For the past several months, individual railroads and the American Association of Railroads have been putting ads on radio and TV to spread the word on freight rail transportation. An ad was even diplayed during this year’s Super Bowl. Mistakenly thought by some as an antiquated form of transportation, railroads provide a very efficient method of moving freight.
While the ads are effective in conveying that trains are fuel efficient and reduce traffic by taking trucks off the highways, I think the ads could be a bit more exciting. Here’s some good Main Line Motion Pictures footage of a Norfolk Southern steam freight in 1987 where N&W Class A 2-6-6-4 1218 pulls a train of 100 coal hoppers.
Not to be outdone, I’ve also noticed recent barge and waterways industry ads conveying a message of even greater fuel efficiency. Of course barges are more limited as to the areas they can serve.