Cement Problem
It's unclear how long the BNSF local will be out of service. Apparently BNSF's contractor was unable to repair it, and I guess BNSF was unable to secure a stand-in, either by delivering one of theirs or by leasing one from Union Pacific the way they were doing for a while a few weeks ago. This means that the cars being dropped off by the "Big BN" through freight can't get to their customers, nor can empties get back to BNSF. This is causing problems for at least one customer in Fallon, and they've had to take alternative measures to get their material.
Yesterday, these cement tanker trucks showed up in Fernley Yard. At first we thought they were lost, but then we realized why they were here.
As the intermodal "Z" train zipped through on the main, the first tanker moved into position. I confirmed with one of the drivers this morning that they were unloading the cement from the rail tankers into the road tankers and then ferrying the cement to a customer in Fallon.
This is one of four rail cement tankers spotted on the Fernley House tracks.
The hoses connect the railroad car to the trucks, with an inevitable amount of spillage.
Unloading a cement tanker is somewhat complicated.
In the evening after the trucks had left, we took an opportunity to take some close-up detail photos of the tankers. Click through for more if you are interested.
It takes a lot of road tankers to hold what a rail tanker carries. I reckon that this is an expensive operation, and I know that if I were the customer I would be holding BNSF responsible for the cost.
Debacles like this are what happens when you run things too lean and with no allowance for equipment failures. This, along with trying to run longer but fewer trains so that you can lay off more people and mothball more locomotives are ways in which the supply chain suffers and the railroad gets a black eye from its customers.
Yesterday, these cement tanker trucks showed up in Fernley Yard. At first we thought they were lost, but then we realized why they were here.
As the intermodal "Z" train zipped through on the main, the first tanker moved into position. I confirmed with one of the drivers this morning that they were unloading the cement from the rail tankers into the road tankers and then ferrying the cement to a customer in Fallon.
This is one of four rail cement tankers spotted on the Fernley House tracks.
The hoses connect the railroad car to the trucks, with an inevitable amount of spillage.
Unloading a cement tanker is somewhat complicated.
In the evening after the trucks had left, we took an opportunity to take some close-up detail photos of the tankers. Click through for more if you are interested.
It takes a lot of road tankers to hold what a rail tanker carries. I reckon that this is an expensive operation, and I know that if I were the customer I would be holding BNSF responsible for the cost.
Debacles like this are what happens when you run things too lean and with no allowance for equipment failures. This, along with trying to run longer but fewer trains so that you can lay off more people and mothball more locomotives are ways in which the supply chain suffers and the railroad gets a black eye from its customers.