Eastern Railroad Discussion > Rail car wheel / axle transit observation / questions.

https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/side-view-close-up-flatbed-truck-hauling-cargo-railroad-train-wheels-railroad-train-wheels-crgo-135937297.jpg
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Driving home yesterday after work I saw another example of the linked photograph.  The wheel / axle sets on the rig I saw yesterday appeared brand new.  I see this transit effort frequently.  Southeast Virginia, Hampton Roads area is my location.  The rig I saw yesterday was heading west on Route 58.  Hard to determine, of course, the final destination.  I have always wondered why, if the wheel / axle sets are going to eventually be used on rail cars, why not transport them in the same manner?  From the outside looking in, and granted, I have no first hand knowledge of such logistical efforts, but it stands to reason that they will be placed on trackage somewhere, so why not send them from the origination point to the beginning of their purposed construction?  We have industry in Hampton Roads, but mostly shipbuilding and repair.  The only rail  related construction operation is Plasser America, so I don't believe these originated in the local area.  But like I said, I do see this transit effort frequently.  Just idle curiosity on a lazy Friday afternoon.  "What's that, Boss?"  "Ok, ok....I'm focused."

Because it’s quicker and more reliable?

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Could be damaged in a derailment or replacements for worn wheels on a car at some far off customer or shortline railroad.   Easier and quicker to truck them in.

splitreduction Wrote:
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> Because it’s quicker and more reliable?
>


I knew a former rail who worked a consultant gig for UP, related to excessive down time of bad order locomotives. The recommendation was quit moving your parts by rail in your freight trains and use trucks, they're more reliable.

(...and that was long before PSR)

TAW

I worked at the BN's Material Department during the 1980's. We had no traction motors on hand or in the pipe line, so he purchased 8 or so traction motors from a vendor. They arrived three days later on two trucks.

Ed Burns



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/22/21 21:00 by NPEDDIE.

It's way too costly ( both in days' delay and dollars) to dig out a single car from a shipper,
and get it switched into a through  train ---  then have to get it separated & spotted at the
receiving-end.  And the "rate" is probably low, too.

Handling a single shipment, on an infrequent basis is too costly by rail, in today's 
world.  It's much more economical to request a trucker to 
to get it done...  And maybe your facility handles work for several
disparate carriers, at scattered destinations..

Now, if you've got 150 cars of a valuable commodity, like export rice,...
there's money to be made hauling that kind of stuff...

Say from Stuttgart, Ar to a Texas export town ( Asia-bound).
No switching ( for the mainline carrier), either end;
simply drag it from point A to point B... and collect the cash ....

​W.

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/21 01:47 by wcamp1472.

Thanks to all for the informative responses.  Makes sense.

Also many transit operations do not have connecting rail spurs.
 

I think the classic example of railroads not being their own supplier was when Sand for the diesel house sanding towers was changed from covered hoppers to truck from sand pits in South Jersey to Selkirk, NY.  The trucker was always on time and unloaded his own truck directly into the towers and no craft employee of the railroad had to be paid to unload the sand covered hopper car.  And it eliminated the customer (the sand track) that had to be switched by a yard crew when the bins were empty.  And sand is not a highly expensive or perishable item.

Its easy to understand where all the former rail business went when related to carload or less lots.
Good luck to NS to try LCL in today's world. With proper logistics it can work.
Gonut