Do any regionals or shortlines operate solid doublestack or TOFC trains? How about autoracks? (I’m guessing these are a bit more common of a load though)
I know Pan Am has intermodal in the MOAY train, but I don’t think they have any dedicated trains. FEC does - but they’re quite the exception to the small railroad.
It seems that the large railroads spin off their lower density lines to concentrate on long-haul and intermodal…meaning that few, if any regionals or short lines would be in the intermodal business. I’m just curious as to the purpose and routing if any small lines to operate these types of trains. Thanks in advance!
The lion’s share of FEC’s, a Class II Regional Railway, is intermodal traffic between the port cities of Jacksonville and Miami with interchanges with CSX and NS. Their two ‘hotshot’ intermodal trains are the southbound Train 101 and the northbound Train 202. Their other regular intermodal trains are the 105, 107, 109, 117, 119, 121 and 123 sb and 206, 208, 218, 222, 224 and 226 nb as well as occasional extras. TOFCs, COFCs, double stacks, autoracks…all very common on the FEC.
Yes, the Toledo Peoria and Western does. They once did much more than they do now–they even have an intermodal lift at Rensleer. I am told that the Kankakee Beverville and Southern does as well, but aside from some flat cars sitting in a siding, I have never seen evidence of it.
I can’t confirm it, but I think that relatively new Arizona regional might. The ICE certainly did auto rack business, but I think Ford eventually transferred that business to UP.
Does anyone know if the Sesquhana does intermodal?
Ahh yes - forgot about the TP&W…although as you mentioned, they’ve really scaled back. Susie-Q has lost all of their intermodal contracts. When CR was split-up, NYSW’s services were fairly pointless, and thus they asked to be bought by NS and CSX. All of the intermodal trains went to CSX’s ex-NYC lines. About the only thing they haul now is trash out of the NY/NJ region. This is why their B40-8’s went back to CSX (who actually owned them) and their SD70M’s were sent out on lease - they didn’t need them anymore. It’s a shame they didn’t get to keep the D&H…that would have made for a profitable little operation today (or so I think).
I knew FEC had significant intermodal operations. I’m surprised they were never bought out by a class 1…but that’s a topic that’s been discussed many a time on these boards.
I doubt it. WSOR would have to go the long way around. CP and UP both have direct routes. There was a plan from Oshkosh to Chicago, but that wasn’t fast enough to be competive with the far more direct, 50 mph WC route.
Didion in Cambria used to load containers, single-stacked in 5-pack well cars.
Short lines probably have few customers for intermodal because they are ‘short’. Their connections with Class I’s in many situations permits potential customers to use them because the distance is short.
Regionals probably are more a case by case situation, but it is the customer and his revenue base which should dictate whether it is worthwhile.
If you’re thinking about line-haul, which your question seems to indicate, then there are very few short line or regional operators engaged in intermodal except in haulage service for someone else, e.g., Montana Rail Link for BNSF. The obvious exceptions are Florida East Coast and Alaska Railroad. The reason is that intermodal terminals are rarely economically feasible unless located in a large city, and the Class Is with few exception do not serve all the large cities in their territory. Small intermodal ramps, which abounded back in the 1970s, have vanished because their small volumes cannot cover for their cost of service, and their small markets means they cannot generate sufficient volume to provide the frequency or reliability of service necessary to be truck-competitive.
If you’re thinking about switching service, then there are a large number of short-line and regional operators engaged in intermodal, and in some cases on a grand scale too, such as Pacific Harbor Lines in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and Tacoma Rail at the Port of Tacoma.
The key to your question I think is "What short lines or regionals are engaged in marketing intermodal service, as opposed to
I kind of remember Don Ball, Jr. mentioning a tiny NE railroad (possibly the Claremont and Concord?) hauling piggyback freight behind a 44 tonner in America’s Railroads, the Second Generation. What fun it would have been to see that!
Montana Rail Link handles a small number of vehicle and intermodal trains as part of its BNSF overhead traffic. Tacoma-Kansas City both ways, and Portland-Kansas City both ways, are city pairs that come to mind. Used to have intermodal between South Seattle and Memphis via MRL, which was supposed to have resumed a year or so ago. During the seasonal traffic rush, more intermodal symbols show up on MRL running Laurel-Spokane, Laurel-Portland, etc.
Iowa Interstate hauls some intermodal on their two daily roadfreights. I think they might even have a intermodal ramp at one of their yards in Iowa, but I forget where. I know they handle intermodal at Burr Oak Yard in Blue Island.
Pan Am’s MOAY/AYMO is a dedicated intermodal train, from what I’ve seen. If the deal gets STB approval, then every intermodal west of Ayer, MA will be handled by the new Pan Am Southern joint venture between PAR and NS.
TPW does not have intermodal anymore hoosierlift near Remington, IN closed in 04 they did have some intermodal to Gilman, IL interhanging with CN but that has ceased in March so TPW runs absolutely no intermodal at all
I don’t know about the Wisconsin and Southern, but one of its predecessors, the Wisconsin and Calumet (WICT), hauled TOFC loads of cheese out of Monroe, Wisconsin for a few years. Arizona and California (AZCR) was shipping baled hay to Japan in containers at one time, as well.
New Brunswick Southern operates a intermodal train 5 days a week out of St. John, it then crosses the border and i guess they turn that train to GRS/Pan Am at Mattawamkeag, ME.
The Montreal, Maine & Atlantic had an intermodal service, but they abolished that a few years ago…