Not sure when but there was a meeting of Rochelle officals, UP officals and State of Il officals today. Nothing else was released.
What has been Global III's operational purpose to date?
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If I recall correctly they built it to take pressure off of Global 1 and Global 2, which were at capacity at the time. But it is a long dray to get out there. Then, more recently they built Global 4 which also now ramps a lot of container freight to and from the West Coast, is probably more strategically located, and is better situated for any (what little) steel wheel interchange there is to the east.
I do know they also had transfer runs from Global 3 to Global 1 or Global 2 from consolidating blocks from other trains into a single train to either of the two facilities. You could see the pictures of these transfer runs going past the red barn on Railpictures.Net. I always thought that a bit odd because wouldn’t that add another handling of the container as well as delay delivery at the ultimate destination ramp? Sort of North Baltimore-ish. Maybe that is why they are closing Global 3.
I always thought Rochelle was a bit far out also. It would almost be like CP building a facility like that in Milwaukee to sort container traffic from and to Chicago. It would not make sense.
I would expect you will see trains roll right past Global 3 and have work events at Global 2 and Global 1 for blocks of IM cars to be set out or picked up.
Rockford News is saying precision scheduled railroading is the likely cause of the closure if it happens.
Global III came about because UP was facing local resistance to their expanding in Chicagoland. Rochelle’s economic development guy jumped on the opportunity, persuading UP to build in Rochelle.
The report states that meanwhile since last summer the city of Rochelle has been developing its own dual transloading facility to offer service to shippers, and it could be expanded.
kgbw49I always thought Rochelle was a bit far out also. It would almost be like CP building a facility like that in Milwaukee to sort container traffic from and to Chicago. It would not make sense.
One reason Milwaukee's airport has grown (as well as Kenosha's), is that it is usualy quicker to go from Milwaukee to parts of Chicago than it would be to go from O'Hare.
My cousin used to live in Rogers Park (third stop from downtown Chicago on the northbound Metra line) and worked in Northlake (where Proviso is); I live in Kenosha. It used to take me less time to get to Proviso (75 minutes) than it would my cousin (85 minutes).
I seem to recall that a lot of IM was transferred by rubber wheels from Global 3. There used to be a heavy flow down Rt. 64, but very little by comparison now.
In the early 2000s the UP served notices to the affected unions that they wanted to change the crew districts. They wanted to establish a Rochelle - Missouri Valley pool that would only handle the very hottest intermodals. For other trains, pools out of Rochelle to Boone, to Des Moines and to Mason City. The Clinton terminal, which was and is a crew change and base, would've been run through by through train crews. Rochelle was going to be the home terminal for all of the pools. This would've caused the moving a large portions of crews from Boone to Rochelle.
At the time, trains were lucky to go from Boone to Clinton in 12 hours. Everyone wondered how they were going to be able to go another 70 or so miles.
The unions were able to get the railroad to agree to keeping Boone as the home terminal for the Boone-Rochelle pool. The notices were posted for a few months and then were gone. Nothing more has ever been said about those proposals.
Jeff
That should make life interesting down near Global 4, the truck traffic on IL53 and Arsenal Road is already heavy during the week. Gonna have to widen interstates 55 and 80 pretty quick...........
Randy Vos
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rvos1979That should make life interesting down near Global 4, the truck traffic on IL53 and Arsenal Road is already heavy during the week. Gonna have to widen interstates 55 and 80 pretty quick...........
Not UP's problem!
Didn't BNSF propose running east to North Baltimore to take advantage of infrastructure CSX deemed as PSR superfluous?
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They announced a haulage agreement a few months ago for intermodal trains from Chicago to North Baltimore, similar to what they have with CSX for haulage from Birmingham to Atlanta.
kgbw49 They announced a haulage agreement a few months ago for intermodal trains from Chicago to North Baltimore, similar to what they have with CSX for haulage from Birmingham to Atlanta.
That's a bit far. NS does have trackage rights over BNSF to UPS Hodgkins, though.
BaltACDrvos1979 That should make life interesting down near Global 4, the truck traffic on IL53 and Arsenal Road is already heavy during the week. Gonna have to widen interstates 55 and 80 pretty quick........... Not UP's problem!
It might be when UP runs out of trailer parking area at Global 4...........
But, but, but,... ...the balancing effect of PSR won't ever allow that to happen!
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rvos1979 BaltACD rvos1979 That should make life interesting down near Global 4, the truck traffic on IL53 and Arsenal Road is already heavy during the week. Gonna have to widen interstates 55 and 80 pretty quick........... Not UP's problem! It might be when UP runs out of trailer parking area at Global 4...........
BaltACD rvos1979 That should make life interesting down near Global 4, the truck traffic on IL53 and Arsenal Road is already heavy during the week. Gonna have to widen interstates 55 and 80 pretty quick........... Not UP's problem!
Minor detail. Just park and go HOS! UP won't mind.
rvos1979Gonna have to widen interstates 55 and 80 pretty quick......
Widening of I-55 and I-80 in the Joliet area would probably entail replacement of the bridges over the Des Plaines River, all four of which are sizable spans.
The State of Illinois can not even find enough money to repair the bridge in Joliet right now. When I go to Chicago to get my BIL for me it is faster to take 80 to 55 and bypass the freaking parking lot that is the area around the old Joliet Arsenal area on 55. On a good day that area is tied up for a good 20 mins of 20 MPH traffic from all the trucks trying to get on and off that one exit. Then if you want to replace the bridges just north of there making the interstate 1 lane in each can you say gridlocked while doing it. Right now they are redoing 55 between Odell and Chenoa and most of the locals are using old Route 66 instead of the interstate as a bypass why to avoid the traffic.
The State of Il wants the Il Tollway to take over the bridges and 9 miles of 80 on either side. The State feels it would be better for the Tollway to be responsible for repairs. Maybe toll booths on 80 on the way.
Shadow the Cats ownerShadow the Cats owner wrote the following post 20 hours ago: The State of Illinois can not even find enough money to repair the bridge in Joliet right now.
And trucks, along with winter (salt and plows) bear a lot of the blame for road and bridge deterioration. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/04/19/heavy-truck-damage-michigan-roads/3474156002/
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