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New cross country perishable train

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Posted by adrianspeeder on Thursday, August 4, 2005 7:19 AM
Mmmmmm Taters...

So what was the deal that killed the salad bowl express?

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Posted by spbed on Thursday, August 4, 2005 7:06 AM
Yes I saw reefers being loaded up west of West Yellowstone MT on a UPRR spur with taters. [:o)]


Originally posted by SP9033

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Posted by Junctionfan on Thursday, August 4, 2005 6:19 AM
Does BNSF do something like this already? They sure have alot of those BNFE reefer in addition to their excess height 70 foot reefers. What is with the "Western Fruit Express"?
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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, August 4, 2005 1:05 AM
QUOTE: Originally posted by smalling_60626

I know that Simplott grows taters and makes french fries for McDonald's, but what is Lamb Weston's stock-in-trade?
allen



They also do taters, and I think for McDonald's too.
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Posted by ericsp on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 11:48 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by CShaveRR

I think you're right about the trains' makeup, Eric--wouldn't be surprised to see other cars get in there, including the CRYX mechanical reefers, too. And don't forget the 23000-series UPFE cars!

My information shows ARMN 111111 at North Platte now; no destination.

CRYX mechanical reefers come down here so rarely, I forgot all about them. Their RCs (presumably being used as RBLs) are common down here though.

I think UP knows where they need to send that reefer (out here).

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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 11:43 PM
I think you're right about the trains' makeup, Eric--wouldn't be surprised to see other cars get in there, including the CRYX mechanical reefers, too. And don't forget the 23000-series UPFE cars!

My information shows ARMN 111111 at North Platte now; no destination.

Carl

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Posted by conrailman on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 11:28 PM
Amtrak has 350 Box Cars for Sale Now will UP Buy all of Them up?
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 11:05 PM
I know that Simplott grows taters and makes french fries for McDonald's, but what is Lamb Weston's stock-in-trade?
allen
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 9:52 PM
Greyhounds,

The statement that "bi-modal technology has failed again and again" is a bit presumptuous, given that the technology is still being tried out on a basis of slothful attrition by the railroads. We know that the modal transfer times using bi-modal are exceptional, in some cases saving days over pallet transfer. Bi-modal reefer trailers have more capacity than reefer containers, so it even beats COFC.

Frankly, given what we see in the success of Triple Crown vs the other operations, it is apparent that only by the prime directive of a trucking firm will bi-modal get a fair chance at success. Conversely, if we leave it to the railroads, they will surely find a way to turn lemonade into lemons and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
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Posted by ericsp on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 8:53 PM
Who said anything about dedicated train sets? I saw nothing about it in UP's press release. If these are the ARMN 110000 series cars, then once the order is filled UP will 1500 of these cars. If it takes 124 hours to get to the destination and 10 days to return, be inspected, cleaned, and repaired (if necessary), UP will need 825 of these cars, not including spares, for a daily train. I wonder if UPFE and other ARMN reefers will eventually get in these trains.

By the way I saw ARMN 111064 today, so ARMN 111111 should be coming out soon, or maybe it has been built already.

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Posted by greyhounds on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 8:38 PM
It's good!

And it ain't all that slow. The "perishables" out of Washington State aren't all that "perishable". Apples, pears, onions, potatoes. They ain't wilting like lettuce. Just keep 'em moving and you've got the deal.

The apples are the big deal. (something like 19 pounds of apples per person per year in the US) They go into storage after harvest and are shipped on an as needed basis to eastern markets. You can keep a good apple around for a while, if you treat it right.

"Forward Locate" them in Albany and you can offer overnight delivery to any grocer in the Northeast. (Inventory cost thing.) Store 'em in Yakima - or store 'em in Albany, don't make no one no never mind. But if you can offer overnight delivery of Washington State fruit in the Norheast you B a winner!

At least they're trying. For far too long the railroads have ignored the food markiet. Give UP/CSX a pat on the back. They're giving it a try!

As for "bi-modal" technology. It has failed time and time again.
"By many measures, the U.S. freight rail system is the safest, most efficient and cost effective in the world." - Federal Railroad Administration, October, 2009. I'm just your average, everyday, uncivilized howling "anti-government" critic of mass government expenditures for "High Speed Rail" in the US. And I'm gosh darn proud of that.
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 8:30 PM
thast a really cool idea
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 8:10 PM
QUOTE: Originally posted by MP173

That is good news. It must mean that shippers are lined up for service. If this is a unit train, then how frequently is it moving? Daily, 1x a week?

Also, 124 hours does not exactly set speed records. That computes out to a little over 23mph, which is average speed for freight trains.

Wouldnt you expect a little better performance than that? Perhaps that is all that is needed by shippers.

It will be interesting to watch how this performs and if it can create a new trend.

ed



If it is one dedicated car set, and a round trip will be about 10 days ("124 hour transit time" = 5 days x 2), then that means it shows up at Wallula every ten days assuming everything goes right. You're right, that is slow considering we're talking about perishables. I guess the farmers will schedule their fruit & veggie picking once every ten days as well. If only Mother Nature would oblige and ripen the produce to the optimum level of ripeness prior to picking and shipping, then it's all good.

Also, Wallula isn't exactly situated in the heart of the fruit and veggie producing areas of Washington State, so that means commercial trucks will likely be the means to take the produce from farm to new loading center, which will add at least a day or two to the overall transit time. Too bad the railroads can't utilize individual carloads from points in the Yakima Valley and rotate them into the consist when it manages to roll into the Wallula track, if for no other reason than to keep from having to move individual pallets from the trucks to the new warehouse to the new unit trains cars.

I wonder how this service will compare with the use of bi-modal technology like BNSF's Ice Cold Express? Bi-modal technology would allow them to bypass the need for the distribution center, instead taking in truck shipments from existing outlying warehouses and forming them into consists.

BTW, we knew about this last week. The Port of Walla Walla has been working to get them to open this facility at their Wallula site, and they put out a few press releases on the job creation aspect of the project. I asked the commissioners if this facility would be accessable by both UP and BNSF (since both lines have a presence in Wallula) but never heard back from them, so I suspect BNSF is not welcome at this new facility, and also that RailPax is an adjunct of UP in some form.

Thus another captive shipper is born! At least a new captive shipper is better than no new shipper at all!

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Posted by csxns on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 5:19 PM
Dole is building a new plant here in NC that will be located next to the NS main line and Dole was looking for good rail service.They will be loading refers of package salad.

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Posted by coborn35 on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 5:00 PM
Cant wait to see fruit soup[}:)][}:)][}:)][}:)]

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Posted by MP173 on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 3:10 PM
That is good news. It must mean that shippers are lined up for service. If this is a unit train, then how frequently is it moving? Daily, 1x a week?

Also, 124 hours does not exactly set speed records. That computes out to a little over 23mph, which is average speed for freight trains.

Wouldnt you expect a little better performance than that? Perhaps that is all that is needed by shippers.

It will be interesting to watch how this performs and if it can create a new trend.

ed
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Posted by CShaveRR on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 2:52 PM
This sounds like it's a cut above the "Express Lane" service that UP and CSX now operate. The Albany destination mentioned almost certainly is Selkirk Yard. The big difference will (or should) be that the new trains apparently won't be reclassified at North Platte, or have cars added to them at Proviso.

I'm hoping that it means that the train now serving this business east of North Platte will remain as a run-through freight to Selkirk, handling other manifest as well as perishables from other origins.

Carl

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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 11:37 AM
This is fantastic news. Good to see the railroads make a comitment to a service they sorta of lost interest in during years past. SPCaboose, hopefully maybe if market condition are right, UP will bring back the "Salad Bowl Express."

Jim
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Posted by Junctionfan on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 11:13 AM
Is it of one particular customer or several shipping their products east? Sounds like primarily Simplot and Lamb Weston moves.
Andrew
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Posted by TheS.P.caboose on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 11:13 AM
Sounds kind of like a take off of Southern Pacific's old "Salad Bowl Express" train from the San Joaquin Valley in central California to New York.

Either way; it's all good.
Regards Gary
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Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 10:34 AM
About time! I'm happy to see that railroads are working together to add new service and also improve efficiency. If UP and CSX don't drop the ball we could see a new trend here.
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Posted by spbed on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 10:32 AM
Sounds like a good idea to me. [:o)]

Originally posted by chad thomas
[

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New cross country perishable train
Posted by chad thomas on Wednesday, August 3, 2005 10:28 AM
From Progressive Railroading:

UP, CSXT to offer dedicated cross-country perishables service
Union Pacific Railroad and CSX Transportation are teaming up to provide a dedicated produce unit-train service between Washington state and New York. To launch in first-quarter 2006, the service will offer a 124-hour transit time with 55-car trains moving intact from origin to destination.

The unit trains will feature 64-foot refrigerated box cars, each designed to move perishables — including apples, pears, onions and potatoes — equal to four truckloads. The cars are equipped with enhanced insulation, energy-efficient cooling systems and Global Positioning System monitoring to control temperature.

Unit trains will originate in Wallula, Wash., and terminate in Albany, N.Y. UP and CSXT will interchange in Chicago. Railex L.L.C. will own and operate new loading and unloading centers, and manage product handling and distribution.

“We believe this new service will provide an alternative method to ship perishable produce from Washington to New York other than over-the-road transportation,” said John Philp, Union Pacific Railroad assistant vice president of food and refrigerated products, in a prepared statement.

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