Looking at the site via Google aerial - Since the former propane terminal is gone, could that site be used in the IM yard expansion? What about the large unused area to the SE of the current IM yard (East of the Yacht facility).
Consider:
rehab the former North propane trackage into a new South IM track.
extend this new IM track NE up to the Emskip yard building, stopping with enough room for a wide access road This extension should be right South of the current yard driveway
remove the current South IM trackage, if it is currently unused for container loading/unloading
pave the area between the IM tracks up to the current main entrance driveway - new pad, so add a crossing over the north IM track to the West end so the loaders can traverse between the two pads
pave the area south of the new IM trackage - now we have 3 pads.
the current southmost propane track can be curved south right east of the yacht facility, to serve the proposed Cold Storage building (enough room for 3 or 4 74ft reefers)
access to the cold storage via the new access road mentioned above, enough room for trailer parking.
you can now access almost all the IM trackage both sides, and the new southern IM track could handle 2 additional 5-unit IM well cars compared to what we have now. Also, no trailer trucks need to cross the tracks, which I think was a requirement of the original specs. Loaders would cross via the new crossings, but that should be OK.
Yeah, the plan needs tweaking, but it could be doable, and while not super spacious like an Arizona IM yard, wouldn't be cramped in like a 1910 East Coast port...
Consider:
rehab the former North propane trackage into a new South IM track.
extend this new IM track NE up to the Emskip yard building, stopping with enough room for a wide access road This extension should be right South of the current yard driveway
remove the current South IM trackage, if it is currently unused for container loading/unloading
pave the area between the IM tracks up to the current main entrance driveway - new pad, so add a crossing over the north IM track to the West end so the loaders can traverse between the two pads
pave the area south of the new IM trackage - now we have 3 pads.
the current southmost propane track can be curved south right east of the yacht facility, to serve the proposed Cold Storage building (enough room for 3 or 4 74ft reefers)
access to the cold storage via the new access road mentioned above, enough room for trailer parking.
you can now access almost all the IM trackage both sides, and the new southern IM track could handle 2 additional 5-unit IM well cars compared to what we have now. Also, no trailer trucks need to cross the tracks, which I think was a requirement of the original specs. Loaders would cross via the new crossings, but that should be OK.
Yeah, the plan needs tweaking, but it could be doable, and while not super spacious like an Arizona IM yard, wouldn't be cramped in like a 1910 East Coast port...
