Here’s another question that I’ve got to ask since I’ve not actually seen it done before, but how exactly would a class one (for instance, CSX with the Hyundai plant in Alabama) build up an autorack train? Would the road power come down from the yard light and then build the train itself (assuming that the plant doesn’t have its own switcher), or would the nearest railyard send engines down to build the train (say something like a GP40-2 or the like), then send the road power down to hook on and haul to its final destination?
I’m going to guess that if the plant doesn’t have its own power, it would be more feasible to build the train up using the same power that is going to actually pull the train down the rails, but I guess its worth asking no matter what.
It probably depends on the number of cars being moved, but most likely the local that works the plant would pull the loads along with the empties (auto-parts boxcars that supplied the plant) and take them back to the yard to be placed on whatever road freight goes in the reqired direction. I’ve seen NS switch autoracks in the local yard and add them on the tail end of a passing intermodal. Remember, you won’t always have enough loads for a full train, plus not all the cars will be going to the same destination.
That makes sense to me, thanks. Any other comments, or information would be great though, just trying to get an idea of how I should plan for the auto plant that I’m going to semi-model on the layout.
The Ford Kentucky Truck Plant on the east end of Louisville has its own switcher and yard. CSX trains originate and terminate at the Truck Plant. A mini yard was built to serve this plant in about 1999 so this has been going on a while. There used to be a dedicated train to UP in St. Louis that had pool power that often laid over at the yard, haven’t seen the UP power for a while. Road power still lays over until it is time to move a train out of there. Entire trains of parts cars are delivered to this facility or sometimes part of a train with the remainder going to another Ford Plant south of the airport in Louisville.
The plant has eight loading tracks and the capability to park three sets of five racks on each track. A portable ramp is leapfrogged around the site to load the rack cars. An average train originating from the yard might have 60 racks in it.
Sounds like their yard and loading tracks are about the same size as the Hyundai Plant here. So the road power would most likely come down there with auto parts cars (although it seems most of the parts come JIT by truck) and empty autoracks, stage them all out into their appropriate homes, then more or less hang out until there’s an outbound of autoracks?
When we serviced the Toyota Vechicle Processing Facality at the Port Of Los Angeles, we used whatever local power was at our disposal, more often then not, a set of SP owned SD-7’s.
Thanks a ton for that information. Really helped me be able to figure out what I needed to be able to do concerning supplying power for the plant, once I get it put together. So “realistically” I could just anything from GEVO’s to a GP40-2 bring the cars to the facility, as long as it was available in the pool of power at the local yard, then move the trains out under that same power.
Just a few more things to add from my Southeast MI perspective:
I can’t say I’ve seen a GEVO working a plant, but I suppose it could happen. I see mostly Geeps and SD-40s
I have seen parts boxcars mixed in with racks in automotive commodity trains (not locals)
It depends on the plant, but another mode I’ve observed that a local will switch the plant and classify the racks into the plant’s nearby small “interchange” yard. The commodity rack train would then do a simple pickup from that interchange yard on its way by later.
Some plants have their own power generation facility and got coal by rail, but around here it pretty much went to truck delivery in the late 80s/early 90s.
You probably have your track arrangements worked out, but FWIW, I’ve always thought GM’s Pontiac Assembly is fairly modelgenic, as the trackage is all on one side and the plant itself could be done as a flat. Compressed quite a bit, of course. It’s even worked via a switchback for goodness sake! [:)]
I’m going to do my best to model the tracks as they really are, with the loading facilities right near the mainline and then doing the actual plant as a background. That way all I really need to be able to model is the actual loading tracks and associated equipment. In fact, here’s a look at the plant.
Actually I seen solid auto part trains made up of 86 foot auto part cars and before the economy went sour NS ran a train that had 40-60 60 auto part boxcars between the Fisher body plant in Ontario(Oh) to Bellevue(Oh).
As far as auto rack trains yes there are such trains that run between the manufacturing plant an a mixing pool.
Here’s some more information…Again I urge everybody to take the time and look this information over since its straight from the railroads.