Like sands through the hourglass...

[BaltACD]

tree68

We used to see bauxite come through, headed for the aluminum plants that used power from the Seaway to make their product.  It was shipped in covered hoppers (does that make them baux cars?)

One night a hopper leaking a bit of bauxite (a powdery substance, apparently).  A number of people were all aflutter about this potential hazmat situation.  A phone call to the railroad settled that.

The bauxite was imported through the pier at Hawkins Point in the Port of Baltimore.  Eastalco Aluminum had a plant at Lime Kiln, MD and a local operated 6 days a week operating out the Old Main Line from Curtis Bay Yard taking the loaded bauxite out to the plant and bringing the empties back to Curtis Bay as well as servicing the local cusomers between Lime Kiln and Baltimore located on the Old Main Line.  The Eastalco plant got shut down by its owner.  Subsequently the bauxite was routed to a plant in upper New York state with about 30 cars moving twice weekly.

Hawkins Point pier is still there, I don't know if it is still being used to import bauxite.

[tree68]

We used to see bauxite come through, headed for the aluminum plants that used power from the Seaway to make their product.  It was shipped in covered hoppers (does that make them baux cars?)

One night a hopper leaking a bit of bauxite (a powdery substance, apparently).  A number of people were all aflutter about this potential hazmat situation.  A phone call to the railroad settled that.

[SD70Dude]

Or the shipper might be at fault for not securing the car doors properly.

I've seen grain elevators forget to make sure the bottom hopper doors are closed before they load a car......

[BaltACD]

selector

Surely people are savvy enough, if they run a sustainable business, to specify in a contract that a carrier must deliver what was consigned to them for delivery, and if it is in dispute, or can be disputed, that an empirical/objective form of evidence would be tabled between the two parties about the condition of the cargo, including if some if it spills en-route....?  IOW, a weighing facility whose product both parties agree to accept?

Everything involved is specified in the various clauses that are part of the Bill of Lading that is executed for each shipment that is tendered to the carriers.  The Bill of Lading is the legal document that applies to nominally all the aspects of transporting shipments over the carriers.  The Bill of Lading is nominally standard amongst all carriers.

That is what the Claim Process for loss and damage is all about.  There is a designated department of each carrier whose sole job is to react to claims and hopefully come to mutually agreeable resolution of the claim.

[selector]

Surely people are savvy enough, if they run a sustainable business, to specify in a contract that a carrier must deliver what was consigned to them for delivery, and if it is in dispute, or can be disputed, that an empirical/objective form of evidence would be tabled between the two parties about the condition of the cargo, including if some if it spills en-route....?  IOW, a weighing facility whose product both parties agree to accept?

[BaltACD]

Murphy Siding

     At a crossing near my house, a train stopped for about 10 minutes. In that time two cars leaked a fair amount of fine, white sand. Considering the amount of sand leaked, the time the cars sat there and guessing the cars were on a two-week rail trip, I come up with someone on the receiving end being about 32 tons short of sand.  Who pays for that?

Presuming that the consignee notices that they received less product than they purchased they will initiate claim against the railroad for lost product and it will be handled through the damage claims procedures.

[Murphy Siding]

     At a crossing near my house, a train stopped for about 10 minutes. In that time two cars leaked a fair amount of fine, white sand. Considering the amount of sand leaked, the time the cars sat there and guessing the cars were on a two-week rail trip, I come up with someone on the receiving end being about 32 tons short of sand.  Who pays for that?