Tom Murray Transportation ConsultingWelcome to my web site. I am a transportation consultant and writer with more than 25 years of professional experience in the rail industry.
You will also find links to news and information sources about the rail industry, and to web sites of publicly-traded railroad, intermodal and rail supply companies.
In addition to providing consulting services and publishing a newsletter, I have written extensively about railroad operations, economics and history. Since 2001, I have written the following articles for TRAINS magazine:
How much does it cost? From head-hardened rail to heavy-haul locomotives, here's what railroads are spending on the hardware that keeps the industry moving (January 2008)
The East after Conrail: CSX, looking for a silver bullet (September 2005)
Railroading's new economy: the China factor (August 2006)
The East after Conrail: CSX, looking for a silver bullet (September 2005)
Freight car Catch-22: railroad, shipper and leasing company survival strategies (April 2005)
Ribbons of steel: rail is getting bigger and better (December 2004)
Risky business: the railroad freight car market (January 2004)
North American railroading's new frontier: Mexico (November 2003)
Canadian National, from worst to first in 10 years (November 2002)
Wrong train running? Why intermodal gets the green light (July 2002)
Can railroads stay home for the holidays? (December 2001)
TTX gives fast freight wheels: managing the intermodal equipment fleet (November 2001)
Manned helper locomotives vs. distributed power: different railroads, different philosophies (August 2001)
For Classic Trains magazine, I have written one piece, Learning the Basics (Summer 2006), about beginning a career in railroading with the Boston & Maine and Soo Line in the early 1970s.
I have also written the following books for MBI PublishingsRailroad Color History series, which can be ordered from any book retailer: