Intermodal fans! 16 miles of doublestack cars sitting idle in Montana.

ytter_man

Member
While i was in Havre last weekend for 4449, i got this video of 16 miles of well cars sitting empty on the old GN spur south to Great Falls. The description explains more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMeEsYhtssA

I've got some friend's videos of 4449 there too and some other model/real RR stuff i've filmed. Enjoy! :thumb:
 

Ronson2k3

Member
I don't know.. Montana? seems like it's quite a ways from any port? There weren't cans on them so the cans are being used somewhere or stored as well.

I don't know if it's a lack of traffic that has caused that or lack of rail traffic. In that the cans are being moved in some other way. Would have to look to the GDP to figure that perhaps?

Interesting video and music though. As a fan it's a little distressing though??
 

ytter_man

Member
I don't know.. Montana? seems like it's quite a ways from any port? There weren't cans on them so the cans are being used somewhere or stored as well.

I don't know if it's a lack of traffic that has caused that or lack of rail traffic. In that the cans are being moved in some other way. Would have to look to the GDP to figure that perhaps?

Interesting video and music though. As a fan it's a little distressing though??

Montana has ports. Inland, dry intermodal ports. Surely you dont think all those containers get shipped across north america from ship to train to ship again? :thumb:

It's not lack of any kind of traffic, it's lack of product to be shipped. If i could i'd link to articles about locals complaining that the cars are there, even though the railroad left all the grade crossings clear.

The containers are probably on the coast, or back in asia where most originate. BNSF has locomotives stored like this on sidings in Minneapolis too. Thanks for looking!
 

Ronson2k3

Member
I agree I wouldn't be happy to see all those 'empty' intermodel cars sitting there. It's a bit depressing and nearly littering in a way. Mainline trackage shouldn't be treated as a storage area. There should be something in the FRA to keep from happening. I can understand the railroads having to scramble to find a place to put cars that are not 'in the system' but they could do better I think.

Lack of product is lack of traffic. It's happening all over too. Not just with container cars. Tanks in the Midwest and south as oil sales plummeted. Roads had a hard time stuffing those cars too. Things seem to be turning around though.

I saw a news item on the television last night that Ford is the #1 seller in Canada in just under 6 decades as they played the recession with skill. Not taking the government money has left them with no payments to make back. That will have them will positioned for some time to come I should think. I'm thinking the others of the 'Big 3' grew to fast and fell to fast when the recession hit. Ford being slow and steady won the race..

I don't own a vehicle BTW having just sold my motorcycle. If I could buy one though the Mustang would be at the top of my list... :)
 
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