Originally posted by bucket
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By straight through I'm assuming you mean leave some cars out on the main line?
There's a couple things that I can see inhibiting that idea. Yeah on a shortline they could theoretically be overlooked but the reality of that happening is slim.
Terminal staff are not allowed to operate on main lines. Their training to operate the locomotives is usually very limited compared to rail staff. That would be a big inhibitor. Terminal staff also do not touch the switches that come on and off the main line. A train cannot stop quickly and were a terminal to leave a switch pointing the wrong way there's no way a train would be able to stop. There's not a lot of trust between the two bodies.
The grain companies are leasing the engines (if they're using CN or CP engines and not their own) and they're only legal to operate those engines on their own tracks. The grain companies own their loops or spurs, not the rail lines, they are responsible for their rail siding upkeep and monitoring, the railway companies are responsible for their lines. They are not covered to operate off company property. If there was an incident on the rail line it's now on CP/CN property not the grain co's.
Shit happens at elevators - break downs, not enough grain, quality problems, just poor timing - and cars don't get loaded right away or can't be finished. This would cut off movement past the terminal.
Shit happens at port and the cars can't be taken right away once loaded. Sitting a few days would cut off movement past the terminal.
Shit happens with the railroad and they can't move the cars right away. Sitting will cut off movement past the terminal.
Shit happens and the power has to be taken. The cars are now immovable for anyone and cut off movement past the terminal.
If you've ever been to an elevator and chatted with staff and the conversation has included phrases like "waiting for cars to show up" or "who knows when cars will be here, they were supposed to get here two days ago." or "no, those cars are already loaded. No idea when they're going to lift them" then you'll have some idea about why staying out on the main track could cause issues.
New builds have the capacity to move grain fast enough to load 112 cars in 8 or less hours. Does the Eyebrow infrastructure support that movement? 112 cars is over 10,000 tonnes, you say that's the capacity of that entire elevator, it's probably not even capable of having the grain required for a train of that size.
You say the elevator only had 3 staff when operating. It's going to need at least twice that to load out a 112 car train within required time.
It's also logical to think that Viterra would be able to organize itself so that one terminal doesn't block off the other if they need grain from that farther terminal. That's a stretch. Plans change, what arrives at port changes, sales change. All of a sudden what was supposed to head to port gets pushed back and something else brought forward. If the cars at Eyebrow get pushed back and the ones at Strongfield are needed but they can't get past Eyebrow, there's now an issue.
Also, when talking to ex CN and CP staff, it's shocking and scary how often they lose trains and don't know where they are and that they're heading towards one another.
It sounds like the elevator is a victim of its placement, probably right in between the rail line and the highway like many are. In order to get more cars they'd need to expand and to justify an expansion it would need to have a larger car spot and getting a larger car spot is next to impossible based on geographical infrastructure. More likely than anything, if Viterra is going to operate in the region again they'll just do a new build on a better location for a large car spot and maybe utilize Eyebrow as a secondary holding or specialty location.
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