INRD Names New Safety, Training Director

Austin Milton has been promoted by the Indiana Rail Road to director of safety and training.

In a news release, INRD said Milton will coordinate safety operations, including the development, implementation and administration of safety programs, practices, procedures and training.

He also will continue performing workplace safety audits and promoting safety accountability for employees.

Milton joined INRD in 2011 as a train operator. In 2016, he was named manager of safety and training. Before joining INRD, Milton was a manager trainee and trainmaster at CSX.

INRD Santa Train to Run This Weekend

The annual Santa Claus train of the Indiana Rail Road will run this weekend, making 12 stops in Indiana and Illinois.

Visitors will be permitted to board the train at 11 of the stops to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. At another stop Santa will instead disembark and receive visitors at a nearby community building.

In a news release, INRD said Santa and his helpers will be portrayed by volunteers of railroad workers and their families.

The event is free, and coats, hats, and gloves will be distributed to help children in need prepare for winter weather.

The INRD Santa train began in 1989 as a volunteer project. It was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and ran in modified form in 2021.

Last year visitors were not permitted aboard the train and Santa and Mrs. Claus greeted the crowd from the back of a caboose.

INRD Names Wright Vice President

The Indiana Rail Road has named Derrick Wright as vice president, operations and mechanical.

He has more than 20 years of railroading experience, including positions at CSX as a yardmaster, trainmaster, terminal manager, and terminal superintendent in Chicago.

More recently Wright has served as vice president transportation of the former Midwest Region at Genesee & Wyoming and as chief operating officer at Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District.

L&I Named Military Friendly Employer

Louisville & Indiana Railroad has been designed with a 2023 Military Friendly Employer designation by G.I. Jobs magazine and MilitaryFriendly.com.

In a news release, the short line railroad said the designation shows its commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefits for the military community.

Employers are evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey.

L&I said in a statement that it actively seeks to hire military veterans.

Marketing Pact Reached with Indiana Short Line

RSI Logistics has announced a partnership with Indiana short line operator Madison Railroad to market a new transloading facility that the carrier acquired in June.

Madison Railroad, which is operated by the City of Madion, Indiana, operates a 23-mile route that connects with CSX at North Vernon, Indiana.

In a statement, the railroad said the transloading facility will be the first in the region to provide rail service to businesses that do not now have it.

Trucks will deliver shipments between the businesses and the transloading facility.

Madison Railroad operates 14 miles of track within the 3,400-acre industrial park and thus can offer rail car storage service there.

INRD Announces Management Changes

The Indiana Rail Road said this week it has made changes in its management team.

Dan Corcoran has been promoted to director of intermodal operations. He has been with INRD since 2018 and has served as manager of business development.

Bernie Guerrettaz, currently the short line railroad’s general manager of maintenance-of-way services, has been named director of bridges and real estate. He will oversee the conveyance of property or rights to access property to control risk and liabilities, as well as the building, maintenance and repair of bridges. Guerrettaz joined INRD in 2014.

Doug Guyer has been given additional duties as supervisor of maintenance-of-way services. He joined INRD as a bridge helper in 2009 and was promoted to foreman in 2011, followed by supervisor in 2016.

INRD Appoints New Vice President

Indiana Rail Road has named Bryant McCuan as assistant vice president of engineering.

In a news release, the carrier said he will oversee track infrastructure as well as the development and implementation of capital improvement plans. McCuan will work with vice president of engineering Peter Ray.

Before coming to INRD, McCuan worked for 22 years at Canadian National in a variety  of roles including track laborer, track foreman, bridgeman and carpenter. He later was promoted to management.

L&I Acquires 5 Miles of Track in S. Indiana

An Indiana short line railroad has picked up five more miles of track.

The Louisville & Indiana has acquired the assets and operating rights of the Southern Indiana Railway, which connnects with the L&I at Speed, Indiana, near Louisville, Kentucky.

In approving the transaction, the U.S. Surface Transportation board noted that the SIND was out of service and has no current employees.

SIND also connects with CSX at Watson, Indiana, and was once part of an interurban railway known as the Louisville & Northern Electric Traction Company. The SIND shutdown in 2020.

L&I plans to use the former SIND engine house as a maintenance-of-way facility and use surrounding property to store track material.

In a news release, the L&I said it will use SIND to potentially expand service to industrial sites.

Giving it a Rolling Inspection

The crew of the New Castle Southern job was just about done for the day. They had tied down their train in New Castle, Indiana, and were wrapping up some loose ends before going off duty and going home.

But then Norfolk Southern grain train 50Q showed up headed toward Cincinnati. The NCSR crew stopped what they were doing and got into position to conduct a roll-by inspection of the 50Q.

Nothing was amiss so the NCSR crew finished their work, got in a couple of vehicles and drove off to other things until it was time to report to duty again.

New Kid on the Block

I found this freshly painted GP15-1 in a sharp livery for the New Castle Southern Railroad in its namesake city in Indiana.

It was at the head of a cut of covered cars that had been positioned on a siding next to a city street and a portable unloading device.

The NCSR began operating in September a 21-mile former Nickel Plate Road branch between New Castle and Beesons.

The short line leases the track from Norfolk Southern which earlier this year canceled the lease held by the C&NC Railroad, a.k.a., Connersville & New Castle, which had operated the branch since Dec. 22, 1997.

At Beesons the C&NC and now the NCSR make a connection with the Big Four Terminal, which operates a former New York Central (Big Four) branch to Connersville.

A portion of that former NYC route south of Connersville is now used by the White Water Valley tourist railroad to Metamora.

NCSR No. 1671 is owned by Indiana Boxcar Corporation and I was unable to determine its heritage.