An intermodal container walks
into a bar …
When the mass news media report on freight transportation
for a general audience, the results are often entertaining. That
was the case with “Land at a premium, railroad exploits its air
space,” a recent article in The Boston Globe about a new intermodal yard under development by CSX.
Reporter John Dyer did a good job of explaining in simple
terms how the yard will operate. What we most enjoyed,
though, were the comparisons to saloons and dry cleaning
establishments he elicited from the experts he interviewed.
In the new yard, CSX will replace the side loaders it now
uses for transferring containers from railcars to waiting trucks
with overhead cranes. The side loaders waste time shuttling
back and forth, and they get in each other’s way trying to get
to the train, said Carl Martland, a retired Massachusetts
Institute of Technology researcher. What does that mean to a
layman? “It’s bellying up to the bar, and somebody’s already
standing in front of you,” he explained.
At the current terminal, there’s no easy way to match up a truck
with the side loader carrying the container the truck has come to
pick up. The new operation will assign numbered parking spaces
alongside the cranes, matching each truck with the right container—a process CSX executive Maurice O’Connell likened to
“going to the dry cleaner and getting your clothes.”
Time to start “working on
the railroad”?
Looking for a job? The latest data says you might want to try
working on—or with—a railroad.
About 67,000 rail employees, accounting for 30 percent of
the industry’s work force, will be eligible for retirement over
the next five years, according to data from the Railroad
Retirement Board. On top of that, the Association of
American Railroads (AAR) is reporting that the industry has
stepped up hiring in response to rising traffic volumes.
According to Department of Commerce data cited by the
AAR, the average full-time U.S. rail employee in 2009 earned
$81,563 in wages and $25,522 in benefits, for a total average
annual compensation of $107,085. By comparison, the average
full-time employee in all industries earned $51,888 in wages
and $12,665 in benefits.
AAR spokeswoman Holly Arthur said the group does not
have a breakdown of what positions will likely be in greatest
demand due to impending retirements. However, she said the
industry seems to be actively recruiting more for on-board
engineers and conductors than for other types of positions
such as administrative or IT.
inbound
Music to ship freight by, Part 2
There’s something inherently musical about
trains. The clacking of wheels on steel rails, the
hiss of steam engines, and the sound of a locomotive’s horn fading into the distance have inspired
songwriters since the earliest days of rail freight.
That fascination hasn’t diminished, apparently.
Modern-day troubadours still find inspiration—
dare we say romance?—in the railroads we rely on
to move intermodal containers, boxcars, tank
cars, and the like.
Here are just a few examples:
▪ Elizabeth Cotten’s “Freight Train” is a classic of
20th century folk music. The self-taught composer,
who played the guitar upside-down, wrote the song
at the age of 12. (For her remarkable story, see
“Remembering Elizabeth Cotten” at www.eclecti-
ca.org/v1n1/nonfiction/demerlee.html.)
▪ “Texas Eagle,” by Steve Earle (“Nowadays they
don’t make no trains, just piggyback freighters
and them Amtrak thangs”), is a sassy commentary
on modernization.
▪ The majestic “Canadian Railroad Trilogy,” by
Gordon Lightfoot (“Bringin’ the goods to a
young, growin’ land”), describes the monumental
task of building the first railroad across Canada’s
wilderness.
▪ Bruce “U. Utah” Phillips, a folk singer known
for his portrayals of working class hardships,
wrote “Daddy, What’s a Freight Train?” about the
passing of railroads from modern life (“But I
remember how we memorized the names on railroad cars”).
▪ Charley Pride’s “The Spell of the Freight Train”
celebrates the life of the wanderer (“The spell of
the freight train is stronger than wine”).
There’s even a rock group called Entrain, and
another simply named Train. And if you’re really
into this, just Google “railroad songs and ballads.”
You’ll find numerous collections of rail-themed
songs, both traditional and modern, for sale.
