Eastern Railroad Discussion > Q/L 740 the "Juice Train" to go away

 L740-26 last (L) train to operate
Q740-29 to be the "LAST JUICE TRAIN" to operate as a seperate train

Q140 going from 3 to 5 days a week operating Sunday thru Thursday from Duval Yard in JAX
Q141 as currently operating remains

Honestly, this doesn't surprise me.  The empty cars already run south on Q141.  Any idea what train the loaded Juice cars will run on between Tampa and Jacksonville?

Andrew

This is about the end of the major orange juice packing season in central and south Florida.

Has the OJT (Conrail's name for it) been suspended in the off season in previous years?

florida581 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Honestly, this doesn't surprise me.  The empty
> cars already run south on Q141.  Any idea what
> train the loaded Juice cars will run on between
> Tampa and Jacksonville?
>
> Andrew

My bet would be Q188 since the cars need to go to the Jax Ramp.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is about the end of the major orange juice
> packing season in central and south Florida.
>
> Has the OJT (Conrail's name for it) been suspended
> in the off season in previous years?

The Juice train runs year round.  Loads out of Bradenton / Tampa have always run as a separate unit train to at least Jacksonville.  Some years back, the loaded juice actually ran north to New Jersey on Q140.  

Andrew

I was involved with the 'Juice" for many years with Conrail until 1999. Northbound, from inception in the early 1970s until now; I have never known the Tropicana loads northbound to be combined with another train. The empty cars southbound yes in several other trains over the years. It worked well that way. Years ago I met with Tropicana management, heard ther complaints about the UNIT train service, and visited their new facility in Greenville, NJ. The origin in Bradenton is non-union. The terminal in Greenville is union. So the NB loaded train has to arrive on-time (it used to be 0500) to get most of the cars unloaded and into waiting trucks for store delivery or into the automated storage unit. If it does not arrive on-time at Greenville that facility has to pay according to it's union contracts. I know in recent months the NB train has been very late, over 12 hours sometimes.  I sure do not know how combining it with Q140 will make anything better. Today Q140 was about 8000ft, most days it is shorter. I do not know its schedule, but it is usually late morning, which, along with the other short I/M trains, screws up the carload trains causing re-crews. If this change happens, it will be interesting to see how resulting service to Tropicana is accepted by them. Of course it is subject to highway competition; three or more trailers per railcar. But it began as a substitute for a small ship; and marine service is still possible at Bradenton and Greenville.

Think its still Q740 Tampa to Jax
Tonight Q741 went South through Baldwin about 8:30-8:45

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

calsubd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Think its still Q740 Tampa to Jax
> Tonight Q741 went South through Baldwin about
> 8:30-8:45

Thanks Ed.

The Juice Q741-26

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

---

---

---

These experiments come and go. My hunch is that we'll see a separate NB train again someday.

ctillnc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> These experiments come and go. My hunch is that
> we'll see a separate NB train again someday.
That would be nice if it were 50+ cars  but lately hasn't been quite that long, I saw one a month or so ago that was 13 cars between Tampa and Jax.

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

How does the Fort Pierce section of the juice train book up?

I'm guessing the CSX grabs it from FEC at Bowden yard and takes it over to Jacksonville.

Posted from Android

I think FEC brings it to the south end of Moncreif yard and Moncreif yard job picks it up

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

calsubd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think FEC brings it to the south end of Moncreif
> yard and Moncreif yard job picks it up

Thank you

deeck Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  L740-26 last (L) train to operate
> Q740-29 to be the "LAST JUICE TRAIN" to operate as
> a seperate train
>
> Q140 going from 3 to 5 days a week operating
> Sunday thru Thursday from Duval Yard in JAX
> Q141 as currently operating remains

​I've only been working at Richmond for ~3 years and I can remember this happening in the past.  When I moved here the empties and loads were seperate trains.  Then they tried tacking them onto the 140/141.  Then they went back to being seperate trains.  Then the empties were on the 140 again.  Now this.

calsubd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ctillnc Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > These experiments come and go. My hunch is that
> > we'll see a separate NB train again someday.
> That would be nice if it were 50+ cars  but
> lately hasn't been quite that long, I saw one a
> month or so ago that was 13 cars between Tampa and
> Jax.

​Yeah it's been tiny lately.  I mean there'll be the odd day when it's big but not so common anymore.

calsubd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That would be nice if it were 50+ cars  but
> lately hasn't been quite that long, I saw one a
> month or so ago that was 13 cars between Tampa and
> Jax.

The Florida orange crop isn't what it used to be due to the "citrus greening" disease. I wonder if this is causing Tropicana to produce less juice in Florida?
http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/-/media/ImagesNew/FoodBusinessNews/Features-2016/10/OrangeProdChart_Embedded.jpg?la=en&hash=31D31603D520A8DF860F26CFAC7C6EB15ACB19BE

CPR_4000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> calsubd Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That would be nice if it were 50+ cars  but
> > lately hasn't been quite that long, I saw one a
> > month or so ago that was 13 cars between Tampa
> and
> > Jax.
>
> The Florida orange crop isn't what it used to be
> due to the "citrus greening" disease. I wonder if
> this is causing Tropicana to produce less juice in
> Florida?
> http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/-/media/ImagesNew/
> FoodBusinessNews/Features-2016/10/OrangeProdChart_
> Embedded.jpg?la=en&hash=31D31603D520A8DF860F26CFAC
> 7C6EB15ACB19BE

I've driven past miles of abandoned orange groves in central Florida in the past year. Sometimes ten miles at a time.  In the area between Stuart and Fort Myers, there are many more abandoned properties than active groves. Same thing with the ride up north of Lake O.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I've driven past miles of abandoned orange groves in central Florida in the past year. Sometimes ten
> miles at a time.  In the area between Stuart and Fort Myers, there are many more abandoned
> properties than active groves. Same thing with the ride up north of Lake O.

I found another graph that shows a decline in OJ consumption that roughly parallels the decline of the Florida crop. If I'm not mistaken, Tropicana also imports juice oranges from Brazil.

Tropicana Pure Premium went back to 100% Florida in 2012. Other Tropicana products... who knows.

OJ consumption (from any source) in the U.S. has fallen drastically as consumers worry about the sugar content. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-20/u-s-orange-juice-demand-seen-slumping-to-lowest-in-30-years http://www.businessinsider.com/orange-juice-is-disappearing-2016-10