Search found 231 matches

by Mike H
Mon Mar 11, 2024 12:52 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: CN says goodbye to Baraga
Replies: 19
Views: 1676

Re: CN says goodbye to Baraga

When was the last time Baraga actually had a rail served customer? I have always wondered about that. By the way, go get ‘em Mike H (regarding transload opportunities - if anyone can, it’s Mike H!!) You & AARR are too kind to me. There is definitely some potential business in Baraga. I’ve identifie...
by Mike H
Mon Mar 11, 2024 12:01 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Hamilton Northwestern Railroad Co.
Replies: 208
Views: 1569076

Re: Hamilton Northwestern Railroad Co.

I wonder what the range is on a transload site such as this. 15-20 miles? I thought I read somewhere‘s on RailRoadFan.com that the WMI was transloading apples that were transported up to Traverse City Michigan for Gogo Squeez. So who knows what the actual range on a transload site could be. Here’s ...
by Mike H
Mon Oct 09, 2023 11:26 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Hamilton Northwestern Railroad Co.
Replies: 208
Views: 1569076

Re: Hamilton Northwestern Railroad Co.

I would be very curious to know what you think happened. I’ve heard quite a few laughable rumors. Oh come on now, you can’t just drop a nugget like that and not share. I like comedy too! Don’t go into yards that don’t belong to your railroad and switch cars out. That is not the real reason, but it ...
by Mike H
Wed Jul 13, 2022 2:33 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Unit grain trains on LSRC
Replies: 13
Views: 7236

Re: Unit grain trains on LSRC

SD80MAC wrote:
Tue Jul 12, 2022 3:32 pm
The only elevator on the LSRC proper that ships grain trains is in Standish. The other trains are handed off to the Huron & Eastern for loading at Auburn or out in the Thumb.
Better check your facts on that one.

Mike H
by Mike H
Tue Jan 25, 2022 1:01 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: My “somewhat” report on how much it would be to turn the white pine trail into a rail line.
Replies: 35
Views: 11019

Re: My “somewhat” report on how much it would be to turn the white pine trail into a rail line.

back of the napkin math if it all went by rail... 650,000 Tons of Potash equates to approx. 4,318 railcars of potash a year. (4318/261) = 16.54 cars a day 1,000,000 tons of table salt...table salt is shipped generally three different ways. If it's done all one of these ways, here's some back of the...
by Mike H
Sat Feb 20, 2021 8:43 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Bangor in 1993
Replies: 6
Views: 3752

Re: Bangor in 1993

And Perrigo in Allegan used to get boxcars of bagged talc for their pharmacutical plant on the house track in the 90's. B&M and MEC cars IIRC. Thank you for that lead, that is very very useful information! There is another company in the area that gets talc, but they truck it all in unfortunately. ...
by Mike H
Sat Feb 13, 2021 3:39 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Midland Turn Questions
Replies: 13
Views: 8837

Re: Midland Turn Questions

You mention Bay City and Battle Creek --- right up through Penn Central days that junction to the Midland Branch was called BC & BC Jct. I used to dispatch the Saginaw-Ludington line that ran through Midland. During my time, we usually ran 6 trains a day through Midland, 2 Ludington trains (LU75, T...
by Mike H
Sun Sep 27, 2020 3:13 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Spartan Motors in Charlotte
Replies: 14
Views: 8601

Re: Spartan Motors in Charlotte

A million dollars to install a mainline switch with PTC. This doesn’t include the customer-owned siding track and dock. This is why you’ll rarely see a new, Class 1 rail-served industry outside those that ship unit-trains. A million dollars lol?!?!?! You better double check your math because you mu...
by Mike H
Mon Sep 07, 2020 3:04 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Reopening a pipeline to bring propane north- hurt GLC?
Replies: 8
Views: 6237

Re: Reopening a pipeline to bring propane north- hurt GLC?

First of all, where is the propane coming from? and oh, there just happens to be an unused pipeline just sitting around not being used!! and second, where is the propane going? in the news story it says, up north, everyone knows about the NIMBY, unless there going to store the LPG under ground, the...
by Mike H
Sat May 23, 2020 3:25 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Crazy Topic - G&W in Michigan
Replies: 39
Views: 22054

Re: Crazy Topic - G&W in Michigan

~Z~ wrote:
SD80MAC wrote: Of course, I’d love to see some new upstarts get the GRE and MS instead.
Imagine how much less distance you'd have to drive if WMRR got the GRE :)
Hey, now that's a great idea! I bet the WMI could probably do some pretty awesome things with the GRE or the MS lol!

Mike H
by Mike H
Sat May 23, 2020 3:23 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Crazy Topic - G&W in Michigan
Replies: 39
Views: 22054

Re: Crazy Topic - G&W in Michigan

The MMRR, GRE and MS would likely be sold off. I could see GLC or LSRC going after the MMRR. Realistically, Watco would make sense for the GRE, and the MS would be up in the air. Of course, I’d love to see some new upstarts get the GRE and MS instead. I'd like to see some new start ups or one of th...
by Mike H
Fri Feb 28, 2020 1:45 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Michigan Rail Business news
Replies: 355
Views: 289523

Re: Michigan Rail Business news

The weird thing is it came up the GDLK from NS. What's weird about it? MNS is open to reciprocal switching & the Eastern Idaho is also a Watco property so it makes perfect sense that they would try to encourage the traffic to move over a sister road. I'm sure their backup plan was to route it over ...
by Mike H
Wed Feb 26, 2020 11:42 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Michigan Rail Business news
Replies: 355
Views: 289523

Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Per a source. for those of you in the Grand Rapids or those visiting Wyoming Yard from out of town. Tonight marks the eve of traffic from out west in Burley Idaho. Tonight CSX is bringing in a reefer in their train consisting of frozen butter and it is destined for a business right there at the edg...
by Mike H
Sun Feb 16, 2020 11:56 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: West Michigan RR Abandonment Petition Coming
Replies: 399
Views: 259054

Re: West Michigan RR Abandonment Petition Coming

The boxcars go to Menasha in Coloma. D700 had 1 in & 1 out lately. I'm just guessing, but in years past it seemed like they probably didn't do more than 12 cars a year if that. The past few months they seemed to have been getting cars more frequently, but definitely not in a consistent manner. I kin...
by Mike H
Wed Jan 01, 2020 10:54 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Holland Ottawa Beach Spur question
Replies: 5
Views: 3919

Re: Holland Ottawa Beach Spur question

Warehouse was TLC until 2011 when Ryder bought the entire company. 2016, Ryder sold that one warehouse to Michigan Natural Storage. I'll email my contacts there, ask about railroad plans, and reply later. MNS also just bought the Ryder cold storage facility at Teapot Dome just west of Paw Paw. Seem...
by Mike H
Wed Jan 01, 2020 3:06 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Holland Ottawa Beach Spur question
Replies: 5
Views: 3919

Re: Holland Ottawa Beach Spur question

Warehouse was TLC until 2011 when Ryder bought the entire company. 2016, Ryder sold that one warehouse to Michigan Natural Storage. I'll email my contacts there, ask about railroad plans, and reply later. MNS also just bought the Ryder cold storage facility at Teapot Dome just west of Paw Paw. Seem...
by Mike H
Tue Dec 10, 2019 11:18 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Detroit Connecting / Dequindre Cut Customers
Replies: 27
Views: 21874

Re: Detroit Connecting / Dequindre Cut Customers

Drove by the yard during Thanksgiving Weekend. It appears that DCON has a new customer, ExxonMobil Lubricants (Verso Oil). DCON stages the cars in a fenced in area next to the building. That is not a new customer, just an existing customer moving to a new unloading spot on the main next to their fa...
by Mike H
Sun Sep 01, 2019 11:57 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: CN buys CSX Line to New York
Replies: 6
Views: 6537

Re: CN buys CSX Line to New York

I think your thread is still relevant Dave. This acquisition definitely could have an impact on traffic through Michigan, but I doubt that anyone trackside would notice a difference. Any traffic originating or terminating on this line that moves to the Gulf or to one of the Western roads will move t...
by Mike H
Tue Aug 20, 2019 12:59 am
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: Graphic Packaging to Possibly Consolidate Plants
Replies: 19
Views: 12102

Re: Graphic Packaging to Possibly Consolidate Plants

[/quote]Note: The news article is deceptive when it comes to the number of plants GP has. There are a lot more than listed. For example, they missed the mills in Kendallville, Indiana and Xenia, Ohio to name just two.[/quote] Those locations are not Mills. You are confusing box plants with Mills whi...
by Mike H
Wed Aug 14, 2019 6:12 pm
Forum: Michigan Talk
Topic: West Michigan RR Abandonment Petition Coming
Replies: 399
Views: 259054

Re: West Michigan RR Abandonment Petition Coming

No corn syrup either. Fun fact of the day, there are no corn syrup production plants in Michigan. I personally have never seen one that isn't directly on rail. Mike H It may not be a production plant, but there is a ADM Corn Syrup Terminal in Battle Creek! They unload, not load corn syrup & at leas...