Short-line owner and operator Steve Berish is “living the life” — his words — as an independent railroader.
Berish recently added a second line to Resourceful Rail, a railroad and transloading services company he founded in 2019. The company started with Davenport Industrial Railroad (DIR), which provides freight service on 3 miles of track in the Eastern Iowa Industrial Center on Davenport’s north side and connects with CPKC in Eldridge, Iowa. Berish co-owns DIR with John Howell.
Earlier this month, Berish announced Resourceful Rail bought and returned to service the West Erie Short Line Inc. (WESL), which was founded in 1995 by Erie Press Systems on the west side of Erie, Pennsylvania. WESL had been dormant for over a decade before it was acquired by NIWX Corp., a locomotive leasing company owned by Howell. In summer 2024, Howell offered to sell the WESL to Berish; Berish believed the nearly 2-mile line would be a good fit for Resourceful Rail.
After the acquisition closed, Berish and a contractor friend spent months clearing overgrown brush, weeds and other vegetation from the line. They also replaced worn-out ties and made other track repairs…