G&W Interchange Magazine Fall 2023

Volume 29, Number 2, 2023

GW INTERCHANGE

Tomahawk Railway (TR) a Full Logistics Operation

Table of Contents Features

Tomahawk Railway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Berg Pipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Safety Month 2023 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Did You Know? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 A Day in the Life: Emily Ferrell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 2023 Scholarship Winners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Snapshot Wisconsin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Around G&W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Volume 29, Number 2, 2023

G&W Interchange Genesee & Wyoming Inc. 20 West Avenue Darien, CT 06820

gwrr.com If you have news to share across G&W, please send it to the Communications team.

Tel: 203-202-8926 Email: interchange@gwrr.com © 2023 Genesee & Wyoming Inc. All rights reserved.

Recycled paper. Genesee & Wyoming is committed to using resources wisely Cover: As a unique operation in G&W’s footprint, Tomahawk Railway provides a full logistics operation for the pulp and paper sector in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. Pictured, left to right, are Sarah Pawlanta, assistant vice president of sales and marketing for the Upper Midwest division; Katie Kaiser, warehouse manager; Jason Olsen, roadmaster; and Mark Novotny, mechanical manager. P H O TO BY LIS A H A EFS Right: Portland & Western Railroad (PNWR) hauling lumber in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. P H O T O B Y R OBERT REY N O LDS

The terms “Genesee & Wyoming,” “G&W,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer collectively to Genesee & Wyoming Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliated companies.

From the CEO Teammates, As we close out 2023, I want to express my sincere gratitude for all your hard work during a year that has been challenging but marked by several key milestones that will help propel us into 2024.

Our enhanced organizational design introduced in April is starting to win praise from customers as our new operating divisions develop faster decision-making processes and place laser focus on growing business and improving customer service, which is at the core of everything we do.

After several years of hard work, our finance, accounting, procurement and many other departments successfully launched our new ERP system, Dynamics 365 (D365), in October. This new platform will standardize and update many dated financial processes and align with other tools we use across the organization, ultimately improving efficiency and streamlining the administration of our business.

We also saw several transformative deals come to fruition at G&W. After some delay, we successfully started up Berkshire & Eastern Railroad (BERX), which now operates Pan Am Southern for CSX and Norfolk Southern. We entered into agreements with CSX and CPKC that will enable Meridian & Bigbee Railroad (MNBR) to continue providing customers with outstanding short line service from Linden, Alabama, to Meridian, Mississippi, while allowing our Class I partners to create a new direct CPKC-CSX interchange connection in Alabama. We also announced a partnership with CN involving G&W’s Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway (CBNS) wherein CN has acquired a stake in CBNS and manages interline movements for customers while a G&W subsidiary continues to operate the CBNS line. Finally, G&W expanded its footprint into western Canada with the acquisition of BMS Locomotive Service Group, which offers locomotive maintenance and repair services within the region and better positions us as we look to grow our footprint in Western Canada.

Among a few challenges this year, an overall soft freight market in North America has negatively impacted our carloads and revenue compared to budget. And despite a year-over-year 35% reduction in reportable derailments and 9% improvement in human factor incidents through the third quarter, our safety performance across North America has been disappointing – with a 72% increase in reportable injuries compared to the same time in 2022. This level of performance is not our standard, and I would like to challenge all of us to double down on our commitment to safety, particularly during the distractions of the holiday season. Please stay focused on the task at hand – ensuring you and your teams are always in a position of safety and your surroundings and work conditions are free of hazards.

On the eve of our company’s 125th anniversary in 2024, I would like to remind everyone of what I said in my first letter as CEO of North America: Safely serving and creating value for our customers has kept us in business for 124 years, and long-term sustainable growth will be driven by an ability to deliver services that exceed our customers’ expectations.

We do this by putting the customer at the center of everything we do, innovating around their needs and providing safe, reliable service every day. Remember our trains move products that power our continent, feed our families, construct our roads, build our homes and purify our drinking water. Our railroads are critical infrastructure connecting thousands of communities and customers to the North American freight network. So, never forget what we do makes a difference and what you do matters.

I wish you and your loved ones a safe, healthy and enjoyable holiday season, and I look forward to everyone beginning the new year with a safety-first mindset and an eagerness to make the 125th year of G&W’s history the most successful ever.

Michael November 15, 2023 Genesee & Wyoming Interchange 1

RAILROAD PROFILE

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Next time you get a box from Amazon, open a can of Campbell’s soup or unwrap a Chewy granola bar, take a moment to look at the delivery box, the label around the soup can or the packaging of that granola bar. G&W’s Tomahawk Railway (TR), nestled in Wisconsin’s Northwoods, may have been integral in the production, storage and shipping of those items.

Arguably one of the most diverse operations in G&W’s North American footprint, TR is a three-pronged business that combines rail, warehousing and a shuttle service that supports the area’s pulp and paper sector.

While the railroad was acquired by G&W in 2005, it dates to the late 1800s when it served the timber and manufacturing industry of northern Wisconsin. The warehouse, which was constructed in 2005 and has since underThe Marinette Tomahawk & Western, TR’s gone four expansions, is a predecessor railway. Circa 1960s.

365-day-per-year operation that can fit eight railcars and receive up to 20 truckloads of product each day.

“We are more than just an eight-mile railroad,” says TR’s Operations Manager Katie Kaiser.

“We have become a complete logistics company.”

While any customer can take advantage of TR’s diverse logistics solutions, Packaging Corporation of America (PCA), which operates an area pulpboard mill, has benefitted most from TR’s versatility. PCA receives raw material from Canada via Canadian National (CN), which is unloaded at the warehouse and later reloaded onto truck for delivery to the mill, a five-minute drive from the warehouse. TR’s two 1500 horsepower four-axle diesel locomotives move 12 to 18 empty boxcars daily to the mill. The boxcars are then filled with tons of finished paper rolls and transported to connections with CN – to the total of over 8,000 carloads annually. PCA also stores its product in TR’s 105,000-square-foot warehouse when their own on-site warehouse is full.

PHOT O S B Y LAUR IE NIVISO N

Tomahawk Railway a Full Logistics Operation

From left: Mark Novotny, mechanical manager; Jason Olsen, roadmaster; Katie Kaiser, warehouse manager; and Sarah Pawlanta, assistant vice president of sales and marketing.

Genesee & Wyoming Interchange 3

4

PHO T O S B Y L AUR I E NIVISO N

In addition to PCA materials, TR’s warehouse stores a variety of products for other customers, including pulp producer Alberta-Pacific and global forest products company Mercer International. These products are typically received via boxcar, but some are trucked in from Ahlstrom-Munksjö, which produces material used in aerospace reflective gear as well as paper products used to wrap Campbell’s soup cans. The warehouse’s newest customer, Printpack, prints packaging material for candy and snack products made

by Mars and Quaker Oats.

“TR is one of our shorter short lines, but it is very unique,” says Sarah Pawlanta, assistant vice president for sales and marketing for G&W’s Upper Midwest Division railroads. “We have a remarkable warehouse facility with room to expand by 40,000 feet. If area customers have products to store, we can take them.”

TR also provides shuttle service for PCA. The shuttle yard, located at PCA’s 24/7 mill, stores semi-tractor-trailer units from the mill as they wait to be transported nationwide – sometimes as far as California. The yard handles 75-80 trailers per day.

“This is just another way that we support our customers,” says Pawlanta. “Because we are such a trusted partner, PCA came to us 15 years ago and asked if we could do this unique service for them.”

A total of 20 employees make up the staff at TR: three warehouse employees, including Kaiser, and 17 on the railroad (four transportation employees, nine shuttle employees, one MOW employee and three managers).

“We have a really good crew,” says Kaiser, a secondgeneration employee. “And we have an outstanding safety record. That’s quite remarkable when you consider that our employees deal with extreme seasonal temperatures and weather as well as the constant stacking and unstacking of heavy materials inside the warehouse.”

That safety record, of course, is a legacy of Kaiser’s mother, Susie Klinger, who served as TR’s operations manager for 30 years and was the first G&W team member to receive the Safety Person of the Year award from the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association.

“There’s so much care for each other among the TR team and such a commitment to our customers, it’s unbelievable,” says Kaiser. “Even when 20 inches of snow falls over just four hours like during the winter of 2022, we’ll help to plow out a team member at his or her home and then come to work to get the job done.” n

Paper Industry Is Key to Tomahawk Railway’s Success Paper has been manufactured in Wisconsin for more than 170 years, and the state has been America’s number one paper producer for decades. Tomahawk Railway owes a large measure of its success to its ability to serve Wisconsin’s paper industry.

Even though paper mills and manufacturing locations in the state have dwindled over the past three decades, new technologies and industry advancements have enabled Wisconsin paper production to double over the past 30 years.

Here is a look at the importance of paper production to Wisconsin, courtesy of the American Forest & Paper Association. Wisconsin’s paper industry:

“We have a really good crew, and we have an outstanding safety record. That’s quite remarkable when you consider that our employees deal with extreme seasonal temperatures and weather as well as the constant stacking and unstacking of heavy materials inside the warehouse.”

• Ranks first in the nation in the number of paper mills • Employs 28,000 workers who are compensated to the tune of $2.5 billion dollars annually • Produces $15 billion in paper products annually

– Katie Kaiser, warehouse manager

Genesee & Wyoming Interchange 5

CUSTOMER PROFILE

6

B E R GP IP E .C OM

BERG PIPE BREATHES NEW LIFE INTO BAYL “Resilience,” it has been said, “is all about being able to overcome the unexpected.”

No G&W road fits that description better than The Bay Line Railroad (BAYL), which has overcome its share of unexpected challenges in recent years.

Hurricane Michael Destroys BAYL Buildings

ROBERT REYNOLDS

Think back to October 10, 2018, when Hurricane Michael roared on to the Florida Panhandle as an unprecedented Category 4 hurricane. The Panama City area, where BAYL is headquartered, was particularly hard hit, and the G&W road was not spared the hurricane’s wrath. Its main office was destroyed, the locomotive and repair shops were significantly damaged and more than 150 railcars were blown over.

In the wake of the storm, BAYL team members showed their ability to bounce back from hard times. They stayed focused, pulled together and were able to resume some operations after only five days.

WestRock Panama City Plant Shutdown

Fast forward to April 7, 2022, the day that corrugated and paper products manufacturer WestRock Company announced it would shutter its aging paper mill in Panama City, which had been a BAYL customer for almost 90 years. The closure was slated for June 6, 2022 – less than 60 days away.

“The closure was very impactful to the Bay Line employees because WestRock had been a customer for almost a century, and the shutdown affected not only our railroad but the community where we live and work,” says BAYL General Manager Kirk Bedford. “We understood the reasons behind the closure, but we had to act quickly to protect our business and jobs.”

BAYL sales, marketing and operations teams immediately put their heads together to develop a plan to lessen the impact of the closure.

“We did an exercise to determine every place we could save money,” Bedford explains. “For example, we decided that we would not hire for open positions. We also were able to reduce the size of our locomotive fleet. In the end, we found ways to be more efficient and effective and, as a result, all BAYL employees kept their jobs.”

Genesee & Wyoming Interchange 7

—Kirk Bedford, BAYL’s general manager

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Changing Fortunes for the Better

Laying the Groundwork

At about the same time that WestRock was announcing the closure of its Panama City plant, talks were going on in Washington, D.C., that would ultimately change the fortunes of BAYL once again. The White House was considering whether to walk back climate change-related sanctions on petroleum production and shipments because Russia’s war with Ukraine continued to rage and Europe could no longer rely on Russian energy. The eventual solution was for the U.S. to send at least 15 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Europe in 2022 and increase that number over time to ensure the energy security of European countries.

Though the circumstances were undesirable, the decision could not have been better for BAYL and its long-time customer Berg Pipe, a leader in manufacturing pipes widely used in the North American long-distance oil and gas pipeline infrastructure.

“Berg Pipe has been a customer of Bay Line since the 1970s,” says Kirk Quinlivan, BAYL’s assistant vice president of sales and marketing. “Their pipes are necessary to move natural gas to U.S. ports where it is then transported to Europe.”

There was, however, work to do by Bedford, Quinlivan and the Berg plant’s management team in late 2022 before the resuscitated business could begin. For example, competitive freight pricing had to be determined with Berg for both inbound steel and outbound pipe. There was also work to be done establishing market-driven pricing with other roads, such as CSX, Union Pacific (UP) and BNSF, that connected to Berg’s western markets.

“Once pricing was settled and the roads involved agreed to the numbers, we had to work closely with Berg on scheduling,” says Quinlivan.

This was where good communication between the Berg and BAYL teams paid big dividends. “For example, we developed schedules for inbound and outbound trains to and from the Berg Panama City plant,” he continues.

“This was critical because we had to be certain our cars were where Berg wanted them when they wanted them so that they could schedule crews to unload them.”

ROBERT REYNOLDS

end, we found ways to be more efficient “ Inandtheeffective and, as a result, all BAYL employees kept their jobs. ”

Another hurdle was that some of the shipments of plate steel to the Berg plant would be dimensional loads.

Larger and/or heavier than typical railcar shipments, dimensional loads cannot move as efficiently as the normal flow of rail traffic and require clearances from other roads that may be affected by the slower pace. Working together, Berg and BAYL were able to gain clearances from the impacted roads, paving the way for the plate shipments to begin.

Efficiency Is Essential

“The Bay Line is absolutely essential to the success of our business,” says Chance Suggs, director of logistics for Berg. “There are a lot of moving parts with inbound shipments of steel, outbound cars loaded with pipe and unit trains of plate moving in and out five to six days a week. If those things are not done efficiently by the railroad, it could shut us down.”

The teamwork exhibited by BAYL and Berg since late last year has paid off for both. Berg Pipe’s business with BAYL ramped up in 2023, and by September 30, BAYL had moved approximately 1,500 carloads of inbound steel and outbound pipe for Berg compared to just shy of 400 carloads in 2022.

Looking Ahead

When asked what the key to the ongoing Berg-Bay Line partnership is, Suggs answers without hesitation: “Open and honest communication – period! In the world of transportation logistics, you don’t want to handle things twice, and the best way for us to avoid that is by sharing information between the partners, which we do very well with BAYL and both try to get better at every day.”

Looking ahead to 2024, Bedford sees a bright outlook for the Berg-Bay Line partnership. “We have every expectation that our business with Berg will continue to do well in 2024, and we are extremely grateful for that.” n

the world of transportation logistics, you don’t “ Inwant to handle things twice, and the best way for us to avoid that is by sharing information between the partners, which we do very well with BAYL and both try to get better at every day.

”

BERGPIPE.COM

— Chance Suggs, director of logistics for Berg

Genesee & Wyoming Interchange 9

Safety Month Contest Winners

National Region 1ST PLACE Grant McKinnis, Jr. – BPRR Engineering Orange safety seat belt covers should be used in company vehicles. The orange cover will make it visible for fellow employees and managers to see if you’re wearing your seat belt, allowing employees to hold each other accountable for vehicle safety. $2.99 on Amazon. _________________________________________________

2ND PLACE Ronald Lask – HESR Mechanical The purpose of the proposed Maintenance Mover is for use of Locomotive servicing groups, in order to prevent starting of locomotives inside shop situations or short moves around servicing tracks. _________________________________________________

3RD PLACE Zach Brewer – TPW Transportation

2023 1% SAFER, 1%BETTER CONTEST This year’s Safety Month focused on the year-long theme of “1% Safer and 1% Better Every Day at G&W.” In April, G&W CEO Michael Miller challenged employees to think of ways to improve Safety and Service in 2023, and submit their ideas for the 1% Safer, 1% Better contest.

Each idea entered was reviewed from each region, and those who submitted the top 3 ideas from each region received a prize of $2,500, $2,000 and $1,500, respectively.

Congratulations to the winners!

Motion light switches should be installed in offices, crew rooms and other locations where lights are often left on for long periods of time. The payback would be quick. _________________________________________________

American Region 1ST PLACE Shane Sheppard – AKMD Mechanical I worked at UP for fourteen years. There we had blue tags with our names, photo and employee ID number on them. When we would put a blue flag on a unit or work on a unit that someone had placed a blue flag on, we would place our blue tags on that flag. That way you would know who was working that unit at that time and you could have a job briefing with them so everyone would know the work that would be taking place.

This also helps when removing blue flags from the unit.

The blue flag is removed from the unit by the last person that removes their blue tag. I feel it is just another tool to combat complacency for the safety of yourself and others. _________________________________________________

2ND PLACE Gregory Perry – CAGY Engineering Push an initiative for engineering department to lubricate switch points during track inspections. Doing it monthly for the first 3 months and bi-monthly afterwards per the specs. The idea behind this is obviously to make switches easier to throw reducing the chances of injuries from jerking and pulling. Also, to reduce friction, therefore expanding the life of the switch tie, and also to make sure track inspectors are actually checking the switch points for gaps and adjustment during their monthly inspections.

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Incorporate basic railroad track inspection training to train crews. They are like spiders crawling all over our tracks and spend much more time throwing switches, walking tracks, etc. The more eyes we have looking at our tracks, the more we reduce the chances of a mishap.

If we can give them a basic idea on what to look for as far as track conditions while they are out in the field, we could potentially save many derailments and injuries. _________________________________________________

3RD PLACE Dalton Boggs – KYLE Transportation Situational/scenario training. In light of the recent rail disasters highlighted in the news, I suggest we should implement situational or scenario training events to our rules class or present a monthly scenario to complete, much like fire drills. We test on knowledge of rules and compliance during efficiency testing, but I believe adding this training will be beneficial. Many of the rules we follow on a daily basis get repetitive and can lead to complacency. We should prepare for the one-off situations that we don’t deal with every day.

Some examples that come to mind are handling and responding to a grade crossing incident, undesired emergency application, train separation and derailments with or without hazmat involved. There are a couple ways we could potentially implement this. One is to create a scenario and then have employees work though that scenario in a correct manner or take a real-world scenario and have employees point out all the mishaps that led up to the disaster and what steps could have provided a better outcome. By implementing this training, we will be better prepared to prevent and respond to those one-off occurrences that we come across in our careers. _________________________________________________

Corporate 1ST PLACE Mark Herrick – IT A key area of track safety (and federal scrutiny) is the maintenance of signals and trackside monitoring equipment. Recent interactions with our signals employees illustrated to me that there is a lot of variation between different roads and regions processes when it comes to using technology. I have spoken to several signals employees about what IT could provide that would be most useful to them and help bring more uniformity to their processes and allow them to share information and resources. I am proposing the following...

b. A dedicated Teams channel, including chat, notes taking and a document repository to allow signals employees to share knowledge and ask each other questions. c. Expansion of an existing program for PTC staff, to allow signals employees to change their IP settings on their corporate laptops, eliminating the need to wait for IT assistance.

These items will help our signal maintainers be more efficient and effective, while keeping both our track and our IT environment safer. _________________________________________________

2ND PLACE Paige Raulerson – Revenue Protection Have automatic account aging statements emailed to customers.

• This would help collection efforts in making sure customers are receiving invoices and statements timely.

Revisiting/Updating our customer onboarding process.

• Can we involve internal teams (billing, customer service, commercial support) as new customers are brought on? Have a type of roundtable discussion to confirm all important contract terms and any special items are discussed and can be handled properly by the respective teams. Making sure all teams fully understand the customer’s business.

• Making sure our customers understand our tariff and what some of the charges they may experience are, an example would be demurrage charges.

3RD PLACE Joy Whiting – IT Add a section to the Employee Engagement app, which is under development, that is connected to an AI model linked to the past several years of our Safety data so as to provide a daily or hourly update of high-level trending and predictive issues to be aware of, particularly issues at the base of the safety pyramid that could lead to more severe issues. Instead of just negative things to avoid, include rotating celebratory information like “Your Railroad has been derailment free X number of days!” or “Your railroad is currently 52% safer than last year – keep the trend going!” This way employees can watch their individual decisions to be 1% safer add up as their safe actions roll up to the railroad level encouraging many more.

a. Centralized application deployment (PuTTY, HT, DT etc.) that is self-service. Currently these installs are handled “one-off” and require IT assistance.

Genesee & Wyoming Interchange 11

Safety Month Contest Winners The following employees also received a gift card for submitting a top idea for their region: NATIONAL REGION Keith Baird, OHCR Donald Barcia, HESR Transportation Charles Cazeault, PW Engineering John Chesney, HESR Transportation Jonathon Countegan, HESR Transportation Daniel McCarthy, PW Transportation Jesse Moore, OVR Mechanical Jacob Perry, BPRR Transportation Thomas Torrell, BPRR Transportation AMERICAN REGION Gary Ebert, MNA Transportation Ron Garret, AZER Transportation John Nibler, PNWR Mechanical CORPORATE SUPPORT/GRSI Courtney Pilkenton, Customer Service Congratulations to all the winners! The chance to win continues through 2023, as two winners will be selected at the end of the year from a pool of frontline employees in good standing to receive a new pickup truck. This vehicle giveaway is a meaningful way to show our pride in and appreciation for our frontline employees who show up and work safely every day in the spirit of our Core Values.

FAMILY SAFETY MONTH CONTEST WINNERS

Age 8-12 Category Bentley Snyder Parent is Jerelyn Snyder of G&W's Sales & Marketing team Artwork

Our annual Safety Month Contest is open to the children and grandchildren of G&W North American subsidiary employees. This year’s topic asked the question, “What can you do in your home to be 1% safer every day?”

Participants were challenged to answer the question via artwork, a two-minute video or a one-page essay.

Age 3-7 Category Chloe Henderson Parent is Brandon Henderson, former member of G&W’s Service Design team Video: “Home Safety” Age 13-17 Category Aaron Ostrander Parent is Steve Ostrander of G&W’s Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad Video: “Moore Seguro Safety Specialists” 12

DID YOU KNOW?

Railroad Lanterns

At the turn of the 20th century, railroad operators used colored globe lanterns for illumination and signaling at night. They were the best means of communication when operating and directing trains. These lanterns communicated signals between trains, stations and workers, since loud working environments and the distance involved in train operations negated communication by speaking or yelling.

White was used to indicate that it was safe to proceed, green signaled caution and red meant stop or danger.

As more people in towns and cities began using white light for general illumination, the use of the white lantern became difficult to see. The railroads switched to using green for “proceed” and introduced yellow or orange as the “caution” color. (The meanings of the colors were the precursors to our modern traffic light system.)

A railroad lantern was portable and was an effective light source that could be easily seen at night from a distance.

The railroad worker would swing and move the lantern in different ways according to what message he wanted to send. For instance, to give a stop signal, the lantern would be swung back and forth horizontally across the tracks, and the signal to proceed was to move the lantern up and down vertically.

Railroad lanterns are often classified into five different categories: fixed globe lanterns, tall globe lanterns, short globe lanterns, conductors’ lanterns and inspectors’ lanterns.

Today, railroad lanterns have become collectors’ items, as the use of radio communication and signal systems replaced the lantern system.

As we approach G&W’s 125th anniversary in 2024, stay tuned for more historical info and the opportunity to test your G&W or industry knowledge for railroad-inspired prizes, including a modern twist on a classic railroad lantern… n

Genesee & Wyoming Interchange 13

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...

© WIK I CO M M O NS B Y TRI CI A S I MP S O N

Emily Ferrell, Director of Corporate Benefits

Number of years with G&W...

More than 19-and-a-half years! I am excited to hit the 20-year milestone in March 2024.

In the simplest terms, my job is to...

Direct the overall design, implementation, administration and communication of G&W benefit plans.

My “customers” change daily from assisting employees with individual benefit questions or issues, supporting regional Human Resources with benefits needs, to working with vendors to keep our benefit offerings competitive and cost-effective, and communicating benefit changes over many platforms to reach employees and their families across the U.S.

The most impactful project I’ve worked on so far was/is...

The RailAmerica acquisition in 2013, related to the employee and benefits integration. As we essentially doubled in size, it was important that employee and benefit information was thoroughly reviewed as it was loaded into the HRIS system.

This was accomplished in groups of companies over several months, so data could be audited to ensure pay and benefit costs were accurate before a live payroll was generated. As RailAmerica had different benefit offerings than G&W at the time, we knew that we needed a full analysis of all benefit plans to create a uniform benefit program for all employees going into 2014. Since that time, we have enhanced our benefit offerings to include a high-deductible health plan with health savings account, disability coverage, telemedicine for medical and mental health services, voluntary benefits and an option to participate in the Healthy Pledge program to receive discounted medical premiums.

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My favorite G&W location is...

I have had the privilege of visiting quite a few U.S. locations, but Provo, Utah, holds the honor of my favorite. I went to college in Provo and worked at a local hotel during that time, and we often had guests visiting Utah Railway. When I moved to Rochester, New York, and interviewed at G&W, I was surprised to see my interviewer was using a Provo Holiday Inn pen. I inquired where she got the pen and was surprised to hear that G&W owned Utah Railway. Call it fate or coincidence, but life has a way of showing you it is a small world.

Outside of work, my favorite thing to do is...

Spend time with my teenage sons. As their world and interests have expanded, I have found new ways to stay connected with them. So my resume now includes hockey team manager, soccer coach and volunteer for band and sports booster events.

My favorite food is...

Definitely Mexican food. Tacos, burritos, carnitas, fresh made tortillas, guacamole, margaritas…all of it is so delicious. n

© ZIM M YT WS | D R EAM ST I M E. CO M

We are very pleased to announce the following winners of G&W’s

2023 Merit Scholarship Awards CORPORATE SCHOLARSHIPS We are very pleased to announce the following winners of G&W’s 2023 Merit Scholarship Awards.

Student: Parents: Company: School: Major:

Thirteen children of North American-based G&W employees are attending college this fall with scholarships awarded by G&W. There were six recipients in the American Region and five recipients in the National Region, while two recipients were awarded from the corporate division.

The merit-based scholarship program was started in 1999. Each four-year scholarship is worth $5,000 per year and is distributed each semester to the students.

Students must maintain a 2.0 grade point average to continue receiving the award.

The program is for graduating high school students. Announcements are made each spring as they roll out the program.

Applications are typically due

by Memorial Day, and winners are announced in August.

JERVIS LANGDON JR.:

GEORGE R. WILLIAMS:

Angel Tang Lizhen Cai Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc. Princeton University Computer Science

Bryce Hannan Steven Hannan & Dawn Saracino Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Inc. University of Florida Undecided

AMERICAN REGION SCHOLARSHIPS Student: Parents: Company: School: Major:

Student: Parents: Company: School: Major:

Student: Parents: Company: School: Major:

EDWARD L. FULLER:

FRANCES A. FULLER:

Giles Bradley Giles & Jessica Bradley Louisiana & Delta Railroad Louisiana Christian University Social Work

Emily Rager Lesley & Howard Rager GRSI – Shared Services American Region Mississippi State University Pre-Veterinary Medicine

JAMES W. BENZ:

MORTIMER B. FULLER JR.:

Isabelle Duhon Robert Duhon Eastern Alabama Railway University of Alabama Nursing

Laney Trawick Kyle & Shannah Trawick Chattahoochee Industrial Railroad Wallace Community College Nursing

PHILIP J. RINGO:

JOHN M. RANDOLPH:

Sergio Torres Sergio Torres Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad University of South Dakota Medical Biology

Chavondria Crimes Carlton Crimes Georgia Southwestern Railroad Albany State University Forensic Science

NATIONAL REGION SCHOLARSHIPS Student: Parents: Company: School: Major:

Student: Parents: Company: School: Major:

BILL PUTNEY:

MORTIMER B. FULLER III:

McRae Carpenter Cora Carpenter-Small GRSI – Shared Services National Region Alabama A&M University Supply Chain & Logistics

Kiersten Sander Scott Sander & Sarah Lahmann Indiana & Ohio Railway Ohio University Forensic Chemistry

ROBERT M. MELZER:

NATIONAL REGION:

Jeremy Chestnut Adam & Abbi Chestnut Indiana Southern Railroad Olney Central College Advanced Manufacturing Automation Technology

Natalia Cobb Nathaniel & Wendy Cobb New England Central Railroad Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Architecture

CANADA: Student: Parents: Company: School: Major:

Maggie Gibbons John & Sharon Gibbons Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway St. Francis Xavier University Aquatic Resources

Congratulations to all the winners!

Genesee & Wyoming Interchange 15

snapshot WISCONSIN

Tomahawk Railway (TR) Mark Novotny, mechanical manager

Wisconsin is bordered by Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota

SH U TT E RS TO C K BY J EF F BU K O WSK I

Land area in square miles (2020): 54,143 Population per square mile (2020): 108.8 Total population (2020): 5,893,718 Households (2021): 2,401,818 High school graduate or higher (2021): 92.9% Median household income (2020): $64,168 Mean travel time to work (in minutes): 22.2 Number of veterans (2020): 315,815 State bird: American robin State flower: Wood violet State tree: Sugar maple State nickname: The Badger State State beverage: Milk State capital: Madison

WIK I C O MMO N S BY RAWP IXEL LTD

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Railroad

Operating Division

Year Acquired or Established

Number of Track Miles/Kilometers in State

Tomahawk Railway (TR)

Upper Midwest

2005

8 / 13 SHU T TE RS T OC K B Y GOTTOGR APHY

G&W RAILROADS CURRENTLY OPERATING IN WISCONSIN:

QuickFacts

N AT I O N A L R E G I O N

Around G&W IORY GROWS BUSINESS FOR SCRAP RECYCLING OPERATIONS This new workstream allowed IORY to hire three new people, Conductors Nick Hepfinger and Axel Maldonado and Conductor/ Locomotive Engineer Nick Bolton.

Grissom credits G&W Customer Service Representative Lori Zeka for finding the cars, getting them for this assignment, keeping tabs on them and handling the billing.

He also credits Trainmasters Matt Murphy and David Gonzalez for the work they are doing. “This is an extra move for us in the morning and night, and they implemented the cars and supervise the crews,” says Grissom. “Matt and David load up the cars every day at BlueScope and unload them at night at North Star. They have good communication with both industries and the crews.”

Grissom describes the relationship with BlueScope as strong.

“We help each other every day,” he says. “We continue to look for new opportunities for them, and we are excited to grow together.”

We give them empty cars, and they load them with scrap. We then take them to North Star to make coils.”

An IORY train hauls pig iron near Miamisburg, Ohio.

© CARLOS FERRAN

Indiana & Ohio Railway (IORY) added jobs and increased revenue as a result of expanding its relationship with a current customer, BlueScope Recycling.

BlueScope Recycling is a full-service, ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metal recycler with processing in Waterloo, Indiana, and Delta, Ohio. The company buys scrap from industrial generators and wholesale suppliers.

IORY Assistant General Manager Aaron Grissom explained that while IORY has served BlueScope for years, a new shuttle string was created to deliver material from its scrap facility to a sister company, North Star BlueScope Steel, in Delta.

(A shuttle string is a group of five or more cars that only go between certain places).

“There are 21 cars in the fleet, three strings of seven cars,” says Grissom. “We rotate them twice per week to equal 42 cars per week.

Genesee & Wyoming Interchange 17

A Gruber 30-inch portable conveyor is helping YRC have a record year.

YRC BUSINESS BOOMING WITH HELP OF NEW CONVEYOR York Railway (YRC) Logistics Foreman Josh Gray says that the addition of a 30-inch Gruber portable conveyor at the beginning of the year has helped the railroad achieve record carloads.

“This is our fifth conveyor, and it has become a huge part of our operations,” says Gray. “We are having a record year. We already hauled more carloads

by September this year than we did for all of 2022.”

The conveyor can offload approximately 50 railcars and 200 trucks per month. Gray listed a few of the benefits: It has Tier 5 emissions; a 30-inch wide belt that is twice the size of the others used at YRC; LED lights that can light up a work area, especially helpful when work begins at 5 a.m. and it’s pitch black; a hydraulic gate opener for the bottom of railcars; a low-profile inlet section that fits perfectly underneath a railcar; and a heavy-duty structural steel frame.

18 AroundG&W

From left are Transload Laborer Nate Gray, Logistics Foreman Josh Gray and Transload Laborer Ryan Donohue.

“It operates nicely, and we expect it to last a long time,” he says.

“We have between 150-200 carloads per month. We are moving a lot of product.”

YRC moves feed ingredients, fertilizers, plastic and wood products from rail to truck and vice versa. They serve all the feed mills in Lancaster and York counties in Pennsylvania, as well as interchange with CSX and Norfolk Southern.

N AT I O N A L R E G I O N

Around G&W NECR WASHOUT RECOVERY IN VERMONT A literal storm of the century in Montpelier, Vermont, on July 10 deluged the state capital with six-foot-deep floodwaters. Roads and railroad tracks were washed out.

“It was the worst flooding in 98 years,” says G&W Vice President of Engineering Todd Dragland.

“This washout was unusual and more complex than several we have had over the years, due to the state roads and general population being critically impacted.

This made working with quarries, truckers and contractors under stressful conditions very difficult to manage.”

New England Central Railroad’s (NECR) rail line, which also is used by Amtrak, was out of service for seven days.

Dragland gives credit to NECR Director of Engineering Brett Briggs and Roadmaster Jason Vinton for their outage recovery execution — putting in long hours and doing it all safely.

“The challenge for Brett and Jason was lining up contractors with trucks and working with two quarries to deliver suitable rock to our washouts to get the track back in service,” he says. “They worked countless hours, steady right through the seven days it took to calculate the correct amount of rock needed to fill the voids and get it there safely. They were managing six or seven locations at a time.”

Briggs says that he is proud of NECR’s efforts considering the havoc the storm brought across Vermont and the number of public roads that were washed out.

“When you have a track washout, we usually can get contractors right away. But in this case, the ones we normally use had contracts with the state and were focused on repairing their roads first,” says Briggs. “So, our local employees on the ground really came through, specifically Trainmaster Kevin Bushey and Signal Supervisor Shayne Bocash, because they knew people with dump trucks who we could hire on the spot.”

Briggs added that Roadmaster Jason Vinton put in significant hours of work.

“He got the ball rolling and was instrumental in getting the job done,” he says. “We would have been dead in the water if the team couldn’t cobble together some trucks for us to use. It was a true team effort, and we did a good job pulling it together.”

Dragland attributed the recovery success to NECR’s team. .

“They put in long days,” he says. “However, with their experience and knowledge of the area, as well as their contacts with local truck drivers and contractors, they were able to manage it successfully and safely.”

Genesee & Wyoming Interchange 19

BERKSHIRE & EASTERN RAILROAD HAS SUCCESSFUL START-UP G&W’s newest subsidiary, Berkshire & Eastern Railroad (BERX), began operating Pan Am Southern (PAS) on September 1.

PAS, a joint venture between Norfolk Southern and CSX, runs a total of 414 miles in eastern New York, across Massachusetts and through central Connecticut, as well as from New Haven, Connecticut, to White River Junction, Vermont. While the railroad’s commodity base is diverse, a large portion of traffic is autos and trash.

“The attitudes of the employees here from day one have been extremely positive,” John Connelly, vice president of G&W’s new PAS division, said on September 13 at one of several welcome lunches for employees.

“We look forward to growing the railroad with you.”

A new-hire class joined the roughly 150 existing BERX employees by late September – with a second new-hire class immediately in tow.

In its first few weeks of operations, BERX also added to its fleet eight locomotives from other parts of G&W’s footprint.

“Everyone here is now part of the G&W family,” Brad Ovitt, senior vice president of G&W’s National Region railroads, said at that welcome lunch. “We’re counting on you to uphold G&W’s commitment to safely and effectively serving our customers every day.”

WI K I CO M M O NS B Y PI . 1 4 1 5 9 2 6 5 3 5

WI K I C O M MO NS B Y DAV E M AZE

National Region Senior Vice President Brad Ovitt (top center) addresses BERX employees at an informal lunch in September at the East Deerfield Rail Yard.

BERX General Manager John Connelly (left) answers questions from employees at the informal lunch, while the National Region's Assistant Vice President of Safety Tom Ferris (right) hands out meals.

20 AroundG&W

N AT I O N A L R E G I O N

Around G&W TPW LOCOMOTIVE ENGINEER FARLEY MARKS 20 YEARS REPORTABLE INJURY-FREE

Conductor/Locomotive Engineer Tim Farley celebrates 20 years reportable injury-free with CORP and TPW.

Toledo, Peoria & Western Railway (TPW) dualqualified Conductor/Locomotive Engineer Tim Farley, who is marking 20 years reportable injuryfree, believes the key to having a safe workday is to not rush.

Another tip that he shares with new hires is to leave personal issues at home.

“I come in with a positive attitude, a positive outlook on life,” he says. “I try to make work fun, so it is not ‘work.’ And then when I go home, I leave work at work.”

Farley was born in Medford, Oregon, and began his railroading career at G&W’s Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad (CORP) in 2003 as a maintenance of way laborer. In March 2004, he transferred to TPW and began conductor training. A few years later, he participated in engineering school.

Before joining CORP, he was in construction.

Looking to the future, he searched for a career that would have good benefits and stability.

“My dad was injured twice at work, and I saw that growing up,” says Farley. “I feel proud that I haven’t been injured at work, and I don’t want to see that happen to anyone else. Making it 20 years reportable injury-free was a big goal; now, retiring reportable injury-free is my next goal.”

G&W’s Executive Chairman, Jack Hellmann (left), presents Conductor/Locomotive Engineer Tim Farley with a watch on July 21 at a Safety Month celebration.

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G&W CANADA WELCOMES EMPLOYEES OF NEWLY ACQUIRED BMS LOCOMOTIVE SERVICE GROUP

Farley enjoys spending his free time with his wife, Jennifer, and their adult daughters, Jolee and Aysia. Elway, a Bernedoodle (Bernese mountain dog/poodle mix), completes their family.

He has a passion for baseball and is a Chicago Cubs fan. A retirement wish he has is to visit all the Major League Baseball parks with his wife.

He also is a prospecting hobbyist and prospects for gold in creeks around Indiana.

B

“I’ve learned over the years that slow and steady is the key,” says Farley. “Don’t get in a hurry; keep your head on a swivel because your surroundings — including the weather and the general public — are always changing.”

VIC E G R O

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This July, G&W Canada expanded its footprint into western Canada with the acquisition of BMS Locomotive Service Group (BMS) in Edmonton, Alberta.

BMS has offered locomotive inspection, maintenance and refurbishment and repair services to freight railroads across western Canada for more than 20 years. Today, the operation has 10 employees and includes a shop, warehouse and administrative office.

“The addition of BMS enhances G&W Canada’s suite of services for customers throughout Canada and expands its footprint into a geography that has potential for tremendous industrial growth,” says Rocky Hartline, general manager of G&W Canada’s western operations. “The BMS team’s locomotive expertise, as well as their shared commitment to safety and service, make them an ideal fit for G&W.” According to G&W Canada President Rick McLellan, BMS nicely complements G&W’s Railcare operation in Ontario, which offers railcar maintenance and repair as well as dismantling and scrapping services.

Genesee & Wyoming Interchange 21

KYLE PROVIDES RELIABLE, COST-EFFICIENT SERVICE TO NEW CUSTOMER Kansas-based Amber Wave, formerly Prairie Horizon Agri-Energy LLC, is finding new purpose as a food ingredient producer while also creating ethanol from wheat starch. In August, Amber Wave started making both food and fuel simultaneously from Midwest wheat.

Amber Wave’s plant in Phillipsburg, Kansas, had been producing traditional corn ethanol in recent years. Additions and improvements were made to transition to a new production model and meet a growing need in the food industry for domestic supply of vital wheat gluten, while producing ethanol at the same time. The plant will become the largest producer of wheat protein in North America.

Amber Wave plans to purchase more than 20 million bushels of hard red winter wheat annually as feedstock.

The wheat will be ground into flour and run through an extraction process to separate the protein from the starch.

Kyle Railroad (KYLE) will transport that wheat to Amber Wave and the finished products back out to market. Those finished products are gluten, ethanol and a byproduct that is sold to feed lots, according to Amber Wave Plant Manager Mike Sheid.

“Our relationship with KYLE is phenomenal,” says Sheid. “They provide outstanding communication and professionalism. They constantly follow up, and when they come to our meetings, they not only listen but provide good suggestions. It has been a great partnership, and we’re looking forward to our future working together with them.”

From left, Amber Wave Grain and Logistics Manager Nick Taylor, KYLE General Manager Marv Lockman, Amber Wave Food Ingredients Plant Manager Mike Sheid, G&W Central Division Vice President Danny Dalton, G&W Assistant Vice President of Sales and Marketing Jared Gooch and KYLE Assistant General Manager Gary Niblock.

PSAP CELEBRATES NEW SIDING TO INCREASE FLUIDITY On Thursday, October 26, Puget Sound & Pacific Railroad (PSAP) employees and managers, customers and community leaders gathered in Elma, Washington, to celebrate the near-completion of a new rail siding that will increase PSAP’s fluidity in Grays Harbor County and help to alleviate blocked crossings as area business continues to grow.

Construction on the siding, which can accommodate roughly 100 railcars, began June 2023 and involved the installation of more than 5,200 feet of track, 3,000 rail ties and 10,000 tons of ballast.

“PSAP is committed to providing safe, efficient and environmentally friendly freight-rail service every day, and this project is testament to that commitment,” says PSAP General Manager Larry Sorensen. “There is a long list of people and organizations that supported this project – from members of the Washington congressional delegation, local and state elected officials, customers, Washington DOT, the Port of Grays Harbor and the Federal Railroad Administration.

We thank each of them for their commitment to seeing this project completed.”

22 AroundG&W

Elma’s location along PSAP is critical, as traffic from PSAP’s interchanges with BNSF and Union Pacific branch up to Elma and out to the Port of Grays Harbor, which is the closest mainland port to the Pacific Rim in the U.S. and is expected to expand its terminals for increased shipping.

“We don’t take for granted the service that your railroad provides every day,” says Leonard Barnes, deputy executive director for the Port of Grays Harbor. “On behalf of all our customers at the Port, we are thankful for the opportunity you provide us.”

AMERICAN REGION

Around G&W RUNNION RETIRES FROM KYLE Mechanical Manager Mike Runnion retired on August 31 after 35 years with Kyle Railroad (KYLE).

After a classmate told him that KYLE was hiring, Runnion began his career painting and sanding locomotives. Runnion worked as an electrician for five years before he became a lead man on the electrical side. He became mechanical manager in 2008 and most recently supervised three carmen and five mechanics.

“The shop has changed on the mechanical side a lot,” Runnion says. “We don't have anyone with a lot of experience. It's exciting to see new hires learning and being excited about the job.”

The Phillipsburg, Kansas, native notes he loved teaching new hires. He says he would advise new hires to ensure they like what they’re doing, and that if they’re happy in their work, it’s no longer a job.

Along with his ability to jump into new experiences, Runnion’s interest in the business side helped him excel at his job. He says budgeting during lean times was a challenge, but he faced challenges by looking at the facts before devising a solution.

Runnion credits his injury-free career to remaining aware of his surroundings, adding, “A little bit of luck don’t hurt, either.”

Runnion appreciated the stability that the railroad provides and that every day is different.

“I’ll definitely miss the people,” he says. “The shop is a tight-knit group. I’m proud of the respect the shop gets from corporate.

Everyone knows we run a clean, reliable shop.”

Away from work, when he’s not rebuilding and restoring old cars, Runnion enjoys spending time with his family, including his two sons, Brian and Ricky, and four grandchildren. He and his wife, Karen, have been married since January 1983 and are looking forward to traveling.

Mike Runnion retires after 35 injury-free years as mechanical manager at KYLE.

ELECTRIC VEHICLE PLANT EXPECTED TO DELIVER ECONOMIC UPTICK FOR GC, SAVANNAH The Hyundai electric vehicle assembly plant and adjacent EV battery factory broke ground in October 2022, and with that came an increase of aggregate train traffic for Georgia Central Railway (GC) to the Savannah, Georgia, area. McLendon Enterprises has partnered with Vulcan Materials to bring in most of the aggregate and gravel to build the facility.

The plant, located in Ellabell, Georgia, will not open until 2025, but is already promoting significant economic growth for the community, according to GC Assistant General Manager Joseph Underwood.

That includes the railroad, which operates more than 200 miles of track from Macon, Georgia, to Savannah, and is busy hauling supplies for the plant’s construction.

“GC has already added Transportation and track employees,” says Underwood. “We have plans to add more over the next year to keep up with the demand that comes with the growth in business.”

Underwood says GC’s relationship with McClendon’s rock yard has been beneficial to the railroad

and allowed both to work closely with one another to keep railcars steadily moving to supply rock to fill Hyundai’s needs.

Underwood says Hyundai is expected to eventually create more than 8,000 jobs with its facility, while thousands more will be created at the numerous parts suppliers in the area who are supporting the Hyundai project.

The new Hyundai plant in the Savannah, Georgia, area increases business for GC, which is working with McLendon Enterprises to provide aggregate for the plant’s construction. PHOTO BY HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Genesee & Wyoming Interchange 23

AZER AND CUSTOMER FREEPORT-MCMORAN CELEBRATE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW YARD AZER managers gathered with representatives from customer Freeport-McMoRan to celebrate the nearcompletion of a new switching yard along the railroad to support Freeport’s growing volumes.

To a casual passerby, the location in the middle of the New Mexico desert could quite literally be described as “no man’s land.” But for the Arizona Eastern Railway (AZER) managers and Freeport-McMoRan representatives who gathered on August 29 to celebrate the near-completion of a new rail yard along the AZER line in Summit Hills, New Mexico, the site signifies growth and opportunity.

AZER serves two copper mines and one smelter for Freeport, which is a leading international mining company headquartered in Phoenix.

“This represents yet another extension in the longstanding partnership between Freeport and AZER,” said Bruce Nickle, Freeport’s director of global supply chain operations, logistics and transportation.

The yard consists of nearly 26,000 feet of track to hold approximately 400 railcars. It will serve as an efficient switching yard to classify Freeport’s growing volume.

“We remain committed to doing all we can to support customer growth,” said Kevin Jones, AZER’s general manager, “and this is testament to that.

Freeport can continue counting on us for safe and efficient freight-rail service.”

2424 AroundG&W

AZER General Manager Kevin Jones (left) with Freeport-McMoRan’s Bruce Nickle at the yard’s grand opening.

AMERICAN REGION

Around G&W RES HITS SWEET SPOT WITH ‘WIN-WIN’ BRIDGE CONVERSIONS Caps-up timber to steel bridge conversions are proving to be an excellent investment for G&W. After the first such conversion was completed on Kyle Railroad (KYLE) in summer 2022, Railroad Engineering Services (RES) has planned and executed more than a dozen in 2023.

Tearing out a bridge’s aging timber superstructure and replacing it with steel and concrete is a win for everyone, says Assistant Chief Engineer of Structures Philip Ogram.

“We’re increasing the life of these structures significantly, by upward of 100 years over timber, and they will require much less maintenance,” he says. “In some locations, these projects are allowing us to safely operate at higher speeds. Doing this is a no-brainer.”

Ogram says that RES completed 12 bridges for a total of 81 spans on KYLE, Arizona & California Railroad (ARZC) and Arizona Eastern Railway (AZER) by midsummer, with two more large projects on Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad (RCPE) completed by the end of September. Those bridges have 14 and 24 spans, respectively.

Everything is done in-house – from surveying to design to construction, which is planned during scheduled customer shutdowns to disrupt operations as little as possible.

“We’ve pretty much refined the process and the designs, and we’ve found the most cost-effective methods,” Ogram says. “We’re getting great collaboration and coordination with local railroads and their general managers to execute these projects.”

From left, Yashua Miller and William Fairweather are two U.S. Marine Corps xxx veterans who contribute excellence and reliability to RES.

RES APPRECIATES CONTRIBUTIONS OF ITS MILITARY VETERANS The railroad can be a demanding job that requires a disciplined lifestyle. According to G&W Railroad Engineering Services (RES) leadership, it’s no surprise that military veterans fit in so well.

“The background plays very well into roles and responsibilities hereleft, onYashua the railroad,” says ChiefFairweather Engineer ofare Structures Bill Riehl, who From Miller and William two U.S. Marine Corps himself is contribute a veteran excellence — havingand retired in November veterans who reliability to RES. 2022 after more than 40 years in the Air Force Reserves. “Work ethic, discipline, attention to detail and dedication all come with veterans. ‘Service before self’ is a big part of it. They’re all very interested in getting the job done right. If that means staying late or working in bad weather, they do it to make sure the job is the best they can do.”

The structures team has two other veterans. Bridge Inspector Dallas Rogers was in the U.S. Army, and Bridge Inspector Kevin White was in the Marine Corps.

There are currently six veterans on the tie and surfacing gang side, including three from the U.S. Army on TS-3 — Tie Team Manager Larry Cork, Machine Operator Kerin Cuyler and Truck Operator Gary Wichterman. TS-3 also has a U.S. Navy veteran, Truck Operator Robert Reid. TS-1 has a pair of U.S. Marine Corps veterans, Machine Operators William Fairweather and Yashua Miller. In addition, Mechanical support team member Angelo Donegan was with the U.S. Air Force. All are retired except Miller, who is still on reserve duty.

Veterans bring a strong concept of brotherhood to the railroad, says Assistant Chief Engineer of Production Branden Graves.

The match of lifestyle between the military and the railroad is a great predictor of success, he adds.

“We really appreciate their service and dedication to RES,” says Graves. “If it wasn’t for them, the rest of us non-veterans couldn’t be doing what we’re doing now.”

Genesee & Wyoming Interchange 25

Genesee & Wyoming Inc. 20 West Avenue Darien, Connecticut 06820

U.S. Postage

PAID Portland, OR Permit No 5300

Address Service Requested

Who founded the original G&W? How long was it?

What state was it founded in?

125th Anniversary Trivia Contest – Starting January 8, 2024 It’s coming…G&W is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2024! To mark this milestone, we’ll be holding events throughout the year to commemorate the company’s remarkable history.

To kick off the celebrations, we’re inviting all employees to participate in the G&W 125th Anniversary Trivia Contest! This weekly contest will test your knowledge of everything G&W – from history to fun facts. If you win, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from three different prizes:

Railroad Lantern

Framed Cover Photo from G&W 2024 Calendar The earliest known photograph of a Genesee & Wyoming locomotive.

Charcuterie Board

To participate in 2024, simply scan the QR code here or on digital signage each Monday beginning noon Eastern time for that week’s question.

Fill out the form with your answer by noon Friday of that same week, and we’ll announce the winner by end of day!