(erielack) Shortage Of Railroad Cars For Hauling Fracking Sand

[RJFlei_@_aol.com]

According to today's Tribune Chronicle there is a shortage of rail cars to  
haul sand for Utica Shale drilling. It takes 35 cars of sand to drill one 
well.  According to the Railway Supply Institute, the order backlog for 
freight cars as  of the third quarter of 2011 is more than 65,000, triple the 
backlog during the  same period in 2010.
 
Between the new V&M Star mill at Brier Hill in Youngstown, it's  suppliers, 
the sand & chemical business, CSX and NS should be very busy in  Youngstown 
along the old Erie Lackawanna Railway, the B&O, and the old PRR.  I'm 
wondering if CSX (B&O) will have to reopen the old "Government Yard"  near Ohio 
Jct. to handle the increased business. I would imagine that NS (PRR)  
Hazelton Yard will see an increase in business as well. I see gondola cars for  
hauling pipe stored just about everywhere on CSX, even on sidings west of the  
Ravenna Arsenal. 
 
All of this means more jobs for the Mahoning Valley and Eastern Ohio. I  
should also mention that Timken over in Canton has called 700 people back to  
work in their pipe mill from layoff to supply pipe for the O&G industry. 
 
Rick
 

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