IAIS business train heads up

[redside20]

According to some other rr groups on the internet, there will be an IAIS business train that will travel down the CFE with IAIS power. Supposed destination is Pittsburgh and the train is scheduled to interchange with the Wheeling but the location is pending.

[Mr. Tops]

The train will consist of IAIS GP38-2 709 and two business cars; the "Abraham Lincoln" (dining car) and "Hawkeye" (platform observation). Route out of Chicago is CF&E to Upper Sandusky-W&LE to Pittsburgh. Iowa Interstate's parent company, Railroad Development Corp. is based in Pittsburgh.

[Mr. Tops]

Scheduled departure for the train is 6/29 0600ct from IHB Gibson Yard.

[bdconrail29]

Yep. Russ Lyon works for DME and he told me it will run CFE to Lima, PRR to Crestline, Big 4 to New London and then east via the WLE. I'll be keeping a big heads up for this, but it might be thru the area a bit earlier than I'll be able to make it.

[railohio]

So the crew is going on duty at 0600 Central time? That puts it yet another hour later into Ohio. My bet is that it doesn't make Lima until dinner time. Oh well, shoot the train and get some Skyline before heading home. Sounds like a great trip to me!

[Typhoon]

As of 1000, it still has not left Gibson yard. It is not sounding good for it to operate at all, either.

[MDH]

As of 1000, it still has not left Gibson yard. It is not sounding good for it to operate at all, either.

By "at all" do you mean "today" or "period" (as in it might not happen and it'll go back home without venturing east)?

[Typhoon]

As of 1000, it still has not left Gibson yard. It is not sounding good for it to operate at all, either.

By "at all" do you mean "today" or "period" (as in it might not happen and it'll go back home without venturing east)?

Unless they can get the NS to run it via the NKP to Hobart, It does not sound good to run at all.

[Mr. Tops]

supposedly it is (was) running out of blue island and did actually depart as cf&e x540 (their normal symbol for their chfw train on ihb and csx rails, but it was reported that they backed back into the yard. does anyone know what the actual problem was? i was surprised cf&e actually had a crew for it. thought that might have been what the problem was but aparently not.

[bdconrail29]

Yeah I don't think it's running today.

[Typhoon]

It is leaving Blue Island at 10:30 AM central.

[MDH]

(from Trainorders):

csxdispatcher Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> By Ivanhoe at 1225 Central.


So that's over 200 miles to Lima at max of 30mph - best possible non-stop would put 'em in Lima in 7 hours after 1:30PM Eastern or 8:30PM - in other words not real likely they'll make Lima before nightfall... (am I looking at that right?) If the Wheeling takes it right away I'd guess pretty much through Ohio under the cover of darkness?

[sd70accsxt700]

If there is brass on board as suggested by others, then it should spend the night somewhere. Not sure what this trip is for. If it is to discuss "stuff" unless they got it all done today, it should lay over somewhere. If they got it all done today, why take it all the way to Pittsburgh? The only reason is I can see is if today the talks were with RA, and tommrow the WLE, then maybe run to Brewster to pick up the "Brass" tommrow.

[midland sub]

According to That Guy on the I&O South End thread it's:

40 mph Tolleston-Fort Wayne
30 mph Fort Wayne to Lima
40 mph Lima to Crestline

Wouldn't they be able the FRA passenger speed for section of the above trackage? Obviously 49 is going to be the max. The CIncinnati Railway excursions over different parts of the I&O usually did.

The RA management riders are nothing more than a courtesy to the IAIS to get the train over the CFE. Sort of like the Chapel Hill trip from Cincy to Diann last year on the I&O, especially the Midland and CSX sections.....

[sd70accsxt700]

If 40 is the max speed, that is it, there is no waver or anything. 40 is 40. Now if there is a passenger or intermodal speed listed diffrent then yes, but I dont think there would be. Same for the I&O, only way they ran faster with a passenger train is if there were passenger train speeds listed in the TT.

[midland sub]

Thanks for the info. I wasn't sure on that aspect. We must have hit a temp. section of 40 mph trackage that weekend.....

[sd70accsxt700]

My understanding is a WLE crew is on there way to Lima to take the train.

[MDH]

Current report on TO:

From my source, the biggest GTW fan in Indiana, the IAIS Business Train Fort Wayne crew is called for 2200 Indiana time. So it will cross Ohio in the cover of darkness. We can always hope for another "Big Delay" but I doubt it will happen. We can only hope for better luck when it comes back west.

"I&O The Good Track Road"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/30/10 20:06 by RRNUT.

[railohio]

Somebody did eventually get it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23614030@N04/4751136906/

[MDH]

Nice - shame he got cloud-banged. It doesn't appear anyone knows where it is currently though...

(or nobody's posted anywhere about it)

Michael