Eastern Railroad Discussion > orange juice train

Does CSX still run Tropicana Orange Juice trains from Fla. to NJ daily?

Last I heard it was no longer a dedicated train.  

Correct, at least north of Tampa.  Now handled in the consist of regularly-scheduled intermodal trains in both directions.  Which one seems to change every time the PSR operating plan does.

 

I have heard Q0741 (Tropicana empties) on the scanner leaving Jacksonville in the early A.M. predawn, but I don't see it listed

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

I don't think the OJT ever ran daily; if it did, that was a long time ago.

calsubd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have heard Q0741 (Tropicana empties) on the
> scanner leaving Jacksonville in the early A.M.
> predawn, but I don't see it listed

All Tropicana between Jacksonville and Tampa is handled on Q045/Q046.

North of Jacksonville, it is on Q031/Q032, Q142/L143, Q154/Q155 (Chattanooga - Memphis UP, Memphis UP - Nashville)

calsubd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have heard Q0741 (Tropicana empties) on the
> scanner leaving Jacksonville in the early A.M.
> predawn, but I don't see it listed

No Q on that - just O741 (The letter O).  That is the Taft FL to Baldwin FL local that arrives Baldwin pre-dawn

delvalrailfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> calsubd Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I have heard Q0741 (Tropicana empties) on the
> > scanner leaving Jacksonville in the early A.M.
> > predawn, but I don't see it listed
>
> All Tropicana between Jacksonville and Tampa is
> handled on Q045/Q046.
>
> North of Jacksonville, it is on Q031/Q032,
> Q142/L143, Q154/Q155 (Chattanooga - Memphis UP,
> Memphis UP - Nashville)
741 is southbound, whether  it be  O or Q, I wasn't referring to Northbound

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Q741 hasn't run in years, and it was the Tropicana empties several years ago.  That Q700 series has all but disappeared.  I'm not sure what you're hearing, but it is not that.
 

O741 is likely what you are heariing. As I said, Origin = Taft, Destination = Baldwin. Usually departs Taft around 10pm. 

I live here in Bushnell on the S line. Q045 heads south and contains Tropicana empties. Q046 is the northbound inmodal and does contain loaded tropicana when necessary.
 

The other half of the Jacksonville to NJ jucie train train came from the FEC. The FEC OJ train was mixed in with other freight from Fort Pierce. Plus it was always a Nocturnal Operation. The only time you could see Tropicana cars on the FEC during the daylight was on the St. Johns river bridge. This guy managed to catch the train in daylight along with its un/usual cut of walmart trailers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m9RIP25E20





 

The total supply of orange juice in the USA.  USDA numbers.

2009 - 2,024.6 million gallons
2017 - 1,245,3 million gallons

People aren't drinking near as much OJ.  So, no more solid OJ trains.

Greyhounds Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The total supply of orange juice in the USA. 
> USDA numbers.
>
> 2009 - 2,024.6 million gallons
> 2017 - 1,245,3 million gallons
>
> People aren't drinking near as much OJ.  So, no
> more solid OJ trains.
That actually has nothing to do with the train operation.

Uncle Joe
Seffner,Fl.

retcsxcfm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Greyhounds Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The total supply of orange juice in the USA. 
> > USDA numbers.
> >
> > 2009 - 2,024.6 million gallons
> > 2017 - 1,245,3 million gallons
> >
> > People aren't drinking near as much OJ.  So,
> no
> > more solid OJ trains.
> That actually has nothing to do with the train
> operation.
>
> Uncle Joe
> Seffner,Fl.

Citrus production in Florida was down by half due to citrus greening disease.  The virus is present in California so far only in residential areas.  When it spreads to commercisl groves, the California citrus industry will take a big hit.

mapboy

> That actually has nothing to do with the train operation.

So, CSX and Tropicana are supposed to swallow the cost of running a separate train for 20 OJ cars? Sometimes that's all there is, Folkston-NJ.

retcsxcfm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Greyhounds Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The total supply of orange juice in the USA. 
> > USDA numbers.
> >
> > 2009 - 2,024.6 million gallons
> > 2017 - 1,245,3 million gallons
> >
> > People aren't drinking near as much OJ.  So,
> no
> > more solid OJ trains.
> That actually has nothing to do with the train
> operation.
>
> Uncle Joe
> Seffner,Fl

It certainly does have a whole lot to do with the train.

The method of transportation is determined by many things, but those things include the volume produced and the rate of production.  Orange Juice consumption in the New York area and its production/import in the Tampa area made the operation of unit trains of OJ the most efficient method for Tropicana.  The volume and rate of production have fallen dramatically.   So the unit trains are gone, they're no longer economically efficient.  So CSX and Tropicana had to come up with these new methods of moving the remaining juice.

Fruit juice consumption has fallen off a cliff, lead by orange juice.  
 

I'd still drink a gallon a week if  it wasn't for the sugar added to it, more people are being diagnosed with Type II Diabetes. IMHO

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

Of course, Tropicana would argue strenuously that they don't "add" sugar to their product, in the sense of sugar that didn't come from an orange. But without a doubt, Tropicana sells a heavily manufactured product and they adjust the sugar level in that product to meet a target. Most people would agree that the sugar level in Tropicana is somewhat higher than in OJ that a consumer squeezes at home, although not a lot higher. Even fresh-squeezed has sugar levels comparable to Coke and Pepsi. There is a lot of obfuscation about fructose vs glucose and the nutrient content other than sugar, but at the end of the day any kind of palatable OJ has high sugar and that's what is driving people away from the product. 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/01/19 07:45 by ctillnc.

Where does UP get involved with the Tropicana train to Cincy?
Up handles a juice train out of New Orleans to the west coast, not to Cincy.

Paul B
Canton, GA