Did You Know?

Why do some train locomotives face backwards?

Modern diesel locomotives operate as efficiently and effectively in either direction. The front locomotive will face forward to provide visibility for the engineers. The other locomotives can face frontwards or backwards. A typical 110 car unit train will have multiple locomotives – often two in the front and one in the back. All three locomotives will be controlled by the engineers in the cabin in the front locomotive.

Frequently locomotives will be placed back to back so that when a train arrives at a final destination with limited or no opportunity to turn around, the engineers can simply switch operating cabs and commence the return trip.

Polar vortex impedes soybean and grain transportation

The extreme cold weather across the country impeded the transportation and soybeans and grain last week. Weather-induced delays of rail service between 24-72 hours occurred in many areas of the Midwest. Some railroads already were under stress to accommodate the sizable 2013 harvest. The weather has compounded the problem.

Panama Canal Proposes Way to Resolve Contractor Dispute

The Panama Canal Authority on Tuesday moved to resolve its dispute with the contracting consortium that is threatening to suspend construction work on its new locks. The authority proposed that it and the contractor, Grupo Unidos por el Canal, jointly contribute $283 million to the project.

Contradictory reports on Nicaragua Canal start-up

While cost over runs for the Panama Canal expansion have dominated shipping news headlines during the past week, contradictory reports are circulating about plans to build an even larger canal across Nicaragua.

Canadian and U.S. Grain Sectors Release Cross-Border Trade Study

A new study, released by the Canada-U.S. Task Group, a group of Canadian and U.S. non-profit and trade organizations, documents the commercial flow of grain from the United States to Canada. The study addresses U.S. and Canadian trade volume...