I have some time off work and was going to head up to Western NC to visit some family for the weekend, I will be about 90 minutes from the Old Fort loops, I was thinking about heading out there. Do you know what if any curfews will be imposed that weekend?
If anyone has info on CSX curfews as well, that would be appreciated.
Business as usual.
With the exception of a few certain local and yard jobs, you wont see any slowdown in traffic. Christmas and New years are about the only time on the NS that things come to a halt, and even then its not a complete shut down.
If you go to the Loops, also check out Jarrets Tunnel and the ones just off the old highway that is now a walking/bike trail out of Ridgecrest.
If you're going CSX on the Clinchfield Loops, there are several good locations to see some of those tunnels...if you like tunnels.
Now I have been retired a few years. When I worked the pig trains at least where they originate did not run. Locals also were off at least some of them. Now days with so much of the freight being TOFC and COFC that might not happen. Triple Crowns did not run out of East Point. That has to do with the contractors get Holiday Pay. Main line crews in Freight service don't get Holiday pay so it cost the rails little to run them. Little more than normally that is. The towers have company trainmasters so they don't get payed Holiday pay. Leaves only the dispatchers who get anything extra. Yard crews do get holiday pay. If the yard crew goes on duty before midnight then they don't receive anything extra. Several times I was told when I went on duty that no one at DeButts would be working so we could not get into the yard. They would stop us at Summit and we would sit time about ready to law and let us down to Brown or the Main Tower.
Dispatchers don't get "holiday pay" for any holiday. The towers, at least on the CNO&TP, are still staffed with contract employees on all holidays. They however, get holiday pay.
The Main Twr. Inman, DeButts and Brosnan have company trainmasters in them. That is three I know of and dealt with. I'm a bit supprised that dispatchers not getting Holiday Pay. The so called Union Yard Masters I would guess get Holiday pay.
CSX is having a maintenance jamboree on the old Clinchfield right now. Nothing at all is running north of Bostic.
This week and next I believe.