Photo courtesy of Zach Kedge - found in on the cover of our 2021 calendar.

Feature from the President

Commitment to the long term sustainability and success of short line railroads is exhibited in no small part by their Maintenance of Way programs and capital investments.

This edition of On Track will delve into some of the capital projects we have recently completed or are about to begin. These projects represent exciting times for our railroad system, as they accommodate new and increased business, safety improvements and long term sustenance of current freight that feeds vital, local industry and jobs.

In a year of so much uncertainty, our company has been resolute in its dedication to the long term viability of the infrastructure, taking on more capital projects than it has in its 36 year history, as a part of the most robust annual Maintenance of Way program it has ever completed.   

Maintenance of Way Update
Moving Forward with Major Projects

In the past couple of years, we were honored to be selected to receive grants (RFAP and RTAP) from PennDOT Bureau of Rail Freight, Ports & Waterways to help us expedite major projects on four of our six railroads. These projects are capital improvements in ADDITION to all of our tie replacement, crossing rehabiliation, and other regular maintenance.

To date, two of these four major projects have been completed. The other two are expected to be completed in the coming months.

New Columbia Runaround

We take economic development very seriously and have been very actively marketing Central PA to new business for many years. In recent years, this effort has led to substantial success in attracting new rail customers. In 2017, our Union County Industrial Railroad (UCIR) welcomed two new customers, GAF and White Deer Gas.

GAF’s new plant was purchased in 2016, and the company just completed its renovations this past summer. The plant manufactures two different roofing products, utilizing automation throughout their production facilities. UCIR marketing staff first met GAF in October 2015. After many emails, phone calls, and site visits, GAF made a decision. GAF had viewed five other sites before deciding to locate in New Columbia, on the UCIR. GAF chose UCIR and this Region for this investment and the company’s future.

White Deer Gas was looking to locate their new terminal on Industrial-zoned land in Central PA in 2013. UCIR presented White Deer Gas with a site that had great highway access and was located on the railroad. It was the perfect fit! White Deer Gas bought the property presented by UCIR and began building in 2015. The site began operation in the spring of 2016 and will be taking more than 1,000 HAZMAT shipments off of Pennsylvania roads annually when it is running at full-capacity.

UCIR’s traffic has been steadily increasing year-over-year.

Additionally, UCIR will be welcoming two MORE new customers in the coming months!

With all of that said, UCIR was in need of capacity expansion in order to accommodate the needs these new businesses. The first expansion UCIR accomplished was the new construction of 1,700 feet of track in New Columbia, PA.

LVRR Rail Replacement

When Marcellus Shale exploration and development began in Central Pennsylvania, the Lycoming Valley Railroad (LVRR) was there to help. In a single year, LVRR handled and delivered 10,000 loaded railcars (equivalent of 40,000 tractor trailer loads) in addition to its regular business (approximately 8,000 loaded railcars). The fact that LVRR was capable of handling such traffic (18,000 loaded railcars in one year) without a single disruption to its regular customers is a testament to the level of service LVRR provides.

Today, LVRR’s annual traffic remains steady. However, all of the heavy traffic has taken its toll on LVRR’s rail, especially the rail located just off of the Norfolk Southern (NS) Buffalo Line; 1.37 miles of rail were in desperate need of replacement beginning at the point of LVRR’s connection to the NS Buffalo Line, in Muncy, PA. The rail was also head-free rail - making annual maintenance difficult. This portion of the Lycoming Secondary has as many as six trains traverse it on a daily basis, and every LVRR customer depends on safe delivery over this line.

We have a strong Maintenance of Way philosophy, and this rail replacement project was an example of one of the many ways we exhibit that philosophy, which places an emphasis on the value of safety of the rails for our train crews, customers, and the public.

Castanea Runaround

The customers in Castanea are located at the end of the Mill Hall Industrial branch, on our Nittany & Bald Eagle Railroad (NBER). With the current configuration, NBER crews are forced to shove railcars for nearly three miles, across two public crossings, across two private crossings, and through a US highway underpass until they are able to run around the railcars in Mill Hall.

With the construction of a new, 500 foot long, double-ended, side track, the crews will be able to position railcars for switching and minimize shoving of railcars, making for safer conditions for the crews and public.

Route 11 Transload Site

Over the years, North Shore (NSHR) has been renowned for its successful marketing efforts and ability to adapt to economic changes and customer demand. In the past five years, the railroad has grown and diversified significantly, demonstrated by: expanding its customer-base, adding new services, purchasing properties in efforts to add rail customer opportunities, etc.

In 2019, NSHR secured a six acre lot with direct rail access and direct highway access (as the property is adjacent to Route 11 and the NSHR mainline). NSHR plans to develop this ideal location to be used as a multi-purpose transload site.

Once completed, this new transload site will have:

• A 1,100 foot runaround track

• A 250 foot stub track

• A truck scale

• New pavement and entry for easy roadway access

Notes from Marketing
Beating the Bushes

Our Marketing Team is constantly “beating the bushes” for new business - this is a never ending effort, and these efforts pay off.

On UCIR, as mentioned above, we worked aggressively to help GAF locate at New Columbia, PA. They liked the location, the region, its excellent workforce, and our rail service so much that they are now building a second plant and two new, additional rail spurs next to their current plant. We welcome their expansion and look forward to continuing to serve their rail transportation need. The new track along our UCIR will support both GAF plants and clearly reflects our commitment to our customers.

On NSHR, the long term project noted above is coming together for a regional transload center along with a receiver of compressed gas on property recently purchased by NSHR for rail business development. This project will be featured in a future On Track issue.

Also on NSHR, we would like to officially welcome our newest customer, Tuscarora Grains! This new customer is now up and running (handling grains and Ag-related products). We have been working with DRIVE and the owner on Tuscarora Grains on repurposing a former grain transload facility, and we are glad to have them join our railroad family!

Speaking of DRIVE… We are not the only ones investing in track work for the sake of future business. DRIVE has been very busy with industrial development in the region, while also spearheading a $1 Million project in Danville, PA, that includes a new rail siding, grade crossings, and bridge improvements. This project (funded by a multimodal grant from DCED through the Commonwealth Financing Authority) provides rail service to the DRIVE Industrial Complex and mitigates flooding issues along Sechler’s Run. “Adding rail service to our site has made it more marketable to quality employers who will improve the economic vitality of the region,” said DRIVE Executive Director, Jennifer Wakeman.

If you are interested in doing business with us or being connected with DRIVE or Tuscarora Grains, we would be happy to help! Call us today!

Rail Safety Reminder
Stay Off, Stay Safe

Each year, we are happy to participate in Rail Safety Week. This year was no different, sharing the message of rail safety on our various social media platforms. Please help us spread this message!

Have you ever seen what a car looks like after being hit by a train? Can you imagine that impact on an individual?

Railroads are in a constant battle with trespassers. Similar to walking down the middle of a busy highway, trespassing on railroad property is dangerous... Just like an airport runway, virtually all railroad tracks are private property - even abandoned ones, or ones you assume are abandoned... A significant problem railroads are encountering these days is photography on railroad tracks, equipment, and bridges.

When rationalizing whether or not to utilize railroad property for photography, here is an analogy: Would you use a stranger’s house or yard for a photo shoot, just because they aren’t home? Obviously, the reasonable answer is NO! So, just because you can’t see a train at the moment, why would one think it’s OK to take a picture on railroad tracks? Even if the tracks are near your own backyard, it is still trespassing to be on them - similar to that fact that it would be trespassing to be in your neighbor’s yard without permission.

You will not always be able to hear trains coming, and by the time the engineer sees you, it could be too late. Trains cannot stop on a dime; it can take up to a mile to come to a complete stop.

Think you know the train’s schedule? Think again. Anytime is train time. If a customer needs a railcar, we will deliver that railcar, no matter what day or time it is.

So, when a photographer asks you to pose on railroad tracks or a railroad bridge, that photographer is making you an accomplice to a crime and putting your life (and/or the life of your family) in danger.

Please be smart. Keep yourself and your loved ones off of railroad tracks, and stay safe.

You can learn more about railroad safety and statistics from Operation Lifesaver at oli.org or visit nshr.com/staysafe.