Norfolk Southern, McCalla's new neighbor

This morning McCalla's new neighbor moved in. Norfolk Southern held a groundbreaking for the $97 million (of which $52 million is federal stimulus money*), CO2 decreasing (193,000 fewer tons annually), fuel saving (17.4 million fewer gallons consumed annually), job creating (8,600 over the next decade, 13,000 by 2030), congestion relieving (saving $59.1 million in savings annually), first reported here (July 2009), Birmingham Regional Intermodal Facility.



Here is the rail line, looking west from McAshan Drive, that will be part of the facility.



Here are dignitary pictures.

Governor Robert Bentley flanked by Senators Priscilla Dunn and Cam Ward.

Bessemer leaders Council members Cleo King and Sherrina Rice-Franklin and
Mayor Kenneth Gulley

Representative Allen Farley, Senator Priscilla Dunn, Eloise Rosser and
Governor Robert Bentley

Eloise Rosser is the former owner of the property on which the groundbreaking occurred. She and her husband ran a farm here for decades.

Mayor Kenneth Gulley, Senator Priscilla Dunn and Governor Robert Bentley

Norfolk Southern CEO Wick Moorman and Governor Robert Bentley

Here is a picture of the proposed facility.


The general consensus among the elected officials and others who spoke is that Norfolk Southern will be a good neighbor, as they have been at other locations where they have completed projects.

NS CEO Wick Moorman said "We will be a positive addition to the community."

Governor Bentley said, "This is a perfect example of cooperation between local, state and federal governments."

The project is expected to be completed during the 4th quarter of 2012.

*I include this because the McCalla residents (the overly vocal ones, not all of them) said they didn't want the federal money and didn't want the hub. Of course, they are mostly tea party types that don't want any federal money. Unless its their Medicare. Or their VA benefits. Or their farm subsidies. Or their Social Security. Or anything else that directly benefits them.

Railroad blues

I wonder how many Bessemer residents and visitors were frustrated yesterday as a train sat on the tracks blocking 14th St (Highway 150), and every street up to and past 23rd. Usually this is not a big problem (unless your house is on fire) but yesterday this happened at 5:00 pm and the roads were blocked for more than 20 minutes. Five o'clock is rush hour, and yes, Bessemer has one.




That photo was taken at 5:04. I had sat in traffic, and gone into the convenience store, made a purchase, before taking this picture, so I know the train had been there at least 5 minutes.

I have been told that state law says a train can only block a road for 10 minutes. I was told the railroad can be fined. I wonder if they can be fined for each road they block. The city needs some money.



This picture was taken from the intersection in front of my house, after I got home. Train still sitting there at 5:15.

I called the police non-emergency number and asked what the law said. The person who answered the phone said she was on the phone with the railroad at the same time trying to find out what was going on. From that, I assume they know which railroad it was.

I heard a train whistle a couple of minutes later. I went outside and took another picture.



This picture shows another train, moving in the opposite direction, passing the stalled train. This photo was taken at 5:20.

If you remember, when Glenn Shadix's house in Bessemer burned, trains blocked some of the fire trucks and they were delayed in their response (Glenn told me this).

I understand that trains sometimes have to stop where there are double tracks to allow another train to pass.

What I don't understand is why an overpass has never been build so that heavily traveled Highway 150 will not be blocked like this. City officials in the past have from time to time suggested such an improvement, but no one has taken it to the state and gotten it approved, I guess.

It's time to work on that.

Now, let's talk about trains stopping in Bessemer with the engine in front of Church's Chicken and the train engineer getting out and walking over to get his chicken. His lunch break sure does inconvenience a lot of people.

One eskimO and the Nostalgia Train

One eskimO, out of London, with lead singer Kristian Leontiou has a great sound, plus Kristian is pleasing to the eye. Listen, and watch this video.



And this is kind of neat, especially if you will be in the Big Apple during December. NYC Transit is going to bring back the Nostalgia Train.

This is a picture from last year, via J.reed on Flickr .

MTA says:

The Nostalgia Shoppers' Special is made up of subway cars in service from the 1930s to the 1970s, running along the lettered lines from the Grand Concourse to Coney Island. Ceiling fans, padded seats and incandescent light bulbs were state-of-the-art when these cars were first placed in service.

The cars were removed from service 30 years ago and replaced by the stainless steel, climate-controlled trains that our customers have become accustomed to. Many subway riders have never experienced the charm of wicker seats and ceiling fans, but they are back for four Sundays of service, beginning Sunday, December 6. The holiday "Nostalgia Shoppers' Special" will operate on Sundays only, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., on December 6, 13, 20 and 27.

Sundays only. Who's up for a trip?

CSX hub opens in Bessemer

Be sure to read my Western Tribune column that follows this post. It deals with racism and Obama and Joe Wilson.

To those No-Hubbers who got on my case claiming that if the hub were being built in my neighborhood then my story would be different...

CSX has opened their railroad hub in Bessemer, and there is a school next to it and homes all around. Did we hear any whining from these folks? No.

No group has emerged to voice concern about what the facility will mean to students, as has happened in McCalla, where residents have objected to the Norfolk Southern's site proximity to McAdory Elementary School.


"This one had great political support locally and we certainly appreciate that." said Gary Sease, a spokesman for Jacksonville, Fla.-based CSX.


Instead, the focus of the CSX project is centering on the benefits the facility could have on the 116-acre Interstate Industrial Park and the 750,000 square feet of vacant space among the 1 million square feet of warehouses there.

"It's going to enable Alabama manufacturers to connect to the ports of Charleston, S.C., and Savannah, Ga., on the East Coast," Sease said. "We're excited about it and looking forward to building business there as the economy comes back."

While my house is not next door to the facility, I can point out where it is on this map provided by the Birmingham News. so it's close.

More than 40 trains a day roll by on the tracks going along Carolina Avenue and you don't hear complaints...well, an occasional complaint maybe when they block major roads for long periods like this Norfolk Southern train.

What is the story behind this blackberry picture of a train stopped in Bessemer? It demonstrates something that people do not understand.

See the man in the blue shirt crossing the street? He just emerged from Churches Chicken ( I was parked in their lot) with his lunch and walked over to the train and climbed in. So, here are my questions.

Does the operator of this train stop for 15 or 20 minutes so he can get his lunch, blocking several major roads at the time?

If the train is stopped because it is waiting for another train to pass, as they sometimes do, could he not stop 150 feet back and not block 19th street? Could he walk half a block for his lunch?

Just wondering. This happens more frequently than you might think.

Keep reading, the Western Tribune column is next.