TOOELE — Rail cars for toy trains are simply stored in a box under the bed or in the closet, but unused versions of the real thing present a much bigger problem.
The problem plagues companies that haul products cross-country by train but have no place to store their rail cars when not in use. This lack of space can add up to hefty penalties handed down by Union Pacific Railroad, whose lines are often used as storage yards.
The Utah Industrial Depot has a solution. It has begun to offer lines once used by the military for private companies to keep their rail cars, for a price.
"It's very rare that within 30 miles of a major metropolitan area there is something that can handle almost any request for storage," said Paul MacDonald, regional manager of industrial development for Union Pacific Railroad. Strapped for excess track that can be maintained as storage space, Union Pacific is forced to impose a fee, usually $50 a day per car, to deter companies from turning active lines into parking lots.
UID, once part of the Tooele Army Depot, and Business Depot Ogden, formerly Defense Depot Ogden, both have the ability to lease tracks to private companies searching for a place to store rail cars. Ogden has not yet seen a demand for space and has not marketed itself for this service.
"This just shows that a little bit of Army leftovers are going a long way for private-sector businesses in this region," UID associate Marty Farnsworth said.
Boise-based company JR Simplot, which ships fertilizer all over the United States, is grateful for all the extra lines in Tooele. When Simplot's cars are not en route, about 200 or so will be stored on tracks at UID.
"Logistically, rail-car storage is tough because you can't just pick them up and put them in a storage shed," Simplot spokesman Richard Phillips said.
UID asset manager Mark Smith said the depot has the ability to store up to 400 cars on three different lines. That number could go down as demand for vacant buildings by rail users increases.
E-MAIL: sspeckman@desnews.com