10-03-2011, 08:08 AM
Don't forget also that operation came more to the forefront as scale locomotives performed better. Locomotives used to shoot out of the gate so that a loop allowed better operation. Now, we have locomotives that can take minutes to move one inch. Switching layouts have always been here (the Timesaver, the Gum Stump & Snowshoe, etc.), we've just evovled into a better understanding of prototypical railroad and design. Like Lance Mindheim shows us, railroads would rather build a series of spurs going in the same direction than to build a runaround.
As far as shared industries go, it was previously noted in this thread that it would be cheaper to ship products to nearby consignees by truck. One reason that should also be considered would be that since a box car is roughly the equivalent of two tractor trailers, warehouse space could be much smaller since outgoing products would be shipped more rapidly.
What if cars going from one industry to another were empties? Lets say that you have a warehouse and a furniture factory in the Northeastern U.S. Both receive box cars. If a Santa Fe box car arrived at the furniture factory, but the furniture factory isn't shipping anything west. The warehouse may ship something west, so we take the AT&SF box car from the furniture plant spur and move it to the warehouse track, load. it up, and ship it west.
An idea for a paired industry may be an industrial switcher that takes a box car load from the factory to an online warehouse. The business expanded and a bigger warehouse was build along the rail line. The company would ship box cars from point A to point B at a cheaper rate because they own the rail line (Anheiser - Busch).
Or you could be like the Branford Steam Railroad and ship gravel from the tipple to the gravel transfer pier where it's loaded onto barges.
You have to decide what commodities would ship cheaper by truck or rail and go from there.
As far as shared industries go, it was previously noted in this thread that it would be cheaper to ship products to nearby consignees by truck. One reason that should also be considered would be that since a box car is roughly the equivalent of two tractor trailers, warehouse space could be much smaller since outgoing products would be shipped more rapidly.
What if cars going from one industry to another were empties? Lets say that you have a warehouse and a furniture factory in the Northeastern U.S. Both receive box cars. If a Santa Fe box car arrived at the furniture factory, but the furniture factory isn't shipping anything west. The warehouse may ship something west, so we take the AT&SF box car from the furniture plant spur and move it to the warehouse track, load. it up, and ship it west.
An idea for a paired industry may be an industrial switcher that takes a box car load from the factory to an online warehouse. The business expanded and a bigger warehouse was build along the rail line. The company would ship box cars from point A to point B at a cheaper rate because they own the rail line (Anheiser - Busch).
Or you could be like the Branford Steam Railroad and ship gravel from the tipple to the gravel transfer pier where it's loaded onto barges.
You have to decide what commodities would ship cheaper by truck or rail and go from there.
Mike Kieran
Port Able Lines
" If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be " - Yogi Berra.
Port Able Lines
" If the world were perfect, it wouldn't be " - Yogi Berra.
