While Defacer Eraser, Rochester’s graffiti removal operation, buffs walls soon after they’re marked up, graffiti tends to stick around on trains and other railroad property. Railroads choose to invest in structural maintenance rather than cosmetic considerations. And this is why, for 35 years, the well-known “NO DRAFT” graffiti, accompanied by a peace sign and the […]
CSX
Posted inNews & Opinion
Unsafe at any speed?
A fiery derailment of a CSX oil train in Mount Carbon, West Virginia, in February showed the destructive potential of these trains. Twenty-seven of the train’s 109 oil cars went off the tracks — some catching fire or exploding. A nearby home was destroyed in the fire, which continued to burn for five days. The […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Rochester’s crude awakening
The amount of crude oil being hauled on the nation’s freight rail lines is on the upswing. The oil and rail industries say that’s because of surging oil output from North Dakota’s Bakken Shale formation as well as a lack of pipeline capacity. A December article from the American Association of Railroads says crude oil […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Rail to trail: Creating an urban green space
A man and his dog have been walking along a portion of the abandoned CSX railroad track that runs parallel to Conkey Avenue and Hollenbeck Street. On this blustery February day, the pair are no longer visible, but their footprints remain etched in the snow. It is nothing but a detail, a small one at […]
