Trains.com

Worst Yard Investment - UP's Global 3 Terminal?

6133 views
34 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    July 2016
  • 2,631 posts
Posted by Backshop on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 9:22 AM

tree68

Having spent my early years in southeast Michigan, I consider MI as the "midwest."  I will agree, though, that it's kind of confusing figuring out just how far west the "midwest" goes.

OTOH, after a while it becomes the Great Plains, so it has an identity of its own.

Similarly, Michigan is on the northern end of tornado alley, although most folks think of Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, etc, for that.

 

Once again, we agree.  I consider the Midwest to be MI, OH, IN, IL, WI, MN and maybe IA. The Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, etc., are the Great Plains. The original Big Ten college conference perfectly describes the Midwest.

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 10:04 AM

When you mention the original Big 10, I presume that you include the University of Chicago instead of Michigan State.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: Denver / La Junta
  • 10,820 posts
Posted by mudchicken on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 10:32 AM

[quote user="diningcar"]

mudchicken
Swink, Joes, Idalia, Two Buttes (many-cheeks), Walsh, Kit Carson, Cheyenne Wells, Peetz, Pritchett, Punkin Center, Last Chance et al need a new press agent. ( Diningcar is more of a Colorado  native than me [I'm a resident alien?]- his old stomping grounds is full of obscure spots that would bewilder Denverites.) 

How about authentic dinosaur tracks in the Picketwire River bottom, about thirty- five miles south from La Junta; upstream from Higby abut ten miles.

 

There you go, let's add Higby, Karval and Kim to the list ... The locals are wearing-out the dino footprints on the far west side of the Denver metro at Morrison/ Redrocks. The area at Higby, managed by the Commanche NG people in the Forest Service, are still relatively unknown.

Mudchicken Nothing is worth taking the risk of losing a life over. Come home tonight in the same condition that you left home this morning in. Safety begins with ME.... cinscocom-west
  • Member since
    September 2002
  • From: Sterling Heights, Michigan
  • 1,691 posts
Posted by SD60MAC9500 on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 4:40 PM

MidlandMike

Back on the subject of questionable yard investment, UP was a partner in the Mid-Willamette Valley Intermodal Center in Millersburg, Oregon built last year.  I see headlines that it has never had business, but the articles were behind a paywall.  Does anyone know what's happening there?

 

 

There’s was never an agreement to, how, or who will supply empty containers. None of the alliance’s have made a commitment. There’s also no import side that was developed.

This facility being located on UP I-5 corridor, is actually in a good location for pickup or setout. The problem is UP is not going to stop and work this facility, due to the imbalance of export only..

ConGlobal who contracted to operate the facility backed out.. Just an FYI ConGlobal is one of the largest domestic intermodal facility contract operators in the nation. For them to back out says quite a bit about the situation.

Rahhhhhhhhh!!!!
  • Member since
    September 2011
  • 6,449 posts
Posted by MidlandMike on Wednesday, January 10, 2024 7:41 PM

NKP guy

 

 
Gramp
By the way, as the Baltimore and Ohio built west toward the Ohio River, which city did it seek to reach the River?

 

Wheeling, Virginia was, I believe, the original goal of the B&O, reflecting the fact that rivers were the routes to the interior of the country at that time.  If the other two cites that you're referencing are Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, I believe they were reached considerably later.

The Erie Railroad used the Atlantic & Great Western RR to reach from western New York to Hamilton, Ohio and (via trackage rights) Cincinnati when it opened in 1863, because before the Civil War traffic patterns were largely north - south; the war put an end to that.  Later, Chicago became the desired end point for eastern railroads because of, and shortly after the Civil War.  The Erie built a subsidiary to reach Chicago from Marion, O., and the former trunk line to Hamilton lost much of its importance to that railroad.  Chicago became the point from which to access the trans-Mississippi west, not because of the Pacific railroad at first, but because of its location on the Great Lakes.  The harvests of the Plains made their way east largely by water; think of all those grain silos in Buffalo.

The Civil War changed traffic patters from primarily north - south, to primarily east - west, and Cincinnati and New Orleans, to say nothing of Wheeling, fell behind Chicago in importance.  Geography is destiny.

 

The NYC, PRR, B&O and C&O were all built westward, in competition with canals such as the Erie Canal, C&O Canal and the James River Canal.  The Michigan Central, Lake Shore & Michigan Southern (both later NYC) and the PRR (subsidiary) all reached Chicago by the 1850s.  The Erie RR was first built to Dunkirk, NY on Lake Erie where it connected to boats for Detroit and west.

Join our Community!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

Search the Community

Newsletter Sign-Up

By signing up you may also receive occasional reader surveys and special offers from Trains magazine.Please view our privacy policy