THE MEMPHIS BUFF
VOLUME 36, ISSUE 11
NATIONAL RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
“High Speed“ Rail to Little Rock.?? Grenada Railway Information 2010 Dues Notice Editor Needed
November 2009
Memphis Chapter Officers President – David Chase
Hapchase@aol.com
Vice President – Bruce Smedley National Director – Bill Strong
williambstrong@bellsouth.net
Secretary – Treasurer – Thomas Doherty
TRDoherty@aol.com
Librarian – Mike Pendergrass Publication Editor – Tom Parker
tscottparker@gmail.com
This Month's Meeting Novembers meeting will be a presentation by Philip Steward. Mr. Steward began his railroad career with the Frisco railroad as an telegrapher/operator and worked his way up through the ranks to hes present position os Trainmaster with the BNSF. He will talk about his experiences with the “Frisco” and railroad safety.
Grenada Railway Information
Grenada Railway Web Site
INIT/NBR
BUILDER/MODEL
TRAINS Grenada/Memphis Turn N/B Mon/Wed/Fri, list approx. 8:00AM, S/B Tues/Thur Approx. 10:00 PM. (Note that despite schedule, train was photographed arriving Memphis on Sunday) Grenada/Canton Turn: Schedule unknown Radio Frequencies Channel 14 (160.320) and Channel 93 (161.505) ROSTER PREVIOUS NUMBERS CP 8793
BUILT/REBUILT
GRYR 1828 ALCO(MLW) RS18
OCRR 1828 CP 1828
1958/1985
GRYR 1865 ALCO(MLW) RS18
OCRR 1865 CP 8743
GRYR 4066 GE B30-7A (B)
VS 4066
BW 4066
UP 4066
1983
GRYR 242 GE B30-7A
VS 242
UP 242
MP 4842
1982
1057/1989
Cover Photo:A Grenada Railway train rounds the curve of the Grenada Wye as it makes a delivery to the CN at Memphis' Harrison Yard on a Sunday afternoon in October 2009. Tom Parker Photo
“High Speed” Rail to Little Rock? By: Tom Parker
In an article in the July 9,2009, Commercial Appeal announced that the Arkansas Highway Commission agreed to seek funding for a possible high speed rail between Texarkana and Little Rock and between Little Rock and Memphis. The segment between Little Rock and Texarkana is already designated as a part of the South Central High-Speed Rail Corridor and the FRA will be conducting a survey to “consider extending high-speed rail service from Little Rock to Memphis” according to the article.
The South Central High-Speed Rail Corridor. (FRA Map)
Highway Department spokesman Randy Ort was reported as saying that high speed rail between Memphis and Little Rock would require building new tracks since sections of the rail between the two cities had been removed, referring to the former Rock Island Line. When the Rock Island was li-
quidated in 1980, the line between Memphis and Brinkley was acquired by the Cotton Belt Railroad, a subsidiary of the Southern Pacific which subsequently merged with the Union Pacific. Approximately sixty miles of line from Brinkley to Little Rock was abandoned. The portion of the line within the Little Rock city limits is operated by the Arkansas Midland Railroad.
Red line indicates abandoned RI track west of Brinkley. To the right is the former RI line to Memphis which was acquired by the SSW. Line from top to bottom is SSW mainline from St Louis. The SSW had trackage rights of the RI to Memphis. SSW lines are now part of the UP (Google Map)
In a post on the Blog “Trains for America” on July 12, 2009, Pat Lynch, blog founder and writer for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, wrote that he spoke with Ort and that Ort said that he was “seriously misunderstood”. Lynch goes on to say that the Highway Department is looking only at the UP line via Bald Knob. It should
be noted that it is less than twenty miles farther via the UP route versus the former RI. The federal Railway Administration defines three different levels of High Speed Rail: HSR-Express: Frequent, express service between major population centers 200-600 miles apart with top speed of at least 150 MPH on completely grade separated, dedicated rights-of-way. HSR-Regional: Relatively frequent service between major and moderate population centers 100-500 miles apart with top speeds 110-150 MPH, grade separated with dedicated and shared track with positive train control. Emerging HSR: Developing corridors of 100-500 miles, with strong potential for future HSR Regional and/or Express service, speeds up 90-100 MPH on primarily shared track with eventual positive train control, advanced grade crossing protection or grade separation. By definition, service between Memphis and Little Rock would be categorized as Emerging High Speed Rail. Aside from Acela Service on the Northeast Corridor, the only designated high speed corridor in the US is the “Key-
stone Corridor” a 349 mile line between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, PA. The tracks from Pittsburgh to Harrisburg is former Conrail trackage now owned by the Norfolk Southern. The tracks between Harrisburg and Philadelphia are electrified and owned by Amtrak. On this portion of the corridor, AEM -7AC locomotives are used and speed of 110 MPH are authorized. Express trains make the 105 mile trip between the two cities in 90 minutes averaging approximately 70 miles per hour. While there are probably more differences than similarities between the two lines, it is possibly the only comparison available. Using this benchmark, the 149 mile trip between Memphis and Little Rock via Bald Knob will take 2 hours and 7 minutes. By comparison,
over fifty years ago, it took the Rock Island only 23 minutes longer to make the trip.
2010 Dues Notice T h o m a s D o h e rt y re p o rt e d at t h e Octo b e r m e eti n g t h at t h e 20 1 0 d u e s n o ti c e s h a d bee n m ailed o ut by N ati o n a l He a d q u a rt er s a n d t h e t h e d u e s ar e p a y a b l e to h i m . He i n t u r n w i ll re m i t t h e n a ti o n a l d u e s.
Rock Island Schedule from 1959. Memphis to Little Rock in 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Whether there is potentially enough traffic to justify “high speed” rail between Memphis and Little Rock is questionable, especially since travel by automobile is at least as fast as any proposal that might be made.
T h e 20 1 0 d u e s ar e $ 36.00 for N ati o n a l a n d $ 1 5.00 for t h e l o c a l c h a p t er, a total of $5 1.00. Ad diti o n a lly, m e m ber w h o wis h a h ard copy of t h e “ B u ff ” s h o u l d a d d a n o t h e r $ 1 2.00, total $6 3.00.
EDITOR NEEDED I appreciate the opportunity of serving as editor of the Memphis Buff, but after over two years as editor, I have decided that it is time for someone else to take over. When I signed on as editor it was as “Temporary”Editor. I have enjoyed the job, but have found it to be increasingly burdensome and difficult to put together each month. I will resign effective with publication of the December 2009 issue.
RI RDC 9002 Was used by the Rock Island between Memphis and Little Rock (and beyond) MSTS model by Tom Parker
CABOOSE
Illinois Central Office Car 7, Monticello Railroad Museum, Monticello, IL. Tom Parker Photo Meeting Schedule November 9, 2009 December 14, 2009 Meetings are the 2nd Monday of each month in the White Station Branch Library from 7-9 pm. 5094 Poplar Avenue Memphis, TN (in front of Clark Tower)
Contact the Editor Tom Parker 3012 Wood Thrush Drive Memphis, TN 38134 tscottparker@gmail.com
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