John Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Isn't G&W improving the whole thing and actually
> knows how to operate rails unlike TrailAmerica?
>
> G.G PINA Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Ive seen the yard at CBC Hueneme plugged from
> > Track 13 road/Patterson road to
> > east side of the yard with racks and DODX flat
> > cars.
> >
> > Mazda used to ship a lot like 140 cars a day,
> > something RailAmerica couldn't do
> > and they ended chasing away shippers and
> wanting
> > to scrapping the whole line.
> >
> > Pt Hueneme harbor own the line and GW just
> > provides man power and engines.
> > Lot of potential business and customers when
> the
> > port gets deeper.
> > Sorry I'm the only when answering here. Not
> very
> > many old heads around any more.
> >
> > G

I've not been following this lately, and I see some rail auto traffic out of Port Hueneme. But, when I was lasted consulted by one of the local agencies, it was not the Port rail operator, for better or worse, back then, that had become the problem.

This problem with getting autos by rail out of Port Hueneme, back as far as 1999, was about the timeliness and quality of UP's "monopoly" over the connecting service. Which had cut port traffic and auto traffic as far back as the early 2000's, Service issues for high value traffic like autos, had come the point where autos were, back then, being truck hauled to San Berdo for rail loading. I was consulted about why, and would going to the STB make things better, or worse.

A connection, to a "competing" carrier, to reach Port Hueneme, via the rebuild and reconnect of the Santa Paula Branch, then being studied for commuter and intercity service via Santa Clarita, Fillmore, and Santa Paula, was even looked at.

In the end, fear that UP would react by stalling or delaying other projects of importance like LOSSAN, lead the folks I was dealing with to believe that it wasn't worth the risk of pulling the tiger's tail.

When I was in San Diego last year for a soiree down at the Marina, I watched Ro-Ro auto carriers entering and leaving the Port like Ferry boats (about 2 each way in about 6 hours), which appears to be at least partially due to a superior rail connection and service by BNSF.