RJBO????

So anyone know what the deal is with this train? I thought it was just a Haz-Mat special handling Anhydrous Amonia up to NU at BOW, NH, but looking at a recent picture on the NERAIL Photo Archive page I see it has some other mixed freight in the consist. How often does this train run and what does it really carry? Thanks!

It is, indeed the Bow Haz-Mat job. No real schedule for it other than a couple times a weeks as cars warrant. Regular cars are sometimes on it for drops and such along the way.

BTW, thank Newpylong for that! I was on here when we were gabbing, so I figured I'd pass it on

I would think most of the other traffic on the train was going up to Nashua.

If you look closely at the picture I am thinking of of RJBO with mixed freight - they are WC and CNW Hoppers for Budweiser in NH - Nashua cars. Either they were blocked like that in SEED or someone had some extra time and decided to kick those out of SEED for RJBO as well as the Anyhydrous cars. Or, they haven't had service in a week up there so the cars were hot.

newpylong wrote:If you look closely at the picture I am thinking of of RJBO with mixed freight - they are WC and CNW Hoppers for Budweiser in NH - Nashua cars. Either they were blocked like that in SEED or someone had some extra time and decided to kick those out of SEED for RJBO as well as the Anyhydrous cars. Or, they haven't had service in a week up there so the cars were hot.

Hey, if they have to run a special train for the TIH loads (Toxic Inhalation Hazards) to Bow why not include other traffic along the way too? That's good service for the customer for sure.
BTW, Jones Chemical in Merrimack also receives TIH loads, and they would also travel on RJBO.

I'm confused... what I think when I see the symbol RJBO is Rotterdam Junction to Boston. But this train doesn't go to Boston? It goes to Bow? Then shouldn't it be more like an RJCO or something similar?

cpf354 wrote:

newpylong wrote:If you look closely at the picture I am thinking of of RJBO with mixed freight - they are WC and CNW Hoppers for Budweiser in NH - Nashua cars. Either they were blocked like that in SEED or someone had some extra time and decided to kick those out of SEED for RJBO as well as the Anyhydrous cars. Or, they haven't had service in a week up there so the cars were hot.

Hey, if they have to run a special train for the TIH loads (Toxic Inhalation Hazards) to Bow why not include other traffic along the way too? That's good service for the customer for sure.
BTW, Jones Chemical in Merrimack also receives TIH loads, and they would also travel on RJBO.

RJBO handles Anhydrous Ammonia cars for the Bow Power plant (although word is, they are going to trucks because of the rail price increase) and Chroline and Sodium Hydroxide cars for Jones. The new regs are when PIH's (Poison, Inhalation Hazard) hit the property, first crew, first engine, non stop (traffic and hours of service permitting) to the final destination. The trains are not to be left on main lines awaiting crews either. Once the cars are empty (Residue), no special shipping is required.

By regs, technically, they are not to have any other cars except nessecary "spacer" cars where applicable. But Guilford seems to get creative there, that is all i will say about that.

One thing to remember here is that no new federal regulations have yet been issued. Pan Am (and some other railroads as well) are taking preemptive action in anticipation of possible/probable government action expected in the relatively near future.

The truth is that most railroads would like to see this traffic disappear anyway. Their feeling is that the potential liability in a TIH incident far outweighs the income gained from handling the cars. If not for common-carrier rules requiring them to provide service, they would have driven the TIH traffic away years ago. The pending terrorism-related government restrictions just happen to dovetail nicely with the long prevailing attitude in the railroad industry regarding this issue.

Bozo

shadyjay wrote:I'm confused... what I think when I see the symbol RJBO is Rotterdam Junction to Boston. But this train doesn't go to Boston? It goes to Bow? Then shouldn't it be more like an RJCO or something similar?

You would think! Then again the Rotterdam-East Deerfield trains had been RJED/EDRJ for a while like they should. Then, something made them change the eastbound to SEED, SElkirk-East Deerfield. They still remain that. Also, Mohawk jobs used to be numbers before going MOED/EDMO. Cool until they went to MOPO on the eastbound for PORTLAND as the destination! Finally they returned to the earlier alpha symbols for it. Your guess is as good as mine, but I seem to remember someone telling us why they do this. Just can't recall why.

shadyjay wrote:I'm confused... what I think when I see the symbol RJBO is Rotterdam Junction to Boston. But this train doesn't go to Boston? It goes to Bow? Then shouldn't it be more like an RJCO or something similar?

They are very liberal with their use of symbols. BO is used for both Bow AND Boston. There was a report that it was also used for Brattleboro a few weeks ago when a Conn River train originated there instead of Bellows Falls. So if there's a Bow to Boston train, what is it, the BOBO?

cpf354 wrote:

shadyjay wrote:I'm confused... what I think when I see the symbol RJBO is Rotterdam Junction to Boston. But this train doesn't go to Boston? It goes to Bow? Then shouldn't it be more like an RJCO or something similar?

They are very liberal with their use of symbols. BO is used for both Bow AND Boston. There was a report that it was also used for Brattleboro a few weeks ago when a Conn River train originated there instead of Bellows Falls. So if there's a Bow to Boston train, what is it, the BOBO?

They actually did have the one symbolled WAMO, joked about as Whammo, for Waterville/Mohawk westbounds all the way out. That lasted only about, oh, two to three months at least west of Deerfield. Of course, the eastbound never went to MOWA, but it would've been kind of like how the natives say "more" up here in Maine. Would have fit perfectly!

Thankfully, there is little chance that there will ever be a need for a symbol freight between Holyoke and Mohawk. That would be awkward...

They used to run SPZY. Springfield (Holyoke) to Zylonite (Adam's, MA) with stone for the Lane Blacktop company. That lasted long, lol.

As for the special handling for inhalation hazards: its fairly obvious what they are doing as I mentioned the first time the train ran. By running a "dedicated train", they have raised rates for these commodities to the point that the consignees will simply go to trucks, and the railroad won't have to bother moving the junk anymore. Guilford never pre-empts anything, so don't think they are doing it for better service.