Letter to the Editor by John Paffrath.
So let’s talk some Common sense here.
We are like bulls in a China closet. We tore out the railroad causing the Concrete Plant to have to transship material from the Southside increasing trucking across the bay by approximately 1500 trucks and all the revenue that flowed into the CBBT.
Does anyone consider where the rubber from worn off tires in the Chesapeake Watershed goes? How about neutral buoyancy in the benthic layer killing the bay bottom. Now in the lower bay, it may not be as big a consideration because it all gets washed into the ocean and the whales and sports fishing industry must deal with the pollution. Also, the additional oil drippings and, Oh, Carbon emissions.
While we do greatness with wind turbines, we destroy other assets by the means we use to transport the materials necessary.
Per another example, most Turbines are being shipped by rail as well as the materials to manufacture them. Why?
Because according to CSX and American Trucking Magazine;
-it takes 1diesel locomotive using 1 gallon of fuel to move 500tons of material 1 mile.
-It takes one truck 7.8 gallons of fuel to move 4 tons one mile.
-Also rail corridors are wide enough to move such long loads on special cars they use.
-Then there is the fact that steel wheels don’t produce pollution and the dripping of one locomotive these days are equal to that of one truck.
And finally any pollution on the railroad easement stays on the easement and doesn’t run off into the eco structure.
Railroading has become the cleanest most environmentally balanced means of transportation and because we listen to one man’s lies on our Commission we have nearly destroyed our cleanest contribution to help clean up America and our own back yard, The Chesapeake Bay!
For more information, watch “BNSF Special Unit – Wind Turbine Blades” on YouTube:
William says
The term “We”implies all the citizens of Cape Charles or Northampton County had a say or input into the decision to stop rail traffic. That wasn’t the case. If it was profitable there would still be trains running. Owners of the tracks & the trains looked at the numbers & they didn’t make economic sense to continue so they stopped. To “worry” about pieces of truck tires falling into the Chesapeake Bay is not high on most people’s concern list. There will always be those among us who have the luxury to be fearful for the rest of us. Thanks you for being afraid so the rest of can enjoy life.
John W Paffrath says
Mr. Williams,
The term ,”We” as described by the dictionary
used by a speaker to refer to himself or herself and one or more other people considered together.
“shall we have a drink?”
2.
used in formal contexts for or by a royal person, or by a writer or editor, to refer to himself or herself.
If you feel the shoe fits then wear it.
Notices were put out in Newspapers and advertisements IAW Surface Transportation Board requirements.
It would have been and could have been if the plan wasn’t to dispose of it.Funny it still has a chance but very slim.
The owners, ANIDC, Cannoie had blinders on and refused to look at any other options, thus they allowed ESRR and BCR to operate and encouraged the degradation of the line.
It was not profitable because they didn’t want it to be.
Also big CHUNKS of tires are only a hazard to us motorcyclists but the real danger is the very fine rubber particles that wear off everyone’s tires
Fear is only for those who are fearful of being heard Thank you for speaking out.But I for one only fear God.
It is my belief that we are on this planet to manage it not destroy it and WE Suck!!
Piglet says
I like railroads as much as anyone but the reality is that the Bay Coast Railroad operated about 64 miles of line through a very lightly-populated area with fewer and fewer customers. There simply wasn’t enough traffic to pay for its own upkeep, much less profit. Its main purpose had been as a “bridge route” to Norfolk for the Pennsylvania Railroad and later Conrail, but that justification evaporated when Conrail was absorbed by Norfolk Southern and CSX and the through traffic was diverted. The Delmarva Central Railroad took over the northernmost 14.8 miles of the line to serve several customers and store cars, and since then the DCR has probably come to regret it because one of the three remaining customers went out of business shortly after the DCR took over the line and sank millions into it rehabilitation.
For the remainder of the line to be viable, it too would need many millions to make up for years of deterioration and deferred maintenance, but the traffic simply isn’t there to justify it.
John W Paffrath says
Piglet,
The fact that this rail line does pass through a very beautiful scenic setting is what makes it attractive.But we were told nobody wants to look at farmers plowing their fields,corn growing eight feet tall, biplanes crop dusting and those quaint little towns along the way. The historical stops and the Ecological balances.
The NYP&N was financed by Willaim Scott as a means to move his coal.All else was just considered later. As a young friend of NS CEO Mckinnion I was informed the Coal drags were going away completely and this would cause a domino effect on all other business. I was asked to not discuss the coal drags but to offer The Virginia Central Tourist Railroad. We were shot down do you know why?
I agree with you about the DCR especially when Accomac wants to keep their tracks open but cannot support it without the business that is available out of Northampton, which our Commision will not allow. 2600 rail cars yearly.
A bike path along the tracks would be cool
these folks and others are doing it.
We had all the equipment to maintain the line. Back then.
Also ANTDC owned the Land from the state line which they bought with taxpayers money from PRR/Conrail They leased the tracks to ESRR snd after reorganization The BCRR (which were formed in case Bayshore Concrete was needed to complete the CBBT.)
This is what you could have with hard work and imagination. Watch, “Jim Thorpe PA Rails-to-Trails” on YouTube
https://youtu.be/yQ5tTcNNoA4
CCP says
Well on the contrary my friends.I have been involved in trying to increase revenues on this line for 35yrs. One of the exec’s tried to bring 11 different companies to the shore and was hushed by his senior. Grainiers were given outrageous rates to ship their products forcing them to change to trucks in support of additional revenues at the CBBT and ERT.(see old VA Pilot issues about saving Elizabeth River Terminaks)
Our own recent survey revealed 1800 cars a year in frieght, but that’s not the whole picture.But that’s not what the Commission says.They stated they “just don’t want to deal with a railroad”.
Myself, Norfolk Southern and Jack Showalter offered to bring in a tourist railroad operation in alongside the freight 3 times,but was refused, that would increase cars over track by another 800..Not to mention the peripheral income the town of Cape Charles and outlying towns businesses would have made.
And finally DRPT has 100million budgeted yearly for interurban rail lines promoting rail service for citizens personal transportation in the state. That would be another 5-600 cars a year. The rule of thumb for a perfect railroad is 100 cars per mile per year obviously only the main lines do that not the short lines. This line still has potential for a three division line and a bicycle path but the Dahlgren group manned mostly by CBES whom some have stated to me “do not want a train on the shore” and now refuse to participate in the bike path if they don’t get their childish way. A bike path, as is with anything in this town I’ll believe it when it turns a profit. Other sources of renovation funds for the railroad are available thru the VTC and FRA.
Most people only see the surface and naturally don’t realize what is going on behind the scenes. Employees swing a hammer but don’t know the admin side and Railroad meetings have always been held in secracy.
But amidst the corruption on the shore and individuals wanting to own the harbor ,there is also those who want to own the rail yard and its intresting how they’ve gone about it instilling “fear” by running down the line and taking smack to the citizens that it is worthless as it stands.
I must say it has been an intresting ride .They win the town loses(appr1.5M a yr). And those who don’t get educated on the dirt behind the scenes miss the boat. I am impressed by these businessman and their tactics for achieving their goal. And I wish nothing but growth and prosperity for Cape Charles ( but that is both a curse and a blessing).
ANTDC bought the property from PRR /Conrail, transferred title to Canonie, took over Canonie in the end and claim Canonie to be a publicly owned company by the people of the county,if this is so would not the railyard and all the easement belong to the towns already? Also it was tax payers dollar that bought this land from PRR.So why should we have to pay for whatever parcels we want? If I were Mayor we would do an in depth legal standing study on that.”Hey Joe,what do you think?”
With that I’ll cut my losses 10M and move on ,its only business.
And to the commision remember you said it ,”I’m a poor man” Yep keep believing that.
PS. Can’t blame Dicky Foster he was a tenant the landlord oversaw the Grant’s and how money was improperly spent.
Those of you who are landlords know if the tenant is destroying your property you get rid of them, I know why Dicky was’nt replaced have a nice life.
MJM says
Wait a minute. CCP is saying that bigger money interest swayed the decisions. Here ? On the Shore ?
Huge money (CBBT) squashed big money (railroad) ?
Buy a railroad to run it down by charging above competitive rates rates for freight to eliminate income, refuse to bring in more business to increase freight availability, AND refuse to increase passenger cars to also keep that income down.
All of which makes it harder for farmers to increase profits, harder for towns to entice tourists, and harder for business who could move employees via rail.
Sad that it’s not hard to believe and sure has the ring of truth to it.
gheeeezz
CCP says
It has been our observation, The Railroad was kept open after the loss of the coal drags to support if necessary finishing the CBBT. This was when at the suggestion of NS we first offered an operating steam rail company (The Virginia Central Railroad Comp.) which Virginia does not have, hence VTC’s support. This is the last scenic line in Va that lends itself to such an operation.
The Concrete plant was given a federal subsidized project to justify its continued use until it was determined that Skanska would not get the contract (Skanska back then knew the tunnels would be bored instead of built as that was the industry trend) to complete the CBBT project.
Someone was needed to run the line and who in the end, would be the fall guy. In reality all employees and owner did exactly what they were suppose to preparing the RR property for the commissions planned community changes not including the RR.Why? (The proof was not removing a tenant who normally would have been removed) They refused to utilize this piece equipment as it was designed, coining excuses like,it fouls crossing going up the shore, it is an ugly sight (of course not properly maintained it is ugly.) we can’t get any customers (of course not, they didn’t try and ran off the ones they had)These tactics have been used all across the country to move businesses away from railroads increasing trucking and replacing them with bicycle paths. ANTDC complained that the BCR misused monies which they gave them to maintain the line, if that is so ,why did they not remove the tenant for misuse of government funds,
Lately sharing the easments has become more appealing and profitable.
Climb off this piece of turf hanging on the Delmarva peninsula and look at what other communities have done with their RR’s around the country and you will see some pretty impressive lines rebuilt from abandon lines..
I would suggest they take all that money they said they made scraping old steel and put it with matching Grant’s and work with knowledgable people to rebuild and reopen this major conduit for the Shore.
But they won’t because they admit their not RR people and refuse to let someone else do it.(EGO??) All they want is money in the county coffers to pay their salaries.,Just a few individuals not considering the public, PRETTY SMART,EH?? Well for those who make out on it, it is. The rest of us need to be told what to do because we’re not smart enough to know what’s good for us. As my Congressman friend said years ago,”that’s why you elect me to organize your life in the community”. They fail to realize we all have a dependance on each other which is what keeps the economy going, from administrators to Craftsman. Another good friend pointed out “they run to perform a duty, a duty of servitude to the people”. ANTDC was formed to run the railroad and Transportation on the shore (Star efficently runs itself) so what do they really have to do now that they’ve run the RR into the ground. Oh yea, they’ve got the CBBT commision. If they worked for me they’d all be fired.
It lends credance to the concerns that the shore is not a team player with the rest of the state yet still wants the state to give them what they want.