CCET operations

[LC&S]

CCET #2807 went East this morning with approximately 35 tank cars for storage. They are currently sitting on the siding in Batavia under state route 32.

[midland sub]

You can probably put to rest any hope of a certain potential customer getting stone from Plum Run after today's visit by the FBI to their office.

[Muleskinner]

You can probably put to rest any hope of a certain potential customer getting stone from Plum Run after today's visit by the FBI to their office.

Depending what it is, they will close for a few weeks or a month, continue operations under new ownership or management, then maybe!

That place is busy all the time. Someone else will take over. I even get crushed gravel from there from time to time.

[LC&S]

You can probably put to rest any hope of a certain potential customer getting stone from Plum Run after today's visit by the FBI to their office.

Depending what it is, they will close for a few weeks or a month, continue operations under new ownership or management, then maybe!

That place is busy all the time. Someone else will take over. I even get crushed gravel from there from time to time.

Can`t see them getting anything from Plum Run anyway. To much track to be fixed for just one customer. It wouldn`t happen even if the FBI hadn`t visited Evans today.

[heypal6878]

How do you know the FBI was there today? Why would the FBI be involved with the stone plant to begin with. That side rail up would cost more to repair than the CCET would make off of the hauling. They haven't used it in years and the side rail is in really bad shape. Wasn't in good shape a few years ago.

[LC&S]

How do you know the FBI was there today? Why would the FBI be involved with the stone plant to begin with. That side rail up would cost more to repair than the CCET would make off of the hauling. They haven't used it in years and the side rail is in really bad shape. Wasn't in good shape a few years ago.

The FBI was at Evans today, it`s all over the news

[heypal6878]

Just read! Interesting. So were they up a Plum Road as well? Looks like this Evans guy has his hands in pretty many investments. I have met him one time thought he was a jerk to put it nicely. Interesting how these guys are doing so well and they just continue to get themselves in trouble by doing something dishonest. Then maybe he didn't do it directly but for the FBI to get involved something must have hit the radar.

I don't think the CCET is hauling anything for Evans at this time? Is that correct?

[midland sub]

Correct they are not. Evans was the potential customer that wanted stone from Plum Run and possibly back haul construction debris which also allegedly ties into the FBI investigation.

[heypal6878]

From what I have been reading the past few day looks like Evans is in one hella of a pickle if he or his staff are involved in this fraud. Meanwhile looks like the CCET is about to get a few more storage tankers. Some coming up next week!

[midland sub]

I did see on one of the Facebook groups that the CCET has a caboose coming from the MM&A.

[heypal6878]

A Caboose? Now why would the CCET want a caboose? Hell right now with one engine they have enough issues just trying to get up the Batavia Hill to store empty tanker cars. That is all they need is extra weight in the back of the train. Maybe they want it to showcase down off of Broadwell Road with the passenger car they have down there. Today they headed east with a load headed to the Ag.

[midland sub]

There must be a shove move long enough they feel it's just more safe to do with a caboose. They might have originally planned on using one of the other locos with a loco on both ends but then that's a lot more dead weight to be dragging around and wear and tear on two locos.

[Railfan9]

It makes sense now that I hear this. There was a dark red caboose sitting at Norfolk Southern Sharonville yard on Sunday.

[LC&S]

A Caboose? Now why would the CCET want a caboose? Hell right now with one engine they have enough issues just trying to get up the Batavia Hill to store empty tanker cars. That is all they need is extra weight in the back of the train. Maybe they want it to showcase down off of Broadwell Road with the passenger car they have down there. Today they headed east with a load headed to the Ag.

Agreed. When I chased them last week while they were moving roughly 35 - 40 tankers East for storage, it appeared that #2807 had all it could handle moving those cars. When they crossed Olive Branch - Stonelick Road they were doing 10 MPH at most. As far as the passenger car is concerned, it is my understanding that it belongs to Chris E and is his property. I guess the other thing that one might ask is when are they going to get all the crossing signals working properly before the state comes in and starts laying fines on them. If you watch Jawtooth`s recent videos, the signals in Sardinia aren`t working at all, the ones in Macon only work about half the time and when I was at Olive Branch- Stonelick the other day, they weren`t working right. They came on long before the train got there, then they went back off before the train got there and then they came back on again. When harvest season starts in about 2 months or so, they need to have those things fixed because they are most likely going to be running much longer trains more often for several weeks in a row and those 2 guys that they have riding on the nose of the engine are gonna get sick and tired of that if it is raining all the way from Broadwell to Winchester.

[heypal6878]

YOU have a point there. The signals at Newtown road are not working properly as well. The CCET will need to every signal fixed soon as townships are going to start calling the State. When inspectors arrive they are going to give the CCET a warning and a week or less to fix the issues or no trains are going to be running on the tracks. I really surprised this hasn't already happened. Most likely because the line is not busy with two trains per week but when the season comes the signals must be working properly.

Longer trains on that track they will need another engine for sure and not a caboose. Don't see how pushing a 20 car train up the hills of Batavia is going to be effective!

[midland sub]

Alright let's reel you two back in on this grade crossing discussion. It's called Rusty Rail Conditions and is very common in the industry on lines like the Peavine with light traffic. I have several Timetables going as far back as Penn Central and each and everyone has a line that falls into the same category. Those lines are operated with the assumption that all crossings with automatic warning protection has failed. There is no violation by the railroad in these situations nor anything any of the local townships or PUCO is going to do about it other than make sure the railroad continues to do their mandated inspections of the crossing equipment. CCET is doing the required inspections of the crossing equipment. It certainly slows them down to have to approach each crossing as if the lights and gates aren't working, but there's nothing they are doing wrong.

I would ask the conductor how he feels about hanging off the side of boxcar on a shove move in the pouring rain or freezing cold before questioning the point of the caboose. Obviously there's a movement they feel more comfortable with having a caboose versus the above situation.

[LC&S]

Alright let's reel you two back in on this grade crossing discussion. It's called Rusty Rail Conditions and is very common in the industry on lines like the Peavine with light traffic. I have several Timetables going as far back as Penn Central and each and everyone has a line that falls into the same category. Those lines are operated with the assumption that all crossings with automatic warning protection has failed. There is no violation by the railroad in these situations nor anything any of the local townships or PUCO is going to do about it other than make sure the railroad continues to do their mandated inspections of the crossing equipment. CCET is doing the required inspections of the crossing equipment. It certainly slows them down to have to approach each crossing as if the lights and gates aren't working, but there's nothing they are doing wrong.

I would ask the conductor how he feels about hanging off the side of boxcar on a shove move in the pouring rain or freezing cold before questioning the point of the caboose. Obviously there's a movement they feel more comfortable with having a caboose versus the above situation.

I don`t know when you last saw the Peavine, but at the Western end of it there isn`t much rust on the rails these days. In fact at Olive-Branch Stonelick you have quite a shine and can see shiny steel. I am willing to bet if there was an accident, a good ambulance chasing lawyer would have a much different opinion than yours.
That being said, as far as hanging on the side of a boxcar in cold weather, the guys that take those conductor jobs know that is part of it going in and they don`t ride on them for 50 plus miles when they do, like the guys that are riding on the locomotive are with the CCET. I see your point but you are comparing apples to oranges my friend.

[bdconrail29]

A Caboose? Now why would the CCET want a caboose? Hell right now with one engine they have enough issues just trying to get up the Batavia Hill to store empty tanker cars. That is all they need is extra weight in the back of the train. Maybe they want it to showcase down off of Broadwell Road with the passenger car they have down there. Today they headed east with a load headed to the Ag.

Agreed. When I chased them last week while they were moving roughly 35 - 40 tankers East for storage, it appeared that #2807 had all it could handle moving those cars. When they crossed Olive Branch - Stonelick Road they were doing 10 MPH at most. As far as the passenger car is concerned, it is my understanding that it belongs to Chris E and is his property. I guess the other thing that one might ask is when are they going to get all the crossing signals working properly before the state comes in and starts laying fines on them. If you watch Jawtooth`s recent videos, the signals in Sardinia aren`t working at all, the ones in Macon only work about half the time and when I was at Olive Branch- Stonelick the other day, they weren`t working right. They came on long before the train got there, then they went back off before the train got there and then they came back on again. When harvest season starts in about 2 months or so, they need to have those things fixed because they are most likely going to be running much longer trains more often for several weeks in a row and those 2 guys that they have riding on the nose of the engine are gonna get sick and tired of that if it is raining all the way from Broadwell to Winchester.

Adding on to midland's posts, the whole point of a caboose is if there is significant back-up moving. Obviously the railroad feels there is, hence the caboose. It's really simple. That's really the only point of one.

[midland sub]

Interesting the owners of the company have made the decision to have a caboose available for safety reasons for their employees and a railfan here is smarter than they are.....?

[CSX_CO]

Interesting the owners of the company have made the decision to have a caboose available for safety reasons for their employees and a railfan here is smarter than they are.....?

Heypal back at it. I'd go in more depth but it would be like the joke regarding the airplane. Way over their heads...