Parking issues: Drop in freight volume leaves trains standing near state Capitol

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record March 10, 2016 0

OKLAHOMA CITY – Dozens of train engines have been stored along Interstate 235 due to a drop in commodity demand, a BNSF Railway representative confirmed Friday.

The engines are parked on two stretches of track just east of the Broadway Extension and north of NW 23rd Street. Company spokesman Joe Sloan said they’ve been pulled from elsewhere in BNSF’s 28-state network and do not necessarily represent freight declines in Oklahoma.

“Coal and grains aren’t moving as much,” Sloan said. “You’ll see a lot of grains harvested across the network, that people might be holding on to them for a while before shipping.”

“Commodities are just much lower than other things we typically ship,” he said.

Parent company Berkshire Hathaway reported at the end of February that the freight shipping company’s profits fell 9 percent in the fourth quarter compared with the previous year, primarily because of weaker intermodal carload volume. BNSF’s intermodal business – moving containers from train to other modes such as truck or ship – still outpaced its closest competitor, Union Pacific Railroad, which saw traffic decline 7 percent for the same period. Both companies experienced weak traffic in 2015 that led to job furloughs and reduced capital spending.

Although Oklahoma oil companies typically move most of their product via pipelines, trains are used more often to the northeast. As oil prices dropped about 70 percent over the last 18 months, those regions haven’t needed as much rail transport.

Sloan said the company would not reveal how many engines have been stored in Oklahoma. The trains will be reabsorbed into the system once freight volume picks up again, he said.

Makes sense that they block 10th street for about 10 minutes most mornings around 8. Very inconvenient.

Thanks, Warreng88. We've been wondering about all those engines!

Makes sense that they block 10th street for about 10 minutes most mornings around 8. Very inconvenient.

Unrelated to the stored engines... they stop because they make a crew change at the crew change building just north of OnCue - approximately 24th & Broadway.

^ Northbounds also stop for crew changes further north at 41st St where the double track ends.

^ Northbounds also stop for crew changes further north at 41st St where the double track ends.

For NB trains, I've noticed that many times if they're running hot they'll stop right at the building, make a change and go. It takes them about 5 minutes. The length of the trains means that it'll block from N 16th to N 7th, but sometimes only to 13th... It's definitely an inconvenience, but they move as quick as they can I suppose.

Regarding the Quiet Zone, I see that OKC accepted bids on March 8, 2016. Connelly Paving Company was the low bidder at $944,695.00.

I don't know if the bids were accepted though - it appears that they don't publish the engineer's estimate any more. Not sure when they stopped doing so.

In theory, it means roadway-related work will begin soon.

9th street has been closed for a bit so I presume it's related. It's certainly annoying if nothing else.

Will they be repaving 9th on either side of the tracks while this work happens?

Will they be repaving 9th on either side of the tracks while this work happens?

Not sure. I noticed that the bid documents require them to start at 9th Street, and then work on all of the other crossings at their discretion. I think the 9th Street work (whatever is going on now) is being held in order for both projects to finish concurrently.

O’Connor: Effort to create quiet zone moving forward

By: Cathy O'Connor Guest Columnist June 21, 2016

For many years there has been discussion, planning and progress toward the creation of a quiet zone along the Burlington-Northern Santa Fe rail line between NE Seventh Street and NE 16th Street in downtown Oklahoma City. In recent years the area of interest has expanded to include intersections as far north as Wilshire Boulevard and south to SE 23rd Street. The increase in commercial and residential development downtown prompted the effort, as residents and businesses struggled with the loud sound of the train horns blowing frequently while passing through the area.

Without a quiet zone in place, the Federal Railroad Administration requires train engineers to sound the warning whistles at least 15 seconds in advance of all crossings. The FRA defines a quiet zone as “a stretch of track where the FRA has agreed that trains are not required to routinely sound the horn at each public crossing except in emergencies, such as someone on the track or workers within 25 feet of the track or at the discretion of the crew, as appropriate.”

Closing some intersections and enhancing crossing signals and gates at others will make the tracks safer and will eliminate the need for the constant train whistles blowing in the area. There are several methods by which the crossings will be altered and the corridor will be sealed. Some crossings will be closed completely, some will have quad gates and some will have medians to make it impossible for cars to try to maneuver around the gates. Similar sealed corridors exist in other areas around the country.

City staff, property owners and business leaders have worked together on the project, which will cost approximately $4 million. The project will be paid for with a combination of private and public funds. Burlington Northern approved the plan in November and the city advertised for bids on the work in January. Construction should be completed by late summer. Once construction is complete, the quiet zone will have to be approved by the Federal Railroad Administration.

Implementation of the quiet zone should provide a long-awaited improvement in the quality of life along the corridor.

Cathy O’Connor is president of The Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City.

That post reminds me. I am thinking there is either a new policy or maybe just different conductors operating the regular trains through this stretch of track.

Before, the trains would maybe (and sometimes not at all) sound a double horn or single horn when approaching the Amtrak station, then not blow again until the crossings further north in AA. However, over the last 3-4 weeks the trains are doing a double horn about every 5 seconds for the entire length of the viaduct. It is incredibly annoying.

That post reminds me. I am thinking there is either a new policy or maybe just different conductors operating the regular trains through this stretch of track.

Before, the trains would maybe (and sometimes not at all) sound a double horn or single horn when approaching the Amtrak station, then not blow again until the crossings further north in AA. However, over the last 3-4 weeks the trains are doing a double horn about every 5 seconds for the entire length of the viaduct. It is incredibly annoying.

They've been doing track work, so it's likely to alert the maintenance-of-way crews that are along the viaduct. I think they moved and/or added a 3rd track...

Yes, this is to alert the MoW crews that are working on the viaduct; they're constructing a shoofly (temporary track detour, essentially) where OKC Blvd will pass under the viaduct. If my memory serves me correctly, using the horn like this is required by the Federal Railroad Administration.

Train whistle blues will be gone by January

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record November 4, 2016

OKLAHOMA CITY – Downtown Oklahoma City will be a little quieter by January thanks to upgrades at railroad crossings that will allow trains to pass without blaring horns.

Construction at about a dozen crossings just east of Broadway, worth a total of about $3.9 million, was finished in October, Public Works Director Eric Wenger said. The railway consultant for the Federal Rail Administration has since completed a site evaluation that is expected to be reviewed in about 60 days.

That will be followed by the issuance of protocols to Burlington Northern Santa Fe train operators that will give them permission to not sound their horns as they pass between NE 16th and SE 23rd streets. Engineers will still have the option to do so as safety circumstances warrant, Wenger said.

The official designation of the quiet zone has been on local business operators’ minds since it was first proposed to the City Council two years ago. The leadership of the Automobile Alley Association and the Alliance for Economic Development supported the project, noting that noise that was once acceptable in the formerly industrial area needed to be adjusted for current mixed-use business and residential developments.

Some businesses have adapted to the noise. At S&B Burger Joint on NE Ninth Street less than a block away, for example, customers are offered a deep discount on beer if they place their orders as a train passes by, manager Jamie Moss said.

At Indian Motorcycles, adjacent to the rail on NW 10th Street, Brad Butler said the train itself hasn’t bothered them – “Heck, we’re a motorcycle shop” – but the construction itself blocked the driveway and made the loading dock useless.

City officials said that once the quiet zone is in effect, they expect it will foster additional development near the track. Studies on similar zones elsewhere in the country found that sealed corridors cut down on accidents, law enforcement demands, and repairs.

Yes, meant to post that all the blockages along the tracks south of 10th have been removed.

You can now pass through at 9th, 8th, 7th, etc.

Also will be done in time for Twisted Spike to open. I've been in that building when the train whistles blow and it's ear-shattering.

Am I missing something? NW/NE 16th to 23rd doesn't even make sense.

NE 16th to SE 23rd.

The railroad line is technically on the east side, so everything south of N. 16th and north of S. 23rd.

Ah, my mistake. That is a much larger stretch than I was imagining them going with. I hope they don't blow horns @ the Santa Fe stop anymore, that is the worst for the DD and BT residents.

Ah, my mistake. That is a much larger stretch than I was imagining them going with. I hope they don't blow horns @ the Santa Fe stop anymore, that is the worst for the DD and BT residents.

Amtrak will still have to do a short blast when it departs, IIRC.

2 quick blasts as a matter of fact. From the General Code of Operating Rules, it's actually called out as 2 long blasts to signal "train release brakes and proceed".
When ever I've heard it downtown, it's been 2 quick "bleeps" and they're off.

Up in Chicago, on the Metra southwest line, The only time they sound the horns is when a moving commuter train is passing another commuter train that is stopped at a station, to warn pedestrians who may try to cross the tracks from the stopped train, or only as needed such as vehicles on the tracks, ect.

They also give quick bleeps to photographers and train watchers,

Heard a train horn in Edmond for the first time in awhile and I really forgot just how loud they used to be. Just was used to it I guess.