On Track | 2023 Second Quarter

The NBER Local crosses the Juniata River at Tyrone, PA, with NBER 1804 (GP10) and NBER 1601 (GP8). Photo courtesy of Max Harris.

Feature from the President
A Lasting Impact

Recently, Joe Kantz and I were discussing the new feed mill construction in New Columbia. He said, “What’s cool is thinking about how many of these projects we’ve had a part in and thinking about how many will still be here after we’ve retired.”

While this is a simple statement in a basic sense, it is also a pretty deep statement. It recognizes the long-term aspects and implications of what we do. It also represents that there is an intangible value to what we do in the now - doing something that will benefit others in the long term. It’s humble in the way it presents our involvement and selfless in terms of the factual implications. It says so much about the vision of this company and the philosophy of our employees.

A group that sees the world through that lens is incredibly rewarding to lead. Our definition of success may be nuanced, but it involves an overall economic benefit to our region and its citizens (both present and future). It also involves the long-term sustainability of our company and its mission - which is valiant in its own right:

To be the most customer focused and safest transportation system possible
To conduct our business with the highest degree of integrity and professionalism
To provide quality regional rail freight service to customers in Central Pennsylvania
To be responsible civic partners with the communities we serve

Vision, philosophy, mission, focus - our employees have all of those things. The successes and growth we are seeing are not happenstance; they’re thanks to this team’s fine efforts. For that, I am truly grateful.

Jeb Stotter
President & CEO

Notes from Marketing
Moving Dirt and Driving Spikes into Summer

As spring gives way to summer, and construction season is in full swing, we love seeing business development and expansion projects come to fruition.

It is incredible to think back on the start of these projects. They always start with one phone call - followed by countless phone calls, emails, face-to-face meetings, and site visits over the course of months (or even years). When the project comes to completion, it is all worth it.

For example, this spring we saw several customers start track projects and some customers finish track projects - across our system of six short line railroads in Central Pennsylvania. An example is the completed expansion at one of our LVRR rail-to-truck transload customers, Bulkmatic. This project was partly funded by a PennDOT Rail Freight Assistance Program grant to expand their terminal’s railcar capacity by 22%. This project started with a meeting back in 2021, and it’s satisfying to see it now completed with added capacity to accommodate increased business.

Other examples of exciting customer track projects were competed by customers in Montoursville, Williamsport, and Lewistown. All three of these customers had their sidings completely rebuilt, and there are even more customer projects in the pipeline.

The biggest project currently under construction on our railroads is in New Columbia on the Union County Industrial Railroad: Country View Family Farms. The discussions about this feed mill project started years ago. The ground-breaking of this $47.3M project took place last fall, and since then, the dirt has been flying! The grade for the mill’s loop of track is starting to take shape and the mill’s foundation is now showing (pictured above). More details of this incredible development will be shared in later issues of On Track.

All of these exciting projects show our customers’ commitment to rail. We will continue to strive to be the partner they need to maintain their faith in our rail network and service - for the betterment of their companies and families. Rest assured that our marketing team is always making connections and promoting our customers and businesses.

Let us help you get to a place where you are ready to move some dirt and drive some spikes; our marketing team would love to have that first call with you to get it all started. Call us today!

Todd Hunter
Chief Marketing Officer
570.274.4484
toddh@nshr.com

Joe Kantz
Business & Development Manager
570.898.4910
jkantz@nshr.com

This past June, Todd Hunter was excited to see the progress being made at Country View Family Farms - he couldn’t resist stopping to admire it.

Seen above, Joe and Todd present a check to Focus Central PA’s Executive Director, Lauren Bryson, showing our support for this integral industrial development group to our region. We look forward on continuing to work with you, Lauren!

Notes from Maintenance of Way
Ready for New Traffic

In preparation for future unit trains traversing our Union County Industrial Railroad (UCIR), this past month, we installed 68 switch timbers, unloaded 1,500 tons of ballast, surfaced over a mile of track (including a 10 degree curve and an 8 degree curve), and installed a new grade crossing at State Route 642 in West Milton. With the uptick in rail tonnage heading our way, this line is ready to go!

Zac Mahaffey
Director of Maintenance of Way

In the Community

Supporting Penn State Studies

This past April, we hosted a group of students (Olivia Vota, James Langan, and Logan Groeneveld-Meijer) from Penn State Altoona. This group of bright students was creating a news piece for Centre Focus (a news segment completed by communications students at Penn State University) and their COMM 466 class with Professor Marea Mannion.

The students captured all video with permission, protection, and supervision from North Shore Railroad personnel.

Here is a link to their finished project.

Great job on this project, Olivia, James, and Logan!

Ribbon Cutting for Little Shamokin Creek

On April 21st, we were happy to attend a ribbon cutting that was hosted by SEDA-COG, celebrating the Little Shamokin Creek Flood Mitigation project in Upper Augusta Township! This was such a great project that protects many Sunbury to Shamokin residents and businesses from flooding. It also serves as a flood mitigation improvement for our Shamokin Valley Railroad (SVRR).

Rail Advocacy | Rail Day in Harrisburg, PA

On May 2nd, Loni Martz Briner, Public Relations & Media Manager, had a full day of meetings with elected officials, in Harrisburg, to promote the rail industry at the Keystone State Railroad Association (KSRRA) Rail Day on the Hill. Loni especially enjoyed this event, as it was “take your daughter to work” day. Loni’s daughter, Galia, also had a great day (to the point she was doing cartwheels around the capitol).

Joining Loni and the KSRRA were members of the SEDA-COG JRA, Genesee Valley Transportation Co., Inc., Genesee & Wyoming Railroad Services, Oil Creek and Titusville Railroad, Canadian National Railway Company, Northern Illinois & Wisconsin Railway (dba NIWX Corporation), Philadelphia Belt Line Railroad, Strasburg Rail Road, R. J. Corman Railroad Group, McRail Insurance, and Railroad Group LLC.

Rail Advocacy | Rail Day in Washington, DC

On May 17th, Loni was back to railroad advocacy – this time in Washington, DC, with the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. She joined 160 representatives from small railroads and industry partners to talk about what makes the short line freight rail industry unique; how we can work together to keep goods moving freely; and how short line railroads are an efficient, safe, and ecofriendly way to move freight across North America.

Thank you to the following offices for meetings:

Fun Fact: While freight rail accounts for 40% of long-distance freight ton-miles, it only accounts for 2% of transportation-related emissions.

Norfolk Southern Short Line Meeting

This past May, Justin Wagner (Superintendent) and Todd Hunter (Chief Marketing Officer) represented us at the Norfolk Southern Short Line Meeting in Atlanta, GA.

Rail Safety | Free Wheeling Day

We again donated bags for the Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce Business & Education Committee’s Free Wheeling Day in Mifflin County. We, of course, prepacked the bags with information and tokens about rail safety - an opportunity to teach 500 kids about the importance of staying off the rails - in one day.

Rail Safety | Northumberland Touch-A-Truck

On June 2nd, we had the opportunity to teach more kids and families about rail safety at the Priestley-Forsyth Memorial Library Touch-A-Truck event in Northumberland. We were blessed to see dozens of kids commit to stay off railroad tracks. We also took advantage of this opportunity to educate parents.

Supporting Hope Enterprises

On June 16th, Seth Barth (Assistant Director of MoW), Kyle Postupack (SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority Property Manager), Zac Mahaffey (Director of MoW), and Russ Nicodemus (Cost and Budget Accountant) had the opportunity to represent us at the Hope Enterprises, Inc. golf tournament.

Hope Enterprises is located just steps away from our Lycoming Valley Railroad offices in Williamsport, PA. Their mission is: “Enhancing the lives of people with intellectual disABILITIES by providing them with caring support and responsive services.“

These amazing golfers made us proud, taking third place (with a score of -14)!

Learn more about Hope Enterprises, by visiting their website, here!

Tartaglia Railroad Services
Working Hard - in Central PA and Beyond!

We were happy to be working in Central PA - replacing a railroad crossing on Broad Street in West Milton.

Working with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Sudol Excavating, we got this crossing project done FOUR DAYS ahead of schedule. There were no complaints from the residents in that area, or the railroad, on the early completion. The credit for this great work goes to our crew, Sudol, and PennDOT on safe and swift work!

Central PA isn’t the only place you will find our crews hard at work. We work throughout the Northeast, primarily in: Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and beyond.

Tartaglia Railroad Services
5867 East Molloy Road, Syracuse, NY 13211
315.455.0100

VISIT TARTAGLIA’S WEBSITE (www.TartagliaRail.com)

CONNECT WITH US!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE (www.NSHR.com)

Feature from the PresidentA Lasting Impact

Notes from MarketingMoving Dirt and Driving Spikes into Summer

Notes from Maintenance of WayReady for New Traffic