some of the people have been out here for 20 or 25 years. There has been a lot of change in that time, but I think we are in the best place we’ve ever been.”

Northern Region

Clockwise from top: Trainmaster Wyatt Heilman attributes freight and revenue growth at IORY’s Lima Yard to his crews and yard workers. n IORY Conductor Mike McClure. n Locomotive Engineer Mike Durr safely mounts an IORY locomotive. n Locomotive Mechanic and Carman Brandon Auer works through a water pump issue on this IORY locomotive.