Hey BOB, I recall you are a truck driver, so I'm gonna bet you knew if the oversize lumber load on I - 210 was legal. We both know over - length loads require a pilot & rear guard vehicle in CA., while over - weight loads ( over 80,000 # GVW ) require extra axles( more rubber on the road). Both types of loads also require a special permit & routing from CalTrans.
Getting back to rail stuff, years ago I drove for Pennysaver in Brea, CA., at the very end of the Espee Brea Chem line. Although we had a siding, 90% of our newsprint arrived via truck. Our main supplier, I believe it was Warren Trucking( Red Ford COE's & flatbed ),they served as a 'just - in - time ' warehouse for us; often only 2 - 3 hours from call to delivery. Warren's main warehouse in Long Beach was rail - served. We used Espee for big buys & cheap deals that totally filled our warehouse for months.( 1 boxcar = 3 to 4 truckloads ) I suspect L.A. Times may do much the same. There's no shortage of loaded roll paper boxcars heading South through Seattle; maybe L.A. Times has a remote warehouse somewhere ???