Thoroughbred Express?

[NSyorktown]

What's with the "new" intermodal service units that Athearn just released (bottom container at this link):

http://www.athearn.com/Newsletter/041007/53_Stoughton_041007.jpg

OK, wait . . . I see the service linked off the Norfolk Southern corporate homepage.  Nevermind!

But, are these NS Thoroughbred Direct boxes running up and down the Rathole very much?  Solo on stack / pig trains?  On dedicated unit trains?  Priority runs?

Just wondering.

[E.M. Bell]

I dont recall ever seeing one of those on the CNO&TP or anywhere else...  Is it a new service?

[NSyorktown]

What's the old saying, all I know is " . . . what I read on the Internet !"(?)

http://www.ns-direct.com/

[Dieselfan]

I've seen a few pass through Danville,mostly on stack trains!

[ssw9662]

I dont recall ever seeing one of those on the CNO&TP or anywhere else...  Is it a new service?

I've been seeing Thoroughbred Direct stuff here in PA for about two and a half years and they're as common as dirt now.  Thoroughbred Direct has a large fleet of ex-Vermont Railway 53 foot trailers and some 45 foot trailers in addition to their container fleet. I've been seeing the containers for a little over a year now. I'm pretty sure most (If not all) of the containers are former NACS ones. I've seen photos of these from almost everywhere on the NS system (Not sure about the Rathole though).  The containers and trailers are mixed in with various others and if several different configurations.

Here are some photos:

http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=339529

http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=365035

http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=711941

http://ssw9662.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=365064

[NSyorktown]

Nice pics . . . . thanks!

Looking at the sites listed as "service centers" on the NS Direct website, it seems like more traffic would be seen east of the Appalachian Mountains than west.

http://www.ns-direct.com/business/serviceAreas.html

RDS

[nscnotp1]

To answer a couple of questions. Yes there have been some of those trailers on the Rathole(or CNOTP). I did see one on NS 216 on 4/16.

So yes, the CNOTP has a few of the Thoroughbred Direct containers on a couple of its trains.

[stillbre]

Those containers have been running on 204, 212, 213, and 214 for at least a year now.  I'm sure they've been on 203 and 211 as well but those trains hit the area around midnight.

[Chris7092]

I don't have much knowledge of NS' Thoroughbred Direct Service, but I do know it's a sister company to Triple Crown Services, but it handles traffic in different lanes or service levels than Triple Crown. 

Chris
K8CRQ