We see so many folks sitting outside enjoying the restaurant and the company down at the old depot on Broad Street when the weather is nice. Right across the tracks there is a smaller building, the local office of the R J Corman Railroad company, which acquired its 19th short line railroad, right here, in December of 2022, and a year later celebrated 50 years in business, with corporate headquarters in Kentucky. A short line railroad is so named for how much revenue it produces, rather than just the miles of the route. Our local route is named the Raleigh & Fayetteville Line, covering 63 miles between the two cities, on 43 miles of purchased track and 20 miles that are leased.
Watching trains is a time-honored tradition practiced by millions worldwide. I had fun just watching the online videos posted by train enthusiasts. Imagine how much more exciting it was to spend some time on a rainy weekend interviewing the fellow whose job it is to drive the trains.
Jared Costello graduated from high school in southern Indiana in 2002 but wasn’t sure what he wanted to do next. As it happened, his older brother Jay was working as a locomotive engineer and simply said, “They’re hiring.” Jared was sent to McDonough, Georgia, by the Norfolk Southern Line for three weeks of classroom training and passed the test for federal licensure as a conductor that same year. Again in 2009, he passed the test to receive his license as a locomotive engineer. His second job was a five-year stretch in Georgia for Watco, which runs 45 short line railroads. I asked about specific duties and learned that the conductor on freight trains handles the manifest, permissions, and other paperwork for that run and also operates any manual switches along the route. The engineer, of course, drives the train. There is usually a two-man crew, but both jobs can be done by the engineer if needed. On our local trains, that two-man crew is likely to be the Costello brothers.
Through all of his career, Jared has been dealing with freight in multiple states. In West Virginia, for example, he was hauling coal with seven engines, “three on the head and four pushing.” Having worked and gained a couple of decades of experience, he’s comfortable with the equipment and the responsibilities. Some of those years he had unpredictable schedules, though none ran longer than 12 hours, as mandated by federal law. His first company was a closed union shop, so he has in the past been a member of United Transportation Union, which later became SMART (Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation). Within that organization he was a vice-president of Local 1129 and later worked his way up to NC state legislative assistant. Such affiliation is not needed with the short lines. He is enjoying more normal eight-hour shifts with Corman, and having holidays off. Rick Corman, the founder, was a bit like “The Little Engine That Could.” He began by clearing up derailments and was highly successful. It was a treat for me to learn about his own story on the company website.
The railroad analysts do a calculation that takes into consideration the weight of the cars, the volume and weight of the freight, the inclines along the route, and even whether the tracks will be wet or dry, to determine how many engines will be needed and where to place them. For instance, two engines might be pulling and three more pushing. The new Raleigh and Fayetteville short line keeps Jared busy hauling lumber, steel, and chemicals. One client does tire manufacturing. Another train carries concrete from Raleigh to Fayetteville. The clients themselves are responsible for unloading the freight.
Driving the trains creates a soothing rhythm and vibration. The cab has good heating and is retrofitted with air conditioning. Jared has a cooler so he can eat his lunch on the go. Corman has purchased used locomotives and refurbished them for use here. The locomotives get regular maintenance and a beautiful coat of red paint.
Newer models would have a self-priming mechanism for the fuel oil which powers the generators, but the trains here need priming by hand. It only involves a trip outside and down a short ladder. Jared climbs back into the cab and then throws switches to transfer the power from the generators to the wheels, which have electric traction motors. This type of propulsion system is also found in hybrid and electric automobiles. The locomotive Jared showed us, number 8569, was originally built in 1978, produces 3,000 horsepower, and weighs 360,000 pounds. At idle, the engine would burn about 55 gallons of fuel oil a day. Even the 74-volt headlight draws a lot of current. The engine has 16 cylinders and was manufactured by the Electro Motive Division of General Motors. Engines are also built by General Electric, and all are normally rebuilt every ten years.
The rails themselves are steel I-beams that weigh up to 136 pounds per yard. Some trains carry quarter-mile long sections of rail that pass over a roller, flexing enough to lay track as the train pulls slowly away. At least once a week a High Railer checks the entire length of the route. This important equipment is basically a Ford or Chevrolet truck that costs about $80,000 by the time it is modified to drive on the rails. Extra trips are needed following storms that might have left debris blocking the way. The crew may find trees across the tracks, washouts, rail breaks, and other maintenance items. Corman uses a contractor to bring in two yellow vehicles called the ballast regulator and the tamper. The ballast regulator spreads large gravel which is the foundation of the rails. The gravel must be replaced and reshaped from time to time, correcting rail shift and helping the rails last longer. This piece of equipment can also plow snow, remove vegetation from the right-of-way, or even dig ditches. Next, the tamper packs down the gravel to keep rails parallel and level. The standard width between the rails is 4 feet 8 and a half inches, a gauge used in more than half the world.
Every motorist is familiar with the crossing gates that close automatically as a train approaches, with signs, flashing lights, and clanging bells. These are entirely regulated by the state Department of Transportation, which selects locations, and installs and maintains the equipment. At other crossing points, those without gates, the locomotive engineer gives a warning signal with his horn. LONG, LONG, short, LONG. I like the sound more than ever before. Now it’s my friend Jared saying hi. He is limited to a speed of 25 miles per hour, and he is forbidden to use his cell phone. He’ll be adding excitement to the lives of young automobile passengers safely buckled into their car seats. He’ll be adding safety awards to his company and to his own record. He’ll be charming railroad fans of all ages.
I asked Jared what he likes about this job. He replied, “I enjoy the rarity and uniqueness of work in the rail industry. Not too many people know someone who works for a railroad.” Another concept I found interesting was his theory on the national economy. “I can tell when there’s a downturn.” If he used to haul 150 cars and he finds himself looking back at just three, he knows the economy is in trouble.
Liz and Tim Hare of Fuquay-Varina came along to meet Jared and see the trains as well. Liz’s dad was a train fan who collected model trains and took her to admire the large ones whenever possible. His name was Whitney, so after he died in 2021, Liz and Tim named a side business after him. Whitney’s Model Trains buys and sells used model trains and equipment. It keeps the Hares involved and provides incentive to attend various model train shows.
The concept of model trains was established in the early 1900s by an immigrant named Joshua Lionel Cowen who saw the railroads in America as a symbol of technology and sophistication. It’s a hobby of long standing that satisfies and unites railroad fans. Perhaps you grew up with a set circling your tree at Christmastime. Tim and Liz highly recommend a visit to the Wilmington Railroad Museum. One display that impressed them is a series of actual 3-foot sections of the different weights of rail, including the 50, 70, 80, 90, 100, 132, and 136 pounds that have been used. Modern systems use the heavier rails.
Meanwhile, right here in our Fuquay-Varina Museums Complex at 131 S. Fuquay Avenue, there is a display about the trains that brought holiday crowds to “take the waters” at Fuquay Springs. Discovered in the 1850s, the springs were actively promoted as a healing resource from 1900 to 1930. Come to the museum on a Wednesday and, if you are fortunate, Shirley Simmons herself may be your docent. She can also point you to articles that discuss where various depots were located. You’ll see antique rail lanterns and other items in a special case just inside the front door. (See fuquay-varina-museums.org) There’s also a red caboose sitting in the park.
Regarding the future, here’s a headline from The Points Guy, 8 December 2023: “White House announces a flood of money for high-speed rail and other train projects.” I’m not going to hold my breath. But it is obvious, as we see all the ongoing local highway construction, that getting people and goods from here to there is fundamental to the progress of our country and to our town.
As kids, driving west with the family, we counted the hundreds of rail cars on the long flat expanses of prairie. Then Dad would say, “Railroad crossing, look out for the cars. Can you spell that without any Rs?” And we all knew the answer. “T-H-A-T!” Do kids even know that one these days?
