Dwayne,
In response to your posts regarding the cocoa business, I visited the NYRR yard at the end of May. The cocoa business was going strong. They have also been hauling out the scrap from the rebuild/repair of the Metro tunnel and such. It was evident they had done a lot of work on the various trackbed in the yard in anticipation of the NS start on the first. Lots of new ties, etc. The dock on the Brooklyn side has been completely refurbished with new timbers since my last visit (Last fall). They had just installed all new computers to be Y2K compliant and to tie into the various RR networks. They had just gotten that up and running when I was there.
I am surprised I am seeing little talk here of the reload center. To me this is a major point. Especially since they are not paying for the cost of installation, as I understand it anyway. Their extra yard space is to be used to bring in bulk materials, the materials will be stored there and shipped out typically in truckload quantities as they are needed. I believe they will get paid for each ton in and out, plus get the trucking business for delivery. I know little of the details, but I am familiar with a similar situation in the northwest for a lumber reload center. At that location every major player or broker in the business has railcar loads of lumber shipped to that yard. While it is in transit they sell it so when it hits the yard it is offloaded and trucked to the customer. They, the brokers, also stockpile when lumber prices are down for later higher sales, etc. It is a major moneymaker for the reload center! They get paid for each ton when it comes in and they unload it, paid for storage, paid to reload on trucks when it goes out. I understand the NYRR reload center is to be similar to that, but that is just my understanding.
Jim J |
