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[wm3798]

The PRR grain pier has been closed since the mid-80's, with the yard re-arranged to handle overflow of coal for the nearby Consolidated Coal pier at the end of Newkirk Street.  The B&O grain elevator went silent after an accident or storm (can't remember which) disabled the ship loading conveyors, I believe in the mid to late 90's.  It is now being converted into yet another useless Baltimore condo project.  The WM grain elevator, which I believe was the largest of the three at 9 million bushels, was taken out of service by about 1987 or 8, when Louis Dreyfuss, which had been leasing it, moved to it's current facility in Curtis Bay.  Chessie the Knife had it torn down moments later. 

This was taken shortly after the rails were pulled and before it was demolished to make way for a WalMart.

Grain coming into Baltimore declined in importance after the St. Lawrence Seaway was opened, with trains carrying the harvest only after the water route froze over.  By the early 70's, there was a surge of such traffic from the end of October into early December, then all was quiet again.

The current Dreyfuss facility doesn't have nearly the capacity of the old terminals, so cuts of cars coming in is much more likely than the unit trains of yore.

Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You know, it's funny how Lee and my perspectives differ.

I was looking at the condo construction there today and thinking that I want to look into getting one.

[wm3798]

I couldn't stomach sitting in an overpriced loft overlooking what used to be a living, breathing waterfront.  People sitting on their derriers sipping $5 cups of espresso is NOT what you build an economy around.

Shipping grain through a port to the world supports and provides a few more jobs that mean something...

Like the so-called Brewer's Hill project...  Instead of having 2-300 people engaged in the useful pursuit of brewing National Boh, you have a bunch of overpriced office space (largely empty) that will be occupied by what, a bunch of lawyers and accountants?  They're the ones who killed off the real industry in Baltimore!  Feh, I say!

Adam Smith

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I must respectfully disagree.

Our economy IS a service economy. You're just as much a part of it as I am. And while I may not be feeding worldwide mouths, an old brewery turned into office space is better than a brewery turned into a vacant lot. Isn't it?

And besides, I think a bunch of ~$25/hr jobs is better than a bunch of ~$12/hr jobs, wouldn't you agree?

[wcfn100]

And besides, I think a bunch of ~$25/hr jobs is better than a bunch of ~$12/hr jobs, wouldn't you agree?

Yeah, I'm sure any brewery worker should have no problem getting a job as an accountant or lawyer.


Jason

[wm3798]

Hmmm, now that you put it that way, NO.

I agree that we have a growing service economy, which is a good thing.  However, can we afford to have one without the other?  The speed with which it is replacing the manufacturing economy is alarming.  The fact is, we need to have $12/hr jobs as well as $25/hr jobs.  We have allowed ourselves to become a colony of the Pacific Rim.  We ship them our raw materials, and buy back their manufactured goods.  Meanwhile we close down our manufacturing capacity, which not only weakens us economically, threatens us globally.  The US mattered in WW2 because we had the capacity to build more bullets, bombs and airplanes than the bad guys.  Even Lionel Trains switched over to war production.

Obviously, today's world order is different, but if the ***** hits the fan, what are we going to do?  Ask China to build tanks for us?

And in the case of grain, (which is generally shipped in covered hoppers, which is the basis of this thread...) we need to have farm land at least as badly as we need $300K condos in former grain elevators.  Land is being consumed for housing, displacing working farms almost every time.  Now, not only are the farms being displaced, but the infrastructure that services agriculture as well!  How much longer can we afford to do that and still expect to feed ourselves, much less the rest of the world?

The problem is multi-faceted, but I suggest it begins with short sighted, dim witted politicians who look at any successful industry as a cash cow.  Baltimore lost its breweries, auto plant, and any number of other businesses due to it's tax policy which punishes success.  The service sector is doing well now because they haven't figured out how to rape it yet.  As soon as they do, watch out.  And don't think for a second that they aren't working on it. 

Just last year the thieves in Annapolis tried to up the ante for any small business to "register" annually from $300 to $1,000.  That works out to one more week a year that I work for the Government instead of for my family.  Fortunately it died in committee... this time.

And a little more food for thought...  Does it really benefit you to have a $25/hr job if you have to pay 40% of that in taxes to support the guys that used to work for $12 who now have nothing they can do with the skills they possess?

Boy did this spin off topic in a jiffy!  See you over in the Crew Lounge!
Lee