An interesting article, to say the least. My favorite paragraph is the last one. Too bad I'm not younger, I'd sign on.
http://host.madison.com/wsj/ne...35-b827891b9280.html
George (G3)
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Unless you are re-crewing at the crossing, I can't think of any justification for blocking crossings because of the hog law. This is just lousy planning.
Curt
I am not quite sure what the "work" laws are that stop the train so it blocks the road to traffic. In my mind, that should now happen.
Plan for it and break the train at the crossing, w/ cars on either side but the roadway clear. I am completely ignorant regarding operations of real trains, but common sense still serves human beings quite well these days, when they take the time to use it.
As for the iced rivers drying up barge shipping and moving the burden to trains, weather is always an factor that while it may be predicted, it will never be controlled. Man may _itch about it, but he has to learn to work around it. Kind of like the road crews crying due to lack of salt for the roads. Things happen at times, we cannot exercise control 100% of the time in most cases.
Just my thought, I am sure there are smarter out there that will enlighten me.
Greg
Wisconsin sand is some of the hardest around, just right for pumping into the ground for fracking and extracting oil.
The railroads are making very good return on investment hauling sand, possibly better than that of the oil itself without the headaches and publicity of the oil trains. Not many notice when a hopper full of sand derails! No matter what happens with the oil, (pipeline or train), the sand trains are a big business for the railroads!
Dan
