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BNSF BIG (Barstow International Gateway)

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Posted by CMStPnP on Tuesday, October 4, 2022 3:43 AM

SD60MAC9500
A few of us have been advocating over the years for this to happen. Not only is the IE running out of real estate. BNSF and UP have very little room to build or expand current IM ramps. Hence why UP is slowly converting West Colton into its IE IM ramp. It won't be a full conversion as WC still plays an important role in Sou Cal carload business.. WC will probably morph into a mini-hump a la Livonia, Louisiana. 

It seems to me that if either railroad knew the clients business a little better.   And both railroads should be asking detailed questions to learn their clients business so they can tailor their service levels better.   This whole practice could have been resolved a lot sooner and more efficiently at far less cost.   To me this seems very reactive vs proactive and only reacting when the situation becomes an obvious logjam.

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Posted by kgbw49 on Tuesday, October 4, 2022 3:09 AM

From Barstow, he'd have to take the Southwest Chief back to Chicago, then the Wolverine to Detroit. Since the Wolverine now ends in Michigan rather than going through to New York as in New York Central days, and the Canadian Southern is no longer, Uber to Windsor. Then VIA to Niagara Falls, Uber to Buffalo, then either Empire Service or the Lake Shore Limited to Poughkeepsie. Then Uber to Bard College.

Well played, tree68. Well played indeed!

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Posted by ChuckCobleigh on Tuesday, October 4, 2022 2:11 AM

tree68
rdamon
And with the right earthquake, it will no longer be an inland port!

But, he'd have to go back to Annandale....

Heh!™ 

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Posted by rdamon on Monday, October 3, 2022 12:33 PM

I seem to remember BNSF purchasing this land many years ago with this in mind.

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Posted by YoHo1975 on Monday, October 3, 2022 11:39 AM

I recall when we first heard rumblings about an "Inland port" concept, there were a lot of naysayers saying that Barstow was too far away and such a thing would have to be in the Inland Empire. Clearly BNSF disagrees, but I wonder, those discussions seemed focus on the length of haul, the need to go over Cajon and the idea that and boxes destined for the basin would then be clogging up 15 moving back. But, Cajon is now triple tracked and this is going to, one assumes, reduce existing unit trains moving over cajon so that the traffic profile may not change all that much. Boxes destined for the Basin MIGHT be a problem, but you could probably also just run a train of domestic trailers back into the basin if that were actually an issue. PRobably not a super cost effective move in isolation, but possibly worth it on net. 

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Posted by YoHo1975 on Monday, October 3, 2022 11:33 AM

I mentioned in the Locomotives forum that I could also see this driving electricifcation in the Basin and potentially over Cajon...Not saying I'm bullish on that, but a 130mile route that is going to be a massively busy corridor with a lot of trains ending at Barstow is a pretty good test subject for electrification. 

Barstow isn't going to win any awards for California living. and the Traffic on I15 is already terrible, but It is convinent to Las Vegas and the Inland Empire while still being a day trip to LA. I don't think it will be that hard a sell. 

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Posted by kgbw49 on Monday, October 3, 2022 11:32 AM

Thanks, '9500!

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Posted by SD60MAC9500 on Monday, October 3, 2022 11:24 AM
 

kgbw49

Go big or go home.

Perhaps the SD70J will be the Y6b of the shuttle trains.

How many rail miles will it be from BIG to the Ports of LA/LB?

 

About 130

 
Rahhhhhhhhh!!!!
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Posted by SD70Dude on Monday, October 3, 2022 10:47 AM

rdamon

And with the right earthquate, it will no longer be an inland port!

Wasn't that Lex Luthor's plan in the first Superman movie?

Greetings from Alberta

-an Articulate Malcontent

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Posted by SD60MAC9500 on Monday, October 3, 2022 10:37 AM
 

CMStPnP

 

 
SD60MAC9500
 

It looks like the Alameda Corridor will finally be getting more utilization. BNSF is investing $1.5B into a new inland port with transloading capability. I believe this project will conicide with the new Pier B yard at the Port of Long Beach.

 

https://www.railwayage.com/freight/class-i/bnsf-going-big-in-barstow%ef%bf%bc/

 

 

 
I found the current practices rather comical and also rather stupid to be designed that way to begin with.
 
1. Lets ship a container to Long Beach, offload from ship to a truck, drive it around the LA basin, transload the cargo to yet another container at an LA warehouse, then load it back on a train for shipment east.  I mean C'mon, who is in charge of these things at BNSF and UP?    Description in link below.
 
 
 

A few of us have been advocating over the years for this to happen. Not only is the IE running out of real estate. BNSF and UP have very little room to build or expand current IM ramps. Hence why UP is slowly converting West Colton into its IE IM ramp. It won't be a full conversion as WC still plays an important role in Sou Cal carload business.. WC will probably morph into a mini-hump a la Livonia, Louisiana. 

 
Rahhhhhhhhh!!!!
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Posted by SD60MAC9500 on Monday, October 3, 2022 10:29 AM
 

charlie hebdo

Why transfer from shorter international containers to domestic 53 footers?  I see plenty of international containers coming in Chicago on UP

 

 

Why? Because transloading is cheaper. Herer's the transload ratio;

4:3

      4x40'=160'

      3x53'=159'

Removing an extra box move save's money. Transloading allows better inventory control through deferment. Since retail inventory varies. This can achieve inventory balancing across DC and fulfillment center stock. The steamship lines also don't like their boxes venturing inland unless they have solicited a backhaul such as agri-business.

Mind you BNSF does has the largest share of IPI(Inland Point Intermodal) vs. UP. So while transloading is preffered. IPI moves (which mean no transloading takes place) where the box moves directly from Ship to an inland DC still has its place, and will continue to.

 
 
 
Rahhhhhhhhh!!!!
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Posted by charlie hebdo on Sunday, October 2, 2022 10:59 PM

Why transfer from shorter international containers to domestic 53 footers?  I see plenty of international containers coming in Chicago on UP

 

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Posted by CMStPnP on Sunday, October 2, 2022 10:41 PM

SD60MAC9500
 

It looks like the Alameda Corridor will finally be getting more utilization. BNSF is investing $1.5B into a new inland port with transloading capability. I believe this project will conicide with the new Pier B yard at the Port of Long Beach.

 

https://www.railwayage.com/freight/class-i/bnsf-going-big-in-barstow%ef%bf%bc/

 
I found the current practices rather comical and also rather stupid to be designed that way to begin with.
 
1. Lets ship a container to Long Beach, offload from ship to a truck, drive it around the LA basin, transload the cargo to yet another container at an LA warehouse, then load it back on a train for shipment east.  I mean C'mon, who is in charge of these things at BNSF and UP?    Description in link below.
 
 
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Posted by tree68 on Sunday, October 2, 2022 10:06 PM

rdamon
And with the right earthquake, it will no longer be an inland port!

But, he'd have to go back to Annandale....

 

LarryWhistling
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Posted by kgbw49 on Sunday, October 2, 2022 9:39 PM

Victorville is not that far away. I have friends who have lived there and loved it.

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Posted by rdamon on Sunday, October 2, 2022 6:55 PM

And with the right earthquate, it will no longer be an inland port!

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Posted by Backshop on Sunday, October 2, 2022 5:49 PM

How much will they have to pay people to live in Barstow?  It's not exactly the vision that most think of when they think of Southern California...

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Posted by kgbw49 on Sunday, October 2, 2022 5:21 PM

Go big or go home.

Perhaps the SD70J will be the Y6b of the shuttle trains.

How many rail miles will it be from BIG to the Ports of LA/LB?

  • Member since
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  • From: Sterling Heights, Michigan
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BNSF BIG (Barstow International Gateway)
Posted by SD60MAC9500 on Sunday, October 2, 2022 4:41 PM
 

It looks like the Alameda Corridor will finally be getting more utilization. BNSF is investing $1.5B into a new inland port with transloading capability. I believe this project will conicide with the new Pier B yard at the Port of Long Beach.

 

https://www.railwayage.com/freight/class-i/bnsf-going-big-in-barstow%ef%bf%bc/

 
Rahhhhhhhhh!!!!

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