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...