BigB
Active Member
- Thread starter
- #1
I asked Gemini what's going on:
You are spot on about the location. Slate Auto is taking over the massive former R.R. Donnelley printing plant (about 1.4 million square feet) in Warsaw for their manufacturing hub.
Regarding the railroad tracks, here is the situation:
1. The Rail Line Status
You are likely seeing activity because they are indeed preparing that line for heavy freight again. The tracks running right next to the factory belong to the Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad (CF&E).
* Yes, they are upgrading: There have been recent projects to upgrade crossings and maintain the track through Warsaw (you might have seen crossing closures recently).
* Why it's happening: Slate has explicitly stated they plan to use those rail lines to ship the finished trucks out. Since the plant was previously a printing facility (paper in, catalogs out), it already had rail spurs, but they likely need refurbishment to handle auto racks (the train cars that carry vehicles), which are heavy and require specific clearances and loading infrastructure.
2. The Factory Retrofit
It's not just the tracks getting work. The factory floor itself is being reinforced.
* Weight Issues: The old floor was built for printing presses, but auto manufacturing (especially stamping equipment and battery assembly) is significantly heavier. They are currently reinforcing the concrete floors to handle the weight of the Slate assembly lines.
3. Why this matters for your truck
Since you have a deposit down, this is good news. It means they aren't building a factory from scratch (which takes years); they are refitting an existing one that already has the "bones" for heavy distribution. Using the CF&E rail line to ship directly to distribution hubs (like potentially Nashville or the West Coast) keeps their logistics costs low, which is how they are aiming for that ~$20k–$25k price point.
Next Step: I can track the latest construction updates for the Warsaw plant if you want to know when they start installing the assembly robots.
You are spot on about the location. Slate Auto is taking over the massive former R.R. Donnelley printing plant (about 1.4 million square feet) in Warsaw for their manufacturing hub.
Regarding the railroad tracks, here is the situation:
1. The Rail Line Status
You are likely seeing activity because they are indeed preparing that line for heavy freight again. The tracks running right next to the factory belong to the Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad (CF&E).
* Yes, they are upgrading: There have been recent projects to upgrade crossings and maintain the track through Warsaw (you might have seen crossing closures recently).
* Why it's happening: Slate has explicitly stated they plan to use those rail lines to ship the finished trucks out. Since the plant was previously a printing facility (paper in, catalogs out), it already had rail spurs, but they likely need refurbishment to handle auto racks (the train cars that carry vehicles), which are heavy and require specific clearances and loading infrastructure.
2. The Factory Retrofit
It's not just the tracks getting work. The factory floor itself is being reinforced.
* Weight Issues: The old floor was built for printing presses, but auto manufacturing (especially stamping equipment and battery assembly) is significantly heavier. They are currently reinforcing the concrete floors to handle the weight of the Slate assembly lines.
3. Why this matters for your truck
Since you have a deposit down, this is good news. It means they aren't building a factory from scratch (which takes years); they are refitting an existing one that already has the "bones" for heavy distribution. Using the CF&E rail line to ship directly to distribution hubs (like potentially Nashville or the West Coast) keeps their logistics costs low, which is how they are aiming for that ~$20k–$25k price point.
Next Step: I can track the latest construction updates for the Warsaw plant if you want to know when they start installing the assembly robots.
