This is undoubtedly the result of a press release, but still interesting:
Great Falls Tribune - www.greatfallstribune.com - Great Falls, MT
In posting this, I am reminded of that scene in the movie "Mr. Roberts" in which James Cagney makes an announcement on the ship's PA system and then gets out his watch to time Henry Fonda's sprint to his cabin.
I'm sure that a certain resident of the State of Washington will find something to grouse about, anyway.
An "expensive model collector"
Well at least they're attempting to do something about it. That's better than a blind eye I guess.
Dan
Get yer T shirts here, get your tee shirts...
"I hate BNSF" special, two for the price of one...made in China of course...and ironically, delivered by the Evil Empire itself, aka BNSF...
BNSF, out to crush the little man....
(has anyone started the clock?)
23 17 46 11
Supply & Demand is now outlawed?
Should the AAR beancounters bill the grain handlers for storing the cars the other 11 months of the year just so they can have special priviledged car handling. Revoke the Elkins Act? Oh my....
Dakguy201 wrote: This is undoubtedly the result of a press release, but still interesting: Great Falls Tribune - www.greatfallstribune.com - Great Falls, MTIn posting this, I am reminded of that scene in the movie "Mr. Roberts" in which James Cagney makes an announcement on the ship's PA system and then gets out his watch to time Henry Fonda's sprint to his cabin.
I really like that movie.
Why yes, yes they are....
It must be his off day...well, hes off most days, what I meant was off from...never mind....
CNW 6000 wrote:Aren't those the t-shirts from Mattel with the lead-based screen printing?
Oh well, at least we now know where Mudchicken sends his scrap metal......
mudchicken wrote: Supply & Demand is now outlawed?Should the AAR beancounters bill the grain handlers for storing the cars the other 11 months of the year just so they can have special priviledged car handling. Revoke the Elkins Act? Oh my....
Storing grain cars 11 months out of the year?
Holy cow, I'd think that one who works trackside on a daily basis would actually watch the passing action once in a while. Grain moves 12 months a year, and the only grain cars being stored are those slated for repairs.
Dude, you musta been stuck on the desert transcon too long........
Or as Dave Niehaus would say, "Mao oh Mao!"
futuremodal wrote: mudchicken wrote: Supply & Demand is now outlawed?Should the AAR beancounters bill the grain handlers for storing the cars the other 11 months of the year just so they can have special priviledged car handling. Revoke the Elkins Act? Oh my....Storing grain cars 11 months out of the year?Holy cow, I'd think that one who works trackside on a daily basis would actually watch the passing action once in a while. Grain moves 12 months a year, and the only grain cars being stored are those slated for repairs.
It is really great to know that all elevators-large and small-ship the same number of cars every week of the year. Must be due to the fact that the US harvest for grain, corn and beans is now evenly spread through the year. Aren't genetics wonderful? Now if we could only get rid of the year to year flucuations in production...
"We have met the enemy and he is us." Pogo Possum "We have met the anemone... and he is Russ." Bucky Katt "Prediction is very difficult, especially if it's about the future." Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate in physics
jeaton wrote: futuremodal wrote: mudchicken wrote: Supply & Demand is now outlawed?Should the AAR beancounters bill the grain handlers for storing the cars the other 11 months of the year just so they can have special priviledged car handling. Revoke the Elkins Act? Oh my....Storing grain cars 11 months out of the year?Holy cow, I'd think that one who works trackside on a daily basis would actually watch the passing action once in a while. Grain moves 12 months a year, and the only grain cars being stored are those slated for repairs. It is really great to know that all elevators-large and small-ship the same number of cars every week of the year. Must be due to the fact that the US harvest for grain, corn and beans is now evenly spread through the year. Aren't genetics wonderful? Now if we could only get rid of the year to year flucuations in production...
Liberals...........
I didn't say grain moves in an equal number of carloads year round, I just said grain moves year round.......
I know, I'll pull a "Jeaton" in reference to Mudchicken's post....
(ahem...)
It is really great to know that all elevators-large and small-ship the same number of cars for four weeks out of the year and store them the other 11 months. Must be due to the fact that the US shipments of grain, corn and beans is now concentrated during one month of the year and one month only. Aren't genetics wonderful? Now if we could only get rid of the year to year flucuations in production...
futuremodal wrote: jeaton wrote: futuremodal wrote: mudchicken wrote: Supply & Demand is now outlawed?Should the AAR beancounters bill the grain handlers for storing the cars the other 11 months of the year just so they can have special priviledged car handling. Revoke the Elkins Act? Oh my....Storing grain cars 11 months out of the year?Holy cow, I'd think that one who works trackside on a daily basis would actually watch the passing action once in a while. Grain moves 12 months a year, and the only grain cars being stored are those slated for repairs. It is really great to know that all elevators-large and small-ship the same number of cars every week of the year. Must be due to the fact that the US harvest for grain, corn and beans is now evenly spread through the year. Aren't genetics wonderful? Now if we could only get rid of the year to year flucuations in production...Liberals...........I didn't say grain moves in an equal number of carloads year round, I just said grain moves year round.......
So if grain doesn't move in an equal number of carloads year round, where do the grain cars go when its a down time of year?
I live near a BNSF secondary line that runs into the center of both North and South Dakota. Although there is a peak season for grain shipments, it does continue all year long.
They have had two derailments/upsets in the last few years. In one case the product was corn and in the other wheat. Ironically, both were the result of bad roadbed on a brand new siding and in exactly the same place.
n012944 wrote: So if grain doesn't move in an equal number of carloads year round, where do the grain cars go when its a down time of year?
Storage tracks, anywhere they can be squirrelled away where they aren't in the way.
Actually, the market covers an entire continent and crops are harvested at different points in time across what is a long harvest season. The "grain harvest" extends from April to October. That's 8 months, not 1 month. And because the U.S. storage capacity is close to the annual production, the shipping season from the producer is considerably extended beyond the harvest season and extends virtually to the entire year. Because of car shortages in the past, harvested wheat often has moved from the producer as much as three months after harvest.
Once grain enters the market chain, shippers -- who are generally not the actual producers -- move grain on a year-round basis to users such as flour mills, and other producers of end-product flour, bread and cereals, including animal feeds and export.
While sarcasm can be cute, it is generally more useful as dialogue tool when coupled with a minimum of understanding of the subject matter.
MichaelSol wrote: mudchicken wrote: While sarcasm can be cute, it is generally more useful as dialogue tool when coupled with a minimum of understanding of the subject matter.
mudchicken wrote:
I completely agree . . .
MichaelSol wrote: mudchicken wrote: Supply & Demand is now outlawed?Should the AAR beancounters bill the grain handlers for storing the cars the other 11 months of the year just so they can have special priviledged car handling. Revoke the Elkins Act? Oh my....Actually, the market covers an entire continent and crops are harvested at different points in time across what is a long harvest season. The "grain harvest" extends from April to October. That's 8 months, not 1 month. And because the U.S. storage capacity is close the annual production, the shipping season from the producer is considerably extended beyond the harvest season and extends virtually to the entire year. Because of car shortages in the past, harvested wheat often has moved from the producer as much as three months after harvest.Once grain enters the market chain, shippers -- who are generally not the actual producers -- move grain on a year-round basis to users such as flour mills, and other producers of end-product flour, bread and cereals, including animal feeds and export.While sarcasm can be cute, it is generally more useful as dialogue tool when coupled with a minimum of understanding of the subject matter.
Actually, the market covers an entire continent and crops are harvested at different points in time across what is a long harvest season. The "grain harvest" extends from April to October. That's 8 months, not 1 month. And because the U.S. storage capacity is close the annual production, the shipping season from the producer is considerably extended beyond the harvest season and extends virtually to the entire year. Because of car shortages in the past, harvested wheat often has moved from the producer as much as three months after harvest.
Admittedly, I understand grain movements like I understand the surface of Venus. But it shure as heck seems like there are a heck of a lot more grain trains August - November than the other months and a lot more grain hoppers being switched into grain bins August - November than the other months.
Gabe
gabe wrote: Admittedly, I understand grain movements like I understand the surface of Venus. But it shure as heck seems like there are a heck of a lot more grain trains August - November than the other months and a lot more grain hoppers being switched into grain bins August - November than the other months.
There are two general types of wheat: spring and winter, describing roughly when they are planted. The winter harvests early; the spring wheat harvests later. If you live in Mexico, the harvest season begins earlier than Texas. Texas is earlier than Iowa. Iowa is earlier than Minnesota. Minnesota is earlier than Canada. Then, given considerable overlap, spring wheat harvest begins and it starts all over again. I was at the Ritzville and Davenport, Washington elevators yesterday and the harvest is just beginning there.
When you see what you see depends on where you live. In your neck of the woods, August-November sounds about right. And harvest grain tends to run on big trains and only elevator to elevator; trade grain tends to run on other trains since end users invariably have no shuttle capacity -- and don't want it. You might notice one and not the other.
Another factor in shipping levels has always been the peaks and troughs of grain prices. When grain was selling for high prices sellers wanted to move lots of grain. When prices were down then the sellers would hold back as much as they had storage for. Of course, the harvest substantially increased supply and filled storage so there was always movement at those times.
Now that grain markets are truely international and so much grain is sold via huge volume contracts it would seem the volumes moved would be smoothed out somewhat. The smoothing is disrupted by the harvests where again the contract prices are probably lower so buyers are locking into contracts for that time period and storage facilities will be innundated with fresh crops.
Railroads have at times found shippers leasing large numbers of hoppers for the peak shipping seasons. This is just fine until the railroads purchase a new fleet of hoppers to meet demands. Then they tend to increase the rates on shipper supplied cars to move the loads to the RRs new cars for a better ROI. That sort of cuts the shippers who have leased the cars off at the knees. Now they have a large number of hoppers which cost more to load and thus get used less so the leases do not get renewed. Since the railroads have made the huge investment in the new fleet of cars they are loathe to purchase any more and the shortage in capacity rears up once again. Cycle after cycle and time after time. Will they never learn?
arbfbe wrote: Another factor in shipping levels has always been the peaks and troughs of grain prices. When grain was selling for high prices sellers wanted to move lots of grain. When prices were down then the sellers would hold back as much as they had storage for. Of course, the harvest substantially increased supply and filled storage so there was always movement at those times.
spokyone wrote: arbfbe wrote: Another factor in shipping levels has always been the peaks and troughs of grain prices. When grain was selling for high prices sellers wanted to move lots of grain. When prices were down then the sellers would hold back as much as they had storage for. Of course, the harvest substantially increased supply and filled storage so there was always movement at those times.When corn was $4.00 in June, the grain trucks were bumper to bumper to the barges. Now corn is less than 3 and the trucks are just as busy. It has not been posted here, but grain is sold many months in advance with delivery at specified dates.
Some of the current movement will be related to the corn futures market. Now if you were holding a contract to deliver a fixed quantity of corn at say $3.75 a bushel and you can now purchase it for $3.00 per bushel you are going to purchase and move as much corn as you can lay your hands on.......unless you think it will be selling for $2.50 next week.
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