A number of warehouse tracks branch off of the Trinity Railway Express line just north of Dallas. They probably would be served by the Dallas, Garland, and Northeastern Railroad.
Along one of the warehouses the tracks have been taken up. But along two or three other warehouses the tracks are in place. Knee high weeds growing between the rusty rails suggest that the tracks have not been used in a long time.
Who likely owns the tracks that run up to the warehouse loading doors? And who would pay to have them removed? Would there be enough value in the rails, ties, etc. to offset the cost of removing them?
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
I seriously doubt that the salvage value of any unused track would pay for the cost of removing the track. You can find unused track in many places; four years ago, I was given a tour of what is and what was in Shreveport by a good friend and fellow poster (now departed this life), and there was much track that had not been used in many years. I doubt that any of the unused track has been taken up unless it was in the way of something new in the location.
Johnny
PJS1 . Who likely owns the tracks that run up to the warehouse loading doors? And who would pay to have them removed? Would there be enough value in the rails, ties, etc. to offset the cost of removing them?
.
Where the warehouse is in a stand-alone location where the tracks leading up to the building serve only this one facility, the tracks likely belong to the building owner starting at the property line.
In densely built-out industrial parks, where individual properties are seperated by rail sidings running down the property line between them, it can be considerably more complex. (typically a track running along side each adjacent building... serving it's doors, and a third "drill" track running right down the center between those) Who controls that third, center track, can be almost anyone.
Rather than pulling them up for scrap, what we usually did was to just pave over them, gaining the space back for empty trailer storage, or employee parking.
To be sure, the paving bubbas will tell you that's a bad idea from a paving standpoint, and the track bubbas will tell you that's a bad idea from a track standpoint.
But the fact of the matter is, this is the cheapest way for the building owner to regain productive use of this portion of his property, so it's often done.
If, otoh, you intend to install truck docks in the wall where previously the rail siding served, you would definitely want to pull up the tracks completely before paving.
Although it varies from place to place, and even along the same railroad (usually depends on when the siding was installed):
These days, generally such sidetracks are scrap value only - nothing worth reusing, so they're marginal for removal on an economic basis alone.
- PDN.
Paul_D_North_Jr Although it varies from place to place, and even along the same railroad (usually depends on when the siding was installed): The industry, from the RR's ROW line on up to it Same Depends - mainly on the length of the track(s), if any good turnouts (or other special track work) is included, the weight of the rail and its condition, the number of salvageable ties vs. junkers that have to be disposed of legally, access to the site for the removal contractor - and most of all, the going price for such scrap metal to make it all worthwhile. These days, generally such sidetracks are scrap value only - nothing worth reusing, so they're marginal for removal on an economic basis alone. - PDN.
Also bet the farm that the other two unused tracks now have clearance violations & drainage issues created by the building owner and have never had a track inspection (or record of) on the building owner's side of the division of ownership.
I know of one situation that matches mudchicken's (a) above - specifically, the track's still there along the building and for quite a distance beyond it, but the turnout from the main line is gone. The prospective buyer now knows better . . . and has turned the table by writing into the contract that the seller promises the sidetrack is presently usable. Now guess what happens to the seller when it turns out* that the sidetrack isn't usable?
*Pun not intended
Paul_D_North_Jrbut the turnout from the main line is gone.
Little reason to pay 5 figure annual switch maintenace fees, when the railroad isn't willing to provide competitive service, is there?
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