Railport.
It has become an economic development fad. Every town desires one. Come down with your horse and wagon. Load up what came in on a rail car and take it home. It's not too far from where the old railroad freight house used to be.
https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-new-railport-set-to-make-des-moines-a-major-train-hub/39139078?fbclid=IwAR1YDcJxDnErGHZcsgVVBb2tfV7spRZZzidGBHdcj-uyLGdbvRsobXUNJJc#
Well, ok. They're excited about this. I understand. But they're suggesting that one of the items that can be brought through this reload center is lumber? There have been lumber reload centers on rail lines distributing lumber all over the country for the 41 years I've been in the lumber business. In fact, I bet I could find a half dozen right there in the Des Moines area. It doesn't seem like they're building a better mousetrap, or even reinventing an old moustrap. Maybe I'm being too critical. It is Iowa- "build it and they will come" territory. And there is that "public-private" partnership they talked about $$$$. The article sounds like they built this awesome thing and now all they need is customers? Good luck.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Murphy SidingWell, ok. They're excited about this. I understand. But they're suggesting that one of the items that can be brought through this reload center is lumber? There have been lumber reload centers on rail lines distributing lumber all over the country for the 41 years I've been in the lumber business. In fact, I bet I could find a half dozen right there in the Des Moines area.
Heh, I think you missed the point. This is cheaper by nature of the fact it is multi-purpose and does not handle just lumber, far more efficient to be multi-purpose and reduces the cost for those that ship lumber this way over having a dedicated facility. Fractional cost with this facility vs. full cost with dedicated facility for lumber.
They will not have any issue finding customers look at shortlines in Dallas they all have at least one transload facility on their line and direct customers to it in order to generate more revenue. The concept is proven and is used pretty extensively already.
Still just a twist on the team track/ cross-dock operations with a middleman.
Seems as oif we are revisited by that 'old saw':
"...Everythng that is old is now new again..." ??
Norris; many of us 'old-geezer types remember when the railroads had 'freight houses' in about every division point(?)... many times in conjunction with 'Railway Express' delivery areas [REA had at least, a spur/Team track available for 'pool cars']....
The railroads utilized pool cars to move freight between 'points' on their systems, and when it became larger volumes; they formed thir own trucking operations [MoPac,AT&SF, R.I.are some, I remember].
Not exqctl;y sure what 'killed' those part of the railroad's participation? They a;ll; seemed to die sometime started ion the late 1950's and most were gone by the early 1970's(?).
The railroads and REA were major presences in most places, particularly in smaller to medium-sized communities(?). Sears, Roebuck & Co. sold a lot of pre-fabed houses, which were delivered off railroads. The railroads delivered alot of major home appliances, many came through various catalogue sales operations. As they went away, so it seemed, did railroad pool car and warehousing and delivery services (?)
I think it's a great idea... anything to make it easier for the average business to work with rail is a good thing. Most shippers even today are under the wrong impression that rail is only for the large Fortune 100 shippers who move trainloads at a time. The average 20 employee machine shop won't even consider using rail.. Build more transload centers and get the sales people to think retail instead of wholesale..
Who was the poster here who used to always groan and moan about the demise of team tracks?
Maybe I've missed the point. I only point out the lumber because I'm a lumber guy. Lots of other items are shipped through railroad distribution centers in our area. It's nothing new. Here's the catch. If you want to cash in on those *huge savings* by shipping something by rail through a reload facility, you have to buy a full train car of the goods. That's about 4 semi truck loads. You then have to pay to have it hauled from there to your facility. Or, you can just pay to have it trucked from the source to your facility. Building materials shipped to us on a rail car are competitive because we have our own rail spur to unload with our equipment and employees. The same materials shipped through any of the 3 reloads near us are not competitive once you factor in the costs involved. I know, I know. It's a public-private partnership to try and turn back time. Good luck, and say hi to Marty McFly back in 1955.
Convicted One Who was the poster here who used to always groan and moan about the demise of team tracks?
samfp1943Seems as oif we are revisited by that 'old saw': "...Everythng that is old is now new again..." ?? Norris; many of 'old-geezer types remember when the railroads had 'freight hoses' in about every division point(?)... many times in conjunction with 'Railway Express' delivery areas [REA had at least, a spur track available for 'pool cars'].... The railroads utilized pool cars to move freight between 'points' on their systems, and when it became larger volumes; they formed thir own trucking operations [MoPac,AT&SF, R.I.are some, I remember]. Not exqctl;y sure what 'killed' those part of the railroad's participation? They a;ll; seemed to die sometime started ion the late 1950's and ost were gopne by the early 1970's(?). The railroads and REA were major presences in most places, particularly in smaller to medium-sized communities(?). Sears, Roebuck&Co. sold a lot of pre-fabed houses, which were delivered off railroads. The railroads delivered alot of major home appliances, many came through various catalogue sales operations. As they went away, so it seemed did railroad pool car and warehousing delivery services (?)
Norris; many of 'old-geezer types remember when the railroads had 'freight hoses' in about every division point(?)... many times in conjunction with 'Railway Express' delivery areas [REA had at least, a spur track available for 'pool cars']....
Not exqctl;y sure what 'killed' those part of the railroad's participation? They a;ll; seemed to die sometime started ion the late 1950's and ost were gopne by the early 1970's(?).
The railroads and REA were major presences in most places, particularly in smaller to medium-sized communities(?). Sears, Roebuck&Co. sold a lot of pre-fabed houses, which were delivered off railroads. The railroads delivered alot of major home appliances, many came through various catalogue sales operations. As they went away, so it seemed did railroad pool car and warehousing delivery services (?)
That was part of LCL - Less than Car Load services offered by the railroads. During the 20's & 30's it became increasingly regulate on both the state and national stages and the additional regulations sucked much of the profit from it. LCL died in the 1950's. REA Express succumbed to the dying throws of the American passenger train network through the 50's & 60's.
Every 'station' I worked in the 1960's had a 'freight room' that was part of the station and most had Team Tracks. At the time I was working, nethier of these amenities were being used where I worked.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Somewhere along the line years ago I picked up a 1920's book "The Station Agent's Blue Book" published by Kirkpatrick Publishing Company in Chicago.
This 520 page big book is a reference for Station Agents covering nearly all details from issueing Bills of Lading, Freight Classification, ordering cars, accepting freight, loading and unloading freight, per diem, over short and damage (OS&D), freight claims, diversion and reconsignment, storage, switching, freight bills, station records, monthly reports...and on and on.
Lots of neat stuff in there if you are an old "freight guy" like I was in LTL trucking. Included in the book are nearly 200 illustrations of forms and reports.
The local freight station used to be an important place in town.
These transload, warehouse, cross dock facilities would be a great marketing tool for the regional and shortlines. One could truely go "intermodal".
Ed
I didn't see anywhere where tracks came close enough to the warehouse to un/load directly between rail and warehouse.
MidlandMikeI didn't see anywhere where tracks came close enough to the warehouse to un/load directly between rail and warehouse.
Like BNS-UPS at Willow Springs; perhaps with modifications to accommodate different needs?
3 years ago I shipped my car to Europe. It went from Toronto to Halifax by CN. I could not deal with CN directly but had to deal with a third party that handled cars. When the car was returned from Europe and arrived back in the CN yard North of Toronto, a guy from CN called me to alert the car shipper to come and collect the car. I asked him if I could go to the yard myself. He said that I could not, but had to deal with the company who sent the car to them. Clearing customs was a pain but it came through without a scratch.
I do recall going to the station in Amityville, New York to pick up a package at the freight house just East of the station building in what, 1961?. I remember the two seperate buildings. I assume it came by REA because I sure recall their trucks in town but we had to go to the station to get it and it wasn't delivered to the house. The buildings were torn down when they elevated the tracks in the 1960s.
Also, if you look closely in the opening shot before starting the video, on the upper left corner of the warehouse you can see a track that curves around the back side of the warehouse.
(41.5859360, -93.5910343)u
https://goo.gl/maps/yfTkm6o5PA9RGpm68
In this photo the roof is under construction and ballast is being laid for connections to several nearby railroads, including one to the southwest.
It looks like it is adjacent to the Iowa Interstate immediately to the north of the new tracks for the transload facility, UP's yard is just to the east, and it appears to connect to the very stub end of the BNSF branch from Albia, IA with the west track for which ballast has been laid in the photo.
kgbw49 Also, if you look closely in the opening shot before starting the video, on the upper left corner of the warehouse you can see a track that curves around the back side of the warehouse.
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