CSX Train Location Updates: 1/28/17

[Jochs]

Eastbound coal train (N801-27?) through St. Joseph at 12:45am. BNSF 6295, BNSF 6052 for power.

[Jochs]

Empty coal train around Bridgman headed west.

[Jochs]

Q326-28 is currently going through St. Joseph, headed for Riverside to wait on Amtrak.

[SW]

L322 cleared 7 Mile Rd. at 6:30. Sounded like CSX 4054 leading.

[train91]

Coal train N801, northbound, BNSF lead power 6295, 6052 2nd, stopped south of Fennville on siding. Observed 13:30 (1:30pm), Sat, Jan 28. Since went thru St. Joe/ Bridgman about 1;30am, assume needs re-crew plus could not see anyone aboard. Red blocks both north and south, so don't know if nbnd freight for GR will come first, or if load of empties out of W. Olive will come down. The load of empties usually cuts off power and pushes loaded train up the hill.

[SD80MAC]

Coal train N801, northbound, BNSF lead power 6295, 6052 2nd, stopped south of Fennville on siding. Observed 13:30 (1:30pm), Sat, Jan 28. Since went thru St. Joe/ Bridgman about 1;30am, assume needs re-crew plus could not see anyone aboard. Red blocks both north and south, so don't know if nbnd freight for GR will come first, or if load of empties out of W. Olive will come down. The load of empties usually cuts off power and pushes loaded train up the hill.

Most likely situation is that there is no room at the power plant for the train. It will sit there until a set of empties leaves. Red signals in all directions usually means nothing else coming for the time being.

[train91]

W. Olive yard quiet, 4pm, Sat, Jan 2. Two road power, BNSF 9166, 8581, unlit. Two consists on south tracks, both loaded. Three empty tracks.

[Tlout]

BNSF 9036, 9095 with West Olive empties south at Riley St. Holland 4:52 PM.

[justin_gram]

BNSF 9036, 9095 with West Olive empties south at Riley St. Holland 4:52 PM.

Sounds like they're west at Vine at 19:45 ET. 532 axles, 6986 feet at 91.9 DD.

[train91]

Wow...W. Olive train of empties just slipped by me, as I was at the Campbell yard entrance at about 4pm and I did not see any empties with power, at that time. However, she (BNSF 9036) was reported out with empties at 4:54pm. The BNSF 9036,9095 might have been back in the yard ready to come out, just as I left. I was under time pressure to go to another city, otherwise I would have waited. I will be curious to find out if a train of empties is made up back in the yard and is not always visible at the yard entrance.

I see below that BNSF 9036,9095 was reported at Vine about 7:45pm. There is not a report of a loaded coal train north through Holland, so I wonder whether or not if that power of BNSF 9036,9095 dropped off and pushed the load train south of Fennville up the hill toward E. Saugatuk, or is the Fennville train still spotted there?

[justin_gram]

Coal loads N800-28 east at Vine CG 92 at 22:21 ET. BNSF 8420? leading. 532 axles, 6964 feet at 91.9 DD.
Clear Hilltop CG 90 at 22:24 ET.

Just to clarify train91, Vine and Hilltop are in St. Joseph. But that is possible... it took the train close to 3 hours to get from Holland to me, usually takes 2-2 1/2 hours. If they did use E800s power to push that train up the hill, they must have done it VERY quickly.

[train91]

Justin: Just re-read your post. If understand, there is another coal unit train headed north, N800-28, as of 10:21pm tonight, Jan 28. If N801 is still in Fennville, how would they bring both up the hill and in to Holland? But maybe N801 is gone. Lots of interesting questions!

Have they ever been known to use the power of a 2nd trailing consist to drop its train and push the lead train up? If so, how would train #2 then get up? Nice, fun questions, in light of my logistics ignorance. Would be nice to know if they will bring light power from GR or bring down the two road engines from Campbell yard to do the push up to E. Saugatuk. Didn't see any empties near Campbell entrance, but maybe there are enough deep in the yard, to bring out a string of empties. No way to know of timing, unless someone has 'ears on'. I can't seem to find streamed radio traffic in this area any more; any one know of such a site?

[justin_gram]

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=33614

CSX 0808 road feed http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/22783
Dispatcher 3535 feed http://www.broadcastify.com/listen/feed/23220

[train91]

Justin: Thanks for the radio stream links...I will try them!

Well, whud-do-yah know...I was able to get the streams to work, if I used Windows Media Player. I had tried that before, but noticed it was jumping me back to HTML5; got it to lock onto WMP and got a hook! Thanks much!

[justin_gram]

No problem.

Sounds like something (prolly Q327) is putting a train together.

Amtrak P370-28 with what sounds like AMTK 196 leading was east at Hudsonville a few minutes ago, stopped at the EE to get a EC1 for a road x-ing stop and flag up ahead.

[trnwatcher]

Justin: Just re-read your post. If understand, there is another coal unit train headed north, N800-289, as of 10:21pm tonight, Jan 28. If N801 is still in Fennville, how would they bring both up the hill and in to Holland? But maybe N801 is gone. Lots of interesting questions!

Have they ever been known to use the power of a 2nd trailing consist to drop its train and push the lead train up? If so, how would train #2 then get up? Nice, fun questions, in light of my logistics ignorance. Would be nice to know if they will bring light power from GR or bring down the two road engines from Campbell yard to do the push up to E. Saugatuk. Didn't see any empties near Campbell entrance, but maybe there are enough deep in the yard, to bring out a string of empties. No way to know of timing, unless someone has 'ears on'. I can't seem to find streamed radio traffic in this area any more; any one know of such a site?

My guess is that the 2nd eastbound will go to Grand Junction while West Olive dumps one of the two loaded trains they already have. Then sometime tomorrow (most likely in the afternoon) a set of MT's will head west followed by D801 and then D801 crew will push one of the two loaded trains back to West Olive.

[Saturnalia]

Justin: Just re-read your post. If understand, there is another coal unit train headed north, N800-289, as of 10:21pm tonight, Jan 28. If N801 is still in Fennville, how would they bring both up the hill and in to Holland? But maybe N801 is gone. Lots of interesting questions!

Have they ever been known to use the power of a 2nd trailing consist to drop its train and push the lead train up? If so, how would train #2 then get up? Nice, fun questions, in light of my logistics ignorance. Would be nice to know if they will bring light power from GR or bring down the two road engines from Campbell yard to do the push up to E. Saugatuk. Didn't see any empties near Campbell entrance, but maybe there are enough deep in the yard, to bring out a string of empties. No way to know of timing, unless someone has 'ears on'. I can't seem to find streamed radio traffic in this area any more; any one know of such a site?

My guess is that the 2nd eastbound will go to Grand Junction while West Olive dumps one of the two loaded trains they already have. Then sometime tomorrow (most likely in the afternoon) a set of MT's will head west followed by D801 and then D801 crew will push one of the two loaded trains back to West Olive.

In a perfect world, every empty would stop at Wells and shove loads up the hill, return to their train, and continue to Chicago. It's done fairly often, but the lite power deadhead is often used, as well.

[train91]

Now Sun, Jan 29, 12:24am. Have been hearing BNSF 8420 (N801 coal headed for W. Olive/Campbell) squawk, but not hearing the milepost. Hear #8375 (mis-heard- think was 6295?) mentioned as helping and getting under way. They (8375) confirmed that will be "cutting off at top of hill". Wild guess is that N801 is getting a push up hill at Fennville. Limited radio traffic, so a guess.

12:38am: squawk "Ok, over the bridge and up the hill...".
12:44am sqawk "8420 east (unintelligible)...", then "clear Saugatuk (assume E. Saugutuk) at top of hill...". Now wait for cutoff of the pusher.
12:48: sqawk "8420 (talk?), ", "...rear end clear".
12:54am: "8420 resets applied, over...". 6295? talk?
12:55: "Resets applied 6295...".
Note: BNSF 6295 sqawk is N801, that was stopped south of Fennville, early Sat afternoon and since then.
12:57" "ok to reset, 8420".

1:05am: "...8420 approach slow, N800 out"
1:15am: "8420 East, slow approach W. Olive".
1:23am: "??set...6295"...(this is N801)..
1:24am: "...6295..gettin a reading..."

[Saturnalia]

Now Sun, Jan 29, 12:24am. Have been hearing BNSF 8420 (N801 coal headed for W. Olive/Campbell) squawk, but not hearing the milepost. Hear #8375 mentioned as helping and getting under way. They (8375) confirmed that will be "cutting off at top of hill". Wild guess is that N801 is getting a push up hill at Fennville. Limited radio traffic, so a guess.

12:38am: squawk "Ok, over the bridge and up the hill...".

The headend calls the rear when they hit the bridge at New Richmond - that is when the rear gives it all they've got. And they keep doing it until they've crested the summit.

[train91]

Now Sun, Jan 29, 12:24am. Have been hearing BNSF 8420 (N801 coal headed for W. Olive/Campbell) squawk, but not hearing the milepost. Hear #8375 mentioned as helping and getting under way. They (8375) confirmed that will be "cutting off at top of hill". Wild guess is that N801 is getting a push up hill at Fennville. Limited radio traffic, so a guess.

12:38am: squawk "Ok, over the bridge and up the hill...".

The headend calls the rear when they hit the bridge at New Richmond - that is when the rear gives it all they've got. And they keep doing it until they've crested the summit.

16,000hp will get you moving, when all in run-8...