One of the enduring symbols always connected to railroads was the caboose. Even today when a model train set is bought in a department store, it usually includes a caboose. They came in all different shapes, sizes and colors depending on the railroad and were always seen trailing the train down the tracks. Cabooses, also referred to as “hacks” in railroad terminology, normally contained a viewing cupola on the top. The main role of the caboose…
The number of carloads moved on short line and regional railroads in May 2023 was down compared to May 2022. Carloads originated decreased 0.7 percent, from 353,028 in May 2022 to 350,661 in May 2023.  Chemicals and Motor Vehicles and Equipment topped May gains with a 15.3 percent increase and 15.1 percent increase, respectively. Nonmetallic Materials led declines for the second month in a row, down 19.4 percent, followed by Metallic Ores…
One of the most frequently asked questions we receive when conducting training on railroading basics is: “Who owns the railroad tracks?” In the United States and Canada, that answer is overwhelmingly the railroads themselves. Unlike motor freight, which utilizes government-maintained roadway infrastructure, the railroads own both the rights-of-way and the tracks that their trains operate on. This represents approximately 140,000 miles of track…
The number of carloads moved on short line and regional railroads in April 2023 was up compared to April 2022. Carloads originated increased 0.9 percent, from 344,944 in April 2022 to 348,109 in April 2023.  Motor Vehicles and Equipment topped April gains with a 25.6 percent increase. Chemicals and Petroleum Products were both up 17.7 percent. Nonmetallic Materials led declines, down 17.6 percent, followed by Grain which declined 15.3…
In January of this year, Railinc welcomed our North Carolina employees back to the office two days a week. We strived to maintain a healthy work-life balance for our employees in the transition, and so far, we have seen great success. Prior to this new working model, some of our employees hadn’t even met their team members in person. We recently checked in with our employees around the company to see how they felt the hybrid work model was…
Railinc Senior Data Scientist David Humphrey provides additional insight into the status of the railcar fleet for Q1 2023. Refer to the complete Q1 2023 Umler Index for more information or scroll down to view a comprehensive graphic. The first quarter of 2023 has ended. A quick look at newly installed equipment in Umler shows a few…
The North American rail equipment fleet increased its total size during the first quarter of 2023. The total equipment count was 2,099,586, for a change of 0.4 percent. The four largest segments during the quarter were Covered Hoppers (29 percent), Tank Cars (22 percent) and Gondolas and Intermodal (10 percent). Only six car groups increased from the last quarter, led by Gondolas, up 1.0 percent. Box Cars, Intermodal and Misc. each increased…
The number of carloads moved on short line and regional railroads in March 2023 was down compared to March 2022. Carloads originated decreased 0.9 percent, from 366,725 in March 2022 to 363,458 in March 2023.  Crushed Stone, Sand and Gravel topped March gains with a 23.7 percent increase. Five other car groups increased during March, including Chemicals, which was up 16.8 percent. Pulp, Paper and Allied Products led declines, down 19.3…