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Make way for oil!

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  • Member since
    May 2005
  • From: S.E. South Dakota
  • 13,569 posts
Make way for oil!
Posted by Murphy Siding on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 10:33 AM

     An observation:

     We get carloads of lumber from the Pacific Northwest.  They used to be routed accross Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and far western Minnesota to Wilmar.  From Wilmar, they would ship south and a bit west to us in south eastern South Dakota.


     Now, the same carloads go further south.  They ship through Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, far western Iowa, and then far western Minnesota up to Wilmar.  Then, they ship back south and west to us.  This has to add a lot of miles to the trip, but I suppose it keeps our onsey-twosy cars from getting in the way of unit oil trains.

Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: US
  • 2,593 posts
Posted by PNWRMNM on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 11:02 AM

Murphy,

Look at the freight bill. I think your buyer is buying from a UP served mill. That is the only reason I can think for Utah in the route.

Mac

  • Member since
    October 2006
  • From: Allentown, PA
  • 9,810 posts
Posted by Paul_D_North_Jr on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 8:14 PM

Same rate, or higher to reflect the additional mileage ("circuitry") ? 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)

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