I just got back from vacation in New York City, which included a road trip to Pittsburgh. Didn't do any formal railfanning, but I got to see some NS, CSX and CN action in Pittsburgh, especially the NS coal lines along the Allegheny River that I could see right from my hotel window in Harmar, PA.On the drive back to NYC, I we dropped by Hershey, PA at Hershey's Chocolate World and got to know how milk chocolate was made. The railfan in me automatically wondered about freight operations, and from a Google Satellite view, there's a couple sidings outside the Hershey's factory with a bunch of covered hopper and tank cars. Does anyone in the PA area know more about the rail operations here? The cacao beans obviously come from overseas, but what port do they arrive from and how are they ferried to the factory? Which railroad serves the factory, NS or CSX?
If you do not get an answer here, why not contact Hershey?
When you were in Pittsburgh, did you see the Heinz plant? It's a beautiful old factory with a lot of rail sidings. At least it was 20 years ago when I was last there. Penn Brewing is not far away and they make some fine, German style beers.
54light15 When you were in Pittsburgh, did you see the Heinz plant? It's a beautiful old factory with a lot of rail sidings. At least it was 20 years ago when I was last there. Penn Brewing is not far away and they make some fine, German style beers.
Heinz ketchup and most of their food products are no longer made in Pittsburgh. I heard the ketchup operation moved to Ohio. The factory you saw was shut down sometime in the 1990s, and some of the buildings were demolished and others were preserved and continue today as loft apartments. Heinz still has corporate offices in the PPG Building in downtown Pittsburgh.
NS operates the line thru Hersey (ex-Reading). Much of their freight operates on this line, especially to the north of Phily. It's double track at least to Reading. One guess for the tank cars on the candy factory siding would be corn syrup. Could the covered hoppers be sugar?
Yes, they would probably be sugar. Cocoa is very bitter. Except for baking chocolate which is just cocoa powder you need to add sugar
Caldreamer
A quick Google search reveals that Hershey does not use corn syrup in their chocolate products, but they do use sugar and soy lecithin, which I suspect are brought in by rail. They also use milk, but claim that it comes from within 100 miles of the plant.
Brian (IA) http://blhanel.rrpicturearchives.net.
I perused the Bee Line issue list just now. The closest I could find was 1985 issue 4 there is an article on the three bean cars that the Reading owned. The issue is sold out. This is purely speculative, the cars could have been used for cacao beans or coffee beans.
Check out http://www.readingrailroad.org/. Or go to Railroad.net has a specific Reading forum.
At one time the cocoa beans came in via the Port of Philadelphia; I recall seeing Port of Baltimore some other place. Back in the 1980's the cocoa beans were in large burlap bags and were shipped in boxcars.
- PDN.
Paul_D_North_Jr At one time the cocoa beans came in via the Port of Philadelphia; I recall seeing Port of Baltimore some other place. Back in the 1980's the cocoa beans were in large burlap bags and were shipped in boxcars. - PDN.
I have seen some waybill info that's a few years old showing lots of box cars of cocoa beans moving west from Phila/Camden in box cars. Most going west over Chicago, but my hunch is Hershey's come the same way.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
Oy, now you've done it. I have a craving for a Hershey Chocolate Bar now.
I work this route quite a bit, the original Hershey Plant was mostly torn down in 2014, just the smoke stacks and front office remain. The West Hershey Facilty is what gets cars currently( they makes Reese's products and Hershey's Kisses there). We drop of sugar and corn syrup currently. The old factory did used to get cocoa beans mostly in 50 ft Railbox cars. The beans came from Africa, many were transfered from ships to box cars in Brooklyn New York, Baltimore or Philadelphia, some other chocolate factories may still get cocoa beans this way. If you see boxcars in the yard or on the daily local they are for General Mills which has a large facility nearby, that gets flour and canned goods.
James Sanchez
jsanchez I work this route quite a bit, the original Hershey Plant was mostly torn down in 2014, just the smoke stacks and front office remain. The West Hershey Facilty is what gets cars currently( they makes Reese's products and Hershey's Kisses there). We drop of sugar and corn syrup currently. The old factory did used to get cocoa beans mostly in 50 ft Railbox cars. The beans came from Africa, many were transfered from ships to box cars in Brooklyn New York, Baltimore or Philadelphia, some other chocolate factories may still get cocoa beans this way. If you see boxcars in the yard or on the daily local they are for General Mills which has a large facility nearby, that gets flour and canned goods.
Thanks so much, James! Just the info I was looking for. So NS runs a local to/from Rutherford, correct?
I would guess the packaged chocolates leave the factory in containers, correct?
The cars get dropped off and picked up by a road freight out of Enola at night, a switcher is based out of the yard at Hershey works the Hershey facilty and Gerneral Mills a third new customer is locating in the area, so the local is very busy, we call it the Hershey Switcher.
jsanchez Hershey Switcher.
C'mon now - it's the Hershey shifter! Just made 15 Reading guys roll over in their graves.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
Your right it is the Hershey Shifter!
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