Railroad Forums 

  • Matching Railcars to Specific Customers

  • Discussion related to NYAR operations on Long Island. Official web site can be found here: www.anacostia.com/nyar/nyar.html. Also includes discussion related to NYNJ Rail, the carfloat operation successor to New York Cross Harbor that connects with NYAR.
Discussion related to NYAR operations on Long Island. Official web site can be found here: www.anacostia.com/nyar/nyar.html. Also includes discussion related to NYNJ Rail, the carfloat operation successor to New York Cross Harbor that connects with NYAR.
 #1272380  by NYCS
 
I know this is quite vague and nearly impossible to determine on a micro level, but I'm wondering if anyone has noticed any trends as to which cars coming into Fresh Pond are "usual customers" at a repeat consignee?

Let me clarify what I mean, for the purposes of example:

1. We know the USWX flats with green MSW containers are headed to WM on Varick Ave. along the Bushwick Branch.
2. We know CDEX Construction Debris gondolas are headed out to Coastal.
3. Recently I learned that most (if not all) FGLK boxcars are carrying paperboard to Rock-Tenn (formerly Southern Container).
4. Many (if not all) of the GATX stone hoppers are unloaded in Maspeth.
5. LPG tankers are most likely headed to Paraco (well, ever since NYA cut service to Pulver).
6. The pressurized Trinity 5660 covered hoppers (major flour haulers) started appearing once BRT opened the flour transload.

etc., etc., etc....

Wondering if anyone else has noticed any patterns going on, and we could keep an active discussion going about which reporting marks (maybe even specific cars) are spotted at specific customers... and we could all learn in the process. Cars such as centerbeam lumber cars, ARMN reefers, plastic pellet hoppers can have a variety of customers, so these would be harder to make sense of. What about all the EEC cars coming onto the island? Recently I've heard of the large BNSF "icicle" reefers also making landfall, anyone know where they are spotted at? Just any patterns you know of, matching cars/reporting marks to designated consignees, trends and patterns, etc. I think it would be a fun topic for discussion. Even something like "Customer X usually receives 60' High Cube TTX boxcars" would give us new information. I open up the floor...
 #1272384  by Sir Ray
 
"4. Many (if not all) of the GATX stone hoppers are unloaded in Maspeth."
I don't think this is true anymore, certainly not all.
Lots of GATX 3-bay aggregate hoppers unloaded at Astro Stone on the mainline off Commack Rd in Deer Park, and Posillico on the mainline off New Highway in Farmingdale. You can see whole rakes of them (maybe 10 or so cars) on the respective sidings for each company. There might be other locations too.

Anything special looking about the "biodiesel" tank cars that company on the mainline in New Hyde Park/Garden City takes (if they are still in business)?
 #1272649  by jtunnel
 
There had been horse feed traffic going to Belmont and other points. Pine-aire seems too far east for that specific customer. I've seen the TTX cars coming in off the NYNJRR for the past two weeks.
 #1272674  by AlKaLI
 
I've seen those hi-cube TTX boxcars as well. They are not heading to Belmont, usually those cars have been BNSF cars. As Teutobergerwald has stated, he has seen those in Pine-aire. I've seen those cars heading east when I railfan around Farmingdale. I believe they are loads heading to?? Maybe BRT?

@NYCS
I am going to give your inital post a detailed response. I am going to look through my some of "old notebooks". Don't we all carry these when we spot? :-D