Let us hear about the industrial railroads in your area!

[Aa3rt]

Just to stimulate some discussion in this forum, tell us about the industrial railroad(s) in your area. Include pertinent details such as the industry(s) served, motive power and frequency of operation.

I live in southern Maryland. In this area are two power plants operated by Mirant (formerly PEPCO-Potomac Electric Power COmpany). The plants are in Morgantown (Charles County) and Chalk Point (Prince George's County). Both are served by CSX (formerly Conrail, PennCentral, PRR) and see daily trains, particularly in hot and cold weather when electricity demand is high.

Both plants had Alco RS-1's from the Washington Terminal Railroad to perform in-plant switching. The Morgantown plant now uses a GP18, leased from RLCX. I'm uncertain as to what locomotive(s) the Chalk Point is currently using.

Check out the June 2003 issue of "Railfan and Railroad" for further information.

[Hoosier Joe]

Bunge,in Decatur,Indiana has a pair of 35 Ton GE's and a NW2.AFAIK the Waterloo,In location still uses a Baldwin DS 44-1000.

[wess]

there is actually two that I can think of right off here. They are both owned by the same company up here in the Seattle-Tacoma area. And they are both small operations. The Ballard Terminal uses an SW-1 to haul freight on about three miles of track in the Ballard, Washington area. And the Meeker Southern with around five miles of track ( not sure the length), carries out an irregullar schedule outside of Puyallup, Washington on the remnants of a former BN branch. I dont know what power is used on the MS yet.

[fglk]

There used to be 2 former Southern Pacific Alco S-2's that were baught by Allied Signal in Solvay, NY when the plant shut down both engions were sold to a private owner who for years used them in the same location to switch coal cars at the Trijen Steam Plant. The engions have left the area and an Ex P&W U23B now works the plant. I have no idea where these 2 Alcos could have gone both had Friction bearing trucks my guess is they were eather trucked out or cut up. INFO on the where about of abouts of these 2 engions would be nice.

[thirdrail]

In Port Saint Joe, FL, Material Transfer, Inc., has a Precision National rebuilt GP9 used to load unit trains of pet coke, and Premier Services has a 25-tonner GE to switch its plant. Up the road in Telogia, Timber Energy Resources had a tiny Plymouth for plant switching. This used to be a Reichhold Chemical turpentine plant.

[Glen Warmann]

In Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, At our power plant, We have MPEX 1503 working, I think that is a MP1500D, or something like that. That works on a daily basis, but only on the power plant grounds. Also in Kenosha, Wisconsin, There is a huge grain elevator that has its own Alco S4. This is a remote-controlled unit. This unit works monday-saturdays.

[Alcoman]

Regarding the following...........

"There used to be 2 former Southern Pacific Alco S-2's that were baught by Allied Signal in Solvay, NY when the plant shut down both engions were sold to a private owner who for years used them in the same location to switch coal cars at the Trijen Steam Plant. The engions have left the area and an Ex P&W U23B now works the plant. I have no idea where these 2 Alcos could have gone both had Friction bearing trucks my guess is they were eather trucked out or cut up. INFO on the where about of abouts of these 2 engions would be nice."
Tri-gen uses 2 Alco S-6's, Not S-2's. One is ex-SP # 1064 and the other one is a former South Buffalo # 42:2
They are still used however one of them is o/s due to freeze damage (so I am told).
The B23-7( Not U23B) is owned by Finger Lakes Railway. TheFinger Lakes does switching in the yard which is next to Tri-Gen.

[thirdrail]

Here's a photo I took of Godchaux Sugar Co.'s 0-6-4T No. 7:



Location was Reserve, Louisiana.

[shortlinerailroader]

The photo above reminded me of this: Patout Sugar has on its property in Patoutville, LA, a "Dinky". Thet use it to position molasses tank cars for loading and departure. It is very small (it is no longer than my Suburban) and appears to be homemade. There is also an SW7 they use during sugar season and a steam loco in the shop.

[ACLfan]

Thirdrail, that's a great photo of the Godchaux Sugar 0-6-4T!

Two questions:

1. Where is the tank, as in "T"? The unit looks like a "standard" dinky locomotive.

2. Where is Florida's "Forgotten Coast"?

Thanks!

ACLfan

[thirdrail]

Thirdrail, that's a great photo of the Godchaux Sugar 0-6-4T!

Two questions:

1. Where is the tank, as in "T"? The unit looks like a "standard" dinky locomotive. The "T" is directly behind the cab - "T" signifies that the fuel and water are on the same frame as the engine.

2. Where is Florida's "Forgotten Coast"? see: http://www.forgottencoastline.com

Thanks!

ACLfan

[ACLfan]

Most industrial operations in the central Florida area rely on service by CSX, FEC or the Florida Central/Midland/Northern.

The central Florida phosphate mining operations do not have near the number of privately-owned and operated locomotives as 10 years ago. Except for IMC-Agrico, CSX does most of the in-plant switching and car hauling operations. Unfortunately, many, if not all of the small industrial switcher units in the phosphate mining/processing industry have been replaced by front-end loaders and trackmobiles.

The Conrad Yelvington Company is a commercial sand, rock, aggregates distributor in quite a few cities in Florida (and other states). Their local operations rely on a combination of Alco RS1 and S2 units, EMD SW-series yard switchers and GP30m units.

All of these units are quite old, but are still maintained in relatively good running condition. I doubt that they have any locomotive that was initially built less than 40 years ago.

A sand mining operation in Davenport, FL has a former ACL yard switcher still in its purple/white ACL color scheme (repainted, of course!).

Other industrial operations in the Tampa and Jacksonville areas still have a variety of diesel locomotives, but many of these units are not too old.


ACLfan

[emd_SD_60]

Well here we have the Crab Orchard and Egyptian, a shortline operating on former ICG trackage in Herrin and Marion. The Herrin branch serves the Maytag plant and other various places, and joins/served by the BNSF Beardstown Sub. The Marion branch serves several industries also and connects into the UP Marion Sub.

Until about 20 years ago, this was the only railroad to still use steam locomotives for switching in the country. Then they bought a couple of ex-MoPac SW1200's.

[justinking]

well, I live in Westminster Maryland, north central... almost western part of the state. We Have the maryland midland which operates on Former PRR and Western maryland trackage. Some of there line was baught off of CSX in the early 80s, and added too over the years some of is leased from MDOT. The run on about 65 miles of track all together (inc. yard, wyes and the like). They started out with one 65 ton switcher and have since come to own 10 Geeps. They haul mostly portland concrete to interchange with CSX at two points but also run lumber, feed, grain products and have a daily stone trian. They run m-f one train heads east in the morning, one west in the afternoon and an evening stone pick up runs to the Lafarge quart in Woodsborro MD.

There is (i think it is still active, though I'm not sure) also a very small switcher operation in Mt airy south of here that switches to interchange with CSX the few industries left in the Mt airty/east frederick area.

[motterj]

there is actually two that I can think of right off here. They are both owned by the same company up here in the Seattle-Tacoma area. And they are both small operations. The Ballard Terminal uses an SW-1 to haul freight on about three miles of track in the Ballard, Washington area. And the Meeker Southern with around five miles of track ( not sure the length), carries out an irregullar schedule outside of Puyallup, Washington on the remnants of a former BN branch. I dont know what power is used on the MS yet.

It looks like Meeker Southern also runs an SW-1, according to

http://www.trainweb.org/rosters/MSN.html

Incidentally, this site has more information about the BTRR including a photographic tour of its right-of-way:

http://www.docwightman.com/railroad/btr ... nbtrr.html

-Jay