When it comes to unit trains, and the application of unit train tariffs in most cases - it requires loading the train within 24 hours and also unloading it within 24 hours. Since we are normally talking about trains of from 65 to 130 cars - you are having to load and unload between 6500 and 13,000 tons of product within 24 hours - whatever 'behind the scenes' processes exist have to be able handle these tonnages for both loading and unloading.
A unit train is a whole lot of product!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
They shoula sent it by barge.
Norm
Murphy Siding Is it that rice doesn't move in large quantities like other grains, or is it more likely to move in bagged form? Seems like there'd be some pretty big movements of rice into the Rice Krispie factory somewhere, or is that stuff made by elves in a tree? It's not always clear. For all I know, Snap, Crackle and Pop may all have the same last name-Keebler?
Is it that rice doesn't move in large quantities like other grains, or is it more likely to move in bagged form? Seems like there'd be some pretty big movements of rice into the Rice Krispie factory somewhere, or is that stuff made by elves in a tree? It's not always clear. For all I know, Snap, Crackle and Pop may all have the same last name-Keebler?
The Kellogg's plant in Omaha does, or did anyway, get rice by rail. (They also used to ship finished product by box car, but that's gone now.) I had a manifest train that came out of Kansas City. Killing time waiting for our turn I read through the train consist. We had a covered hopper of rice going to Kellogg's in Omaha. Via South St. Paul MN.
Our train wasn't scheduled to do work enroute, so that car was going to make the round trip. That's why I put in the, "or did anyway" in the first sentence.
Jeff
Rice is most definitely used in the chemical processes that make nasty tasting beer like Budweiser and Molson Canadian. Not to mention all the other chemicals that go into that swill.
Goderich, Ontario has a very busy rail line and port handling what they call "pulse" crops. All kinds of peas, beans of all types that without a doubt cause a rise in the methane levels of the atmosphere.
Stuttgart is the rice and duck capital of the world according to their Chamber of Commerce. See http://www.stuttgartarkansas.org/ . It sits in what is called the Grand Prairie of Arkansas, one of the largest rice growing areas in our country.
SALfan A lot of rice is grown around Stuttgart, in SE Arkansas. Have no idea whether it is hauled in unit trains.
A lot of rice is grown around Stuttgart, in SE Arkansas. Have no idea whether it is hauled in unit trains.
Actually the state that grows the most rice is Arkansas, producing twice as much rice as California. See http://www.arkansasricefarmers.org/arkansas-rice-facts/ and www.usarice.com/doclib/188/219/3674.PDF With California's drought problem its rice production will likely slide. The other four rice growing states in rank order after California are Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas.
David1005 Most of the rice grown in the US is grown in Northern California and a majority of that is exported to Asia. It use to be it was loaded on ships at the Port of West Sacramento. Travel from the field to the port too short of a trip for a rail move. There were also hopper car moves of broken rice to makers of beer. I do not recall movements of more than 10 cars at a time, many to the LA area.
Most of the rice grown in the US is grown in Northern California and a majority of that is exported to Asia. It use to be it was loaded on ships at the Port of West Sacramento. Travel from the field to the port too short of a trip for a rail move. There were also hopper car moves of broken rice to makers of beer. I do not recall movements of more than 10 cars at a time, many to the LA area.
SALfanA lot of rice is grown around Stuttgart, in SE Arkansas. Have no idea whether it is hauled in unit trains.
I have never seen anything but cuts of loose-car covered hoppers. That doesn't mean there coudn't be dedicated blocks of cars in the service... or the possibility of running a unit train at certain times of year.
Deggesty Norm48327 Probably the only place rice moves in large lots is Japan when it is enroute to the Sake distilleries. Norm, I am wondering: since sake is made through a brewing process, what is distilled from sake?
Norm48327 Probably the only place rice moves in large lots is Japan when it is enroute to the Sake distilleries.
Probably the only place rice moves in large lots is Japan when it is enroute to the Sake distilleries.
Norm, I am wondering: since sake is made through a brewing process, what is distilled from sake?
kasutori shōchū, for one.
Johnny
I remember, in the days before "Golden West Service", that a lot of SP and SSW Center Flow covered hoppers were lettered for "clean rice service". Even if that weren't enough to fill out a unit train consist or several, it would seem to indicate that there was a demand for bulk rice shipment at one time.
Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
The area around Sacramento, California grows tremendous amounts of rice. Drive along I-5 north or south of Sacramento and you will rice pddies for miles on wither side of the freeway.
I am not aware of rice being used in many industrial chemical/manufacturing processes. The grains that move in unit trains are normally moving to consignees that use it for some form of manufacturing or chemical process. Corn, Soybeans, Wheat and their derivatives are used in myrid of manufactured products and processes as well as being export commodities for similar products and processes overseas.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
A few years ago we handled trainloads of oats in covered hoppers to Quaker Oats in Cedar Rapids, IA. To a causal observer they would've appeared to be unit trains, but I don't think they met the technical definition of one.
Can't really call it a unit train, but we get a solid blockof boxcars loaded with USDA bagged export rice here....average is 40 to 45 cars at a pop.
Lentil also, same USDA export commodity, same number of cars, but not as often as the rice.
And we do get unit grain trains, 120 to 125 car count, of corn.
23 17 46 11
In my part of the world, corn, soy beans and wheat move in (lots) of unit trains. How about other grains? Do they produce volumes to rival those three? Rice? Wheat? Barley? Sorgum? Milo(my old bosss)?
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