Coal's loss of a grip on the power industry this year is set to deal a blow to its footmen, the American railroads that transport the commodity around the country. Demand for coal is being hit by one of the warmest winters on record, which has exacerbated a decline in power prices, and by the decline of the coal-hungry U.S. steel industry. That is likely to leave the railroads -- who rely on coal for one-quarter of their freight -- handicapped just at the time when they should be benefiting most from a recovery in the country'smanufacturing industry, some analysts warned. Investors are only just beginning to sit up and take notice of the problem, analysts said. Although railroad stocks slipped on Thursday, they are still mostly close to 52-week highs. <img src=http://www.trainboard.com/sigbreak.gif> Russ
What happened to the RRs tha last time this happened? It surely has to have occured numerous times b/4.
