Eastern Railroad Discussion > New CSX intermodal yard in LaPorte, Co, Ind?

I got an email from a friend stating that the CSX was planning on building a new intermodal yard in LaPorte County, Indiana; and employ something rediculous like 16,000 people.
He was thinking they were going to use the old Kingsbury Ordinance Depot. I have not been able to find anything on the net...(even google failed me!) I was wondering if anyone has heard this, or if it's just rumour.

DRLOCO--CSX Quality in motion--on a truck trailer on I-94!

I used to drive the section of U.S. 6 that runs along the CSX in that area and on some of the back roads of that area. I do not recall any switches off the CSX main going into that faciliy. The NS had acess off their line that ran from Plymouth, IN. up to South Bend and Michigan City as I used to get stopped every so often by the local pulling flat car loads of military trucks and related equipment. It is called the Kingsbury Fish and Wildlife Area now and is a nature preserve. I kind of doubt that the state would be willing to give up the land for that kind of a project seeing how it is rather in the middle on nowhere. Where would the traffic of containers originate from? Most of the industry in that area of Indiana is the manufacture of RV's and campers and modular homes.

A LINK TO THE STORY IN THE LAPORTE HERALD ARGUS IS http://heraldargus.com/hanews/archives/ha/sections.cgi?prcss=display&id=228261

WELLSBORO (UNION MILLS) IS ALSO IN THE RUNNING FOR THE PROJECT. MOST OF THE 16500 JOBS WOULD COME FROM ASSOCIATED COMPANIES SUCH AS WAREHOUSE/ DISTRIBUTION, MANUFACTURING ETC. ETC.. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT CSX WILL BE BUILDING A LARGE HUMP YARD IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS PROJECT.

According to CSX.COM they also have plans for Winter haven Fl. also, Ed

tkxet Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I used to drive the section of U.S. 6 that runs
> along the CSX in that area and on some of the back
> roads of that area. I do not recall any switches
> off the CSX main going into that faciliy. The NS
> had acess off their line that ran from Plymouth,
> IN. up to South Bend and Michigan City as I used
> to get stopped every so often by the local pulling
> flat car loads of military trucks and related
> equipment. It is called the Kingsbury Fish and
> Wildlife Area now and is a nature preserve. I kind
> of doubt that the state would be willing to give
> up the land for that kind of a project seeing how
> it is rather in the middle on nowhere. Where would
> the traffic of containers originate from? Most of
> the industry in that area of Indiana is the
> manufacture of RV's and campers and modular homes.

There's quite a bit more to the Kingsbury site than the wildlife park. Keep in mind the site consists of 13,000 acres total. The wildlife refuge is only a small portion. A few days ago, I posted the following to the Garrett/Willard subs yahoo list.


Here's a link to an aerial photo of the Kingsbury Ordnance Plant
(KOP). The Garrett Sub runs along the south side (bottom of the
photo) of the grounds. CN operates to the west of the grounds,
while the South Shore serves the industrial park portion of the
grounds.
http://shawnbrown.com/basement/kingsbury_ordinance_plant/kop00_intro.
html


County on track for 15,000 jobs: Regional Development Authority
could bring distribution center



By Jason Miller, The (Michigan City IN)News-Dispatch


UNION MILLS - The mayors of LaPorte County's two cities have thrown
their support behind the idea of joining a Regional Development
Authority with Lake and Porter counties that could help bring a
massive distribution center to the southern part of the county.



"It could be the largest economic development project since the
combined riverboat development or even the steel mills," Michigan
City Mayor Chuck Oberlie said Friday of an intermodal facility that
could be built near Union Mills or Kingsbury in the coming
years. "That's certainly an incentive."



LaPorte Mayor Leigh Morris and state Rep. Mary Kay Budak, R-LaPorte,
say the county could be in line for the facility if it joins the
RDA, established a year ago for the two counties to the west.



The thought of thousands of new jobs coming to the county as a
result of an RDA-endorsed project has reduced the mayors' doubts
about joining the authority.



Their endorsements, however, are tempered by the fact they want some
assurances that the county won't be left out when it comes to
approving and helping pay for road and infrastructure projects.
Price of admission to the authority has been $3.5 million a year -
retroactive to last year - for the county.



But it may serve as the vehicle for LaPorte County to get a bigger
share of anticipated revenue from the state's leasing of the Indiana
Toll Road, a proposal by Gov. Mitch Daniels that appears headed for
approval in the current Indiana General Assembly. The state will get
$3.8 billion for roads and other transportation projects during the
next 10 years under the Toll Road lease.



The intermodal facility would serve as a transfer and distribution
station for the rail lines and highways that traverse the county.
Its creation, Oberlie said, would then spur the creation of other
businesses - like distribution centers, warehouses and
manufacturers - that want to be close to the facility.



When the facility is up and running and the possibility of ancillary
businesses is realized, more than 15,000 jobs could be created. Add
improved roads to the mix, Oberlie said, and the plan would be
beneficial to Michigan City.



"It would be straight down (U.S.) 421 or (Ind.) 39. It would give us
great access," he said. "It would provide jobs for residents and
people from out of town who would move here for the jobs."



County officials have been pushing for years for an expansion to
four lanes of U.S. 421 from Interstate 94 south to Westville or
Wanatah, and Indiana 39 between LaPorte and the Toll Road. Oberlie
and Budak both said this week the facility could allow for such
highway expansion.



RDA and state officials hope LaPorte County agrees to kick in the
$3.5 million per year over 10 years for membership but are meeting
opposition from some residents and lawmakers.



Purdue University-North Central is studying the validity of the
group and membership in it.



Oberlie said the intermodal facility and the jobs it brings could be
an incentive to join because it could improve infrastructure
throughout the area.



"It could be. But at the same time, what everybody would like to see
is a commitment to solve some of the problems we have," he
said. "The county and the RDA could do road improvements and sewer
and water improvements (to serve the facility and any other
businesses that choose to locate in the area)."



While LaPorte County appears to be the front-runner for the
facility, Hammond has been mentioned as a possibility, as well.
Oberlie stated two reasons why LaPorte County is the best fit.



"We can assemble the 2,000 acres needed to do this," he said. "I'm
not sure where in Lake County and Porter County they could find that
kind of land.



"And Canadian National Railroad and CSX are both in the areas being
discussed."



Officials also are looking at an area near the Kingsbury Industrial
Park as a possible location.

I seriously doubt a hump yard would be built in conjunction with an intermodal facility. those trailers and containers don't take too well to crashing down off of the hump. Now, if CSX was using the intermodal excuse to build a new yard to relieve some of the stress on Barr, then I can believe that...but they should say that. They told us the "Dim Future" scheme was designed to unify all prior operating railroads...we ALL know that it was a cost cutting measure. I am fine with that, but at least be honest about it, no need to sugar coat something so thinly veiled!

Also, this is all a lot of talk, but as we all know CSX is painfully slow when it comes to actual actions. I doubt any of this comes to pass...after all, who among us remembers Hoosier Lift???


DRLOCO--Hoosier Lift:If you build it, they won't come.

DRLOCO wrote: They told us the "Dim Future" scheme was designed to unify all prior operating railroads...we ALL know that it was a cost cutting measure. I am fine with that, but at least be honest about it, no need to sugar coat something so thinly veiled!


Similar to this is when all the railroads proclaimed that remote control locomotives are "safer and more productive". Why not just come out and say the reason for RCO is to cut engineer's jobs???

Another rumor floating around is CSX acquiring UP's Yard Center, which seems to be under-utilized nowadays......

I don't think that Hooiser lift would be a valid comparision to this proposed facility. Hoosier lift was more of an "answer in search of a question". Potential loads from Indy would just continue up I65 into Chicago, the area surrounding the facility is not a big generator of intermodal business, and the time that it would take to traverse the TP&W (either eastward or westward) was a drawback as well. To me this proposal is more like an eastern counterpart to the newest UP's Global III facility which is out in Rochelle.


DRLOCO Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I seriously doubt a hump yard would be built in
> conjunction with an intermodal facility. those
> trailers and containers don't take too well to
> crashing down off of the hump. Now, if CSX was
> using the intermodal excuse to build a new yard to
> relieve some of the stress on Barr, then I can
> believe that...but they should say that. They
> told us the "Dim Future" scheme was designed to
> unify all prior operating railroads...we ALL know
> that it was a cost cutting measure. I am fine
> with that, but at least be honest about it, no
> need to sugar coat something so thinly veiled!
>
> Also, this is all a lot of talk, but as we all
> know CSX is painfully slow when it comes to actual
> actions. I doubt any of this comes to pass...after
> all, who among us remembers Hoosier Lift???
>
>
> DRLOCO--Hoosier Lift:If you build it, they won't
> come.