Containers going to Intermodal facilities

[rluke]

Thanks to all for the replies. Curiosity is satisfied.

[Paul_D_North_Jr]

Depends on the level of service that's desired and being paid for, too -most railroads have 'tiers' for that - "next train out" vs. "any time today" or "as long as it gets there in the next 5 days", etc.  Empties - which would be about half the volume you see - presumably go as "standby", on a "space available"l basis.

- Paul North. 

[oltmannd]

BaltACD

 

 

rluke

What if the container shows up "too" early?  Is there a holding area?

thanks

 

 

Not everyone can show up at the cut off time - arriving containers are 'dropped' in a parking slot along with their chassis and then loaded to rail cars when necessary.

 

In fact, there are some rather sophisticated computer systems that try to optimize where to park and when to load.

[BaltACD]

rluke

What if the container shows up "too" early?  Is there a holding area?

thanks

Not everyone can show up at the cut off time - arriving containers are 'dropped' in a parking slot along with their chassis and then loaded to rail cars when necessary.

[rluke]

What if the container shows up "too" early?  Is there a holding area?

thanks

[oltmannd]

Yes.  There is a cut-off time you have to be in the terminal in order to be lifted for a specific train.  Typically, it's about two hours ahead, but if your name is UPS....

[rluke]

During the winter months I have a nice view of I-77 out my back window. On some day I observe a steady stream of shipping containers heading in both directions while other days there are just a few. I assume that these are going to the NS facility just south of Cleveland or to CSX  Collinwood.  Is there a specific time window that these container must arrive at the intermodal facility? And if so, how much of small of a time window?

Thanks