Western Railroad Discussion > NWP adds Inbound lumber to its traffic base

NWP was almost dealt a fatal blow by Mothe Nature in the winter of 1997-98. The north end is still closed and the south end was out of service for nine years while the NCRA sought enough money to reopen the line from Lombard to Windsor.  Most of the traffic base was in this corridor. However, during the out of service period,  the remaining customers went to trucking others went out of business. The feed and grain business came back to because car (rail) load was more economical than trucks. There is some outgoing lumber via trans-loading at Standard Structures from Redwood Empire Lumber in Cloverdale.  Today, the second centerbeam of inbound lumber was delivered by the Windsor turn last night to the spur at Fulton. Image #1 shows NWP #2009 and the load facing west inside the yard.  Image #2 looks east towards Freiddmans Lumber Co. yard.   Image #3 s file photo of outbound lumber loads from Cloverdale.  Text and Photos by Mike Pechner, Copyright 2019 "All Rights Reserved."  

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How far north are the tracks usable?  Windsor?    Are they continuing to work on opening the RR to Cloverdale, or is that still pending funding?

Well, good to see some freight traffic.

In doing an online aerial survey of the line, it appears there are a lot of disconnected spurs along the line.  In looking further north, it appears that there are possibilities for freight traffic at least up to Ukiah.  Some sidings lead to empty lots, but others are at exising businesses including at least a few lumber mills.  What would be involved to restore service up to that area?  Aren't most of the serious washouts, etc much further north?  

No customer wants to deal with th railroad. Been burned too much in the past. Trucks will out bid every carload.

WAF Wrote:
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> No customer wants to deal with th railroad. Been
> burned too much in the past. Trucks will out bid
> every carload.

Wow, with an attitude like that I can see why the customer looks elsewhere.

And gee, I wonder who was around when SP was ditching every branch line they could find?

Out

Not an attitude, its reality. Ask MDO. One carload of freight to go that far won't pay shit with the division, if they even get one from the UP. Probably more like $500 a car. Get your head out of the clouds. Its a business

That's why successful shortlines work to improve their traffic base, so they aren't hauling just one
car to a destination area.

Out

WAF Wrote:
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> Not an attitude, its reality. Ask MDO. One carload
> of freight to go that far won't pay shit with the
> division, if they even get one from the UP.
> Probably more like $500 a car. Get your head out
> of the clouds. Its a business

And if you want to stay in business you don't chase off the customers you have and you look for ways to get more paying customers.
Pure simple Business 101.

.... and there comes a time when to hold em and when to fold them. This is a good time to fold. 20 loads a week don't pay bills like railroads create

Have to agree with Wes, there is a small amount of premium Redood lumber being milled along the route but the trucks have the business and I'm not seeing the RR's paying attention. It's pretty much a flat run to Cloverdale and then to Ukiah but the tracks are overgrown with weeds and brush. The route over the hill to Willits is still there but that route gets steeper every time I see it. The highway is getting upgrades every few years for both car and truck traffic.

callum_out Wrote:
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> That's why successful shortlines work to improve
> their traffic base, so they aren't hauling just
> one
> car to a destination area.
>
> Out

Actually I do not understand the owner of the NWP. It seems like they don't do any promotion, sales, any inquiries to see if they can get more work.

I wasn't referring to the NWP as successful and your point on them is well taken.

Out

20  loads a week you speak of note only are charged for hauling the freight from origin to the buyer, but also get a biffy switching charge they have to pay. You get several of those 20 loads a week and you are talking money.  Maybe not as much  as a 2000 mile container run  but a buck that goes on the income line. Despite current management's "no money "  in that movement running off customers is just stupid.  That's a good way to turn a branch that makes some money into a real loser.  And they have done it for years .  Add unreliable service and you have todays big railroads.

CPRR Wrote:
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> callum_out Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That's why successful shortlines work to
> improve
> > their traffic base, so they aren't hauling just
> > one
> > car to a destination area.
> >
> > Out
>
> Actually I do not understand the owner of the NWP.
> It seems like they don't do any promotion, sales,
> any inquiries to see if they can get more work.

Are they allowed to under the conditions of their contract with SMART?