Welcome to the KillerBee Channel. It features a lifetime accumulation of railroad pictures, slides, videos, movies and audios. I grew up in the Detroit area in the 60's and 70's, then moved to Chicago in 1981, where I have been a career railroader since. In my collection is some 16mm movie footage my grandfather shot starting in the mid 1930's. I started shooting pictures in the 1970's, flipped to slides about 1976 or so, and shot some 8mm video in the late 80's and 90's. Concentrated on just images (slides and digital) in the 2000's, then got back into video around 2018. As I have time, I post more stuff from the collection. So it will grow over time.
Some thoughts. The 100 per car per mile is a well-known stat but only a rough-rough guide. A 10 mile line moving 1000 carloads of rock a year may be far less viable that the same line moving 1000 carloads of chemicals. The daily service decision is not always car-hire related. With over 50% of the nation's traffic moving in private cars there is a good chance that car hire cost will not factor into the decision as to how often to run. Very few start-up shortlines have much of an IT worry. Software is available for shortline operators to manage their operations at very reasonable pay-as-you-use rates. There are a couple of well-known systems that are easy to set up and use. This software can be used both in the office or by remote crews and also handled most accounting functions and industry reporting.
I don't disagree with anything you say. I didn't have the time to cover all scenarios (well, I do have the time, but I would lose my audience I am afraid.) I know some short lines that structure their relationship with the partner Class Ones in such a way they almost have no IT responsibility. I am fascinated in how short lines approach costing. I knew one that seemed to have an inordinate number of locomotives. The owner told me he doesn't factor locomotive cost into his operating cost equation. HUH? They aren't free. Another CEO said that lacking a costing system, their determinant if a new large move was making money for them was whether they have more money in the bank at the end of the year then they did at the start of the year.
@@killerbee6310 You covered the scenarios extremely well. I was just adding a couple of points. The IT systems used by the vast majority of the shortlines are simple and easy to use and enable the shortlines to manage inventory, generate revenue and exchange data with the Class I roads. Of course their are exceptions. Costing is an issue that has puzzled many operators (and Class I roads) over the years. Congrats on summarizing the topic very well in a short summary.
It sounds like you could make some money by being a consultant for people wanting to start a short line. Then maybe projects like the East Terminal Railway, here on YT, will succeed more.
I always wish I could see people's business plan. As for the East Terminal, I am not sure if he is trying to make it a viable business, or if it is a passion/hobby.
@4:30... i was looking at CP Rails accessorial charges page on line... they charge $570.00/hr, "when a customer requires an additional delivery on a scheduled service day... if a new crew is required, a minimum of 8 hrs will apply"... well... looks like CP rail burned their copy of "kinder/gentler"
Not a bad rate. So if I switch a lumber facility and bring in three loads and pull three empties. Then the customer wants me to bring them three more cars on the same day instead of waiting a day. That means digging the cars out of the serving yard, taking them to the customer and returning. Let's say it takes an hour to get to the customer. So we're talking about approximately 3-4 hours of a two man crew on overtime plus the locomotive and fuel costs.
@@cdavid8139 *Not a bad rate* i guess if it's just the 570 bucks... if a new crew is needed then the lumber yard has to pay a minimum of 8 hrs X $570.00 ($4560.00)... if that's the case, i'd suggest waiting till tommorow... LOL... auto assembly plants are known for doing this as well... i've been party to a "second switch" at the now torn down GM plant in Janesville wis... we'd do just as you described, cherry pick one lone parts car out, sprint up there and spot it... we called that a "shutdown car" move... GM said for every 5 minutes their line was shutdown it cost them 50K so ANYTIME gm said jump, we didn't even ask how high, we just started jumping
@@killerbee6310 *the railroads had it down to a science first* you got that RIGHT... one of NS customer complaints about PSR was that they were getting their cars a day early... now the car/s sitting in the yard an extra day... more demurrage/storage loot in the railroads pocket
I was at Boat landing in 1975, on a trip up north, and my brother took some photos that are on my channel. So neat that the operator in Cadillac, gave you all that stuff!
I was staying for two weeks with my grandparents in Cadillac. You should have seen my parents when they came up to get me and I opened up the trunk of my grandparents car and told my folks all the garbage bags filled with stuff were coming home with me....
@@killerbee6310 They must have known how important it was to you. My parents would have said, do you really need all that junk? My cousin got a bunch of the same from BO Tower in Kalamazoo, we found a train sheet that has the freedom train on it from 1976!
I was just thinking to myself today or yesterday about your last video, wondering if/when the sequel would come out. Low and behold, I get home from work and here it is at the top of my feed. Very informative!
The successful short lines seem to find a unique niche. Moving products that class 1s don’t want to bother with. Logs, livestock, scrap metal, ect. Be willing to haul anything, no matter how minuscule. Operate between points or cities that class 1s have long forgotten and be in a position where you are viewed as an essential service by the locals. That’s how you get tax breaks, federal operating grants, ect. Would you agree?
Yes, short lines have the drive and determination and flexibility to develop local moves captive to their own line. Then all facets of the move - service, pricing, optional services, car supply, etc are all under their control. Where things can unravel is the traffic that gets interchanged. A point I was trying to make in the video is the short lines portion of the rate is miniscule. Whether the move happens or not is determined by what the connecting Class One does with their portion of the rate. It is not unusual for a short line to identify business that could convert to rail, only to have the connecting Class One set a rate too high to swing it to rail. The 45G tax credit has been a lifesaver for short lines. And there are a lot of grants out there to be had at all levels (federal, state, local). It behooves one to be familiar with them - or partner with someone who is.
@@killerbee6310so a short line might move a car 30 miles and interchange with a class one which might take it 500 miles to a market then dead head the empty car back to the short line. I see why the class one gets the bulk of the rate.
@@killerbee6310 Car supply is usually (not always) determined by the Class I roads. True there are per diem leases and other opportunities, but that is not the norm. As far as short line rates are concerned, in general it will not be miniscule. Let's say I'm bringing in fertilizer from Canada to a distributor in South Carolina. CP and NS may receive 2000 a car each and the short line receives $500. This isn't miniscule given the Class I roads are doing the vast majority of the tonnage move. And it is true Class I roads will price the move out of the market. Just normal business decisions. At the end of the day both parties need to make a profit. As far as 'lots of grants'...maybe. But there are hundreds of short lines going for those grants
The pacing scene was just fantastic complete with great locomotive sounds. Also going thru the Xing at speed just the way the snow glints in the sunlight and curls in the air. With the hot humid weather the next week I'll play this several times hoping to feel cooler lol
Thank you for posting this video taken by Jim Alain that was taken on 15 March 2004 showing the Escanaba & Lake Superior Railroad's Plow #112. The video has some great scenes of the plow in action. The trackage where Jim paced the train was in incredibly decent shape to allow the train to move at the speed that it was running. (Posted 30 July 2024 at 2358 CDT.)
Ya - notice I always let him lead? Everytime we got back in the car he was picking them off himself left and right. I think I only picked off three all trip.
Yes indeed!! It is a bit of self-satire. Kind of like calling ourselves FRN's. RN being for RailNut. Some people get a little offended but I try not to take it all too seriously.
One point you forgot for private cars. The customer has to have enough private track or leased track from the railroad. Or cars will be CP'd and charged demurrage until placed on Customer track. Unless they have changed the rules when I was a demurrage clerk back in the 1970's and 80's...
A bygone era of the UP. It sounds like these rail lines serviced the logging industry. Once logging ended on these lines so did the trains. You have documented this very well. Who knows what will happen new here. It’s a very nice area off the beaten path. I have read that current logging output (in the Keweenaw) is moved by trucks which is expensive because it’s a long trip and they only carry a cash paying load one way.
