I'd sure like to see someone knowledgeable write an article on the CSX N. Baltimore intermodal transfer facility.
Ed is right, this seems to be a container hub. It looks like it will function similarly to the Triple Crown hub at Ft. Wayne, which is not that far from N. Baltimore. If this works, it will open a lot of new market potential to CSX. CSX wouldn't have taken this long term investment risk if their marketing and operations research didn't indicate that it would work. But there is no certainty.
CSX just announced a $15 million investment in their Louisville, KY intermodal terminal and is establishing intermodal train service between Louisville and N. Baltimore. This is an example of what the N. Baltimore hub can make possible. Louisville may originate and receive significant freight volumes, but they're not concentrated to any specific origin/destination. The diverse origins/destinations precluded aggregating loads in trainload volumes, even for shorter trains. . So Louisville was largely left to the truckers.
Taking the containers through the N. Baltimore hub will allow CSX to aggregate loads to/from several origins/destinations and create economical train sizes to serve Louisville. For example, one train originating in Louisville.can take loads for Boston, the New York area, the Philadelphia area, Chicago connections to the west coast, etc. The Achilles Heel of intermodal is the need to aggregate individual loads into economical train size production units. Truckers do not have this problem.
Establishing a hub like this minimizes the aggregation problem. I hope this works. Offsetting the advantages of the hub will be the added cost of operating the facility and potential increases in transit times. Although it seems CSX is not disrupting existing time sensitive (UPS) schedules.
Some folks at CSX understood the situation, did the research, developed a plan, and convinced the money guys that this would be a good long term investment. The people who did that didn't have an easy task. They deserve recognition.
Now we'll see if it works.
north baltimore is hopping.sometimes the intermodals are sooo looong that they need to work off the main.haven't heard of the work on the galetea connection starting yet(just east of I-75).
stay safe
Joe
Deshler Ohio-crossroads of the B&O Matt eats your fries.YUM! Clinton st viaduct undefeated against too tall trucks!!!(voted to be called the "Clinton St. can opener").
It seems that CSX is now integrating the North Baltimore, Oh intermodal yard into a larger operation. Train symbols seem to have changed for certain trains, trains have been added and dropped.
Many of the old reliable UPS and other hot trains seem to be running on about the same schedule, but have new symbols. For instance, the old Q110, the ultra hot Mail Train from Chicago to North Bergen NJ is now Q010, as are other trains such as Q100 = Q002, Q117 = Q017, Q118 = Q018, Q119 = Q019, etc.
Other trains such as Q112, Q138, Q147, Q156, Q157, Q161, and Q163 seem to be running on the same symbols and perhaps same schedules (I dont have times, just hear the trains called).
The Q135/136 Chicago-Chambersburg, Pa pair is now Q015/016. Q135/136 is now a North Baltimore/Portsmouth, Va pair.
The Q146/147 - Chicago-Columbus pair are now Q146 - North Baltimore - Columbus with 147 still Columbus to Chicago. The Q148/149 Chicago/Cleveland pair is now North Baltimore/Cleveland.
There are now two Chicago - North Baltimore trains - Q170 and Q196 and a North Baltimore to Chicago Q167.
North Baltimore seems to be a hub for intermodal running to and from: Chicago, Portsmouth, Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, and Detroit, with North Baltimore building a Boston train, no doubt from the inbounds from Cincy, Columbus, Cleveland and Detroit.
Seems like a plan.
Ed
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