Grayling Arauco Plant

[KC]

Lake State Railway to benefit from new plant, construction/site prep has begun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rm57_Gg ... dium=email

Kelly

[J T]

Looked like that dozer was moving in to give the earth mover a shove at :20.

[AARR]

Thanks, KC.

Anyone know how many cars the G-P Resin plant and Weyerhaeuser plywood plant are shipping?

[Super Chief]

Unless I'm missing something rail isn't mentioned as being used or shown on any of their drawings. Has LSRC been approached as to sidings etc. I see this mill augments a mill in Soo Ontario but their market is the furniture industry.

[AARR]

From LSRC's newsletter:

One project in particular stands out. ARAUCO is building the largest particle board facility in North America near the LSRC yard in Grayling. The project will include over 8,000’ of new build track for the rail spur and additional investment in improvements to the LSRC yard in Grayling. The ARAUCO project will have a large impact on the forest products industry in Northern Michigan, with many indirect benefits to LSRC and the Gray-ling community. LSRC has been working with the state and local community since 2013 to help in the successful selection of Grayling as the site for the facility and we are very excited to welcome ARAUCO to Northern Michigan.

[David Lang]

This is awesome news!

I wondering about the status of this project.

When will things be up and running?

Thanks for the update.

David Lang

[KC8RBK]

I've been hearing next year sometime around the saw mill. The new plant is supposed to take 1000 loads per week of chips off the market. It's already effecting our business down by Lansing.

[chapmaja]

I've been hearing next year sometime around the saw mill. The new plant is supposed to take 1000 loads per week of chips off the market. It's already effecting our business down by Lansing.

I just have a question about the load in. You mention 1000 loads per week of chips off the market. Am I correct in assuming this means truckloads? If indeed it means truckloads, what would the equivalent number of carloads into the plant be? Where will this plant be getting their loads of chips from? Will it be coming in via rail, or is there sufficient supply to bring in by truck?

Also, it's too bad the route via M.C and St. Igg isn't still in place using the car ferry. To me this would appear to be a good commodity to run via the Straits from the UP. I wonder how many more truckloads will be running on I-75 and the bridge for this new plant?

[Stinger4me]

I recall touring the GP plant in the 80's and they told us they could take in chips in the morning and by noon those chips could be particle board heading to a Sauder plant in Archold, Ohio ready to be made into knock down RTA(ready to assemble) furniture. I don't recall how many loads a day went into the old GP plant. Their suppliers will be from the northern lower peninsula.

[AARR]

1000 truck loads = approx. 333 train car loads

All wood chips will be from local sawmills. I doubt they'll will arrive by rail.

Are LP mills allowed to use UP wood chips?

I just have a question about the load in. You mention 1000 loads per week of chips off the market. Am I correct in assuming this means truckloads? If indeed it means truckloads, what would the equivalent number of carloads into the plant be? Where will this plant be getting their loads of chips from? Will it be coming in via rail, or is there sufficient supply to bring in by truck?

Also, it's too bad the route via M.C and St. Igg isn't still in place using the car ferry. To me this would appear to be a good commodity to run via the Straits from the UP. I wonder how many more truckloads will be running on I-75 and the bridge for this new plant?

[Proto48Patrick]

From my end, I'm a Labor Representative. Barton Malow out of Detroit has the project and will be using a National Maintenance Agreement which is good news for the local trades. Huge job, good for the area. Will post more if the interest is there.

[Doktor No]

I'm interested Patrick, keep us informed. Good to see great paying union jobs involved in the building of Michigan.

[hoborich]

Their suppliers will be from the northern lower peninsula. 1000 truck loads = approx. 333 train car loads

Seriously? Every week? That's over 1300 train carloads of lumber every month! Either someone is lieing or all the forests in northern Michigan will be gone within a year! And it goes without saying there will be enormous pressure on the DNR to come up with that much lumber.

There's already too much logging here!!!! That huge plant will quickly exhaust all the lumber from northern Michigan. Then what happens? It wouldn't be the first plant to open with a lot of fanfare, then deplete a resource and close down!

[AARR]

Rail Dude's Dad found these formula's:

Convert Sq. Ft. to Tons (Flake & Particle Board)
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=34552
Based on RDD formula this is what I calculated: 402,800 tpy (ARAUCO North America announced plans to build a new particleboard mill located in Grayling, Michigan, to produce 424 million ft2 (750,000m3) on ¾” basis per year of panels.)

Calculate Pulpwood to make OSB
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=34561
Based on RDD formula this is what I calculated: 402,800 tpy x 1.75 = 704,900 tpy / 52 = 13,556 tons per week = 194 truck loads (approx. 70 tons per truck) or 135 rail car loads (approx. 100 tons per rail car).

All of the wood chips will come from local sources. For example, the Biewer Mill in McBain currently shipping by rail to WI will divert it's wood chips by truck to ARAUCO.

I'll repeat my question posted earlier. Is wood from the UP allowed to be used at mills in the LP? I thought I read that the mills in the LP can't use the chips and pulp from the UP.

[Raildudes dad]

Let's do some math.

1000 truckloads per week
That's 1000/ 5 days per week = 200 trucks/day
200 truck / 10 hour day = 20 hour
20 per hour = 3 minutes per truck or 6 minutes with 2 dumpers.

That seems reasonable based on watching the dumping at the power plant in Cadillac.

Disclaimer: I know nothing about the new plant other than what I've read on this board

[hoborich]

Corporations are notorious for overstating jobs and production goals. Any ideas why Georgia-Pacific in Gaylord closed?

http://www.petoskeynews.com/gaylord/fea ... 9f637.html

At over 1000 carloads of wood per month, how long will it take to totally deplete the forests in Northern Michigan?

To the other question. To the best of my knowlege, it is illegal to move any lumber between the lower and upper penninsulas, to prevent the spread of several serious tree diseases. But I suppose the DNR and the governor may change the laws to accommodate Arauco.
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/201 ... _left.html

https://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDA_ ... 1851_7.pdf