Canfield Joins 20/20 Foresight

Merritt Canfield has joined 20/20 Foresight Executive Search as Managing Director in the company’s Chicago headquarters. Canfield brings more than 20 years of executive search experience to her new role, including placing C-suite and executive-level positions in Fortune 500 companies, railroads, and rail equipment, finance, manufacturing and legal firms. Her specialized expertise will help to expand 20/20 Foresight’s service specialties to include a focus on the rail industry, the company said.

J. David Ingles, 1941-2020

Career rail transportation journalist J. David Ingles, who spent 47 years at Kalmbach Publishing editing Trains and Classic Trains, died Oct. 4 after a brief illness. He was 79.

CTA 7000 Series Tests Under Way

The Chicago Transit Authority’s first 7000 Series rapid transit cars have begun testing. The prototype married pair in the photo, consisting of car nos. 7005 and 7006, began EMI and brake testing on CTA’s North Side Main Line on Oct. 7.

Commentary

A Nod to King Lear

FROM THE EDITOR, OCTOBER 2020 ISSUE: I am not a fan of William Shakespeare. Frankly, I find him difficult to read, though methinketh he doth said some pretty cool stuff: “This life, which had been the tomb of his virtue and of his honour, is but a walking shadow; a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more: It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Or, “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.”

Intermodal 7-Up, Carloads 10 Down: AAR

“September 2020 was the fourth best intermodal month in history for U.S. railroads, as retailers and others restocked their inventories and prepared for the holiday season,” Association of American Railroads Senior Vice President John T. Gray noted on Oct. 7, 2020, as overall U.S. freight rail traffic volume for the month of September dipped a mere 1%, based on a healthy increase in intermodal. “Meanwhile, rail carloads, which don’t include intermodal, remained down in September compared with last year, but showed marked improvement compared to a few months ago, especially if you exclude coal. In the meantime, railroads remain focused on keeping their employees safe while delivering the goods our nation needs.”

HOLD IT!

RAILWAY AGE, OCTOBER 2020 ISSUE: Gauge-holding capability, resiliency, noise reduction, ease of installation and maintenance, low life-cycle cost, safety: Railroads rely on fasteners with these qualities to perform under heavy traffic.

PS Technology Releases Precision Train Builder™

PS Technology (PST) has released Precision Train Builder™, which the company says “is designed for analyzing derailments and improving the safety of train operations by physically accurate simulation. Precision Train Builder (PTB) was created to close the existing gaps in on-demand incident analysis and forward-looking scenario building.”

Virginia Railway Express CEO Rich Dalton: Rail Group On Air Podcast

This installment of the Rail Group On Air podcast series sponsored by the Commuter Rail Coalition features Virginia Railway Express CEO Rich Dalton, who discusses COVID-19 recovery; his U.S. Navy experience; PTC

NCRR Investment the ‘Cat’s Meow’ (or ‘For the Birds’)

Nestlé Purina Petcare Company is locating a new pet food manufacturing facility in Rockingham County, N.C., with the assistance of the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) and other partners. The facility will bring an investment of $450 million and 300 jobs to the county.

Cando Sturgeon Terminal Open For Business

Cando Rail Services has opened Phase 1 of Cando Sturgeon Terminal in Sturgeon County, Alberta, “providing additional rail capacity to Alberta’s Industrial Heartland and expanding Cando’s national network.” The new terminal, which CN services, can store up to 1,900 railcars utilizing a loop-track system.

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