Stored CRLE Center Sill Lumber Cars

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Over the weekend, I stumbled upon about 100 stored center-sill lumber cars with CRLE reporting marks in the greater Green Bay area. About 45 cars are stored on a siding at Stiles Jct about 20 miles north of Green Bay on the Escanaba and Lake Superior RR. Another 50 or so are stored in the former Milw Rd yard (aka former WC/CN intermodal facility) in Green Bay.

My inclination would be to attribute this to softened demand for lumber due to the downturn in housing starts, but than again, someone smarter than I may know something specific to this fleet.

In talking to someone from marketing at BNSF about 4 weeks ago, they indicated that they were seeing a downturn in forest products shipments.

Any thoughts?

Stack

2

When were the cars built?

Are these cars from the 1980’s?

BNSF and CN have recently acquired numerous new Center Partition Flat Cars from NSC and Freight Car America.

These cars could be heavier cars that will only used when the demand increases.

Andrew

3

Lumber shipments took a nose dive last year as the housing market stumbled. Shipments have been a trickle of their former volume since. Some mills are closing or at least eliminating shifts until demand picks up. Note that last quarter, Rail America attributed its poor results in part to dropping lumber shipments.

LC

4

Saw a brand new centerbeam yesterday on CSX, headed west. Never held a load, from what I could see, and it was stopped on the main in Utica, right across from our train. Didn’t bother to write down any specifics, though.

5

Also, UP is now parking locomotives SD40-T2s and others at Roseville due in part to the downturn in the forest products biz.

LC