This article was in our local daily paper. Selkirk Hump Yard Closing.
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Wonder how this will affect traffic on the old Boston & Albany?
I suspect CSX will eventually whittle the number of active hump yards down to two or three. Hunter believes flat switching blocks from one train to another saves both time and money.
Curt
This is not surprising at all. It is one of the things E. Hunter Harrison said he was going to do, in order to streamline operations.
In the big picture of how traffic flows on the ex NYC today, Selkirk really isn't needed any more. Traffic out of the east coast now goes much further inland before it needs to be broken up for further sorting and distribution.
Since pre-CR days, Selkirk was a really neat operation. Trains used a flyover to get in/out of the yard. Car knockers inspected outbound trains on a special pneumatic track section that actually tilted the whole train onto one side then the other checking journals and brakeshoes. The engine terminal was a multi-tracked multi-locomotive service rack for quick turnaround servicing.
Spent many trips to that operation during CR when the norm was quick crew turnaround that allowed us to leave Kearny, NJ, run up the River Line and swap crews/trains enroute (at around West Point maybe) to get us back to Kearny, NJ within 12 hours for a 200 mile day.
Walter M. Matuch
OGR Webmaster posted:This is not surprising at all. It is one of the things E. Hunter Harrison said he was going to do, in order to streamline operations.
In the big picture of how traffic flows on the ex NYC today, Selkirk really isn't needed any more. Traffic out of the east coast now goes much further inland before it needs to be broken up for further sorting and distribution.
CSX completed a clearance project on the B&A a few years ago. Raising bridges, raising the roof on the state line tunnel so intermodal trains heading to Boston (Worcester) wouldn't have to be broken up in Selkirk.
If they close the Selkirk hump yard, are they likely to close the repair shops in Selkirk too?
They also seem to unload a lot of automobiles there. Would that end?
