New Casle Train Cars

[pacirr]

The town's leaders should insist the railroad clean up any offensive graffiti, and recommend any future car storage in town should consist of flat cars (of which many thousands are being stored around the country) At no more than 4 ft tall, they appear much less intrusive than a 20 ft tall autorack.

[PossumRoadkill]

@pacirr Yes, the town has tried to get him to clean up the graffiti, but he ignores the city. They can't really afford to fight him over this due to the down economy and budget cuts. We tried to negotiate with him to have the flat cars moved in and he did bring in a few but still most of the cars are the transporters.

[pacirr]

Many short line railroads like c&nc are having to supplement their income by storing cars for a fee on unused tracks for car leasing companies or other railroads. Sometimes this income is the only thing keeping them afloat. So, while I agree that it is a little ridiculous to park these cars right through the middle of town next to so many homes, it may be the only thing keeping these tracks from being torn up, which could be detrimental to the town's economic future.

[PossumRoadkill]

@pacirr Thank you those are all very good points. The railroad owner has several miles of track that could be used to store these cars that is setting idle. His contract runs out in a couple of weeks and they may be moved out. That does not mean he won't sign a new lease with someone else.

[DetroitLove4U]

Did you know those lovely yellow train cars brought something apparent to your town that you are currently commandeering? Better believe it sweety pie! Say hello to the old yeller wifey for us now you best stop sorting royal oaks and be loyal now you here.

[PossumRoadkill]

Ok what is it? I don't like riddles so get to the point.

[bcv1954]

No one wants to live next to industry or a railroad. Perhaps that is why New Castle has become so economically depressed. Considering this video was shot in the direction of the Chrysler Corp. plant, it's ironic that you are complaining about empty auto racks which were sidelined due to poor management by the automakers and a negative attitude toward the largest tax base contributors (Chrysler and Norfolk Southern) in Henry County. People in New Castle are so backward and self-centered.

[PossumRoadkill]

@bcv1954 , First of all, no one minded when this was used as an actual railroad with moving train cars. It is now used as a storage yard for scrap cars. Secondly, where did I complain about Chrysler? I didn't. We in New Castle appreciate all that Chrysler did. Third, Norfolk Souther does not pay property tax in Henry County. They pay a utility tax to the State of Indiana, little or none of that money comes back to Henry County. Fourth, Chrysler is no longer the largest tax base contributor.

[bcv1954]

Twist this any way you want. NS does not store scrap cars. I worked in the rail industry for 10 years and know this story all too well. Jim Small is also a personal friend and tried to deal with this as well as he could. I should not have mentioned Chrysler, you clearly don't know the whole story of why they left NC. I left NC after 20 years of having to commute for employment. Seems to me that would be a subject worth complaining about.

[PossumRoadkill]

@bcv1954 I'm not twisting anything. It is what it is. We have been told bu the owners of these train cars that very few of these will ever be back in service. They are switching to a newer lighter transporter for the auto industry. C&CN does not own these cars. I know exactly why Chysler left this town, I have family who have worked there for decades and many of my friends. I commuted to work for over 30 years until I found a job here in New Castle. So I have 10 years on you. Big deal.

[bcv1954]

Glad you were able to secure employment in NC. My family history centered around Chrysler as well. One of my former employers properties is now a scrap yard- again, something more worthy of complaint. I had no interest in watching NC wither and die as a viable community. I hate that it is happening.

[PossumRoadkill]

@bcv1954 Yes I know where you are talking about. I opposed that as well. We are still waiting for the court case to decide the outcome. While I watch New Castle wither and die, I am trying to do something about it. I work everyday to help facilitate new businesses to move here. This has never been about anti business, it's about the business being a good neighbor to the community. They have stopped being one when they did this.

[Pasaria]

LOL I can see these from my house, and it's January 29, 2010

[70snova]

Man. I love it. I dont have any train tracks near my house thank god. Dude your lucky your town got all those railcars. That looks so cool.

[babachewbaba]

That's like complaing about clouds in the sky! Hell, you gonna complain about autos being on a street too? And when the rail cars leave I guess you'll see a house across the tracks that you don't like and start compaining about having to look at it. It sounds like some people need to grow up and do something with thier lives.

[PossumRoadkill]

Well, it's a shame you feel that way. This is something I have said over and over, so you must not have even watched the video. This is not about moving trains, you know, trains that are moving freight. We like those. These are setting trains. They are on tracks that had been abandoned for 20 years. They are parked right next to people's houses. They are attracting rats, both the two legged and four legged kind. But from the comments you made, you don't care about anyone else but yourself.

[bcv1954]

Professional complainers... all the same.

[maskedmage77]

i live in new castle and me and a friend was walking by the train cars on the way to school and i found a $100 bill on the ground by them.

[PossumRoadkill]

Probably from the drug dealers that are using them to hide from the cops. Keep the money and run buddy. Just stay away from them and stay safe.

[RRSpectra]

You guys are just wasting your time. The railroad's got more money and more lawyers than you do. Suck it up. You'll LOSE in court and then the RR will countersue.

[PossumRoadkill]

Who said we were suing them? Where did you get that? You need to pay better attention.

[stone8112]

looks like autorack cars car haulers if you will might be awhile before they are needed again sorry bubba

[AnorexicPossumfarmer]

I love your vids .... Are the train cars still there ?

[PossumRoadkill]

Yup, still here. Thanks buddy. I really liked yours too. I hate to see a dead possum, but you did have a good message with it. Don't drink and drive kids ! AnorexicPossumfarmer said so !

[akaramis1]

Possum: the music is too loud for me to make out the second person's comments on the video.

[PossumRoadkill]

That was the first video I ever did and I wasn't sure of what I was doing. It's not always easy to drive, hold a camera, and get the person in the passenger seat on the audio with the tiny camera I have. In some cases I have decided to just let the video do the talking. I think I'll get better over time but I don't do that many videos, so who knows? I'm just glad I'm not getting graded on style instead of substance.

[Taaaarail]

Its that crummy looking graffiti that would make me mad. I would have the rr paint it out through a graffiti ordinance existing or new.

These rail cars carry new automobiles. Expect them to be there till the economy improves.

[PossumRoadkill]

The graffiti issue is what we are planning. There is already an ordinance in place. This is really gonna cost them. We've tried to talk about it, but they won't listen. Now it's time for legal action.

[rabbi7007]

well that depends on the certain RR, as they all have differnet rules. According to Union Pacific, cars can be left closer than 250 ft as long as the train dispatcher is notified.

[PossumRoadkill]

We don't seem to get the same story from the Feds or the railroad on this issue.

[up6050]

Those cars in New Castle are parked way to close to the crossings....by rule, they got to be 250 feet from the crossings

[Saugertiesrailfan]

now i see atuoracks in kingston 24/7, but there in a yard, so in other words, thats just odd as hell..........never seen a thing in my life quite like a wall of auto racks!

[PossumRoadkill]

Yes it is. You should stand next to them and see how they just go on forever. It is really strange.

[thewelderdude]

just get a big crain, a trailor that can support them, and start piling them up somewhere.

[gsukys]

Lokk at Kathleen Merryman's article in the Tacoma News Tribune 9/23/09

[PossumRoadkill]

Thanks, I did. Nice lady, she was very helpful.

[Britneylove]

These things are more wide spread than you think. They arrived in our town six months or more ago and fill an old spur line that goes through town blocking the water front view of many residence who have logged complaints with the city. We are a long way from Indiana. Bathurst, New Brunswick Canada

[PossumRoadkill]

Yes, I have been in contact with communities all over the country. It is very widespread.

[wolfman9999999]

Don't you guys realize that you're sitting on a gold mine? Since the "owners" refuse to move those things to a proper storage facility, and they've been sitting there for so long, have them condemned as abandoned, cut 'em up, and sell off the scrap metal. You do have a metal fabrication facility in your town, right? Same goes for the other towns that have had these excess cars abandoned in their city propers.

[jonevans1980]

if you only knew.....the scrap metal yard is within only 1 block in two different places

[gsukys]

Ours in Tacoma are even uglier ...Black tar tanker cars

[PossumRoadkill]

Sorry to hear that. I have been talking to people in Minnesota who have the same problem. They have tanker cars stored right through the middle of their neighborhood.

[BlackManOps]

Personally I don't find it objectionable. I used to live by a rail yard and found it a nice attraction. It's unfortunate that the dreadful state of the economy has forced the RR CO. to park the cars - they would rather see them hauling cars to and fro. But, an attorney may argue that such a situation is an 'attractive nuisance' and as such poses a danger to the community. Threats of litigation usually gets peoples attention and it keeps the economy moving - at least for lawyers and the Courts.

[jenniefr1]

This shouldn't happen in a small town---whether or not the train track owner has the right to park empty cars where ever he wants. I bet you he doesn't live anywhere near the tracks, and if he did, he didn't park in front of his own house.

Park them outside of town!!! Find somewhere else. People didn't buy their homes with RR cars parked in front of them. It's like a WALL has been erected, dividing the town in half.

[PossumRoadkill]

How right you are. He lives in Southern Indiana in Corydon.

[andywagoner]

heard about this on NPR this morning. wanted to see exactly what these cars looked liked. sorry you have to deal with this.

[PossumRoadkill]

Thanks, I appreciate it. We'll get it worked out some way.

[PossumRoadkill]

Thanks, I appreciate it. Glad you heard the program. They have been a big help. So has the Wall Street Journal and News To Me on Headline News.

[Tjsingle14]

sorry to break it too you but railroads can do whatever the hell they want, its there tracks.

[PossumRoadkill]

Sorry to break it to you. They don't own the tracks. They lease them and they don't own the cars, they are just storing them.

[torriewinslow]

heard about this story on NPR so wanted to check it out for myself. very unfortunate for the folks who live near these. i guess it is just a sign of the times.

[PossumRoadkill]

Thanks, I appreciate it. Glad you heard the piece on NPR. They have been very helpful.

[amtrakjackson]

Who would buy a house next to railroad tracks and not want to look at a train? Oh.... I have the answer. The very same people that bought overpriced SUV's that those very same railcars carried from the factories to their favorite dealer's distribution facility. Waaaah. Train tracks are for trains.

People are losing their homes and jobs left and right, and you're concerned about this? No wonder this country has no toughness left. Crybabies, all.

[Zrizus]

I agree amtrakjackson. Also, it is not the railroad's fault youth paint all over things; that's usually a parenting issue...

[spokybob]

It's been a long time since I visited New Castle. Are the tracks along Cherrywood AV? If so, the Norfolk & Western used them down to Rushville.

[cnw8717]

You people, its a train. Those are train tracks if the cars weren't there you would be next complaining about the horns being to loud.

[PossumRoadkill]

No, when the trains actually ran on these lines years ago, there were no complaints. People understood that trains run on tracks. These are being stored on a dead end line. They are starting to sink into the ground and tilt to the side. These tracks were meant for trains to run on them not for trains to set on for over a year. Why not come here and see for yourself. But I'm sure you would rather make fun of people. Right? Ha, You People !

[spokybob]

Hey PR. Kinda sucks that NS stores these cars right in town. There must be a few better places. I just got back for Colorado. I saw miles & miles of these things on the old Raton Pass Line near La Junta.

[PossumRoadkill]

Hey spokybob. It's not NS that has them stored here. It's C and NC railroad that is leasing out the space to store these cars. The company that owns them is not a US company from what I've been told. Can't confirm that though. Yes there are a lot better places they could store these. The C and NC owns more track outside of town but they want the police here to watch them. Makes me wonder why there is so much graffiti on them. I really don't have anything against trains. Wrong place for them.

[jroye1959]

Unfortunately, due the the bad economy (Thank you "W") these cars are sitting stored. They aren't FEMA Cars or prisoner cars, they are called Autoracks.

They haul automobiles. and that's it.

[PossumRoadkill]

There are a lot of people to blame for the bad economy. Most of them are in Washington at a building called the Capitol.

[autoguydotcom]

I just read the 23 Feb 09 WSJ article that mentions this. It's lawful use of the tracks by the property owner. I might suggest the town assemble enough funds to purchase the spur. That way it can be used in a manner that is acceptable to the residents, as they would then collectively own the property. That's how things are done in a free democratic society.

[PossumRoadkill]

That is a nice thought, but the economy has been in decline here for the last 10 years. The company is making big money every month from the rental of the tracks to store these cars. Why would they give that up? The point you are missing is the company owns track outside of town where these cars could be stored but they don't want to pay security. So they get police protection for free because they don't pay taxes on railroads in Indiana.

[mgwsy]

OMG Railroad cars being stored in tracks, WOW if you dont like it then move. Therailroad was there before you lived in that area and will be once your gone. Maybe the railroad doesnt like looking at your house as it sits there so maybe you should tear it down. Loser

[PossumRoadkill]

Well thanks, but sorry you are wrong. This is a dead end track that is partially abandoned. It has not had any cars on it in years until this. The line used to run to Indy but now stops at the edge of town. Yes train tracks are for moving trains, but this is storage of cars in a residential area. I actually like trains, but this gives train people a bad name. This is cutting neighborhoods in half. This is about a quality of life issue not about the trains. Come up here and see it yourself.

[esprrfan]

FEMA cars LOL they are used to carry new cars and trucks. But I did love the info about a "Top Secret" forum thats posted on the internet, it just keeps getting better and better!! You may now readjust your aluminum foil hats. Hey you know what, the goverment makes the foil companys coat the foil with some SECRET coating that turns the brain to mush. Ahhh well ok that one must be true evedently.

[spokybob]

I have heard the US Army stores poison gases in these types of cars.

[esprrfan]

LoL be could be, but wouldn't escape through all those OPEN HOLES?

[PossumRoadkill]

Ok, sure. Whatever you say. Lol.

[MC6853]

I recommend knowing a tiny bit about what you're talking about before you open your mouth... Those would be autorack cars, and they haul automobiles...

[THREEFLOORSDOWN1]

i'm from a nearby town & read the article! dont be surprised if they are sitting there waiting for martial law & ship us all up to beech grove to the FEMA camp! lookup beech grove on yt

[PossumRoadkill]

Welcome neighbor ! Yeah, I've been reading about the FEMA trains on the Above Top Secret forum. Pretty scary thought if it were to happen. I hope this Country can pull things together and get back on track. I didn't know anything about that when I made these videos. It does kinda make me wonder though. I just can't see why they can't keep them in an industrial area. Why in residential areas?

[THREEFLOORSDOWN1]

from wut i've read..seems like they like to rub things in. lookup "denver airport-nwo"

[ROCKDOG5732]

I notice on the railroad crossing signs say 2 tracks. Does the other track get used? Because if so this is a safty issue. What if a train comes and you cant see it til its to late? Grant trains do blow the horns but with all the crossing how can you tell if its the one your getting ready to cross. Unless you creep up to the crossing by that time you creeped to far up and the train hits your car. So its not just an eye sore its a safty issue. ROCKDOG5732 AKA POSSUM MIKE

[PossumRoadkill]

Hi Rockdog/Possum Mike ! Glad to meet a fellow Possum. These tracks have been unused for years. They sometimes would leave some cars on them, but never like this. They go more than half way across town ! There are a bunch of people who think they are FEMA cars and they will be used to haul prisoners to some prison when society breaks down. I don't know about that. I just wish they would move them out of our town.

[viewerbeware]

awesome @ the new video. & haha it's hard to make personal attacks when i don't know who you are. it's probably a good thing though... since i'm pretty pissed 3/4 of the time.

have fun with your video makin'.

[PossumRoadkill]

Thanks VB ! I appreciate you letting me off the hook. I know what you mean, I'm pissed about 50% of the time on most weeks. This past week was about 75%. Are you ever on EZ-Look? I post there a lot. Since you are from NC, what do you think my next project should be? I have a few ideas, nothing set in stone yet. I have some footage I want to do about my bees. I raise bees. Ineresting little critters. We have some sild birds I shot a lot of footage on as well. Take Care ! Possum

[viewerbeware]

who made this? i live in new castle, and personally the trains don't bother me. some of the graffiti is really pretty, too. you filmed the bad stuff.

but you probably won't respect my opinion, because it's going against yours, and that's how new castle is.

[PossumRoadkill]

Naw, I respect just about anyone's opinions. As long as you don't make personal attacks, I'm pretty easy to get along with. I know a lot of people who live around them that don't like them though. That is one reason I made the video. I agree that some of the graffiti is pretty cool. I have not seen all of it though because not all the cars are accessible to me. I am doing another video right now showing what I think the graffiti could look like.