sp exeter branch operations

[Myfordbrowning]

DeserTBoB Wrote:

tomplatten Wrote:SJVR is not going to do anything they are not legally forced to do--especially when they have an "in house" scrapper waiting to swoop down on the old track

Yup, that's pretty much a given, right there.

UP owns the land under the track but I doubt they will resist abandonment.<snip>

Ah, but they DID! Back a few years ago, after "TrailAmerica" bought out Kyle, they immediately petitioned for abandonment of the whole branch. UP sided with the shippers and rather forcefully argued against it. UP also, in another move, tried to "repossess" the property, but the Surf Board found that all "rail assets" (I guess roadbed isn't a "rail asset") were "TrailAmerica's" to do with what they pleased. After that, the 10-some-odd-mile scrap gap appeared, and another petition for abandonment south of Lindsay was filed. That time, the shippers beat SJVR back again. The argument advanced by "TrailAmerica" was specious at best, citing things like "locomotive rental costs" in their argument that the line was unprofitable. Meanwhile, Tulare Frozen Foods has invested almost a million in a new freezing plant, and claims to be able to ramp up to 200 carloads per season, predicated on SJVR dropping the ridiculous "surcharge." Stay tuned for that one, as I'm sure a shipper complaint will be forthcoming. Even if they prevail, "TrailAmerica's" service basically sucks anyway, and, as you correctly point out, derailments and other delays will be the order of the day. The "scrap gap" between Hollis and Richgrove will add a lot of backhaul mileage, if TFF's shipments are destined for Sunset Route destinations, as well.

I ran into another SP old head the other day, who's now counting his days toward pensioning off (he's on Metrolink now), and we talked a little about the sad state of affairs in the biz. Mismanagement seemed to be behind every downturn, especially back when Biaggini took over. He was more concerned with PMT, SPRINT, pipelines, TICOR and other non-rail properties, and basically let the RR go to crap, especially after he gave away the store in the "Shouldn't Paint So Fast" merger fiasco. Robbie Krebs made out like a thief in the night on that one!

Seen earlier today: Might have been my eyes, but I'd swear someone just dumped a bunch of new ballast on the Arvinfrom Magunden heading under the freeway. Next time down that neck o' the woods, I'll do some investigating. Maybe that's what the surcharges get you...hoppers full of ballast!

The part of the Avin Branch from Magunden to the petroleum plant near Lamont is not in the surcharge zone. Rail America has for what ever reason decided to continue to serve that customer.

Cliff

[mapboy]

Suppose Britz Fertilizers at Ultra ordered a car and agreed to the surcharge. With the amount of money it would cost SJVR to bring in the car, do you suppose Rail America would buy them off? If the ploy didn't work, Britz could divert the car to their Traver location.

mapboy

[tomplatten]

I thought SJVR had embargoed the Porterville sub south of Lindsay! I seem to recall a red flag in the middle of middle of the track and I also seem to recall that the crossing gates had been lashed up. I don't SJVR has any intention of servicing the line any longer unless they are legally forced to do so!

[Paul J]

Went through there two weeks ago photographing SP relics. There has not been any activity south of Lindsay for quite some time.

[DeserTBoB]

Paul J Wrote:Went through there two weeks ago photographing SP relics. There has not been any activity south of Lindsay for quite some time.

Not at $2650 extra a carload, I sure wouldn't think so! Regarding Britz at Ultra, I could imagine that "TrailAmerica" would indeed try some sort of flim-flam to avoid having to run a car up there (if they could even keep it off the ground is another issue in itself!). It's pretty obvious to all concerned that "TrailAmerica's" corporate purpose is to feed this branch to their scrapping subsidiary.

[Paul J]

I noted at Richgrove, where the track is stubbed off, the rusted rail was manufactured in 1902 - 80 lb. rail.

[DeserTBoB]

Paul J Wrote:I noted at Richgrove, where the track is stubbed off, the rusted rail was manufactured in 1902 - 80 lb. rail.

Looks like it's only the second relay rail used, since the line was built in 1890! With rail that ancient, a rebuild to carry any meaningful traffic would be an imperative, and only UP would have pockets deep enough to do that. UP's already hurting enough after dropping so much money on the Donner Hill rebuild, which I understand isn't done even yet.

I've seen older than that on the Coast, believe it or not. Moorpark spur for the now-dormant (?) feed mill had 80 lb rail from 1898, predating Harriman by three years! All the jointed rail on the Coast back then was mostly 1948 110-120 lb, back from when D.J. Russell, then chief engineer, supervised the Coast's rebuilding. All of the ABS equipped with H-2s date from that project, when all the semaphores gave way to H-2swith some CTC islands here and there. It was Russell's success at that major project that put him right in line to follow Armand Mercier into the President's Suite at 65 Market St. After Russell retired, it was all downhill from there.