Now and then along comes a print ad that smacks the issue under discussion right on the head. Such an ad is the Norfolk Southern that ran in the Wall Street Journal, 28 April 2006.
The headline reads: "At Last, There's A Way to Get 410 Miles Per Gallon."
The body reads: "At Norfolk Southern, we're conscientious at the pump. We're always worked to increase capacity while using less fuel. From improved infrastructure and shorter routes to onboard computers, we've been able to accomplish an efficiency unimaginable just a few years ago. Today, we can move a ton of freight an average of 410 miles on just one gallon of diesel fuel. Milage like this keeps America's economy moving."
So, Norfolk Southern says that if we take one gallon of diesel fuel , and put it into one of their 'Big Iron' horses, they will do
something that we, as individuals, would never think of doing: transport anything weighing 2,000 lbs for a distance of 410 miles! You read that correctly. By using Norfolk Southern's 'Big Iron' (as I am so fond of calling their locomotives as they roll past the office every evening), one ton of material can be transported for $2.75 worth of diesel fuel. One little red container's worth of fuel.
Now, let's sweeten the pot, so to speak. General Electric is currently producing a locomotive that runs on diesel fuel, but does something unique and innovative to give rail company customers a better deal for their transportation costs:
a hybrid locomotive. Not only has GE come up with what they call a 'Tier II Compliance' engine that achieves '16-cylinder power with 12-cylinder economy', but has also coupled an improved air cooling system with truly creative engineering that allows the engine to capture kinetic power generated from wheel breaking and then stored as potential energy in a space-saving, out-of-the-way battery system to achieve across-the-board fuel efficiency.
I think Norfolk Southern's ad is a strong, positive reinforcement to the argument there definitely is something this nation can do to fight high transportation fuel costs. And, from what I can discern about the ad's photo, Norfolk Southern uses GE-made locomotives. It's a 'win-win' situation for America. But, I'd like to make a suggestion to Norfolk Southern - and its siblings - Burlington-Santa Fe, CSX and Union Pacific - how about showing America some photos where the 'Big Iron' is pulling PASSENGER CARS? The United States of America needs to go back to the age of commuter rail transportation and wean itself from the insane dependence it has placed on cars, trucks and SUVs.
— Don McKay
