Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

Daily whereabouts of train locations along with sightings for heads ups to other railfans.
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TrainStuff13
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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Didn't see them in TC or anywhere along 131 between Mancelona and Cadillac. There were 2 tank cars parked on the north end of downtown Kalkaska on the siding.

AANscaleRunner
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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AARR wrote:In the 2nd video notice how there's a few cars in-between the cement car block? How does that happen? I'm presuming the cement cars are shipped in a solid block and travel as such yet when it gets to Cadillac (or maybe before) they get separated by other cars.

This is a WAG on my part. Cadillac consist made up of two Owosso to Clare runs. Cadillac crew just hooks them together and heads out. Can't see any other way they would take the time to separate a string before it gets up here.

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TrainStuff13
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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No gon at Beacon today, so hopefully those empty centerbeams bring a train into town tomorrow.

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SD80MAC
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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AANscaleRunner wrote:
AARR wrote:In the 2nd video notice how there's a few cars in-between the cement car block? How does that happen? I'm presuming the cement cars are shipped in a solid block and travel as such yet when it gets to Cadillac (or maybe before) they get separated by other cars.

This is a WAG on my part. Cadillac consist made up of two Owosso to Clare runs. Cadillac crew just hooks them together and heads out. Can't see any other way they would take the time to separate a string before it gets up here.
The cement cars do not get shipped as a solid block. They come into Grand Rapids from Chicago sprinkled throughout various Q326s. They get thrown in with the rest of the GLC cars at random, and that's the order they get delivered to GLC at Ann Pere. I would imagine the traffic for north of Clare doesn't get "blocked" until it actually gets to Cadillac.
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AARR
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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Thanks SD80. So the cement cars are coming into Grand Rapids split up. Did they leave the cement plant in a solid block and get split up before reaching Grand Rapids?
SD80MAC wrote:
AANscaleRunner wrote:
AARR wrote:In the 2nd video notice how there's a few cars in-between the cement car block? How does that happen? I'm presuming the cement cars are shipped in a solid block and travel as such yet when it gets to Cadillac (or maybe before) they get separated by other cars.
This is a WAG on my part. Cadillac consist made up of two Owosso to Clare runs. Cadillac crew just hooks them together and heads out. Can't see any other way they would take the time to separate a string before it gets up here.
The cement cars do not get shipped as a solid block. They come into Grand Rapids from Chicago sprinkled throughout various Q326s. They get thrown in with the rest of the GLC cars at random, and that's the order they get delivered to GLC at Ann Pere. I would imagine the traffic for north of Clare doesn't get "blocked" until it actually gets to Cadillac.
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SD80MAC
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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Your guess is as good as mine on that one. They probably do leave in small blocks but there are a lot of things that can happen between there and the final destination.
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AARR
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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Although neither of us knows exactly why it happens your guess would still be better than mine :wink:
SD80MAC wrote:Your guess is as good as mine on that one. They probably do leave in small blocks but there are a lot of things that can happen between there and the final destination.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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AARR wrote:Although neither of us knows exactly why it happens your guess would still be better than mine :wink:
SD80MAC wrote:Your guess is as good as mine on that one. They probably do leave in small blocks but there are a lot of things that can happen between there and the final destination.
AARRI, your guess is still better than mine! Mine is- some dad properly blocked the GLC train, and had it stopped for a moment to clean the rails ahead of the train. Then his son picked a bunch of the cars from the tracks, rearranged the order, and put them back on the tracks after dad said to put them back and play with his own train set.....
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TrainStuff13
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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According to someone in Elmira, the train did run up there yesterday. Guess I should have stayed in one spot :roll:

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AARR
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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:lol:
TC Man wrote:AARRI, your guess is still better than mine! Mine is- some dad properly blocked the GLC train, and had it stopped for a moment to clean the rails ahead of the train. Then his son picked a bunch of the cars from the tracks, rearranged the order, and put them back on the tracks after dad said to put them back and play with his own train set.....
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

AANscaleRunner
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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395 and 396 left Cadillac for Clare at 1010 with 1 empty centerbeam for McBain, 1 wood chip hopper, 15 tie loads and 6 tanks.

Returned at 1540 with 1 wood chip hopper, 1 tank, 6 wood chip hoppers and 5 tie loads.

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TrainStuff13
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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AANscaleRunner wrote:395 and 396 left Cadillac for Clare at 1010 with 1 empty centerbeam for McBain, 1 wood chip hopper, 15 tie loads and 6 tanks.

Returned at 1540 with 1 wood chip hopper, 1 tank, 6 wood chip hoppers and 5 tie loads.
Could they still run to TC with no loaded centerbeams or empty gon? Or are those in the yard in Cadillac?

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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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One cannot assume or predict anything on car movements (ie the cement cars). I tracked 2 centerbeams from a transload in MT. The travel together to Chicago, both coming to GR. Transfer to the belt together. One comes to GR from Chicago, one goes to Toledo. It gets to Toledo when the locals to GR are eliminated and gets shipped back to Chicago to come north. I can't figure out how that happened.

FYI: the 2 loaded gons went 2 different places, 2 different companies steel mills.

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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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Raildudes dad wrote:One cannot assume or predict anything on car movements (ie the cement cars). I tracked 2 centerbeams from a transload in MT. The travel together to Chicago, both coming to GR. Transfer to the belt together. One comes to GR from Chicago, one goes to Toledo. It gets to Toledo when the locals to GR are eliminated and gets shipped back to Chicago to come north. I can't figure out how that happened.

FYI: the 2 loaded gons went 2 different places, 2 different companies steel mills.
4 empty center beam cats remain at Amerhart....
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TrainStuff13
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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TC Man wrote: 4 empty center beam cats remain at Amerhart....
Thanks, I wasnt able to check today and I was wondering if they had slipped by me. I'll be trackside tomorrow morning.

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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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Leaving Cadillac for Clare at 0945. Caught 1 tank, 16 cement empties and 4 lp tanks.

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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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396 and 395 returned at 1550 with 2 cement hoppers, 2 covered hoppers, 8 tanks, 2 wood chip hoppers, 4 tie loads, 1 box car, 4 cement hoppers, 1 tank, 2 cement hoppers and 3 tie loads.

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James Sofonia
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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AANscaleRunner wrote:396 and 395 returned at 1550 with 2 cement hoppers, 2 covered hoppers, 8 tanks, 2 wood chip hoppers, 4 tie loads, 1 box car, 4 cement hoppers, 1 tank, 2 cement hoppers and 3 tie loads.
Hmmnn.. maybe lumber in that boxcar for TC?

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AARR
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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Most likely it is. But there is the place in Marion that has received a few box cars too
Pixl wrote:
AANscaleRunner wrote:396 and 395 returned at 1550 with 2 cement hoppers, 2 covered hoppers, 8 tanks, 2 wood chip hoppers, 4 tie loads, 1 box car, 4 cement hoppers, 1 tank, 2 cement hoppers and 3 tie loads.
Hmmnn.. maybe lumber in that boxcar for TC?
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

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TrainStuff13
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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates July 2017

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Pixl wrote:
AANscaleRunner wrote:396 and 395 returned at 1550 with 2 cement hoppers, 2 covered hoppers, 8 tanks, 2 wood chip hoppers, 4 tie loads, 1 box car, 4 cement hoppers, 1 tank, 2 cement hoppers and 3 tie loads.
Hmmnn.. maybe lumber in that boxcar for TC?
I was disappointed to see that they did not run to TC this week. The one week a year I'm up here...

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