Just curious - what is "local listings", and how is this connected to finding out what rail served industries currently exists in your area?
Smile, Stein
For an initial look, try the satellite imaging capability of your favorite map program.
My local area has three distinct `lobes,' two on one side of the freeway, one on the other. One, recently built (was raw desert a few years ago, and the rails are dated 2000) is all warehouses and truck transloads. A second serves, mostly, propane dealers - but there is one long spur that ends up at a paper cup manufacturer's warehouse. The third, built in a loop (!) serves a ready-mix plant and a small intermodal facility.
Seek. Sometimes you'll find things that are downright incredible.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - before satellite imaging, darn it!)
THANK YOU for this post, as it could very well help others w/ layout industry decisions!
It brought the following to mind for yours truly: In Concord, NH's, now, almost non-existent rr yard, often saw several Ciment Quebec grey covered hoppers parked on spur [now ripped up], for the concrete ready-mix facility, located 1/4 mile north. They were either MTs for pickup, in-coming loads or both. Don't know where these cars are held now [will have to drive around to spot spur in use now]. Your post made me remember seeing them. TTFN......papasmurf
Answering on another post made me really think about the area I live in and the rails. It all lies under 2 miles west of my apartment, covers an area maybe a square mile or two, has to have a few miles of track, and has a lot more to offer than I previously thought. Categorically listed;
Currently Rail Served: 1 lumber supplier, 1 lumber distribution point for national lumber dealer, 1 metal recycler, 1 animal by-products producer, 1 cement train-to-truck transload terminal
Unserviced Existing Spurs: 3 distribution warehouses (could also be all one company but as stands three separate buildings and three separate spurs), 2 paper converters, 1 lumber dealer, 1 industrial metal products manufacturer (spur has a yellow box car parked on it for on-site storage)
Removed Spurs: 1 paper converter, 2 lumber supplier
All in all that totals 15 possibly shippers; 1 cement, 5 lumber, 3 paper, 2 metal, 3 warehouse, and 1 animal
Out of the current shippers only one, the animal people, is a regular shipper, about 8 loads a day as qouted by me from a conductor (I didn't dare pry more into it as he was checking his switch list). The metal recyclers is I would consider semi-regular. It doesn't seem to have much of a seasonal flux, but they may get 4 gons one week then three weeks later get six gons (have seen this happen), or they may also go a few weeks in a row where they get 4 empty gons delivered.
The other two are seasonal, however this is ALOT of concrete projects going on so they are seeing a tremendous amount of traffic, both truck and rail. Their two spurs can hold about 12 cement hoppers, and they're going through them like kids at a 25 cent gum ball machine at the mall. I get done at 6 am usually run through that road around 10 after and the drive is full every morning with around 10 trucks waiting to load up.
So all in all, check your local listings!! I will try to get a sketch of the trackage and possibly some pics.