(Reprinted from Greene County Daily World Monday, August 26, 2011)
Submitted by Chris Dees
Indiana Rail Road Company (IRRC) will announce a major capital investment at a groundbreaking ceremony today in Jasonville. IRRC President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas G. Hoback, along with state and Greene County officials, will participate in the 11 a.m. ceremony at IRRC’s Hiawatha Yard near Jasonville. Hiawatha Yard is the operational heart of the 500-mile Indiana Rail Road system, which is headquartered in Indianapolis and provides nearly 200 jobs in central and southwest Indiana, and east-central Illinois. The event will announce a $65 million, five-year investment plan IRRC is undertaking to prepare for growth in its rail traffic over the next five years. IRRC’s current traffic levels take the equivalent of 800,000 truckloads of freight off highways each year.
The planned improvements will include construction of a new locomotive maintenance shop, a parts warehouse, a two-story yard office and storage warehouse. In addition, about 4,000 feet of new track will be laid in the yard. To accommodate IRRC’s expansion plans, a permanent closure of about 775 feet of Queen Four Road (CR. 800N) was granted by the county commissioners. INRD currently has about 5,000 feet of usable track between Shanklin Street and Queen Four Road (CR 800). Closing the crossing at Queen Four Road will allow the railroad to expand its holding capacity and be able to handle the large, modern 140-car coal trains that can exceed 8,000 to 9,000 feet in length.
Hoback told the Greene County Daily World that the major reason for the planned expansion at the Jasonville yard is a contract his company has with Peabody Coal Company’s new Bear Run Mine near Dugger, which is the largest surface coal mine east of the Mississippi River. The mine is about 12 miles from the Hiawatha Yard and Hoback expects his company to grow 50 percent in the next five years with commitments to be hauling about 70 percent of the coal mined at Bear Creek. IRRC will spend $17.5 million to build a new five-mile rail spur into the coal mine.
The yard is also located just south of the planned Landree Mine and in close proximity to two other contracted mines, Sunrise Mine near Carlisle and a Vectren Energy Mine near Oaktown.
IRRC spokesman Chris Rund pointed out expanding the Jasonville facility is critical to the rail company.
“It’s the hub of the wheel and will allow the company to modernize its facility and grow the number of local employees,” he said.
Hello again Chapter Members. Well we start October on a sad note just as we did September! Former Member Jim Findley passed away earlier this month after a long illness. Jim was only 48 years young! In fact, I am 9 days older than Jim was. I met Jim in grade school at the 4-H Camp in Dawson Springs KY many years ago. We became friends when we learned through “round table discussion’s” at camp that we both liked trains. Jim and I were “in touch” off and on through the years. It is so sad that such a talented individual passed so young. In hind sight, Jim accomplished more than most will do in a long lifetime. Just as with Dennis’ passing, we never realize what we have in a friend until it is much too late!
Well, October has been a very good month otherwise. The Annual and much anticipated Picnic at Crofton KY was held on October 8th and it was a blast. I attended this year as it has been three years since my last visit to Crofton. As Steve Miller reports, attendance was low but the weather was perfect and CSX was very cooperative in sending trains our way.
Also in October, three members (Thomas, Wally & Myself) and one guest, Phil Randall aka Nortonville Phil, made a trip to Southern Illinois for some rail fanning. On Thursday October 13th, Phil and I left his house in Nortonville at 4:30 AM and headed West through Paducah and then to Ware Illinois. Wally and Thomas met up with us later in Gorham Illinois where we were greeted with overcast skies and damp surroundings. The objective of course was to see trains on the ex-Missouri Pacific line along the Mississippi River. The River Line as it is called. We were treated to about 15 trains total for a fun day of railroading that ended with sunny skies and a good breeze.
The October Meeting will see the first of two calls for nominations for Chapter Officers. The elections are to be held the following month. If you want to run for office, stand up and be heard. If you know of someone you would like to see in office, nominate them. This is YOUR CHAPTER, you can make a difference only if you take action!
At the young age of 48, Jim Findley lost his battle with cancer this month. Also please remember Tony Clark’s family. His wife Mary, passed away Friday, October 21.
Editorial by Bill Thomas
Some say if you have three good friends in your life, you’re a lucky man. I must say that my luck has been abundant. When my family and I moved to Madisonville just a bit over eight years ago, we went through the normal new-in-town steps of finding a physician, dentist, hair dresser, barber, and other necessary people for living. I make friends pretty quickly, guess it comes with the territory of ministry. Not long after our arrival, someone at church told me, “You need to meet Don Clayton and that bunch of guys in the train club.” You see, I included my fascination of trains in my bio that went out to my church – why not?
That was the beginning of what is still a wonderful relationship I have with those of you in our chapter. Outside the chapter meetings we gathered at the Clayton home and while Wally smoked up the basement with lamp oil, several of us sat around the table, on the fireplace hearth, and floor to ramble about railroading, women, taxes, and several other topics. Dennis Carnal was always in the seat on the north side of the room or at least it seemed that way. With his bowl of peanut M&Ms he’d munch away, sharing his colorful treats with me and Liam, who was then only 4 or 5.
Liam is now 12! He and I were both fortunate enough to see Dennis at our house the Saturday before he passed. He had a way of popping in and carrying on a conversation with you while you continued to whatever odd job you may be in the middle of. This was the case on that Saturday afternoon. I’m in the pool (74 degree water) painting the deck and Dennis is sitting at the patio table. We talked about everything under the sun.
That was the beauty of my friendship with Dennis. We could talk about anything, while doing anything, and enjoy it. Dennis could appear a little rough around the edges at times, but he had a soft spot for my kids. A few Christmases ago he dropped by with a nice stuffed Santa for them and even that Saturday around the pool, he gave Joe a dollar because the cheap-o tooth fairy only left him a quarter the night before.
I admired the way he cared for his mother in her last days. I was privileged to officiate the grave-side burial service for her. I know Dennis had a love for his dogs. Not so much for cats, but deep down I think he took to mine ok.
As Ricky as already stated in his column, Dennis had a remarkable gift for recalling railroad information, especially when it came to locomotives on the L&N.
He always told me I wasn’t a normal minister and I usually questioned him about that statement. As I grew to know and love Dennis as a friend, I guess I figured I kind of knew what he meant in a positive way. I look forward to seeing him again some day and if your theology allows you to believe that, I’m glad. Feel free to join us!
If I can find a free Thursday evening in the near future, I’d like to have Dennis’ friends over to the back yard just to give the Old Goat a roast in memoriam. I’ll be in touch. I think it would do us all good.
