I would have taken a day off work and gone. If I had been paying attention and seen it was going to happen.
This is important for the railroads. There’s a huge market out there for long haul perishable food. It moves thousands of miles, primarily by truck. Washington State is a major producer of US food. It produces 59% of the apples and around 20% of the potatoes. Onions, pears, cherries, etc. all come with the market. This produce is primarily moving by truck to eastern population centers such as Chicago.
Rail Logistics is starting a double stack operation to compete with the truckers. There is no good economic reason for moving this stuff by expensive trucking if rail double stack, which is far more economical, can work. Rail Logistics is going to find out.
They’ve partnered well in Chicago with a well established local trucker, LaGrou. I wish them well.
Quincy, Wash. appears to be located along the Great Northern about halfway between Seattle and Spokane.
BNSF and Rail Logistics are smart to partner up with refrigerated trailer technology because they’ll probably have better luck in obtaining a dry freight reverse haul from the Chicago area than the ARMN reefers do from Rotterdam, NY to Wallula, Wash. My guess is that BNSF will have fewer empty trailer miles than UP has empty reefer miles.
Will this new perishable service be weekly, tri-weekly, daily, or what?
This situation kind of reminds me of harvest time 1987 along the Modesto and Empire Traction. At the east end of the railroad, the ATSF was handling outbound shipments of canned, frozen, and fresh agricultural products through its Empire, Calif. piggyback ramp. Meanwhile at the west end in Modesto, the Union Pacific (nee Tidewater & Southern) was heavy-haulin’ upwards of 45 carloads a day of the same products - but the equipment U.P. handled was all insulated boxcars and reefers.
We had quite a thread on this a month or so ago. At least now we have a few more answers. A train made up of double-stacked containers like those would be pretty impressive (and containers, for whatever reason, don’t get tagged as often as white ARMN reefers!).
Well, one thing about it, there is a lot of meats and ,of course, cheese products that are probably withing the loading range for reloads out west, Not to mention the stuff loading around Chicago to go west. If you wonder about Western bound freight, just look at the number of trucks on the Interstates (I-70 to start with) . If the trains can nick some of that it will be well worth their while. It will take a lot of sales (read: good pricing to start) and a reasonably reliable on-time record. As the latter builds the former will come along and build.
BUT, don’t forget that old addage; “Nothing happens til somebody sell something!” Looks like they are coming along with a good system to establish themselves.
Almost. Quincy, WA is on the BNSF (ex-BN, né GN). I can only hope that they bring back good Italian bread from New York! We produce the wheat, out here in Montana’s “Golden Triangle”, but our bread is truly horrible! Damn Norwegians (I am part) have no taste. Guess the lutefisk does that! As far as taste goes, I drink “Peter Vella” Burgundy, in the box. $11.59 for 5 liters! I stick with them (Gallo) 'cause they are major shippers on M&ET. That is cool, with me. Great wine, too, not that I could tell the difference.
I will be on the look-out for the RL containers. They should be easy to spot. I haven’t seen any of the ‘prison cars’ go thru, lately. Maybe they only send them “home for repairs” when the shackles, made in Minot, ND need repair! Har!!!
Hays
Sorry. The shackels and chains and other restraints, were supposedly made in Glasgow, MT. One of our leading industries, now that mining, logging, and petroleum exploration is outlawed by the Yuppies. Of course, the “farmers” laugh all the way to the bank and winter in Arizona on Uncle Sam’s checks!