# 1:1 storage



## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

This Wednesday after noon there were at least 5 miles of cars lined up East of US 285 North of Antonito Colorado. Many new 3 bay covered hoppers with near consecutive numbers, SOXX. Also many black tank cars, some looked very new, some with some use showing. What I could not understand why so many cars on a single track with no way to pull or push, except from one end or the other. I could see no sidings along this stretch. Any one know what is the situation here?


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Mike,
You talking the branch line from Alamosa south to Antonito along 285? The Rio Grande Scenic Railroad used to run a tourist train from Alamosa to Antonito on that line. My guess would be that they have shut it down and someone is making some money using it to store cars. That is a long string though. The only way to get to them would be from Alamosa. Were you in Chama? Lots of action there lately.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Yes...not surprised..
A very visual clue to the inner rumblings evident in our economy..
Like the miles n mile of stored.. Parked locos here in AZ.. Very near TW in Vail..right beside I-10 freeway.. In view of the world..
Do a satelite search..
There are more of this parked activity of excess..becoming reality across our country..daily

SD


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## Garratt (Sep 15, 2012)

Wow! There are about 150 locomotives stored along that line in AZ.

https://www.google.com.au/maps/place/Vail,+AZ+85641,+USA/@31.9821088,-110.560696,729m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x86d65fffcda2b5bf:0x6707546fffe4d54d!8m2!3d32.0005283!4d-110.7009206

Andrew


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Locos are stored clear to the freeway on the east end now.. Starting again with a gap below the freeway..on the eastern side of the freeway..nearly completely filling the old re-routed mainline with hairpin turn... This is also the Eastbound line shown here...

SD


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## Treeman (Jan 6, 2008)

We rode the Cumbres and Toltec from Antonito to Chama. Only long enough in Chama to get on a bus and ride it back into Antonito. These were brand new cars on this line, looked like they had never been out yet. Why would someone build all these new cars to put on a storage track.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

I rode the same trip you did.... Maybe 98 or 99.. Memorable time..never forget excitement then... Kid in a candy store I always say! Actually hope for a return ride someday... In my next life!

As far as fresh parked equipment... Orders are Orders.. Get em built .. Then stop..no more... Not good to toss in trash.. Wait till next hump in economy.. Use later..

Like new items in your Train Store Mike.. Some sell.. Some don't..
Numbers game...planning.. Pre sales..
All fall victim at times.

SD


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Big bunch of cars about 20 miles south of here in central Nebraska just parked there. Been reports from all over the nation about cars parked on tracks for miles. Oil boom died and commodity prices are low, UP and Burlington profits are down and so are shipments.


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

My son works for a company that makes track components. His job is/was? making the points for the switches.

Last February Union Pac. cancelled a very large order which caused the company to lay off 20 of its 160 employees. At the time they were told it was only until after the taxes were handled (IRS). About May they layed off another 20 or so workers. In August they layed off some more and shut down the weekend shift. He was moved from 4AM to $p, on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to 11-7 Monday through Friday.

As far as I know there has been no change about the orders. So the major railroads are definitely hurting for money.


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## barnmichael (Jan 2, 2008)

One of the local shortlines in Texas had lots of property with big plans for a huge inter-modal center. Business dropped and they put lots of storage rail in. Now, they are storing thousands of rail cars and making lots of money.


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## Cataptrra (Mar 16, 2015)

When I worked in Oviedo, Fl many years back and CSX decided to rip up that line, the funny thing was they didn't remove all the rails! They cut them on each side of the street, and left the rail intact, but that wasn't the oddest thing about it, there were what looked like 30-40 old rusted out hoppers just abandoned on these tracks and now no way to move them off the rails or get them out because these rails run through a neighborhood between homes in the area. 

So no way to get a crane or anything in there to get them out. Has to be the strangest thing I ever saw a railroad do!

Haven't been in that neighborhood now for years, but last I heard the hoppers were still there on rails that were left there and just rusting away, and the hoppers are, or were so severely rusted out, and in such bad shape, if they tried to move them they'd just disintegrate!

If they'd have been smart they'd have left those rails intact and connected to the mainline, it would have been a very successful area for Sunrail in Florida to have been able to use that corridor!

Sometimes railroads shoot their own selves right in the foot by what they decide to do! LOL


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## lotsasteam (Jan 3, 2008)

Visited Ron Seneks layout last weekend,driving over the colorado bridge you could see the railyard full of SD locos,approximate 200 of them ready for the scrapyard ,Economy or profithamster ?


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Metal prices low..go figure!


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## Chucks_Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

The mighty UP has 1,800 locomotives in storage AND has ordered 230 new for this year and 70 on order for 2017.

U.S. tank car builders have a backlog of over 89,000 units on order. ..The backlog was over 95,000 units. Tank car sales of over 7,500 units in the first quarter of 2016 alone.

I'm sure the idle grain hoppers will be busy very soon hauling/ storing the upcoming harvest. Remember the last several years the rr's couldn't handle the fall grain traffic as shippers and farmers were crying about not being able to get their grain to market.

Just the UP alone has invested over 2 billion $$$ in the FRA forced PTC (Positive Train Control) upgrades...When complete the UP projects it will cost around 2.9 billion $$$. There whole 2016 capital improvements budget is at $3.75 billion for 2016...no wonder they cut back in other areas for now.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Jerry Barnes said:


> Big bunch of cars about 20 miles south of here in central Nebraska just parked there. Been reports from all over the nation about cars parked on tracks for miles. Oil boom died and commodity prices are low, UP and Burlington profits are down and so are shipments.


To Jerry's point,

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/...il-shipments-boosts-car-storage-business.html


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