NEWSLETTER
CLNA NEWS – AUGUST 2011
Editor – Kelly Bass
Quarterly Review
CLNA has had a very productive period over the past three months. On May 25, we assumed the operation of the former Nash County Railroad between Rocky Mount and Nashville. Congratulations to all who made this a smooth transition. Since we began operating the line, we have handled several unit trains, as well as regular traffic for the customers on the line. The Nash County service has been integrated into our regular operations out of Wilson.
Last February, we assumed the service over the Kings Creek line in South Carolina for Industrial Minerals. This has paid us dividends both at Kings Creek and Morehead City. In June, we handled our first borate ship since beginning operations, while we also handled an aragonite ship at the end of July. Another borate ship is arriving in late August. In addition to the Industrial Minerals traffic, we have also significantly increased the traffic for PCS at Morehead City.
On the Main Line of CLNA, we have completed a maintenance project partially funded by NCDOT. Several bridges, including the swing span at Washington, have been overhauled. We will continue working on some additional bridge projects and have a large tie program slated for the Plymouth line late this year. We have put into service two of the four ex-GTW GP9R locomotives that we purchased this Spring. A third unit is currently being readied. At its annual shortline meeting in July, Norfolk Southern presented CLNA with an award for generating more than 500 cars of new business in the prior year. We have now began handling business for two crane mat manufactures in Plymouth. We expect that within the next few months several additional new business opportunities will finally reach fruition.
Doug Golden and Norfolk Southern Representatives
On July 9, we had our fourth annual family day at the lake. About 50 employees and families or friends attended. Golf, mini-golf, swimming, and corn hole were among the various activities, in addition to lots of food and drink. Keep your calendars marked for the annual Christmas party the first Saturday in December
Employees, Friends, and Family enjoy a relaxing time eating and conversing
the game of corn hole has become very competitive at CLNA
New News-
New Engines shortly after they arrived
Carolina Coastal is always looking to try and stay ahead of the game. With this in mind and the potential of some more business, CLNA purchased 4 more GP9R’s like the CLNA 4621. All the engines were in a rebuilding program at various stages before the economy went down and work stopped for the most part. The 4621 was pretty much completed with its rebuilding when we received it and has been a solid purchase. It has only had 2 small issues, a reverser issue, and an air leaking problem that has been long resolved and has been working the line since it got here except for routine maintenance. With new business opportunities, Coastal looked into purchasing more units that were in the same program with hopes of the same success of the 4621. Those units were the 4612, 4624, 4628, and 4630. The CLNA 4628 was the first to come into the shop for inspections and such and was put to work in about a week. The CLNA 4612 was next with inspections and other small issues and was put to work 2 weeks later. The CLNA 4624 was put in the shop and got a main generator and auxiliary-generator changed out and mechanic Nathan Myers is working on rewiring an issue before he turns it out to work. He said he has had it running in the shop and seems to be good and hopes to be able to have it going into service in a couple weeks or less. The 4630 will follow in the shop last with a main generator and auxiliary-generator change also. Nathan said he hasn’t really looked over it yet, but thinks it may need the same rewiring that he is working on with the 4624. The main generator and auxiliary-generators were factored in with the purchase so those were not any additions to the total cost. CLNA also gained 3 engines included with the purchase of the Nash County line, two GP38’s and a GP40, that have been very good in service since we have been using them. The GP40 had an issue that was killing the batteries, but was quickly resolved and has had no other issues since.
2 Main Generators arrived shortly after the engines
Carolina Coastal also purchased a Jackson 6500 production tamper. This tamper should be capable of doing 6000 feet a day using lasers to lift and line the track. It is going to have a new radiator put in it and will be put to work by or before the fall. We have put a lot of investment of new ties into the track that need to get tamped up and this is more than capable to get the job done.
New tamper ready to go as soon as the radiator gets changed
Meet Our Customer-
Bridgers Farm Supply, Wendell, NC
Bridgers Farm Supply is currently our last customer before reaching Raleigh on our Wilson-Raleigh line where Cargill and an interchange with Norfolk Southern are located. Bridgers has been a family owned business since 1922 and currently run by Glen Bridgers. When they first opened, they were Bridgers Coal Co. selling coal to the local area for farm use and home heating. As with most businesses, they needed to adjust over time in order to stay in business becoming a farm supply store in 1960. Now instead of just coal, they offered chemicals, lime, feed and seed. That change has proved itself to be worth while since mostly all coal usage has disappeared over time except for a small bit of business. There used to be a wooden trestle that railcars were parked on and dumped coal into open pits below. In 1953, the wooden trestle was replaced with steel and is still in use today but for unloading lime. Bridgers, along with Carolina Coastal, has tried to locate a supplier that offers the Grade of coal they use, but it has been proven difficult to find one that uses rail and is willing to sell just a couple cars a year to a single customer. Now, a once thriving coal business by rail has slowed down to a single pit supplied by a couple trucks a year. This past year, lime has been good business with a little more than 20 railcars being received. It’s a far cry from their best of 86 cars years ago when rail business was booming, but it shows the dedication to the small customer Carolina Coastal has provided. Michael Boykin, employee with Bridgers, states that they are very pleased with our service and that we always call before we come. He explained when we call letting them know we are bringing a railcar, they can line up some extra help to unload it. Sometimes, well, most times, the lime gets stuck in the bottom of the car and you have to tap on the side with a hammer to vibrate it out. Once you get the bottom to start, the rest will usually slide right out and fall into the pit.
1953 Steel Trestle still working hard
Since Bridgers gets one or two cars at a time, it is better to coordinate with them so they can be prepared when we arrive. This allows Carolina Coastal to spot the car and wait for them to unload it and take it back with the train if time allows. Jason Black and I have personally got out on the trestle tapping on lime cars to help them when they didn’t have enough people around for one reason or another. Unloading the car and taking it back lets Bridgers know we are dedicated to serving them and it also saves on crew time and fuel by making just one trip out. Bridgers has 4 employees working 5 days and a half day on Saturday. Mr. Boykin told me that before Carolina Coastal began serving them, they would never know when they would receive a car. Now they can expect it and can depend on it showing up on time. This dedication to service has allowed them to be confident in ordering more cars and knowing they will receive them in a timely manner.
Meet Our Employees-
Danny Dalton- Track Foreman
Danny Dalton comes to us from the Chesapeake and Albemarle Railroad and Norfolk Southern where he has 30 years experience working on and around track. Danny originally was hired on with Carolina Coastal to fill a need in train service in February. Then he moved over to track in April when a couple openings placed him where he says he loves. Danny tells me he likes working with track maintenance and would like to maybe one day move up to a Supervisor or Road Master position as long as he can continue working on the track. One goal of Danny’s is to get his equipment working properly. He says it’s aggravating to be ready to work and your equipment isn’t, so he puts extra effort to resolving any issues that arise. In his off time, he enjoys spending time with his wife Deborah of 34 years and playing with his grandkids; Hannah, 7 and Lindsay, 13. They like going on adventures to Krispy Kreme and other trips that they may or may not know where they are going to end up. About once a month, Danny gets together with about 20 friends to sing and play bluegrass and some southern gospel songs. He tells me it’s a real informal affair and who ever wants to sing or play can join in at anytime. I asked Danny about some long term goals with Carolina Coastal and he said he hopes business continues to grow, to work safe and that he can send everyone home with all their fingers and toes. He plans on retiring in about 6 years and hopes that he can teach the other guys some things about track work before he goes.
Along the Rails-
Farmville, NC-
Mention Farmville to any of the train crews and somewhere in the conversation they will talk about the BBQ shack. It’s located right beside the tracks and the mouth watering smell of the smoke drifting across your nose will make you almost starve to death before you get back to Wilson. But that’s not all Farmville has to offer with having a great old town feel with a dash of new. Farmville can follow its history back to the 1760’s and then becoming incorporated in 1872. In 1901 the East Carolina Railroad had made its way to Farmville from Tarboro up north. Before the railroad’s arrival, the town was just like any other country town depending on agriculture and the farm life. With the railroad came new opportunities to grow and expand and more importantly the ability to send and receive products and people to other areas around the country. In 1907, The Norfolk Southern had brought its line through East to West and gave Farmville even more opportunities. The new found connection to the world made Farmville really explode with businesses of all sorts, from finance and commercial, to agricultural and industrial, all within one central area. They all depended on one another. The picture depicting a bank with a date of 1904 below on Main Street downtown had a general supply store next door, a furniture store across the street, a Church on the corner, a large hotel behind it, and a variety of other shops in the opposite direction all within the same block radius. All established within a 10-15 year window after the railroads came through.
Today, Farmville is diverse with keeping its heritage and moving forward to the future. There are numerous buildings in town noted with The National Register of Historic Places. They have also formed The Farmville Economic Development Council to help grow and maintain a business atmosphere within the town. The town has a Dogwood Festival each year that brings visitors and the community together to celebrate a wonderful past and a growing future. The boom in railroading is not like it was, but still serves numerous, solid customers within Farmville. Southern States Mill has done a lot of work to its tracks and Southern States Store has extended its track along with building a new, larger fertilizer storage facility to keep up with demands. Carolina Coastal also serves Morgan Chemical, Goldsboro Milling, and Pregis. We have also had a couple businesses looking to locate in Farmville, but those are only at the beginning stages and may be down the road in the future. Remembering the past while looking to the future is a good formula for both the town of Farmville and Carolina Coastal Railway.
