Welcome to the American Railroading Podcast! In this episode our host Don Walsh, is joined by guest Todd Tranausky, VP of Rail and Intermodal at FTR, based in Houston, TX. Together they delve into the U.S. Economy and rail’s role in it. They discuss rail’s long history of contributions to the U.S. Economy, give a deep-dive breakdown of our economy, as well as where the rail industry and our economy are today and indicators to look for regarding where we’re headed. Tune in to this episode now to gain valuable insights and broaden your understanding of American Railroading. You can find the episode on the American Railroading Podcast's official website at www.AmericanRailroading.net . Welcome aboard!

KEY POINTS: 

• The American Railroading Podcast is now ranked in the top 10% of all podcasts globally!
• The first U.S. railroad was said to have begun in the late 1700’s, and railroads have contributed to the U.S. economy ever since by moving freight and uniting the country with an unprecedented transportation network.
• In 1860 railroads carried 3.2 billion ton-miles of freight. In 2018 that number skyrocketed to 1.7 trillion ton-miles.
• The U.S. GDP (Gross Domestic Product) has normalized since the initial post-pandemic highs.
• Although inflation is high, we’re still experiencing slow growth.
• Just-in-time inventory versus just-in-case inventory, it’s a balancing act.
• The current new home market has affected railcar movements, such as lumber products.
• Intermodal rail is a driving economic factor because a lot of consumer goods are moved that way.
• Todd tells us what key economic indicator to keep an eye on the most.
• The new American Railroading merchandise should be available on our website at www.AmericanRailroading.net by the time our September 2023 episode airs!
• The deadline for nominations for the Honor our Heroes gift package is 08/31/23. Instructions on how to submit a nominee are given at the end of the episode.

LINKS MENTIONED: 

https://www.americanrailroading.net/ 

https://therevolutionrailgroup.com/ 

https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dwalshX 

https://www.americanhistory.SI.edu 

https://www.up.com/ 

https://www.aar.org/