In the department of fun and imagination and dreaming – with a base of vision – is this exercise of reworking the freight train schedule of Vermont Rail System as if all freight traffic that could went over the rails.  All of this is based on traffic that is already moving, just waiting to be hauled by a train.  It would be quite profitable.  The catch is that it would take sizeable capital expenditures to realize this plan, and while the return on that investment would be better than that realized for road expenditures, it would not satisfy the capital markets.

The major through trains are the following:
Selkirk NY – Burlington – St. Albans (with mixed freight, autos and intermodal)
Mechanicville NY – Syracuse NY (CSX intermodal connector)
Selkirk NY – Brattleboro – St. Johnsbury – Orleans-Newport
St. Johnsbury-Groveton connection
New Haven CT – Orleans – Newport (connecting with MMA)
Selkirk NY – Florence (mostly Omya traffic for Selkirk)
Florence – Glens Falls NY (mostly Omya traffic for NY paper mills & CP)
Bellows Falls – Ticondaroga NY

In addition to switchers and locals there are bulk hauler shuttles that run all day long (maximizing car utilization) as mini unit trains (as short as just a few cars, but usually more like 10 cars).  These haul aggregate, logs, wood chips and garbage.  Cars used will be quick unloading bottom dump gondolas strengthened to haul logs so trains can be loaded in both directions and cars shuffled around from job to job.  Because car utilization is so high and the trains are moving most of the time, these shuttles can make money (when operated with a crew of one person) even if the haul and train length is short.

You will note I’ve taken the liberty (as long as we are dreaming a bit) to expand the VRS system in a few directions that make sense.  These could be services operated in cooperation with connecting railroads or outright takeovers.

The plan below assumes that main lines are operated at 40 mph (that’s the bulk of the capital expenditures) with new sidings as needed to facilitate operations and switches that are used every day equipped with time-saving radio controlled power switches.

Because of the power switches, improvements in track configurations and changes in switching procedures, time spent switching in this schedule is considerably reduced.  Some of this could be because I’m not quite as familiar with operating requirements as I might be.  Through freights will be blocked to drop set-offs off the rear with no switching, just a simple uncoupling and break test.  Yard personnel with have a new FRED (flashing rear end device) ready to stick on the new last car.  

Lowering time spent switching brings considerable improvements in productivity for all of the other cars in the through train that don’t need to wait as well.  Faster timings will allow intermodal service to be operated competitively on the Selkirk-Burlington route.

Last note: timings and everything are not guaranteed to be spot on.  I've been quietly working on this for awhile, but it does not have the rigor of a business proposal.  I've tried to make everything reasonable, but I do have a life (even if this is evidence to the contrary), so this only goes so far.

Through Freights

<font="courier">SEBD-1/BDSE-2

Carries mixed freight, oil, intermodal, LTL piggyback,  and automotive to and from St. Albans, Williston and Burlington to and from Mechanicville, Port of Albany (oil) and Selkirk.  Hotshot.  Runs 49 mph.

2 45 pm    St. Albans            9 15 am
4 00 pm    Williston                7 50 am
5 00 pm                                7 00 am
5 30 pm    Burlington            6 20 am
6 20 pm                                5 30 am
8 45 pm    Rutland                    3 05 am
10 05 pm    N Bennington        1 50 am
10 25 pm    Hoosick Jct        3 30 am
12 00 m    Mechanicville            12 00 am
12 30 am                                    11 10 p
1 15 am    Port of Albany        12 20 am
1 25 am                                    12 05 am
2 20 am    Selkirk                    12 45 am
4 00 am                                    11 15 pm
Drop and pick up LTL trailers, CSX Interchange, GE Plastic, Propane

Southbound classification:
1.    CSX Interchange
2.    Propane Empties
3.    GE Plastic
4.    Oil – Port of Albany
5.    Empty Autoracks - Norfolk Southern
6.    Mechanicville Mixed Freight – Norfolk Southern
7.    Intermodal – Norfolk Southern @ Mechanicville

Northbound classification:
1.    Williston Mixed Freight
2.    Williston Intermodal
3.    St. Albans
4.    Burlington

SYME/MESY

Handles connecting CSX intermodal (mostly for Chicago)

3 00 am    Mechanicville        11 20 pm
4 00 am    Rotterdam Jct        10 30 pm
9 00 am    Syracuse        5 30 pm

NPSE/SESJ

Handles intermodal for CSX from Newport, Orleans, St. Johnsbury, Gillman, Brattleboro; Handles perishables for Brattleboro from CSX; Handles Mixed freight from CSX
        
11 30 am    Newport
12 05 pm    Orleans
12 40 pm
2 00 pm    St. Johnsbury        
2 30 pm                5 00 am
4 30 pm    White River Jct    2 30 am
5 00 pm                2 00 am
6 00 pm    Claremont Jct        1 00 am
6 30 pm                12 30 am
8 00 pm    Brattleboro        1100 pm
8 30 pm                10 35 pm
9 30 pm    East Deerfield        9 30 pm
10 00 pm                9 00 pm
2 00 am    Mechanicville        5 00 pm
2 30 am                4 30 pm
3 00 am    Port of Albany        4 00 pm
3 30 am                3 30 pm
4 30 am    Selkirk Yard        2 30 pm

Southbound classification:
1.    Selkirk – mixed CSX interchange
2.    Port of Albany – oil
3.    Albany – empty autoracks for Norfolk Southern
4.    Mechanicville - CSX intermodal for Syracuse
5.    Mechanicville – Norfolk Southern intermodal
6.    Mechnicville – mixed Norfolk Southern interchange
7.    East Deerfield – mixed Pan-Am interchange

Northbound classification:
1.    Brattleboro – Mixed freight
2.    Brattleboro – intermodal
3.    Claremont Jct
4.    White River Jct
5.    St. Johnsbury
6.    Orleans
7.    Newport
8.    Maine Montreal & Atlantic

GRSJ/SJGR

Handles connecting traffic to and from mills at Gilman, Groveton and Berlin; interchange with SLR; switches St. Johnsbury

10 15 am    Groveton        9 30 am
11 45 am    Gilman            8 00 am
12 45 pm                7 00 am
1 30 pm    St. Johnsbury        6 15 am
2 00 pm                3 30 am

Connects with SLR Groveton switcher and Berlin turn

NPNH/NHNP

Handles connecting MMA traffic; intermodal from Newport, Orleans, St. Johnsbury to Palmer and New Haven

5 30 pm    Newport        8 00 am
6 00 pm    Orleans        7 30 am
7 00 pm                6 30 am
8 20 pm    St. Johnsbury        5 10 am
9 00 pm                4 45 am
11 00 pm    White River Jct    2 45 am
1 30 am    Brattleboro        12 15 am
2 00 am                11 45 pm
4 00 am    Palmer            9 45 pm
4 15 am                9 30 pm
5 30 am    Willimantic        8 15 pm
5 45 am                8 05 pm
6 50 am    New London        7 00 pm
7 10 am                6 30 pm
9 00 am    Cedar Hill (N.H.)    4 15 pm

Picks up from MMA connection, Newport, Orleans, St. Johnsbury, Brattleboro for:
1.    New Haven
2.    New London
3.    Willimantic
4.    Palmer
5.    Brattleboro

Picks up from for:
1.    Orleans
2.    Newport
3.    St. Johnsbury
4.    Brattleboro

FLSE/SEFL
Leaves M-Sa

Handles Omya loads to CSX and empties returning, feed grain and other mixed freight interchanged with CSX, all freight from Rutland and Bennington interchanged with CSX, NS and CP; oil from Port of Albany to Rutland; automotive to Rutland

5 00 pm    Florence        10 00 am
Pick up and set off clay slurry and freight for Middlebury
5 50 pm    Rutland        9 10 am
Pick up and set off oil,  mixed freight and automotive
6 20 pm                8 40 am
7 40 pm    N Bennington        7 20 am
Pick up and Set off oil & mixed freight
8 10 pm                6 50 am
8 30 pm    Hoosick Jct        6 30 am
10 00 pm    Mechanicville        5 00 am
Drop and pick up NS mixed freight and intermodal interchange and CSX intermodal block
10 30 pm                4 30 am
11 15 pm    Port of Albany        3 45 am
Drop and pick up oil, Exxon-Mobil tank train and NS auto interchange
                    3 15 am
12 15 am    Selkirk     Yard        2 15 am

Southbound classification:
1.    Selkirk – CSX Mixed Freight Interchange
2.    Selkirk – empty auto racks for CSX
3.    Port of Albany – oil
4.    Kenwood – empty auto racks for Norfolk Southern
5.    Mechanicville – Norfolk Southern mixed freight interchange

Northbound classification:
1.    Florence
2.    Rutland
3.    North Bennington

FLGF/GFFL

Handles Omya limestone slurry to paper mills in Fort Ann, Fort Edward and Glens Falls and Omya, grain and mixed freight for CP interchange in Whitehall

8 30 pm    Florence        9 00 am
8 55 pm    Rutland        8 35 am
9 55 pm                7 35 am
1055 pm    Whitehall        6 35 am
11 25 pm                6 05 am
11 50 pm    Fort Ann        5 40 am
12 50 am                
1 15 am    Fort Edward        5 15 am
2 15 am                4 45 am
2 35 am    Glens Falls        4 25 am

263/264

Handles logs for Ticonderoga pulp mill & Hancock Lumber; CP interchange traffic; Luzenac America talc from Smithville

1 30 am    Ticonderoga        12 15 am
Unload pulpwood cars for pulp mill
2 30 am    Whitehall        11 15 pm
Switch CP interchange
3 15 am                10 30 pm
        Hampton        10 00 pm
Switch Hancock Lumber        9 30 pm
4 10 am    Rutland        8 50 pm
5 00 am                8 00 pm
6 30 am    Smithville        6 00 pm
7 30 am switch Luzenac America    5 00 pm
8 20 am    Riverside        3 50 pm
9 00 am switch re-load center        3 00 pm
9 10 am    Bellows Falls        2 50 pm
9 30 am    Walpole        2 00 pm

FLSA/SAFL

Handles Valero oil from Montreal for Williston, Burlington, Middlebury, Rutland, Walpole NH; Omya limestone slurry via CN in Montreal; feed grain via CN

2 15 am    Saint Albans        7 15 am
3 30 am    Williston        5 50 am
Switches oil & lumber trans-load
4 10 am                4 50 am
4 30 am    Burlington        4 30 am
Switches Valero/Ultramar oil    
5 00 am                3 30 am
6 00 am    Middlebury        2 30 am
Switches Sprague Oil, Feed Commodities Intl.
7 00 am                1 30 am
8 00 am    Florence        12 30 am
                    Switches Omya
8 30 am                10 00 pm
9 00 am    Rutland        9 30 pm
Switches Sprague Oil
        


Note that switching is speeded up with automatic switches and by dropping cars straight off the rear of the train without switching (swapping Fred’s with the aid of local switch crews)

Bulk Hauler Shuttles

Operate with 1 person

SJ-1

Handles sand & Gravel from Guildhall VT; handles wood chips to Groveton & Berlin

25mph

10 45 pm    St. Johnsbury
1 15 am    Groveton
2 00 am    unload wood chips
3 00 am    Berlin
4 00 am    unload wood chips
5 00 am    Groveton
7 00 am    Guildhall
8 00 am    load sand & gravel
10 30 am    St. Johnsbury

SJ-2

Operates 40 mph

10 00 am    St. Johnsbury
12 30 pm    Bradford
1 00 pm    unload at Carroll Concrete; load logs
2 15 pm    White River Junction
2 40 pm    Lebanon
3 30 pm     load wood chips and trash
3 45 pm    White River Junction
4 15 pm    connect with
4 30 pm    Wilder
5 15 pm     load wood chips
6 45 pm    Ryegate
7 30 pm    unload wood chips @ power plant
7 45 pm    Wells River
8 45 pm     load wood chips
9 45 pm    St. Johnsbury




10 30 am    St Johnsbury
10 45 am
12 45 pm    White River Junction

SJ-3

Handles garbage for Coventry dump from Lebanon, Brattleboro, Montpelier, Williston; logs for Hartland and Brattleboro

10 45 pm    St. Johnsbury
12 45 am    Coventry
1 45am        dump garbage, load gravel
2 45 am    West Burke
3 15 am    load logs
3 45 am    Lyndonville
4 15 am    load logs
4 45 am    St. Johnsbury
5 00 am    unload gravel, make up trains
6 00 am    switch St. Johnsbury east side
8 00 am

Connects with Mountain Div Hauler

SJ-4

Handles logs for Columbia Forest Products in Newport; Wood chips for Berlin, Groveton, Ryegate

10 30 am    St Johnsbury
12 00 n    unload sand & gravel @ Carroll Concrete; load logs for Newport
12 30 pm    Lyndonville
1 30 pm     load logs for Newport
2 00 pm    West Burke
2 30 pm    load logs for Newport
3 30 pm    Newport
4 30 pm     unload logs;load wood chips for Berlin, Groveton, Ryegate
5 00 pm    Orleans
6 00 pm     load wood chips for Berlin, Groveton, Ryegate
6 30 pm    West Burke
7 30 pm     load wood chips for Berlin, Groveton, Ryegate
8 00 pm    Lyndonville
9 00 pm    load wood chips for Berlin, Groveton, Ryegate
9 30 pm    St Johnsbury

SJ-5

Handles wood chips from north of St. J to Ryegate; stone from West Danville; logs for Newport

10 45 pm    St Johnsbury
11 20 pm    Ryegate
12 20 am    unload wood chips
1 10 am    St Johnsbury
2 05 am    West Danville (on StJ & LC)
3 00 am    load stone
4 00 am    St Johnsbury
5 15 am
6 30 am    Bradford
7 30 am    unload @ Carroll concrete; load logs
8 30 am    Barnet
9 00 am    load logs
9 30 am    St Johnsbury

SJ-6

Handles garbage and wood chips from Williston, Montpelier and West Hartford

10 30 am    St Johnsbury
12 30 pm     White River Junction
2 50 pm
3 50 pm    Williston
5 00 pm    Montpelier Jct
5 30 pm
7 25 pm    West Hartford
7 55 pm    load wood chips
8 15 pm    White River Junction
10 15 pm    St Johnsbury

BR-1

Switches Luzenac America, hauls logs from points en-route to Brattleboro

11 00 pm    Brattleboro
12 00 m    Bellows Falls
2 00 am
3 00 am    Smithville
5 00 am    switch Luzenac America & other industries
5 30 am    Chester
6 00 am    load logs
6 30 am    Riverside
7 00 am    load logs
7 30 am    Putney
8 00 am    load logs
8 30 am    Brattleboro
        Unload logs at Circossimo & Allard Lumber

BR-2

Trash from points en-route to Coventry; Loads wood chips at points en-route for Ryegate, Groveton and Berlin

9 30 am    Brattleboro
11 00 am    load wood chips at Circossimo & Allard Lumber;trash @ triple-T
12 00 n    Walpole
12 30 pm    load wood chips
1 00 pm    Claremont Junction
2 00 pm    load wood chips @ Jewell Trucking
2 30 pm    Heartland
3 00 pm    load wood chips
3 15 pm    Everts
3 45 pm    load wood chips @ Circossimo lumber
4 00 pm    White River Junction
4 30 pm    connect with shuttle to St. Johnsbury;
crew takes NPSE back to Brattleboro

BR-3

Handles lumber and logs for Circossimo Lumber, aggregate for Twin State Sand & Gravel

4 30 pm    White River Junction
4 45 pm    North Heartland
5 30 pm    unload lumber at Circossimo Lumber; load aggregate
6 00 pm    West Lebanon
7 30 pm    unload at Twin State Sand & Gravel; load logs
10 30 pm    Brattleboro
Crew takes SESJ back north to White River Junction

RU-1        Handles sand & gravel from West Rutland and South Wallingford for Carrarera and Pike; Hauls logs for Rutland Plywood, Clarendon and Commonwealth Plywood in Whitehaul


FL- 1        shuttles between Florence and Middlebury and switches Middlebury
FL-2        runs to Danby VT, hauling limestone, logs, marble

Switchers

Operated by 1 person + remote control:

NRSW        North Bennington    M-F    6 40 am     
Switches Whitman Feed, Monument plastics and other customers, N Bennington-Manchester; N Bennington-Bennington; N Bennington – Williamston MA

BDSW        Burlington        Daily    600 am        split shift
Switches Exxon-Mobile; Winooski; Shelburne-Vergennes

FLSW        Florence        M-Sa    8 00 am    
Switches Omya    

SJSW        St.Johnsbury        M-F    4 30 am
Switches local traffic one way to Newport
4 30 am    St Johnsbury
6 30 am
7 00 am    Lyndonville
8 00 am    local switching
9 00 am    Orleans
10 00 am    local switching
10 35 am    Newport
Returns to St. Johnsbury with NPME

BASE        Barre            M-F    7 00 am
Switches granite & other traffic for Barre and Montpelier

NOSE        Norwood
Switches New York & Ogdensburg Railroad

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