Eastern Railroad Discussion > Roadrailers are back

Despite an earlier post announcing the end of NS trains 255/256,

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,4980751,4985772#msg-4985772

NS started running the pair again this week.

Posted from iPhone

Does anyone have an approximate timetable they can share for the Roadrailers?

I wonder if this is related to a special need that GM has at the Arlington, Texas plant, which that train previously supplied. The plant could reopen beginning May 18, and when it does so it will produce new GM large SUV models, like the Chevrolet Suburban and Cadillac Escalade. The article below notes that before the coronavirus shutdown, workers stayed on voluntarily to complete the last of the old models. That could mean that the parts warehouse was emptied, and then the plant shut down. (These days, that's just a holding or surge area for pallets or racks of some parts unloaded from trailers or railcars until they are needed on the factory floor, usually pretty soon. It's generally not a long-term holding sort of warehouse. Before I retired, I helped design packaging for OEM automotive components. Usage-point warehouse holding time and quantity were part of our cycle-time calculations for virtually every job).

GM perhaps has development and retooling costs for these new models stranded on the books, and the faster it can start amortizing them with production and sales, the better. They may have expected to start producing the new models before before the coronavirus shutdown hit. Large SUV models, like big pickups, are revenue-rich and profit-rich models. GM needs both right now.

By going back to the Roadrailer train, they can move a lot more components in at one time than via trucks, refilling the parts warehouse faster. Less concern too about possible trucking issues. Triple Crown / NS and BNSF may have interested other customers in the Southwest, too -- long-haul more assured, shorter haul at the end. Triple Crown has something to sell with value-added in these times: less trucking uncertainties. We all have heard the stories about how hard truckers are working to keep supplies rolling. But there are also reports about dicey conditions in trucking that can suddenly affect a supply chain:https://www.themonitor.com/2020/04/13/truckers-warn-supply-chain-jeopardy-dont-get-better-covid-19-protection/

This is all just a guess (I'm retired), but based on this article from Reuters, 3 days ago on May 14:  https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-gm-plants/gm-ready-to-launch-new-large-suvs-as-plants-restart-idUSKBN22Q3BB

It will be good to see the Roadrailer back again. If you are in a territory that comes off lockdown, and can see it, do it. It won't last forever.

MC
Muskegon, Michigan



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/20 13:31 by ironmtn.

DevalDragon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone have an approximate timetable they can
> share for the Roadrailers?

Both trains will run 4 days a week.  255 will run Su, Tu-Th and 256 will run Tu-Th, Sa.

255 schedule:
Depart Detroit Oakwood, MI 02:20
Crew change Peru, IN 09:15
Crew change Decatur, IL 14:45
Crew change Moberly, MO 21:10
Arrive Voltz, MO 01:05

256 schedule:
Depart Kansas City Avondale, MO 00:25
Depart Voltz, MO 02:30
Crew change Moberly, MO 06:30
Crew change Decatur, IL 13:45
Crew change Peru, IN 21:25
Arrive Detroit Oakwood, MI 03:30

Andrew
 

NS 255 & 256 are still running because of one customer, Ford. The street says this pair of trains will cease to exist in July 2020. The cost to maintain and replace the Roadrailer trailers does not make financial sense due to the vast domestic container network along with container terminals being located in most if not all metropolitan areas of the U.S. 



ronmtn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder if this is related to a special need that
> GM has at the Arlington, Texas plant, which that
> train previously supplied. The plant could reopen
> beginning May 18, and when it does so it will
> produce new GM large SUV models, like the
> Chevrolet Suburban and Cadillac Escalade. The
> article below notes that before the coronavirus
> shutdown, workers stayed on voluntarily to
> complete the last of the old models. That could
> mean that the parts warehouse was emptied, and
> then the plant shut down. (These days, that's just
> a holding or surge area for pallets or racks of
> some parts unloaded from trailers or railcars
> until they are needed on the factory floor,
> usually pretty soon. It's generally not a
> long-term holding sort of warehouse. Before I
> retired, I helped design packaging for OEM
> automotive components. Usage-point warehouse
> holding time and quantity were part of our
> cycle-time calculations for virtually every job).
>
> GM perhaps has development and retooling costs for
> these new models stranded on the books, and the
> faster it can start amortizing them with
> production and sales, the better. They may have
> expected to start producing the new models before
> before the coronavirus shutdown hit. Large SUV
> models, like big pickups, are revenue-rich and
> profit-rich models. GM needs both right now.
>
> By going back to the Roadrailer train, they can
> move a lot more components in at one time than via
> trucks, refilling the parts warehouse faster. Less
> concern too about possible trucking issues. Triple
> Crown / NS and BNSF may have interested other
> customers in the Southwest, too -- long-haul more
> assured, shorter haul at the end. Triple Crown has
> something to sell with value-added in these times:
> less trucking uncertainties. We all have heard the
> stories about how hard truckers are working to
> keep supplies rolling. But there are also reports
> about dicey conditions in trucking that can
> suddenly affect a supply
> chain:https://www.themonitor.com/2020/04/13/trucke
> rs-warn-supply-chain-jeopardy-dont-get-better-covi
> d-19-protection/
>
> This is all just a guess (I'm retired), but based
> on this article from Reuters, 3 days ago on May
> 14: 
> https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavi
> rus-gm-plants/gm-ready-to-launch-new-large-suvs-as
> -plants-restart-idUSKBN22Q3BB
>
> It will be good to see the Roadrailer back again.
> If you are in a territory that comes off lockdown,
> and can see it, do it. It won't last forever.
>
> MC
> Muskegon, Michigan

Thank you for that information. I was thinking completely wrong in guessing they were going through to Texas, as previously. I used to see them regularly when I lived in Columbia, Mo. a few years back, both on NS through Moberly, and coming out of KC on BNSF (ex-Santa Fe). For this restart, a totally incorrect guess on my part.

Still, if you are off lockdown, and can safely see them and photograph them, do it while you can.

MC
Muskegon, Michigan

ironmtn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank you for that information. I was thinking
> completely wrong in guessing they were going
> through to Texas, as previously. I used to see
> them regularly when I lived in Columbia, Mo. a few
> years back, both on NS through Moberly, and coming
> out of KC on BNSF (ex-Santa Fe). For this restart,
> a totally incorrect guess on my part.

They used to continue on from Kansas City to Saginaw Texas on the BNSF. That service was cut a few years back.

You are welcome. NS 255 was the 1st to restart this Sunday morning.

I live near the NS Wabash line so I already have quite the collection of Roardrailer photos. The attached photo shows the former NS/BNSF Texas Roadrailer trains you mentioned, NS 267 is facing in the photo and NS 240 is passing in the opposite direction. 

ironmtn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thank you for that information. I was thinking
> completely wrong in guessing they were going
> through to Texas, as previously. I used to see
> them regularly when I lived in Columbia, Mo. a few
> years back, both on NS through Moberly, and coming
> out of KC on BNSF (ex-Santa Fe). For this restart,
> a totally incorrect guess on my part.
>
> Still, if you are off lockdown, and can safely see
> them and photograph them, do it while you can.
>
> MC
> Muskegon, Michigan

---

That is an absolutely dynamite image of the Roadrailers. IOTD here, Todd, both to celebrate the restart of the Roadrailers, and to recognize an outstanding image.

There has to be a market for the RoadRailer I would think.  Remote places where they are having problems getting backflow and drivers.  Places like Maine, maybe?  How about all that Poland Springs water traveling to the New York City area?  Waterville to Naugatuck?  Cedar Hill?  The better formula is to eliminate the long distance over-the-road driver and convert them into home-every-night local delivery drivers.

It's a really interesting concept that probably needs a newer better version of the equipment but still the potential has to be there.  These railyards that are being closed down due to PSR could easily be used as test beds for RoadRailer lanes.  The infrastructure is already there but the operating expense would be minimal.   



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/20 05:32 by FloridaTrainGuy.

The problem with roadrailers are that it requires out of the box thinking in an industry that is trying its damnedest to run everything in a cookie cutter fashion as if they were producing widgets in a factory.

junctiontower Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The problem with roadrailers are that it requires
> out of the box thinking in an industry that is
> trying its damnedest to run everything in a cookie
> cutter fashion as if they were producing widgets
> in a factory.

Amen on that observation.

I've been susprised to see 53 foot trailers, with wheel assemblies, dropped into the wells of container trains on the FEC recently.  Sometimes in cuts of 5-10, sometimes alone.

FEC tends to do things for a reason, even if that reason is trying out a new idea. My guess is that it's faster to pull the whole unit out of the well than it is to unhook the straps, and off load it to the waiting tractor at the end point. I'll see if I can get some markings next time I see them

Conrail's RR-261 heads West thru New Galilee, Pennsylvania.

April, 1999.

---

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> junctiontower Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The problem with roadrailers are that it
> requires
> > out of the box thinking in an industry that is
> > trying its damnedest to run everything in a
> cookie
> > cutter fashion as if they were producing
> widgets
> > in a factory.
>
> Amen on that observation.

They also take a dedicated lane (which makes them perfect for a customer like Ford) so they aren't nearly as flexible as a container or standard trailer. 

Someone else just posted info that the rules are going to change to allow short haul drivers to drive 150 miles in a day instead of 100 and be on-duty for 14 hours instead of 12.

Could hurt potential RoadRailer short lanes or it might actually help make remote terminals like Waterville, ME more assessible to surrounding businesses.  75 miles covers a lot of area around Waterville.

I guess you just need the guts to try something different.   

glendale Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > junctiontower Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > The problem with roadrailers are that it
> > requires
> > > out of the box thinking in an industry that
> is
> > > trying its damnedest to run everything in a
> > cookie
> > > cutter fashion as if they were producing
> > widgets
> > > in a factory.
> >
> > Amen on that observation.
>
> They also take a dedicated lane (which makes them
> perfect for a customer like Ford) so they aren't
> nearly as flexible as a container or standard
> trailer. 

On the other hand, they don't need expensive terminals, you don't have to screw with container chassis, you don't need big unloading cranes, and you don't have a bunch of money tied up in railroad cars. What Triple Crown needed was more participating railroads to broaden the network. Domestic intermodal and piggyback wouldn't work either if only one company was participating.