Tracking your vehicle "In Transit"

[vschmidt]

My dealer told me my vehicle was "In Transit" and gave me the rail car number it is traveling on. Naturally, I was interested in getting updated progress during its trek across the country if possible.

 

Here's a summary of the information I've been able to acquire so far.

 

1. Western US is serviced mainly by Union Pacific (UP), Eastern is through CSX.

 

2. There don't seem to be web interfaces for non-commercial customers (us!), but you can phone and speak with an easy-to-use automated rail car tracing service to get rail car location from both companies.

 

3. CSX will report UP car progress if the car is expected to transfer to CSX from UP (like mine will).

 

Union Pacific: (800) 877-5123 [PLEASE limit communications to the automated system only.]

CSX: (800) 235-2352 [PLEASE limit communications to the automated system only.]

 

The Camero forum hosting this data had a note I paraphrase: PLEASE DON'T talk with a representative directly. Limit yourself to the information provided freely through the automated system. We are not their direct customers, so the availability of this service is a courtesy for us. If it is abused, it may be shut down or limited to those with commercial accounts. (I repeated this supplication inline with the phone numbers above, so future web searchers finding this post and cutting/pasting the numbers have this gentle reminder on file.)

 

The information seems to be updated frequently, and since I'm only talking with a computer, I don't have any beef with calling for status 4-5 times per day.

 

I'll post my data, including transit time, in a post to follow.

[vschmidt]

My rail car number is ETTX 902669. (The dealer had this info on a report saying the car is "in transit.")

 

The automated system's pronunciation of cities makes it hard to understand, but using http://maps.google.com and http://www.convertunits.com/ helped with my computations. I zoomed google maps far enough to see the rail lines in Nogales, then estimated an average of 40 MPH and looked for cities on the rail lines sounding like the ones said by the system. The "convertunits" site was used to get quick estimates of distances and times, which was also helpful. Look halfway down the page for a text field where you can enter cities. (Also can use this to get a rough idea of how long it will take to get to the final transfer location at some constant speed.)

 

Rail experts online seem suggest 40MPH is probably a good overall speed estimate for rail cargo transport, accounting for hills, cities, car switchovers, rail holds, etc.

 

I believe the car left Hermosillo late on 1 September. It traveled by rail to the border at Nogales, AZ. That part of the trip took a day.

 

CSX says the car left Nogales, AZ on 2 Sept at 4pm (MT).

4 Sept 2:25 AM (MT) at Vaughn, NM.

4 Sept 9:33 AM (CT) at Stratford, TX. (Travel from Vaughn to Stratford averages ~ 40 MPH.)

4 Sept 2:58 PM (CT) at Whiteside, KS (Travel from Stratford to Whiteside averages 50 MPH.)

 

Looks like my car is going through Hutchinson, north of Witchita.

 

The final destination by rail is Fostoria, OH, where it will be transferred to truck for the 2-3 hour drive to Dayton.

 

If the rail speed averages 40 MPH continually, the roughly 930 mile "drive" could be completed in just under 24 hours, so the car could (in theory) be in Fostoria,OH by 5pm tomorrow.

 

Estimated delivery to the dealer is now 9 Sept. I may have it by 10 or 11 September, finally.

[vschmidt]

Updates to my rail travel via phone tracking through CSX:

 

CSX: Whiteside, KS (UP) 4 Sept 2:58 (CT)

CSX: Ramona, KS (UP) 4 Sept 5:27 (CT)

CSX: Herington, KS (UP) 4 Sept 9:35pm (CT)

CSX: interchange, Kansas City, MO (NS) 5 sept 3am (CT)

 

[My calculations suggest rail car left interchange ~5:30pm (CT)]

 

CSX: Moberly, MO (NS) 5 Sept 8:28pm (CT) (arrive)

CSX: Moberly, MO (NS) 5 Sept 1145pm (CT) (depart)

CSX: East Decatur, IL. (NS) 6 Sept 5:38am (CT) (arrive)

CSX: East Decatur, IL. (NS) 6 Sept 10:20am (CT) (depart)

 

Decatur is ~300 miles away from Fostoria, OH, but the train is traveling slower now on the average, and spending hours at a time in interchanges. Still seems to be on schedule, though. No further updates available as of 4pm (ET) today. (UP=union pacific, CT=central time)

[wwoody723]

Updates to my rail travel via phone tracking through CSX:

 

CSX: Whiteside, KS (UP) 4 Sept 2:58 (CT)

CSX: Ramona, KS (UP) 4 Sept 5:27 (CT)

CSX: Herington, KS (UP) 4 Sept 9:35pm (CT)

CSX: interchange, Kansas City, MO (NS) 5 sept 3am (CT)

 

[My calculations suggest rail car left interchange ~5:30pm (CT)]

 

CSX: Moberly, MO (NS) 5 Sept 8:28pm (CT) (arrive)

CSX: Moberly, MO (NS) 5 Sept 1145pm (CT) (depart)

CSX: East Decatur, IL. (NS) 6 Sept 5:38am (CT) (arrive)

CSX: East Decatur, IL. (NS) 6 Sept 10:20am (CT) (depart)

 

Decatur is ~300 miles away from Fostoria, OH, but the train is traveling slower now on the average, and spending hours at a time in interchanges. Still seems to be on schedule, though. No further updates available as of 4pm (ET) today. (UP=union pacific, CT=central time)

 

Don't jump the train and try to get it off early.

[vschmidt]

Final legs of rail travel:

 

CSX: Peru, IN (NS) 6 Sept 5:10pm (ET)

CSX: Fostoria, OH (NS) 6 Sept 8:49pm (ET)

 

Looks like the car has arrived in Fostoria. Now it has to be loaded onto a truck and transported to Dayton. I imagine that won't happen on Monday (Labor Day), more likely on Tuesday.

 

I'll try to get trucking details tomorrow morning. Wonder if I can track them, too...

[wstcoaster07]

I am very jealous that you are getting your car. Today I spent a good 2 hours sifting through allllll of my mp3s making sure all were organized and had correct tags so that if/when I get my car the system will easily pull the info from the flash drive..... can you say boring day? haha

[vschmidt]

I am very jealous that you are getting your car. Today I spent a good 2 hours sifting through allllll of my mp3s making sure all were organized and had correct tags so that if/when I get my car the system will easily pull the info from the flash drive..... can you say boring day? haha

 

I still have to do that, but I figured I still had a couple more weeks. Now I'm scrambling to do that, and also make a list of everything people on this forum have mentioned they needed their dealer to fix or set for them, so it can all be done at once (tech bulletins, various computer settings, make sure door combinations are in the glove box, etc.).

 

Hopefully when I call later this morning, they will say the vehicle will be delivered to them today and I can pick it up either this evening or tomorrow.

[wstcoaster07]

also make a list of everything people on this forum have mentioned they needed their dealer to fix or set for them, so it can all be done at once (tech bulletins, various computer settings, make sure door combinations are in the glove box, etc.).

 

fwd that to do list over this way when you get it ;)