Tropicana Juice Train

[rjemery]

What is the route and approximate schedule of the Tropicana Juice Train to New York City (Manhattan), if that is the correct destination?  I've never seen this train, and I would like to see it just once.

[P42 108]

The Juice Train is operated by CSX. Tropicana and CSX have a facility in Brandenton, Florida. Loaded trains head out to distribution centers in Jersey City, NJ and Cincinnati, OH. Empty trains head back to Florida as quickly as possible. If you ever need information on a train operating over CSX, check out their website. Usually you can find at least some kind of useful information. I typed Tropicana into the search engine on CSX's website and came up with a page that might be useful to you. Check out http://www.csx.com/?fuseaction=customers.food_sunshine 

The trains run right by my aun'ts house in Florida. I can ask her what time they run by her house if that will be any help. As for an exact schedule, perhaps another railfan can help you out who lives along the route. Unfortunately the Juice Train does not go through Connecticut.

[Anonymous]

I believe CSX carries-on the tradition from Seaboard Coast Line's juice trains.  Had to get that in since SCL's a favorite of mine.

[oltmannd]

It runs on the former B&O from Wash DC to Philly, then former Reading through West Trenton to Bound Brook, then former LV from their to Tropicana Facility which is adjacent to the NJT Meadows Maint Facility, near South Kearny NJ.

Have no idea if commercial schedule is "out there" (you might try the Bull Sheet web site) or if the train's time keeping is any good.

[rjemery]

 

It runs on the former B&O from Wash DC to Philly, then former Reading through West Trenton to Bound Brook, then former LV from their to Tropicana Facility which is adjacent to the NJT Meadows Maint Facility, near South Kearny NJ.

Have no idea if commercial schedule is "out there" (you might try the Bull Sheet web site) or if the train's time keeping is any good.

If it runs on the ex-LV, then it should pass my favorite train watching site -- Potter(s Crossing), Inman Avenue in Edison, NJ.  Most of my train watching time is late afternoon to early evening during daylight hours -- plenty of garbage trains at that time.  The line between Potter and Bound Brook was recently double-tracked.

The Juice Express must pass in the night or early morning.

FWIW, there is little traffic on the ex-LV Friday night and Saturday.  It begins to pick up again on Sunday.  One would think it would be 50/50 CSX/NS, but I see more CSX movements than NS.  Last time I saw Conrail power there was many months ago.

 

[Tharmeni]

 

I live in Bradenton.

If you're along SR64 around 11 a.m., you'll see a northbound Juice Train come out of the plant within a 60-minute time frame.

[oltmannd]

Here's the commercial schedule for The Juice:

http://www.bullsheet.com/news/Q740.html

Looks like it's thru Manville at 3AM.

Also, I think Tropicanna relocated from Kearny to Greenville, but route is still the same.

[blue streak 1]

when visiting the A&WP sub for a couple days obseved a northbound UP led double stack with 6 - 10 tropicana cars on it 4 days running. Any ideas?

[ericsp]

when visiting the A&WP sub for a couple days obseved a northbound UP led double stack with 6 - 10 tropicana cars on it 4 days running. Any ideas?

The cars were probably going to the Tropicana distribution center in the City of Industry, CA.

Here are some links to related topics.

http://cs.trains.com/forums/290997/ShowPost.aspx

http://cs.trains.com/forums/1222823/ShowPost.aspx

http://cs.trains.com/forums/993011/ShowPost.aspx

[oltmannd]

I think those were Orlando to Chicago Juice cars.  Not enough for a whole train. I've seen them dribble back empty on merchandise frts thru Atlanta.

[BaltACD]

Here's the commercial schedule for The Juice:

http://www.bullsheet.com/news/Q740.html

Looks like it's thru Manville at 3AM.

Also, I think Tropicanna relocated from Kearny to Greenville, but route is still the same.

Q740 is currently scheduled to arrive the Tropicana facility at Greenville at 0530.

[Ted Marshall]

The Juice Train is operated by CSX. Tropicana and CSX have a facility in Brandenton, Florida. Loaded trains head out to distribution centers in Jersey City, NJ and Cincinnati, OH. Empty trains head back to Florida as quickly as possible. If you ever need information on a train operating over CSX, check out their website. Usually you can find at least some kind of useful information. I typed Tropicana into the search engine on CSX's website and came up with a page that might be useful to you. Check out http://www.csx.com/?fuseaction=customers.food_sunshine 

The trains run right by my aun'ts house in Florida. I can ask her what time they run by her house if that will be any help. As for an exact schedule, perhaps another railfan can help you out who lives along the route. Unfortunately the Juice Train does not go through Connecticut.

Tropicana juice cars also move on the FEC to and from their plant on the K-Branch near Ft. Pierce. They're hooked up to and cut away from the juice train at CSX's Moncrief Yard in Jacksonville. Some also go west to California on BNSF.

[cbqjohn]

 Any idea where the Chicago destination/plant is? AND what route/roads they travel?

[Ted Marshall]

The Juice Train is operated by CSX. Tropicana and CSX have a facility in Brandenton, Florida. Loaded trains head out to distribution centers in Jersey City, NJ and Cincinnati, OH. Empty trains head back to Florida as quickly as possible. If you ever need information on a train operating over CSX, check out their website. Usually you can find at least some kind of useful information. I typed Tropicana into the search engine on CSX's website and came up with a page that might be useful to you. Check out http://www.csx.com/?fuseaction=customers.food_sunshine 

The trains run right by my aun'ts house in Florida. I can ask her what time they run by her house if that will be any help. As for an exact schedule, perhaps another railfan can help you out who lives along the route. Unfortunately the Juice Train does not go through Connecticut.

Tropicana juice cars also move on the FEC to and from their plant on the K-Branch near Ft. Pierce. They're hooked up to and cut away from the juice train at CSX's Moncrief Yard in Jacksonville. Some also go west to California on BNSF.

Correction: That would be City of Industry, CA via UP, 2-3 cars per day a couple of times a week.

Here's a quote from Brad Kindschy, a member of the FECRailway Yahoo Group posted a couple of days ago:

"Last I knew (early 2007), the FEC ran a dedicated job to Moncreif with the
Tropicana's early to mid-morning. From there, Tropicana/CSX has three
destinations for the Juice."

"Highest volume (40-60 cars per day) is the Juice Train- Q740 (ex-K650) - from
Bradenton, FL-Greenville, NJ. Q740 turns east at Baldwin and runs into
Jacksonville to pick up the FEC Juice and set out any Cincy/City of Industry
Juice. Empties return on Q741, which stops in Philly to pick up a small block
of Florida Intermodal... tropicana's are generally on the rear south of Philly,
which is a way to tell it apart from Q141."

"Next highest volume is the Cincinnati Juice (10-20 cars per day). This used to
run as a dedicated train twice a week in the 90's (K652), but now runs 6 days
per week (ex-Su) on CSX Jacksonville-Cincinnati intermodal Q142. The
tropicana's are always on the head end. Once in Queensgate, a yard job ferries
to the Tropicana Distribution Center in a Suburb. Empties back on Q141 from
Cincy-Jax."

"Lowest volume is the Juice to City of Industry, CA (LA Basin). Runs 2-3 cars
per day a couple times a week. They used to run on Q101 Jax to new orleans, but
CSX now takes them to Atlanta on JAX-ATL intermodal Q154. At Hulsey Yard, they
are added to Q145 (ATL-NWO). Q145 becomes UP train KATLB (intermodal; New
Orleans, LA/CSX-Long Beach)... KATLB sets off all domestic intermodal &
Tropicana at Long Beach. The Tropicana's are either at the head end or middle
of this train on one end of the domestic intermodal block for City of Industry.
After setting of at CofI, KATLB then runs the Alameda Corridor and drops it's
steamship boxes at ICTF in Long Beach. Empties return on KCIAT back to Atlanta.
KCIAT has all domestic intermodal with blocks for Atlanta, Charlotte & Florida.
The Tropicana's are generally at the rear of the train, attached to the Florida
Intermodal block. At Hulsey, they get on Q155 to Jacksonville to the FEC (or
get picked up by Q741 to Bradenton). Note: This is the run where Tropicana
tried (unsucsessfully?) to run a stainless steel insulated tank car with orange
juice."

[Anderphoto]

The southbound schedule (Q741) is here... http://www.bullsheet.com/news/Q741.html

CSX keeps the Juice on a pretty tight schedule, very close to what the Bull Sheet shows.

Glenn Anderson

Manassas, VA

[rjemery]

It takes this train one hour to travel two miles from Greenville (in Jersey City, NJ) to Oak Island Yards (in Newark, NJ)???

[zugmann]

It has taken me 4 hours just to get through Oak Island...

 

[rjemery]

I don't doubt you, but the line is double tracked from Bound Brook to at least Newark, and double tracked again from Oak Island across Newark Bay to Greenville.

So why the delays?  The ports can't handle the traffic?  Locally, longshoremen complain there isn't enough work.

[crpulse]

The southbound schedule (Q741) is here... http://www.bullsheet.com/news/Q741.html

CSX keeps the Juice on a pretty tight schedule, very close to what the Bull Sheet shows.

Glenn Anderson

Manassas, VA

 

The schedule says 10am, but it consistently leaves between 10:30-11am.

[Andrew Falconer]

Have all the old PC&F Refrigerator Cars been replaced with the new versions?

Are the new Tropicana Refrigerator Cars the Trinity Industry TrinCool cars?

Andrew