Railroads deliver the woods

I I t ITH EVERY American estimated to use one-half UU ton of wood a year and with lumber and allied products being the sixth largest commodity in tonnage carried by Union Pacific Railroad, that commodity ranks high in the road's marketing, sales and service efforts.

The opening June 23, of UP's new automated classi fication yard at Hinkle,in northeastern Oreson,marked a $20-million step forward in lumber shipping.

For the handling of the abundant forest products as well as hundreds of other commodities moving in and out of the Pacific Northwest, Hinkle is strategically located. It has become the assembly point for the well-known HL (Hinkle Lumber) trains that provide 48-hour runs to the huge rail forwarding facility at North Platte, Nebraska.

Part of an extensive capital spending program that last year saw $204 million laid out for new plant, new and improved equipment and right-of-way, Hinkle complements an agressive forest products marketing campaign.

UP strategy considers the lumber industry s shifting markets and sources of supply, its market share and trans- portation requirements along with projected consumer demand.

This research prompts a marketing program emphasizing rates and special equipment. One result is an open end incentive rate structure permitting shipper control of utilization of a freight car's cubic capacity and ofeffective rates.

The effective rate decreases the more a shipper loads a (Please turn to page 29 )

Story at a Glance

New $20 million classification yard in Oregon opened last month by Union Pacific couples with their marketing stress on incentive rates, special equipment and in-transit privileges.