Executives to the VERY Bottom - CSX Office Car Train

[@gadgetclerk1267]

I'm glad you had a good and happy day with the executive train.

[@kotabeaner]

Was quite the interesting one, that’s for sure.

[@NorthernOhioRailroadAction]

Fantastic Video! Really enjoyed it keep up the great work looking forward to seeing your next video soon thanks again and have a great day

[@kotabeaner]

Thank You! You have a good one yourself.👊🏼

[@NorthernOhioRailroadAction]

@@kotabeaner your welcome

[@gravelydon7072]

I would love to see the OCS try to make it to the very southernmost point on CSX. It would mean that the Homestead Subdivision was being brought back to life. And it would have meant that CSX would have had to put in a couple of month's work to clear and rehab the line. And yes, I have been to the end of the Homestead line as a GCRM, Seaboard System qualified, crew member.

[@kotabeaner]

That’s a really neat history! That would certainly be a feat, if that scenario ever came to fruition. The Office Car Train has technically already gone to the “bottom” on its last two visits here, when it went down to Miami, but they always used the balloon track down there to spin and I doubt the Homestead Sub was ever involved.

[@gravelydon7072]

@@kotabeaner Even on the balloon track they still are miles short of even the current end of track. And they could always turn on the Sterling Wye. Current end of track is SW 137th Ave, just South of the switch to GCRM. And that is 15 miles North of Homestead. At one time or another I have ridden over all the track from Hialeah to Homestead except the line from Stering out to Krome Ave that is still in use. But not much longer I fear. When the rock pit closes, that will seal the doom of the Homestead Branch all the way back to MIA.

[@jasonpetersrailadventures]

Another cool video

[@TwoRibbonRailvideos]

Quite the interesting move they ran. Perhaps this could've been in relation to the rumored return of the dedicated juice train, but hey, probably just another wild theory.

[@kotabeaner]

Three weeks later….wassup. Coincidence that the intermodals starting carrying juice a few weeks after? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Could’ve just been another tour with champagne on the private jet for all we know.

[@208Railfanning]

Nice catch, Dakota! I appreciate the work you put into the videos you make. Great chase of the business train!

[@kotabeaner]

Thank you very much! I’m glad that it’s noticed. I find myself spending longer on these nowadays than I’d particularly like to, so I greatly appreciate that.

[@blanetrain9584]

There is a wye in Sarasota on the Seminole Gulf but during the time of recording they were running that line five days a week and using two crews as they had yet to get the Peace River Bridge open (something that's only happened recently). Even if they could access it, it's a long journey at 10mph or less and even then I'm not sure if one of the tail tracks is long enough because of the trail expansion in Sarasota. That aside, I'm surprised CSX hasn't tried to spin off this part of the line in recent years given how Tropicana traffic isn't what it used to be (maybe they're evaluating its future as part of the network). If CSX didn't want to keep the line all the way to Bradenton, I'm sure Seminole Gulf would be interested in assuming control as it would give them more traffic than they currently get on their small portion

[@kotabeaner]

Yeah, I don’t believe CSX has access to any of Seminole Gulf’s rails besides the interchanges. Besides, I can practically guarantee you that there’s no way that they’d run that train, of all trains, down that rickety track with the executives aboard. There’s been some speculation about the Palmetto Subdivision, and that potential spin off. I think, to an extent, they won’t totally get rid of the line. Firstly, the northern portion has Tampa’s major ports for phosphate (and now potash) exports. Additionally, Port Manatee is also an exporter of phosphate, and it is also supposed to explode with container traffic in the next few years, to such an extent that intermodal trains out of Port Manatee will eventually come to fruition. With all of that in mind, plus the fact that they’ve just replaced all of the old signals with aluminum masts in 2021, I doubt much of the Palmetto Subdivision will fall out of CSX’s hands. The Conrad Yelvington in Palmetto is also has pretty decent volume as a customer on the southern end of the line. Ultimately, the most I could foreseeably see CSX letting go is the stretch between Port Manatee and Bradenton. Though, with Seminole Gulf’s current financial situation between hurricane Ian and the minor derailment they’ve had in Sarasota a few days ago, it’s hard to say whether they’d be the best suited inheritors. I suppose only time will tell.

[@blanetrain9584]

@@kotabeaner I should've specified originally that my speculation was that CSX would remove the portion south of Rockport or at least from Port Manatee given that there's traffic but CSX like other class I railroads seems to dislike needing to switch cars though Port Manatee could still do phosphate and containers with CSX but allow SGLR to do the fiddly stuff including Conrad Yelvington. SGLR would make sense given their local knowledge but also existing presence as opposed to having to get someone else in there and running it since SGLR would just need to add the new track as opposed to having someone else run that small piece between them. If they get that portion, it would make the operation more viable than it currently is and possibly allow for more track upgrades assuming they would continue service on the bottom end if they got the CSX around Bradenton (the line being slow speed is something that has been present from essentially the beginning of that portion of SGLR and is part of why the circus train storage moved from Venice after a derailment in the 90s as well as a trestle embargo)

[@charlesharwood5705]

Theres a red jeep at 19:10, that was me arriving to late to catch it arriving 😭😭.

[@RealJeep]

I'm really kinda surprised that Danny didn't beat you to this video.

[@kotabeaner]

Good to know.

[@ryankruchowski1951]

I was just in Tampa, saw the phosphate refinery near the MOSAC facility by the port. I saw 2 brand new GEAC440CW loco's in their new blue and yellow paint, ready to head back to the CSX Bone valley subdivision. This was at 3 in the evening.

[@kotabeaner]

Neat! Sounds like the East Tampa facility.

[@SEFlorida]

i never seen the csx office, i actually wanna see it hit orlando, all i ever seen was amtrak and sunrail :(

[@AmtrakTBL]

Good stuff

[@kotabeaner]

Anticipation 100.

[@anjuarunderwood6869]

That's a great video

[@kotabeaner]

Thank You very much

[@Memegold414]

Is that spot underneath the orient road bridge an area that is technically csx property? That’s one of my go to spots but I usually don’t stay very long for fear of one of the csx guys pulling up and yelling or threatening me

[@kotabeaner]

I’d assume it is, yes, but there are no signs that say you can’t go down there. I wouldn’t be too worried - we’ve never had any issues under there, and usually nobody will have a problem with you, so long as you’re respectful of the property and aren’t acting in a way that interferes with operations. The most anyone would really care to do is simply ask you to leave, at which point, you respect their wish.

[@michlo3393]

Oh damn, this title is misleading. I thought someone had tied Railroad Executives to a ship's anchor and thrown it overboard. I got confused, I'll put the champagne away, that's my bad. Good work nonetheless.

[@kotabeaner]

Haha! I figured a few people might get that idea from the title when I made it…good to know I’m not crazy. The only ones with champagne here are those executives, unfortunately. Perhaps it’s time to turn the tables a bit, eh?

[@Peter-mt6lg]

They went down to B-town to try a get free orange juice

[@garysharrock2346]

What a bunch of crap. Treating execs like kings or Gods. Expedited passage, no delays, heightened maintenance, track inspections, etc. They should have to endure what all other trains experience in normal operations so that they can see all the problems. Maybe they could actually fix something as a result, rather than identify places and things to cut in order to increase their bonuses. Just sayin'.

[@kotabeaner]

Oh believe me, I agree with you. You should’ve seen their 2021 visit…I think I recall about 5 track inspectors between Bushnell and Lakeland/Plant City on the varying subdivisions. It’s wild especially, how these are the folks with the customer service initiatives, yet will delay a 10 hour late intermodal (happened 2022 visit), just to keep rolling and run into PTC issues 15 miles later. Though, I think dispatch is more in control of those passing meets, it’s still, like you said, a bunch of crap.

[@208Railfanning]

Gary..... This is supposed to be fun. If you don't like trains, why, then, are you here? Just asking.

[@garysharrock2346]

@@208Railfanning I love railfanning, trains in general and especially the hard-working men and women that work on the iron. What I don't like is executives who act like Gods and some of their lackies that treat them like Gods with track priority, enhanced maintenance in advance of their visits, etc. Why do they deserve a special, opulent consist? They should make their rounds from the bottom of normal consists on normal trains. So there.

[@vernonchristian3840]

"PromoSM"