OPRRMS Wrote:
>
> As background, in 1989 Chevron completed
> negotiations with SP and ATSF to take over
> operation of the Richmond Belt Line, SP's Richmond
> Transfer Yard and the switching of customers along
> those properties, through the use of an outside
> contractor. In exchange, Chevron would receive
> more favorable rates from SP and ATSF (the
> agreement was carried over to UP and BNSF).
>
> Chevron hired Western Plant Services, Inc
> ("Whoopsie"), a subsidiary of Hall-Buck Marine, as
> their first contractor. After about three years,
> Hall-Buck/WPSI gave up the contract and a local
> company called Western Rail Services, Inc, took
> over. Then 15 years ago or so, the contract
> passed to RailServe.
>
> UP and BNSF continued to interchange with the
> contract carrier at Richmond Transfer Yard until
> UP entered into an agreement with RPRC to take
> over all remaining ex-SP operations in the
> Richmond area (except for one customer that was at
> Stege), and RPRC handled the interchange of
> traffic with Chevron's contractor at Richmond
> Transfer Yard.
>
> Unlike Chevron's contractor, RPRC is a common
> carrier (although I was told awhile back they were
> considering giving up their certificate). In the
> original agreement, RPRC was granted trackage
> rights on UP from Stege to Oakland, but RPRC has
> always just interchanged their UP cars at Stege
> (UP sets out onto the "Wall" track below the Stege
> wye or on "1 Track" between Florida Street and the
> Amtrak Richmond depot platform; RPRC leaves cars
> for UP to pick up on "1 Track" west of CP Stege.)

A bit more background on this story: Hall-Buck Marine was already operating in the Bay Area as a contractor at the Exxon refinery in Benecia, handling their coke facility (with a track mobile). HBM desired access to a deep-water port on the west coast (they are based in Louisiana)so they set their sights on getting the Richmond Belt contract in order to access the facility then known as Paktank at Pt. San Pablo (the pier there was built by the Richmond Belt Railway in the early 1900's). I believe their plan was to build a coke transfer facility at that site. Long story short, they got the contract which began on January 1, 1989. Training of new employees actually began on December 27, 1989 using a borrowed Santa Fe Geep. Two ex-CNW GP7's leased from RELCO arrived soon afterwards (replaced by two ex-ICG Paducah rebuiild SW14's about three years later). HBM never had a chance of fulfilling its dream for a deep water port, so they decided to give up the contract. The operation's manager formed a new company, Western Rail Switching (WRSI) and took over the contract.