Rumor talk part 2

[esprrfan]

Heard at a meeting that the line from 286 to Waterville via Maumee may be sold off

Y@ maybe you could talk to the MAW about expanding. Connecting with CSX on the west end and NS in Toledo. Might have to get some power! Hmmmmm MAW Gevos???????

[MSchwiebert]

I could very easily see that happening, I'm sure that The Andersons wouldn't object if a reputable operator (guess that excludes the MAW...) would operate it instead. With them and the two Johns Manville plants making up the bulk of the business, I'd think that would be enough to support a shortline operator. If the new operators of the Ford stamping plant can get things going, there may an additional opportunity for outbound scrap at least (NS used to get that, but when the steel mill in Delta opened up Omni Source won the business of trucking it to the mill)as well.

[AARR]

Waterville via Maumee

Do you know the mileage?

[MSchwiebert]

Don; I checked the listing for the (the "Maumee Branch")line in a 1992 NS Lake Div. Timetable that I have, and it says 12.3 miles from Toledo to "Montclova" - which is where the NS ownership ends and the tourist railroad begins (Toledo Lake Erie & Western aka "The Bluebird"). The TLE&W owns the track from there to the west side of Grand Rapids OH.

Waterville via Maumee

Do you know the mileage?

[esprrfan]

MS is right the furthest west we go in 1-2 cars west of Dutch rd and that'
s just so we can run around cars there on the main at J-M

[AARR]

Thanks MSchwiebert. With a pair of roofing plants and big elevator sounds like a lot of carloads for a good shortline...maybe ADBF will venture outside MI .

[AARR]

What kinds of cars does the roofing company receive/ship

[MSchwiebert]

The facilities in Waterville do glass fiber related products. I found this while googling. The cars that I've seen go into the one plant are mostly 100 ton two bay covered hoppers and a few boxcars. I'm not sure what the other plant gets.

http://www.sent-trib.com/index.php?opti ... &Itemid=91

JM's Waterville Complex has more than 500 employees working in two manufacturing plants, a technical center and a support services facility. Johns Manville acquired these properties in 1958. Since the 1970s, NASA, the United States aerospace exploration agency, has used JM's highly temperature-resistant Q Fiber Felt manufactured in Waterville in the Space Shuttles.
The Waterville Complex is a leader in safety performance, as recognized by the National Safety Council, and committed to going green with a pledge of Zero Waste Discharge and Environmental Excellence.
The Waterville Technical Center houses a pilot scale mat machine, the Innovation Commercialization Group for the North America Fibers and Nonwovens businesses and technical support functions such as process engineering. The location of these functions so close to the Waterville manufacturing operations allows for a smooth transition of technology from development to production start-up, decreasing the turn-around time.
Plant 01, set on 83-acres, began operations in 1945. With over 450,000 square feet under one roof, it manufactures direct melt products including wet chop glass fibers primarily for specialty applications, glass reinforcements for gypsum wall boards, direct dry chop for plastic reinforcements, single end roving for weavers and plastic reinforcements, and glass mat.
Plant 07 has 310,000 square feet on 123 acres. From the 1950s to the 1970s, the plant evolved from a research facility for glass and fiber glass materials to a full-blown production facility. The plant's Microfiber, Pot and Marble and Rotary departments produce micro fibers for filtration and battery applications. The Sliver department manufactures continuous filament bulk materials for filtration and roving for mist eliminators. The Quartz department makes high purity quartz fibers used in the aerospace and filtration industries. A second complete mat machine produces mat for both roofing and specialty applications.


Don't forget that the Andersons also has a railcar repair facility on the grounds in Maumee as well.

Thanks MSchwiebert. With a pair of roofing plants and big elevator sounds like a lot of carloads for a good shortline...maybe ADBF will venture outside MI .

[AARR]

Thanks, MSchwiebert. That gives me a pretty good idea of the materials they handle. Guardian Industries has a fiberglass plant in Albion and they also receive small covered hoppers (cullet?) and box cars (loads out?).
[/quote]

[MSchwiebert]

On the local news tonight, there was a story about the Maumee Authority Stamping plant (the former Ford plant) resuming production in November. Perhaps this will lead to some additional carloads for the line.

[AARR]

On the local news tonight, there was a story about the Maumee Authority Stamping plant (the former Ford plant) resuming production in November. Perhaps this will lead to some additional carloads for the line.

Hope you're right! However, the new business model is to locate stamping plants close to their customers. So-long 86' hi cubes

[MSchwiebert]

Fortunately the new ownership group is keeping far away from the automotive business with their plans. Instead choosing to focus on non automotive vehicular & construction customers. I could see the possibility of raw steel inbound via rail (Ford either brought it in via truck, or trucked in parts that had some operations done elsewhere - then were trucked in to Maumee for other stamping operatisons), or perhaps a resumption of outbound scrap via rail (it used to go out that way, but Omnisource won the business to truck it to the Northstar mill in Delta toward the end of Ford operations). Outbound finished parts I think would continue to go via truck.

On the local news tonight, there was a story about the Maumee Authority Stamping plant (the former Ford plant) resuming production in November. Perhaps this will lead to some additional carloads for the line.

Hope you're right! However, the new business model is to locate stamping plants close to their customers. So-long 86' hi cubes