As planned, I checked out SPI in Lewes last Thursday. There were three HOKX tankcars and a single ACFX covered hopper with a blue "swoosh" emblem on the side. No other action seen, though. The ferry is a great ride to/from DE.
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Delaware Coast Line Railway
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I was working down at the H&K stone facility a few months ago and seen the Alco that had been sitting there. I would say roughly a couple of months ago it was gone. I don't know where to tho. Pretty nice watchin that U-boat work too.
Last edited by Aardvark on Sun Jan 06, 2008 6:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Nobody has checked out railroading in Sussex County, DE lately? When I retire from the NYPD to lower, slower Delaware in, as of today, ten years, one month and three days, I'll give weekly updates on DCL operations when possible.
There's been no abandonment of service in Lewes. When I rode an excursion on the DCL in November 2004, I learned from the crew that the customer at the end of the line is the ONLY customer on the entire line. The loss of that customer could very well doom the entire route. There has already been local talk of curtailing service in favor of converting the right-of-way into a trail.
In early 2005, after the DCL ran that special trip, I asked about a fan trip run from Georgetown to the end of the line and back. I found there was little in-house knowledge regarding how to run such trips and even less interest. Most of their revenue, apparently, came from track repair jobs, not from operations. If their last customer in Lewes called it quits, I got the impression that they wouldn't be too concerned anyway.
Was in Lewes yesterday. SPI Pharma had 2 HOKX tanks, 1 UTLX tank. There was an item in the papers a few weeks back about SPI Pharma filing applications to expand the facility's business so the future for business (and rail service) looks bright. (Except for the part that says the facility no longer uses rail service, I'm not sure how they explain the tank cars.
The article: http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurre ... 33007.html
Of course the NIMBYs are concerned about an increase in rail traffic (OMG, another train a week!) Of course a few more tractor-trailers going that way isn't a problem in the summer when that area becomes a traffic nightmare. Sorry kids, we missed the ferry because we got stuck behind a truck; at least we wern't blocked by the weekly train.)
There have been other customers on that line in years past. At Gravel Hill, there was a stone unloading operation for off-line customers as well as unloading unit trains (!) of grain for an off-line Mountaire facility. I'll take a guess that the 3-4 tanks a week originating for SPI Pharma generate more revenue than the gravel operation would.
The article: http://www.capegazette.com/storiescurre ... 33007.html
Of course the NIMBYs are concerned about an increase in rail traffic (OMG, another train a week!) Of course a few more tractor-trailers going that way isn't a problem in the summer when that area becomes a traffic nightmare. Sorry kids, we missed the ferry because we got stuck behind a truck; at least we wern't blocked by the weekly train.)
There have been other customers on that line in years past. At Gravel Hill, there was a stone unloading operation for off-line customers as well as unloading unit trains (!) of grain for an off-line Mountaire facility. I'll take a guess that the 3-4 tanks a week originating for SPI Pharma generate more revenue than the gravel operation would.
On Saturday there were two black tank cars sitting on the start of the Milton Branch in Ellendale. I called the DCL Monday morning and was told that they were empties being stored on the branch. Still nothing definite about when service might be started to the gas dealer outside Milton.
Lewes didn't see service last week. The man with whom I spoke on the phone (302-856-1816) said they probably would be running out there later this week, possibly Thursday. The rumor that the Lewes plant was no longer using rail service was news to him! Power for the job could be either a B23-7 (the other B23-7 is out at the power plant) or the T-6. RS-36 has had wheel work done, although it still uses a lot of oil!
Lewes didn't see service last week. The man with whom I spoke on the phone (302-856-1816) said they probably would be running out there later this week, possibly Thursday. The rumor that the Lewes plant was no longer using rail service was news to him! Power for the job could be either a B23-7 (the other B23-7 is out at the power plant) or the T-6. RS-36 has had wheel work done, although it still uses a lot of oil!