Ethanol Plant - Medina, NY

The proposal of the Ethanol plant in Medina is no more, because they have have now started clearing out the land for the plant. I recently visited this site which is located bettween 31, 31a, Allis Road (Dead End), and Bates Road which roughly forms a geographical block. I was surprised to see how much work has been done here. I decided that it would be nice for you guys to see the action going on here so I took a few pictures of the work that is being done.

Consider this the Official Thread for the Medina Ethanol Plant. I intend to take pictures as progress permits. If you have any information/news feel free to post. Commenting is welcomed also. Just saying that because I hate when people spam message boards.


Images Are 640x480 Resolution:
Date Taken: 8-8-06


Notes: This picture was taken along Million Dollar highway (route 31) right before bates road. As you see here, they are prepairing for the siding which leads up to the plant, a "wye". Also, look at the old ties from when the railroad had 2 tracks.


Notes: A closer shot nearly in the same place as the first picture. Where the man stands is where the west side of wye comes in. Look at the dump truck kicking up all that dirt.


Notes: This is along bates road. I found a entrance to the work zone and decided to walk up in to take a shot. This is where the plant will be seated.


Notes: This is along 31a. Its meant to show the whole work area that is taking place.


Notes: Along 31a again, this picture is to show where the wye will make its way up into the plant. Pretty interesting I think.

Well alrighty, thats all of them. Be interesting to see the rest of the build, and I intend to photograph this process when I can. I hope you guys enjoy these pictures and feel free to add comments.

-Earl

Hi,

Are we to assume that this plant will be producing Ethanol for fuel use, or are they going to use it to make Hootch ?

What will be their feedstock ? Any idea what a gallon of the Ethanol will cost ?

Here is a good background story on ethanol plants.
It is about the Fulton, NY plant but has good background on the product.

http://www.syracuse.com/poststandard/st ... page=1[url][/url]

Three plants are now under way in New York Medina, Fulton and Seneca Depot.

Pennsy,
No hootch. Its going to produce Ethanol for fuel use, Sorry to break it to you.

The other information you asked me I am not sure of. Maybe some one here knows, but I sure don't.

That last question is likely impossible to answer right now, but a better question regardless of cost is: will anyone local be able to buy it? I was under the impression that it was going to to Selkirk via CSX, which means it gets shipped out.

If it's like the proposed plants in Buffalo, it will be trucked/barged/shipped by rail from anyplace. If it's like the concept that was floated in the Jamestown area recently, they will try to use local corn, but New York State doesn't have enough to support it, so they'll have to import some, by rail or truck.

The only reason they might not bring it all in by rail is car availability, or so I've seen.

Dave Becker

21 million bushels of corn will make 50 million gallons of ethanol.

The plant owners say that 6 million bushels of corn would come from NY State farms. The rest will come from out west. New York State is already a deficit producer of corn. We already import/consume 20% more corn than we produce thus we know that all of the corn for ethanol will actually come from the west. That means that if 6 million bushels come from NY farmers, that 6 million will have to be shipped in to fill the demand that already exists from the dairy farmers and any flour that might be milled here or whatever else we do with corn now.

I have heard that ethanol sells for about $3.40 - 3.50 per gallon. I also believe that there is a $0.51 per gal. of ethanol tax credit in there at the wholesale level to help hold the price of gas at the pump down.

The ethanol will go by rail to a distrubution/mixing site near Albany and/or to other distribution points throughout the Northeast. Experts say it can not be blended with the gas that is distributed by pipe line.

its always good to see the railroad get more business.

Trackbed beginning to be laid out. Switch locations cut back. Former Brunner siding shoved into the woods. Stone being dumped and compacted. Smiles all around.

...I don't know, still looks like there's still a chance this Ethanol plant is an illusion....

Challenger3985, your note under first picture referrs to old ties.

Notes: This picture was taken along Million Dollar highway (route 31) right before bates road. As you see here, they are prepairing for the siding which leads up to the plant, a "wye". Also, look at the old ties from when the railroad had 2 tracks.

The old ties in that picture are from the 2000 track improvements made by GVT/ Falls Road RR Co.. The second New York Central track was on the left or north side of the current tracks. It currently seems to serve as an ATV trail.

WNYP431 wrote:Trackbed beginning to be laid out. Switch locations cut back. Former Brunner siding shoved into the woods. Stone being dumped and compacted. Smiles all around.

...I don't know, still looks like there's still a chance this Ethanol plant is an illusion....

Sweet, looking good. I think it will fall through, not sure why I wouldn't. I need to get down in the area to check that out, take somemore picture and post them here

med-train wrote:The old ties in that picture are from the 2000 track improvements made by GVT/ Falls Road RR Co.. The second New York Central track was on the left or north side of the current tracks. It currently seems to serve as an ATV trail.

Ahh, okay.. Thanky

I saw a news article on the GVT website (from a while back) about this. They say that corn will indeed be shipped in and ethanol out.

The line currently handles less than 1000 cars a year. That is predicted to jump to 5000 cars a year!!!

Although even if thats over stated (as many estimates are) even at 2000 cars that is still a doubling in traffic.


Does anyone know if there are any plans to upgrade Lockport yard or increase car storage capactiy along the line?

Lockport yard was quite decrepid even in the CR days. Perhaps GVT finally plans on utilizing more the old D&H yard in Niagara Falls?

I am very excited about this.
Maybe we will see some 6 axle GVT power? :o)

Dave

Operations are now scheduled to start in October 2007.
No improvements in Lockport Yard, No need to change operations in Niagara Falls. CSX will be powering trains in and out of Medina by way of Buffalo.

Sixty (60) car unit trains will come in about once a week. GVT will provide pilots. CSX will bring the train in to Lockport, pickup pilots and proceed to Medina. The train will proceed to just east of Medina and then back through the east leg of a "WYE", break the train into two parts. One half of the cars will be moved to the dumping station and dumped one at a time. When the first group is empty the second group will be dumped. When all are empty (about 14 hours after arrival) the whole unit of empties will be hooked up and will proceed out the west leg of the wye and will return to Lockport and proceed west into Buffalo.

Similar moves will handle the ethanol and the brewer's grain. Cars are not expected to be stored in Lockport.

Sounds like the crews will outlaw at the plant.

Is there a reason why the trains are not being interchanged in Lockport?

It will be interesting to see if the reality is able to follow the plan. Given the nature of switching that many cars, delays, etc, I could see where it might prove to be a lot easier in the long run to simply turn over the train to the FRRR and let them do the switching, using FRRR power. I can't imagine CSX power charges being cheaper than GVT power cost. Ditto the labor cost for the switching. Plus the problems with getting a new CSX crew when a crew's HOS are up, etc. Can CSX provide the on-time responsive service the plant will need, etc. Will be interesting.

RS

You're probably not going to change crews in Lockport and block crossings through town for that long. Same with splitting a unit train and trying to store it in that small yard. Medina's only another 45 minutes east...doesn't make any sense to jam up Lockport & do an extra brake test or two that close to the trains' (GV-1) destination. My money is on either CSX to Medina or GVT from Sanborn or the Falls. The only thing the 'Port will see is 3 yards and a cloud of dust.

Get a pool going now, guys. Everyone who guesses the actual interchange point correctly gets a lump of coal in their stocking this Xmas. The choices are: Lockport, Brockport, Medina, Niagara Falls, Kenmore, Frontier, Delphi-Harrison, Utica, and Chicago.