Norfolk Southern adds bulk transfer facility

Norfolk Southern adds bulk transfer facility    Norfolk Southern Railway Co. said it has opened a new intermodal bulk transfer terminal in Greer, S.C., the 28th such facility in its network.
   The facilities handle rail-to-truck transfers of products such as plastic pellets, dry and liquid chemicals, construction materials and food products.
   Norfolk Southern owns the Thoroughbred Bulk Transfer facilities, but independent contractors who specialize in bulk distribution operate them. The Greer terminal will be run by Transplastics, a division of Quality Carriers. The bulk trucking company is a subsidiary of Tampa, Fla.-based Quality Distribution Inc., which is headed by former Norfolk Southern executive Tom Finkbiner. Transplastics operates 13 terminals in the United States and Canada.
   The Greer terminal can handle 50 rail cars at one time, with separate sidings for food products and a steam boiler for product heating.