Waterdog Wrote:
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> After seeing the post about the Punta Colonet
> port, and with the Panama Canal expansion, etc.,
> it got me to wondering (a dangerous thing
> sometimes). I know freight is shipped by tonnage,
> but with all things being equal, and taking into
> consideration fuel costs, etc., on a mile to mile
> basis per container, which is more cost effective
> - container ships or trains? I know a container
> ship can haul a lot more than a train can, but in
> a head to head competion, lets say, what are the
> cost differences? For example, would it be
> cheaper to offload a ship from China at Long Beach
> and send the container via train to Chicago, or to
> send that same container through the Panama Canal
> to Houston, offload it there, then train it to
> Chicago?
>
> Mileage (Note: these are air and road miles, which
> I'm sure are different than the actual miles):
>
> Shanghai to Chicago via Panama City, Panama and
> Houston - 12026 mi. (Houston to Chicago - 1100
> mi.)
>
> Shanghai to Chicago via Los Angeles - 8220 mi.
> (L.A. to Chicago - 2050 mi.)



How would a train get to Shanghai or a ship to Chicago????? :) I would say on a Ton vs Ton Ship would be the most cost efective and cheapest way as they can carry close to 10-15 100 car trains worth of containers in one sailing with a small fuel tank that holds say 50,000 gallons of fuel that is 10 locomotives with 5000 gallon tanks and with most roads averaging 4 locomotives on stack trains thats only 2.5 trains so you would still have 6-8 trains worth of cars stranded on the docks looking at it from that angle.