NKP #901 Restoration Celebration

Author: Kyle Montgomery
Category: News Railroads: ,

Cincinnati Railway’s GP30, number #85, has been restored to its original as-delivered paint scheme. To celebration its return as Nickel Plate #901, a special excursion has been planned on the Lebanon, Mason, & Monroe Railroad.

Nickel Plate #901 was built by EMD back in 1962. Recently, it has been used by the CNRY for power on their dinner train, and as a backup unit in Lebanon. Restoration began in August and was made possible in part by donations from the member of the Nickel Plate Technical and Historical Society. Final preparations are currently underway in the old Mason locomotive barn, including installation of an original Mars light and number boards.

#901 will leave the Mason engine house overnight on Thursday, September 29th. The special train will depart Lebanon Friday morning. There will be a one-hour lunch layover in Mason at the Brazenhead Pub. The return trip should, weather permitting, include a photo run-by somewhere along the line. The consist is scheduled to include #901 (facing South), the open-air car, and 3 of the ex-Lackawanna coaches. For more information and for tickets, visit the LM&M’s website.

Check back later this week for photos and a brief history on NKP #901. It is currently scheduled to stay in Lebanon through October, and then resume work powering the Cincinnati Dinner Train.

CSX to Expand Columbus Intermodal Yard

Author: Kyle Montgomery
Category: News

It’s been a while, but there is quite a bit of news from this summer that needs to be recapped. First off, CSX has announced recently they would be expanding their Intermodal operation in Columbus. Known to locals as the Van Yard, the intermodal operation was acquired as part of the Conrail split. It is located directly east of Norfolk Southern’s Buckeye Yard.

Crews have already begun working on the 31-acre expansion, demolishing a number of neighboring warehouses. This area will be paved and used for the storage of containers, the footprint for the rest of the site will be redesigned, tracks realigned, and improvements will be made to increase capacity.

Additionally, CSX will be purchasing three new container cranes for the site, like the one pictured above was purchased for the North Baltimore Intermodal Yard. These cranes run completely off of electricity supplies by an attached tether cable. Overall, $59 million in improvements will be made at the site.

The Columbus expansion is needed with the construction of the new site at North Baltimore. This intermodal hub, part of the National Gateway series of improvements, recently opened Phase II of the project. Click through to read the full press release after the break.
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