Another GLC question

[KVERBERK]

Does any one know what this structure is?
http://railroadfan.com/gallery/displayi ... pos=-52704

It is located at the north end of the the northern yard in Cadillac. I have never seen it in use.

Kyle

[Raildudes dad]

Potash loadout for the mine in Hersey. Built by the railroad, used very little when the mine first opened. Hasn't been used in some time. The little secret about the Hersey mine is it produces more salt than potash.

[JANGAJONGA]

is the mine still open??

[Raildudes dad]

Yup, everything trucked out.

[KVERBERK]

Thanks for the Info.

[thomas]

the salt mine has hardly dented the amount of salt, the seam is 5000 ft thick, several miles wide and close to 50 miles long(alot is'nt worth mining), everything is trucked out on flatbeds or covered trailers, early this year when i pulled loads out of there they were loading 30 -40 trucks aday.

[Raildudes dad]

Based on a tour I took there a number of years ago, it is an injection well mine. Hot water is pumped underground, the salt and potash is dissolved, pumped to the surface and evaporated under pressure. The dried evaporated material is ground to various gradations, primarily sidewalk salt, water softener salt and food grade salt and agricultural grade potash. Their market is a 400 mile radius from Hersey MI.

[JANGAJONGA]

so why did they build the loading dock if they are just trucking it out??

[Raildudes dad]

It's my understanding the RR built the facility, most likely to try and get a piece of the business. The manager of the mine told our group that toured the facility "the smaller the package, the higher the profit and we are going for profit". That told me the 100 ton bulk business wasn't the market they were targeting. He also told us their market was a 400 mile radius - that's not rail's strong point either.

Look back at the the history leading up to the construction. It was called a proposed potash mine for years. In reality, IIRC, they get 2 tons of salt for every ton of potash.

[TSB]

I had the %#((&^% thing built on their word that they would ship large amounts of potash by rail.
(Salt by truck to local markets.) It was originally intended for Clare but, at their insistence, moved
to Cadillac. The salt content of the potash was too high and in loading the railcars through the
spout (they insisted on the design) covered new cars in an adjacent dealer's lot with salt.

$280,000 shot to he!!. Thanks for reminding me.

Raildudes dad: You are right on the 2 to 1 proportion, but I was very happy with the "1". They were
"embarrassed" (their word) about how dirty the potash was. They wouldn't answer my phone calls
for months.

[JANGAJONGA]

so it is not used anymore, alright.

[TSB]

right.

[AARR]

Whenever a rail fan hears that a company switched from rail to truck we usually believe the railroad must have screwed up. As we can see it's the customer that screws up sometimes...and leaves the railroad holding the check

[MIGN-Todd]

Thanks guys. I myself wondered about that building and why it wasn't used anymore.

[TSB]

We spent about the same amount for the potash facility and the initial layout of
Poly Pavilion (I can't help it, I remember Lew Alcindor and the Wizard of Westwood.)
in Clare. One flew, one blew. Taken together, its still a good return.

[AARR]

Poly Pavilion has turned into a nice operation for GLC. The CEO said they do about 1,200-1,300 cars a year from PP.