Totally unscientifc questions based on anecdotal evidence...

We have a camp on the CSX line over Sand Patch, and we go camping on the Magnolia Cutoff. Based on undocumented observations, there seems to be a real difference in traffic and power betweeen these two spots on what is nominally the same railroad.
-Magnolia seems to have more trains, and virtually all of them are powered by CSX marked locomotives. Traffic seems to be much greater at night. I realize Magnolia has whatever coal trains (hate to call 'em drags, as they were being moved pretty briskly) the West End can give, but the level of traffic still seems greater than over Sand Patch. Does hot weather increase the amount of nighttime traffic?
-Sand Patch traffic is powered by such a dog's breakfast of locomotives that a stranger would not be able to indentify the railroad by the power. BNSF, UP, HLCX (and assorted other leasors), BN, Wheeling and Lake Erie, and, oh yeah, some CSX.

So, the questions:
-Why the more apparent traffic over Magnolia? Last Friday night, I swear they were running like streetcars.
-Why the difference in motive power East and West of Cumberland?

I apoligize for the lack of hard numbers; we were trackside just to watch 'em run, and we did drink a little beer....
Thnx,
Malley

I know one reason you see see alot of CSX motors in the lead is that the traffic that goes on the RF&P sub to Richmond is cab signal/train control railroad. Those locomotives have to be equiped with an LSL feature that applies the brakes if your not complying with the speed the cab signal allows. For freight trains, I have not seen anything so far but a CSX locomotive have that feature. Part of the reasoning they might be running trains mostly at night beside their Heat Orders which reduces their speed by 10 mph between 1300 and 1900, you have commuter trains running in the morning and afternoons that start out of Washington and Martinsburg. As far as the amount of traffic, west of Cumberland it branches off into the Keystone Sub and Mountain Sub so you have traffic splitting into 2 directions at Cumberland. Somebody else might have more information to share.

blip-
Agreed that Cumberland is the crotch of CSX's Y, and more traffic comes together there.
Frankly, the motive power issue is the more puzzling; after they run foreign power thru as far as Cumberland, do they turn it there? If I spent more time at Magnolia, it might give a more balanced view. Just spent the night at the cabin W of Sand Patch, and the dog's breakfast continued. Weird.
Malley

Alot of the trains run the power through and some trains get another set of locomotives with the crew change. I'm not sure how much you know about Cumberland , but they have a shop there at Cumberland they work on locomotives and fuel and sand them and a turntable to turn power if needed. But you might already know this. I'll have to pay attention more to what you observed with the foreign power. I'm not sure of the reason CSX would have to running alot of it only west of Cumberland. Mostly what I notice on the east end, are the HLCX leased locomotives mixed in the consist. I have noticed a few NS motors mixed in there lately.

There is currently a curfew account of track work between Connellsville and Cumberland....most traffic between those points is run at night.

That would be easy to believe. I was down on the CSX main E of Confluence late last week, and there were hardly any trains in the daytime.
Malley

The RF&P mains being shared with Commuter traffic, CSX would purposely run as much as possible during the off hours as there are Federal penalties for delaying passenger traffic. Not to mention the State since the commuter trains are owned by the State. As far as the Loco's go, hard to say. With this years upswing in traffic, power shortages still linger even with the delivery of the latest batch of Evo's from GE. Cumberland being a service facility will service the inbound power and I would expect send it back out ASAP on the next train. If there are more issues with lack of engines out west they'll send them back that way. Most rentals and run through foriegn power will be on regular freights filtering in from western origins.