CSX possibly closing 3 of 4 Atlanta yards (Marietta, Harrison: lawyer, house, buy)

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Any "core" service would be HRT or LRT and irrelevant to any discussion of layover yards. Yes, they do need them, but their dynamics are a good deal different.

Or, in addition to HRT and LRT, we could have frequent commuter rail serving corridors in the core metro of the 5 planned MARTA counties.

[jsvh]

Wow. Huge news! Will be exciting to see what follows.

[MattCW]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Hulsey isn't the only thing on that line. There are still 22 rail-served industries between Atlanta and Augusta as well as 3-4 through trains per week, primarily coal and rock. Additionally, CSX trains coming from the Athens line can use the Parkline to Kirkwood, and the line through Hulsey to get around the delays around Howell Junction to proceed south. The trains won't cease to exist, they'll just change where they finally end up.

So it looks like CSX will be resuming 1 and maybe 2 Intermodal round trips on the old Georgia road. Q125/126 Memphis-Savannah are basically confirmed, Q197/198 Atlanta-Savannah are still rumored at this point. But as the line south of Lithonia was downgraded to 25mph, we're hoping they'll bring it back up to 50mph. Though with all the trains still using the segment of track along Hulsey to Kirkwood, this won't really affect things that much.

[MattCW]

Well, I'm reviving this topic because what I though to be impossible, has happened. CSX has closed Tilford, not just the hump as I predicated a while back in this thread, but the entire yard itself. It is literally listed as "do not enter" for trains, and sure enough, it is cleared out. All operations have been moved to the nearby Howells yard. I've driven by it twice and other than a random track geometry train parked on one little spur, it's deserted.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Well, I'm reviving this topic because what I though to be impossible, has happened. CSX has closed Tilford, not just the hump as I predicated a while back in this thread, but the entire yard itself. It is literally listed as "do not enter" for trains, and sure enough, it is cleared out. All operations have been moved to the nearby Howells yard. I've driven by it twice and other than a random track geometry train parked on one little spur, it's deserted.

Ahhhhhhhh!!!! That explains why the dead spur behind us has suddenly become alive with 4am trains shaking people awake. There have been lots of complaints on our neighborhood Facebook about them. Some people even bought their homes under advice that the track was abandoned...which it supposedly was. I'll have to pass this info along.

[MattCW]

I assume you're somewhere north of Howell yard? Like Underwood Hills or Cross Creek area? That's the only trackage I can think of that would have new train movements to sort the increased traffic in the yard. Tilford officially went out of service on 12/10/17 at 12:01am. However, that track while disused, was never actually abandoned.

[fourthwarden]

I'll have to go poke my head in.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

Ahhhhhhhh!!!! That explains why the dead spur behind us has suddenly become alive with 4am trains shaking people awake. There have been lots of complaints on our neighborhood Facebook about them. Some people even bought their homes under advice that the track was abandoned...which it supposedly was. I'll have to pass this info along.

Never trust a realtor

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by MattCW

Well, I'm reviving this topic because what I though to be impossible, has happened. CSX has closed Tilford, not just the hump as I predicated a while back in this thread, but the entire yard itself. It is literally listed as "do not enter" for trains, and sure enough, it is cleared out. All operations have been moved to the nearby Howells yard. I've driven by it twice and other than a random track geometry train parked on one little spur, it's deserted.

Matt, what (if anything) does the closing of Tilford indicate about the ATL's importance in freight rail?

Is it just a matter of changing times?

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Never trust a realtor

There hasn't been a single train on that track since the power plant at Plant Atkinson changed from coal to natural gas about five years ago. The track goes only to that plant. The railroad tracks were bent. The track was essentially abandoned. Until last week.