This awesome photo is courtesy of Chris Partsch.

Feature from the President
Leadership at North Shore Railroad

Hard work, cooperation, being a team player, having a “can do” attitude and patience are some of the many characteristics of a good leader. Leaders in our company exhibit these traits every day!

There is a value-return on patience and good leadership.

Todd Hunter, Chief Marketing Officer and one of our team players, will often joyfully say, “Our service is so good that it makes it easy to sell.” That good service, combined with fine customer service translates to success. With that being said, most projects take time to develop, which is where the patience component comes in to play, but rest assured, fine efforts on the service and marketing end of the business inevitably lead to positive outcomes. Our Marketing Department’s ambition and hard work motivate them to never stop turning over the proverbial stones. (More on this can be found in the following article.)

Leadership goes hand-in-hand with hard work.

System-wide, our managers are routinely fielding calls during off hours and the weekends. They travel for one-on-one meetings with existing and potential customers and bend over backwards to meet customer needs. Most people don’t see the efforts many of our managers put in after the equipment is parked for the night. Yet - our managers don’t complain about their obligations. Their continued positivity and cooperation helps propel our company forward each day (and night).

Leadership is not in a title.

Ultimately, our company’s leaders are more than people with the word “manager” in their title. Our boots on the ground and eyes behind the screens are leaders and representatives of this company - and they are usually the first people who come to mind when a customer refers to our company. We have some fantastic employees who work hard, work as a team, and get the job done each day. They sacrifice a great deal for our customers and our company.

Let me give you an example: This past month we saw some crazy and intense storms on our Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad. Storms brought down an insane number of trees. Our Maintenance of Way Department fielded this issue with great determination. Ultimately, on one line segment alone, 35 large trees had to be cut up. This team cut up trees from 7am to 11pm. Their dedication and hard work led them to a job well done - a job that was critical to the safety of our railroad.

Each of our employees is responsible for leading her/himself and fellow crew members with a “can do” attitude and safety oriented mindset. That is not something managers can do for them. The quality, safety and productivity of each day is incumbent upon each individual.

As we move forward..

I am honored to be a part of this company. It is my goal to work each day, embracing and exhibiting the qualities of a good leader for our employees, customers, and communities. I promise to continue to invest myself whole-heartedly in making this a company where leaders of all levels can thrive and contribute to our success. For, if we are all working hard, working in cooperation with others, being a part of the team, keeping a “can do” attitude, and remaining patient, our service will continue to be great - making it an easy one to sell.

Notes from Marketing
Industrial Development in Central PA

The “FOCUS” is on Central PA.

June 22nd was the 2021 FOCUS Central PA Industrial Development Forum.

Business & Development Manager, Joe Kantz, is privileged to serve as the Vice Chair of the FOCUS Board of Directors, and he served on the Planning Committee for this year's Industrial Development Forum (which was originally planned for 2020, but was postponed due to COVID). The committee ultimately decided to host this event virtually. They wanted something more than just a glorified Zoom meeting, and thanks to the help of Mark Burke at MynddSet, FOCUS was able to have a great interactive virtual forum! The event was attended by more than 140 people from all facets of industrial development, and needless to say - it was a great success!

We were happy to be one of 38 sponsors for the forum.

The 2022 FOCUS Central PA Industrial Development Forum is already scheduled for March 23, 2022. It will be held at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA. Be sure to mark your calendar and join us for all things Industrial Development in Central PA.

There certainly are a lot of things happening in our region!

The Forum may be new to Central PA, but industrial development is not.

The FOCUS Central PA Industrial Development Forum showcases what we have known for many years - our region of North Central Pennsylvania is a great place to live, work, and play.

We have assisted in bringing 15 new customers to the region over the past five years (in addition to the dozens of companies who have and continue to transload across our six lines). The continued traffic growth, customer growth, railroad business growth, and many other successes we have seen over the years (and are still seeing today) are proof of how vibrant Central PA is for businesses!

If you or your company are looking for a place to expand or grow, we can bring all of the right people to the table - to help make your vision a reality.

Give us a call to get your business moving and thriving in Central PA!

Castanea Runaround Track

About a decade ago, the Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad (NBER) began a new branch operation from Mill Hall, PA, to Castanea, PA. There are two rail-served customers at the end of this three mile rail line. What made this a challenging move was the fact that there was no way for our crews to run around railcars, effectively creating a nearly three mile long shove move across two public crossings, across two private crossings, and through a US highway underpass until they were able to run around the railcars at the Mill Hall intersection.

This past spring, we completed the construction of a 500 foot long, double-ended, side track. The new configuration allows crews to position railcars for switching and minimizes shoving of railcars to a half mile, making for safer conditions for the crews and public in Castanea, PA and Mill Hall, PA. Further, the short shove of railcars from the new siding only crosses over one private crossing that is owned by one of our customers. 

We are elated to see the completion of this project and want to thank some of the many who made it possible: Zac Mahaffey (our Director of Maintenance of Way) and his team, PA Department of Transportation, Jannotti Rail Consulting, Inc., K.W. Reese, Inc., and the SEDA-COG Joint Rail Authority.

This project was always a dream of our retired Safety & Compliance Manager, Phil Lucas. We are glad he was able to assist us in getting this project off the ground before his recent retirement.

In the Community

North Shore Named in Top 100 PA Businesses

This year, we were named as one of PA Business Central’s Top 100 Businesses!

We credit our employees and customers for this recognition. Without them, our success would not be possible.

Thank you!

Customer Ribbon Cutting

On May 14th, we were happy to join Tuscarora Grain in Columbia County for a ribbon cutting. Chris and his team at Tuscarora had an amazing first year of business, and this ribbon cutting was a great way for him to showcase the value of his operation to area leaders. We can’t wait to see how much this business will grow!

Thank you to DRIVE, Columbia County Commissioners, SEDA-COG, Norfolk Southern, and all of the esteemed guests who attended this celebration.

North Shore in the Community

We were happy to once again donate drinks to the Freedom Bike Ride.

This annual bicycle ride raises awareness and support for our military troops (past and present) and honors Gold Star Families from all military conflicts and wars.

The Freedom Bike Ride, which lasts four days and covers approximately 300 miles, travels through areas of Central Pennsylvania and the Susquehanna Valley.

FUN FACT: Employees Josh Weisen (Customer Service/Accounting) and Diana Williams (Treasurer/Controller), pictured below, are US Army Veterans.

Employees in the Community

NBER Conductor/Engineer, Tom Flynn, and Chief Marketing Officer, Todd Hunter, are seen in the photo below, as they prepare 1939 German steam locomotive “Otto” for a trip around the Bucksgahuda & Western Railroad in Saint Marys, PA.

They just can’t get enough of railroading!

Mother’s Day & Father’s Day Tributes

A handful of our employees wanted to honor their parents this past Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. We were glad to be able to help these employees surprise their parents with tribute videos.

You can find these dedications on our YouTube channel and linked below:

North Shore Railroad MomsDay2021 - YouTube

North Shore Railroad DadsDay2021 - YouTube

Company Store Update

We have new shirts available in our company store! You can purchase these items at the Sunbury Station (Antique Mall) at 100 North 3rd Street, Sunbury, PA, or online at www.NorthShoreWarehouse.com.

Also available at the Sunbury Station are used railroad spikes for crafting or upcycling. (Dirt and rust included - at no additional charge!)

Being an Exciting Part of History
Adirondacks, NY

Last year, our Tartaglia team was awarded the contract for a major rehabilitation on the Adirondack Scenic Railroad, between Tupper Lake and Big Moose in New York. This rail line was originally built by Cornelius Vanderbilt (who owned the New York Central Railroad). There was never much freight that moved over the line, as it was primarily used by the rich and famous to access their summer camps in the Adirondacks.

Our team started working on this project, which includes the replacement of 85,400 ties, last October. Once completed, this project will successfully extend the current scenic railway 45 miles deeper into the Adirondacks. Other than minor repairs (last done in 2000), this is the first time this portion of rail will be actively utilized since the 1980 Olympics, which were held in Lake Placid! This historic project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021.

It is exciting to have our Syracuse family so integrally involved in this significant part of railroad history.

Tartaglia Railroad Services is an established railroad contractor built on a strong history of reliable railroad services. Based in Syracuse, New York, Tartaglia has also developed into a nationally known hi-rail equipment company - building, repairing, upfitting, and selling quality hi-rail trucks and equipment.

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Services
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Learn more about Tartaglia Railroad Services, and how to order your hi-rail application, by visiting TartagliaRail.com.