radio station and csx in cumberland maryland.

[redside20]

Interesting 10 second clip from a local maryland radio station about csx relaying infrustructure in the yard at Cumberland. Now take this information as you like.

https://www.wcbcradio.com/?news=the-hum ... cumberland

[BnOEngr]

Reconfiguring yard lead to have slight grade to facilitate faster flat switching vs. a full hump. Not sure if they plan to do like at Walbridge where the switches are all powered and are controlled by computer based on switch lists.

[GP30M4216]

Some interesting commentary from Railway Age about CSX’s efforts to demolish the humps at Cumberland, Willard, and Hamlet.

Worth the read.

https://www.railwayage.com/freight/clas ... the-humps/

[Saturnalia]

Some interesting commentary from Railway Age about CSX’s efforts to demolish the humps at Cumberland, Willard, and Hamlet.

Worth the read.

https://www.railwayage.com/freight/clas ... the-humps/

I'd really like to see the data on daily car classification counts across the entire system. At least theoretically, the number of classifications post-PSR should be significantly lower. If it is, and thus there has been a reduction in cars to classify, then it would make sense to close the humps permanently. The number often thrown around is 800-1200 cars a day to make a hump operationally worth it.

But take Willard - lots of stuff bypasses the yard that used to go through it via smarter blocking - a key pillar of PSR that was a significant positive change from the maelstrom of changes. Therefore, the traffic there to be processed is much lower and may no longer, and probably never, justify the hump.

Another factor is that the Big Class ones are still only 25-30 years old in their present form. A lot of the major humps were misplaced in present operations. With operations now firmly established, and the coal traffic no longer printing enough money to cover the gremlins in the carload network, it was high time to re-evaluate the networks.