Western Railroad Discussion > Seattle Tacoma

Recent flights in/out of SeaTac airport have seen that Port of Seattle Terminal 5 is completely empty.  Is this an interim event or is the Port ceasing container operations there?  This facility has a pretty good on-dock railyard. 

Also, at the Port of Tacoma Google Maps shows construction along Milwaukee Way alongside UP's TACSIM intermodal ramp.  Are they adding a working (loading/unloading) track(s) and extending the existing tracks towards Lincoln? 

Finally, noted flights into SeaTac show that UP's Argo Intermodal faclity seems to be mostly domestic traffic.  So UP splits it's domestic traffic between TACSIM and Argo, similar to facilities in the Los Angeles Basin? 

Thanks for any info.

Bruce

Terminal 5 had been vacant for more than a year. If I remember correctly, the previous tenant moved to, or consolidated operations in Tacoma.

Last I heard there was no new tenant, but I haven't really been following the news, so perhaps that has changed.

I drive by the empty terminal whenever I take the West Seattle Bridge.

Here's the latest:
http://www.seattletimes.com/business/environmental-groups-appeal-ruling-on-shell-lease-at-port-of-seattle/

StStephen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Recent flights in/out of SeaTac airport have seen
> that Port of Seattle Terminal 5 is completely
> empty.  Is this an interim event or is the Port
> ceasing container operations there?  This
> facility has a pretty good on-dock railyard. 
>
> Also, at the Port of Tacoma Google Maps shows
> construction along Milwaukee Way alongside UP's
> TACSIM intermodal ramp.  Are they adding a
> working (loading/unloading) track(s) and extending
> the existing tracks towards Lincoln? 
>
> Finally, noted flights into SeaTac show that UP's
> Argo Intermodal faclity seems to be mostly
> domestic traffic.  So UP splits it's domestic
> traffic between TACSIM and Argo, similar to
> facilities in the Los Angeles Basin? 
>
> Thanks for any info.
>

Last I heard, TACSIM is exclusively domestic boxes while Argo is primarily marine boxes. I suppose UPS and other north-south trailer customers would prefer to be at Argo while import trans-loaders would prefer to be at TACSIM.

Best regards,

Rob L.

And don't forget the Garbage...trains that is.

UP has little in the way of manifest trains north of Fife.

Jay
Sumner, WA.

Sasquatch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here's the latest:
> http://www.seattletimes.com/business/environmental
> -groups-appeal-ruling-on-shell-lease-at-port-of-se
> attle/


Envirowhacko's using lawfare, just because.

Wasn't Terminal 5 the (former) APL terminal, known as "Global North" (or GN symbol on UP's stack trains)?

I guess this kind of answers the question that I had as to why I don't see much APL containers on UP's PNW trains any more.  Solid APL stack trains used to be extremely common.  I'm trying to remember who purchased APL (think it was NOL?) but thought they had kept using the APL name?  Wonder if they moved most of their operations to California as I don't see a great bunch of NOL (or APL at all) boxes on BNSF stack trains out of the PNW either.