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CSAO Conrail Shared Assets Operations In Color by Arthur Erdman Morning Sun Book
CSAO Conrail Shared Assets Operations In Color by Arthur J Erdman Morning Sun Books
Hard Cover Reflection from the lights on some photos
128 pages
Copyright 2016
CONTENTS
Introduction3
The Predecessor Railroads4
Operations East - North Jersey16
Passaic And Harsimus Line (P&Hl)16
National Docks Branch (Natb)18
Staten Island Railroad (Nosl)41
Garden State Secondary (Gsts)42
Amboy Secondary (Ambs)57
Southern Secondary (Sous)62
Northern Branch (Nrtb)64
Lehigh Line (Lehl) & Connectiing Tracks68
Port Reading Secondary (Mans)76
Morrisville Line (Morl)83
Operations East - South Jersey And Philadelphia . 86
Delair Branch (Delb)86
Beesleys Point Secondary (Bees)95
Vineland Secondary (Vins)95
Penns Grove Secondary (Pens)96
Operations West - Detroit104
Sterling Secondary (Stes)104
North Yard Branch (Norb)106
Detroit Line (Detl)108
Michigan Line (Micl)114
Lincoln Secondary (Lins)119
Csao Connections120
INTRODUCTION
The year 1972 was an historically dismal year for the railroads serving the Northeastern United States. By the end of June, Hurricane Agnes departed the northeast for Canada and left in its wake flooding and destruction on the area railroads. Earlier in the late 1960s, railroads had already begun to fail because of bankruptcy and Hurricane Agnes completed the process. The list of bankrupt railroads was alarming: Penn Central Transportation, Erie Lackawanna, Lehigh Valley, Reading Company, Central Railroad of New Jersey, Lehigh and Hudson River, Ann Arbor Railroad plus a number of short line and subsidiary roads owned by the bigger roads. Something had to be done before a total collapse of the Northeastern railroad structure seriously affected the nation's economy.
An alarmed U. S. Congress took action. In late 1973, a Congressional sub-committee studied the issue and eventually passed the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1974 (3R Act). This legislation provided interim funding for the bankrupt railroads and ultimately the formation of the Consolidated Rail Corporation (Conrail). The United States Railway Association (USRA) was established to prepare a Final System Plan (FSP) that would decide what trackage would be included in Conrail and what lines would be abandoned or sold due to light traffic or duplication.
When the Final System Plan was completed and delivered to Congress, the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Act of 1976 (4R Act) was passed and Conrail opened for business on April 1, 1976.
This first step in the rescue of the nations' railroads was of great importance, but it soon became apparent that more needed to be done. Competition by trucking companies and airlines placed the railroads at an unfair disadvantage in the transportation industry. This plus suffocating regulations by the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) resulted in the Staggers Rail Act of 1980. This important legislation eliminated many restrictions on the railroads as far as establishing rates and attracting new business. Railroads could now establish their own rates and also enter into contracts with shippers without ICC interference.
Another item had to be addressed. Conrail operated extensive suburban commuter service in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other northeast metropolitan areas. These services still operated at a loss despite the fact that the states paid Conrail a hefty subsidy. In addition, operation of the commuter service distracted Conrail from its major task of rebuilding the Northeast's freight service network.
The Northeast Rail Services Act of 1981 (NERSA) was passed by Congress that year and Conrail was relieved of operating the suburban commuter lines in 1983. Most states established their own commuter operating authorities such as NJ Transit, Metro-North, and SEPTA while Amtrak Commuter Services was established to take over any commuter service that other states wished to have it operate. Finally, Conrail was strictly a for-profit freight railroad.
On its way to becoming a dynamic, profitable railroad in March 1987, Conrail went "public" with an Initial Public Offering (IPO) of common stock. As the profits began to flow in, so did the eyes of competitors and the streamlined Conrail became an attractive target for outside forces. Both neighboring eastern roads CSX and Norfolk Southern competed for the option to purchase all of Conrail, but in a last minute compromise decided to split Conrail into two pieces: essentially the north or former "New York Central" side for CSX, with the south or former "Pennsylvania Railroad" side, going to NS. Included in one capacity or another were the other predecessor railroads such as Erie Lackawanna, Lehigh Valley, Reading, PRSL and Central Railroad of New Jersey.
Once purchase was completed, an issue arose as to how to fairly serve three congested terminal regions: northern New Jersey, southern New Jersey/Philadelphia, and Detroit. Shippers were concerned one dominant railroad serving these important markets could dictate freight rates and eliminate competition. The solution was to establish a neutral terminal and switching railroad equally open to both CSX and NS. The new railroad, known as Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO), would deliver freight cars to the shippers without preference increasing competition and allowing run-through trains of both parents access to all terminal areas.
Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO), opened in June 1999. Its classification yards make up and break up trains for the parents' systems, its local trains deliver cars to customers, and its main lines handle through trains for both parent railroads to and from the terminals and connecting points. Both parent companies of CSAO (CSX and NS) were extensive coal haulers. Since the start of the 21st Century, market forces and environmental pressure have led electric power generating companies and other industries to cease using coal for fuel, a disruptive effect for both. As they start to deal with the loss of this historic traffic, new business opportunities will arise which will make CSAO an even stronger part of the parent railroads' traffic portfolio.
Let's take a quick look at CSAO's historic past and then its current operations for the 40th Anniversary of Conrail in 2016.
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