Railex as a more cost-effective

The Railex system is the brainchild of Andy Pollak, creator of
Andrew and Sons, a leading provider of fresh produce—especially
potatoes, citrus fruits, and onions—to the largest grocery retailers
on the east coast. Pollak’s logistical practices established his
leadership in reducing inbound freight cost by utilizing and
managing conventional rail services and led to the creation of
Railex as a more cost-effective alternative to both conventional rail
and truck transport. Today ADS Management, an Andrew and
Sons company, purchases up to 1,500 railcars a year. The entire
Railex platform represents an investment of just under $50
million.

River closure could impact truck traffic

River closure could impact truck traffic

Everett Brazil III -- Spudman -- June 2, 2010

Barge traffic along the Columbia-Snake River System is scheduled for a temporary closure at the end of 2010 for repair of locks that will maintain the long-term reliability of the river system, leaving short-term impacts on cargo transportation throughout the Northwest."The Portland, Ore. and Walla Walla, Wash. districts of the Army Corps of Engineers are implementing a long-term plan for major maintenance of the lock system, and the stimulus package provided enough funds for three projects to be tackled during lock closure," said Kristin Meira, government relations director for the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, Portland."This is good news for the long-term reliability of the system, said Meira."The navigation locks at The Dalles, John Day and Lower Monumental dams will close December 10, 2010 for major repairs, closing the dams for 14, 14, and 13 weeks respectively. Maintenance outages at McNary, Lower Granite, Ice Harbor Dam, Bonneville, Little Goose and Lower Monumental will be undertaken during this time.

average distance from coolers to train cars is 70 feet

In Wallula, the train rolls through the back side of the building while up to 38 trucks can dock at sealed doors in front. In between are six cold storage rooms that can be set to different temperatures, depending on customer need.

“If you have a variety of products, it’s not an all-in-one facility,” Lathim said. “That’s a big plus because there are 128 different crops grown in the Columbia Basin. The more options we have, the better.”
Esposito said the straight-line distance between rail docks and truck docks is 86 feet.“It’s built for speed,” he said. “I don’t know of any facility built to take on a train. It’s the first produce unit train that’s been done.”Wallula general manager Jim Kleist, previously a plant manager for Columbia ColStor Inc., Moses Lake, Wash., said the average distance from coolers to train cars is 70 feet, and the maximum run from train to truck is 130 feet.“It’s designed and built for transloading,” he said. “We’re building some very nice facilities, and that gives you a lot of confidence. It’s a sweet building.”

Railex announced its receipt of a 2009 CSX Environmental Award

Today Railex announced its receipt of a 2009 CSX Environmental Award. The award will be presented this evening at the second-annual CSX Environmental Awards dinner in Jacksonville, Florida, part of a week-long Earth Day celebration at CSX. “We’re honored to be recognized for our commitment to the environment,” said Joe Leuci. “Environmental stewardship is a key component of our business operations and we’re proud that our work with CSX advances this goal.”

CSX, a leading transportation company providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services, recognizes Railex’s commitment to “greening” supply chains by shipping via rail and thereby reducing carbon emissions, decreasing congestion on highways, and conserving fossil fuels. 

state apples in New York City

Ed Miller, who with his wife Sue Goold Miller operates Goold Orchards in Castleton, said that while Washington has had frost damage, so have growers in New York state.Frost killed some of the early blossoms, and it's still early enough in the season for more frosts. And hailstorms are a risk throughout the summer, he said.So it's not clear how strong this year's local apple harvest might be."Is there a possibility of shipping fruit out there? Probably," he said.
Allen said the strength of the crop doesn't become clear until June, "when you can see the green apples on the tree."And while he said the number of trees in New York state is at an all-time high, any apples shipped west would be just a drop in the bucket.
"We don't send a lot of apples to the West Coast," he said. "There are more Washington state apples in New York City than there are New York apples.