It is understood how classification of general freight trains are made...either hump yards or flat yards with blocks assembled for intermediate or destination points.
How are intermodals sorted? For example, in watching the CSX operations at either Deshler or Fostoria, one is aware of high volume of intermodal trains which originate or destined at NWO - North Baltimore. These intermodal (primarily containers) typically move thru NWO.
Big trains to/from UP and BNSF operate into and out of NWO. Also CSX intermodals operate to and from Atlanta (Louisville and intermediate points), Detroit, Philadelphia (NJ, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Cleveland), Columbus, and Syracuse. The Syracuse and Philadelphia trains are huge, usually near 400 containers or more. Syracuse feeds Boston area. In addition there are Chicago trains which do not work NWO.
Here is my question. Does NWO (or other similar intermodal yard) break down each car's containers and resort for destination, or are the originating yards, such as Syracuse, instructed to block similar destination containers in a block.
For instance the Syracuse - NWO train I161 will usually have in excess of 400 containers and often over 13000 ft in length. This train, I assume, feeds both the BNSF and UP bound trains plus other destinations. Does Syracuse build blocks of UP, BNSF, and other destinations (such as Louisville)? Or does that locations simply flood load containers and NWO then builds destinations, stripping all containers and resorting?
It seems like Syracuse and other intermodal yards should be building blocks for destination in order to reduce handling expense.
Curious how this is handled, particularly CSX with NWO.
Ed
I work in Syracuse and frequently head over to the Dewitt yard on lunch to observe the goings-on. While I can't tell you for certain what they are doing, they routinely are moving and switching intermodal cars back and forth in the intermodal yard, so I have to assume they are doing some sort of block building there.
When I worked into North Baltimore right after it opened and for a few years afterward some containers were sorted by moving them from one car to another using the overhead cranes. Others were sorted by switching cars from one train to another.
Mark
Fred Frailey wrote a blog at this site several years ago "Twenty-four hours at Willow Springs" which detailed operations at this BNSF operation in western Chicago.
Does anyone have current details about Willow Springs?
diningcar Fred Frailey wrote a blog at this site several years ago "Twenty-four hours at Willow Springs" which detailed operations at this BNSF operation in western Chicago. Does anyone have current details about Willow Springs?
WSP is currently near capacity. BNSF is in the process of expanding Cicero (CHC) to take up the slack. Though I wonder if BNSF will need to eventually build another faciltiy for premium intermodal in the Chicago region.
Fred's article (as with most of his Trains contributions) were very detailed and covered considerable operational challenges and proceedures...sure miss his contributions.
Willow Springs is a bit different than NWO in that it was at one end of BNSF operating system and would build trains, along with Corwith for destinations.
NWO seems to be a hub, breaking off of inbound trains and building destinations with very little, if any originating loads.
Perhaps an intersting Trains article would be "24 hours at Northwest Ohio" which would detail the many fascinating aspects of that terminal. Lots of routes converge into that yard.
MP173NWO seems to be a hub, breaking off of inbound trains and building destinations with very little, if any originating loads.
A large UPS facility across the road from NWO appears to be sitting idle...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
The Chicago UPS Center is adjacent to the Willow Springs yard and is why Santa Fe chose to construct the Willow Springs facility beginning in the late 1980's. I happened to be very involved in this project at that time.
MP173 NWO seems to be a hub, breaking off of inbound trains and building destinations with very little, if any originating loads.
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MP173 It is understood how classification of general freight trains are made...either hump yards or flat yards with blocks assembled for intermediate or destination points. How are intermodal sorted? For example, in watching the CSX operations at either Deshler or Fostoria, one is aware of high volume of intermodal trains which originate or destined at NWO - North Baltimore. These intermodal (primarily containers) typically move thru NWO. Big trains to/from UP and BNSF operate into and out of NWO. Also CSX intermodals operate to and from Atlanta (Louisville and intermediate points), Detroit, Philadelphia (NJ, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Cleveland), Columbus, and Syracuse. The Syracuse and Philadelphia trains are huge, usually near 400 containers or more. Syracuse feeds Boston area. In addition there are Chicago trains which do not work NWO. Here is my question. Does NWO (or other similar intermodal yard) break down each car's containers and resort for destination, or are the originating yards, such as Syracuse, instructed to block similar destination containers in a block. For instance the Syracuse - NWO train I161 will usually have in excess of 400 containers and often over 13000 ft in length. This train, I assume, feeds both the BNSF and UP bound trains plus other destinations. Does Syracuse build blocks of UP, BNSF, and other destinations (such as Louisville)? Or does that locations simply flood load containers and NWO then builds destinations, stripping all containers and resorting? It seems like Syracuse and other intermodal yards should be building blocks for destination in order to reduce handling expense. Curious how this is handled, particularly CSX with NWO. Ed
How are intermodal sorted? For example, in watching the CSX operations at either Deshler or Fostoria, one is aware of high volume of intermodal trains which originate or destined at NWO - North Baltimore. These intermodal (primarily containers) typically move thru NWO.
For the most part, NWO does not "re lift" a container. The goal is to have the cars pre blocked with all of the same destination in the same car. There are some exceptions but few.
Also don't forget about CPKC having a train for NWO. I166 runs between Chicago and Buffalo, and carries a Detroit block for Oak yard. I150 takes the cars to Detroit. I151 and I165 run the reverse.
An "expensive model collector"
I was unaware of the CP drop in NWO. I saw on various info that CP165/166 "worked NWO" but in listening on web scanner didnt hear any such work.
will pay a little more attention and compare Deshler and Fostoria visuals.
Thanks for detailed info.
MP173I was unaware of the CP drop in NWO.
There's enough foreign power going through Deshler (much of it IM destined for NWO) that a not infrequent question on the chat is "what railroad is this?"
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