The December Trains had “Auto Plants of North America” for its map of the month, but it declined to say which RR served each one. I’m wondering if any are served by regional/shortline RR’s?
For modeling purposes, I’m playing around with a freelance concept for a busy modern shortline (SE US) that serves (among other things) a relatively new auto plant (looking for an excuse to run autoracks). Is there precedent for this arrangement? Would an auto assembly plant be too valuable a customer for a Class 1 to divest itself of a line that served one? Alternately, could a well-run shortline or regional compete with Class 1 roads in luring a new plant?
Here in Louisville, KY the Ford Motor plant has 2 sites: 1 in the eastern part of Jeff. Co., and 1 in the southern part of Jeff. Co., and it’s CSX (old L&N). And where we live here in
West End of Louisville, we see auto racks on the NS that tracks are about 2-3 blocks from our house. The only short lines are the Paducah & Louisville and the Louisville &
Indiana (L&I).
Other than bringing in the bi and tri-level flats, they just interchange with CSX & NS.
L&I comes across the old Pennsy Bridge and interchanges with the P&L.
The Fern Valley Road Ford plant is serviced by a couple of Whiting track mobiles.
Locomutt’s company, when he worked there, got to bid for the switch & signaling in the
loading yard for the auto racks. Have no idea what’s out in the East End yard at the
Ford Truck Plant.
Chrysler plans to build a plant in Savannah GA on the Central Georgia Rwy. According to Progressive Railroading it would be the first to be built on a short line, but it hasn’t happened yet due to the slump in auto sales. Cross your fingers, you may yet have an accurate prototype…[tup]
Dont forget about the Indiana and Ohio.They work the former DT&I lines for ford.CSX switches a lot of cars for central foundry(gm) here in Defiance.
stay safe
Joe
Need to make a correction to rrnut282’s posting about the auto plant near Savannah, GA. Daimler-Chrysler pulled out of the deal to build the auto plant, citing the uncertain economy. The site is on Norfolk Southern, formerly Central of Georgia ( and I believe prior to CoG, Savannah and Atlanta). The site is certainly near, and may extend to a branch from, CSX’s former Atlantic Coast Line main line through Savannah. The site is excellent for a manufacturing facility requiring heavy-duty transportation, because it sits at the intersection of I-16 (east-west) and I-95 (north-south), with access to two rail lines and less than 10 miles from the Port of Savannah.