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I wonder what the ultimate destination of all the empty containers on the many eastbound container trains is; ie, do they end up on an enormous pile of empty containers? Some are sold, as I see ads for the sale of containers for storage bins, but with the quantity heading east, everyone east of the Mississippi must have a container in their back yard. Are they used as a breakwater for extending eastern seaboard ports? Do they continue full circle across Europe and Asia to be refilled in China, Korea and Japan to start their eastbound journey anew? The number of eastbound container trains far exceeds the number of westbound empty spline car, TOFC, and COFC trains (by my count). I am a curious California railfan.

Well if you look at the history of railroads the P&LE was the envy of most others because their hoppers hauled coal to the lake and iron ore from the lake. Most railroads return cars or a large portion empty in one direction. There is no reason to believe containers would be any different. BUT - a lot of containers crossing the US and Canada are headed for Europe and it is quicker to run them across country by train and reload at Halifax or another east coast port to continue the trip. So a lot of containers that are stacked up in the east are waiting for ships to continue the journey. There does seem to be a plethora of containers. here in Chicago I see vast quantities of them stacked up at several areas. One has to wonder if the third world can't produce them at a rate and price that makes them expendable but then I don't understand a lot about the transportation business. How can some farmer in the Imperial Valley grow a head of lettuce and a company ship it to Chicago and it sits in a supermarket for 79 cents? Yet everybody is making money and happy wth the deal including my wife. Go figure.

container destination (elephant graveyard?)