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16 cement hoppers? Can Elmira take that many or do they store them somewhere else? And it looks like the plastic bead business is doing well these days.

Doktor No wrote:16 cement hoppers? Can Elmira take that many or do they store them somewhere else? And it looks like the plastic bead business is doing well these days.

Their unloading track (double ended with the covered unloading facility in the middle) is about 660ft. They have a trackmobile to shuttle cars. They also have a 2,100ft (+/-) double ended storage track where this unloading track connects to, and also a 600ft run around track located a bit down from the facility in the village of Elmira. Last week (or week before) they took 24 loads on one trip.

The new Costco store in Traverse City has a portable cement mixing plant set up there to pour the floor and walls (though that's coming to an end as the signs are now on the building). They received a LOT of cement from the Elmira terminal.

GLC delivered 26 loads earlier in the summer

TC Man wrote:

Doktor No wrote:16 cement hoppers? Can Elmira take that many or do they store them somewhere else? And it looks like the plastic bead business is doing well these days.

Last week (or week before) they took 24 loads on one trip.

SABitt at MichiganRailroads.com reported they returned from their trip north with 18 empty cement cars

399 currently switching North Yard.

Northbound out of Cadillac at 0930 on a cold, cloudy day.

A friend spotted a big train of covered hoppers going north through Ithaca at 1100.

AANscaleRunner wrote:Northbound out of Cadillac at 0930 on a cold, cloudy day.

I'm parked at the Amerhart yard, Williamsburg and as of 1215 three empties and no train yet. I'm going to try for some video of the empties being pushed out onto the main line in front of the engines I saw last week.

EDIT: GLC arrived about 1245 and now leaving at 1305. I'll post the video here later today. I had asked permission to view the operation from the Amerhart yard instead of the bike trail. They were nice and let me park there and walk around. One of the lift truck drivers told me they save 2-4 thousand dollars per car shipping by rail vs. an equivalent amount of trucks to bring that load in. He also told me the Grand Rapids Amerhart yard is putting in a siding and will soon be receiving product by rail.

Pick, Looking forward to seeing the center beams pushed out on the main

Pixl wrote:

AANscaleRunner wrote:Northbound out of Cadillac at 0930 on a cold, cloudy day.

I'm parked at the Amerhart yard, Williamsburg and as of 1215 three empties and no train yet. I'm going to try for some video of the empties being pushed out onto the main line in front of the engines I saw last week.

EDIT: GLC arrived about 1245 and now leaving at 1305. I'll post the video here later today. I had asked permission to view the operation from the Amerhart yard instead of the bike trail. They were nice and let me park there and walk around. One of the lift truck drivers told me they save 2-4 thousand dollars per car shipping by rail vs. an equivalent amount of trucks to bring that load in. He also told me the Grand Rapids Amerhart yard is putting in a siding and will soon be receiving product by rail.

Ah, perhaps that's what the new customer at Godfrey is....

Here is Amerhart pushing the empties out on the main for GLC today.



And here is the loaded centerbeam being set in place with the three empties on the other side of the engine, soon headed back thru Traverse City.

Thanks Pixl. Very cool to watch

Pixl wrote:Here is Amerhart pushing the empties out on the main for GLC today.

In my first video of the empty coming out, the train crew waved for it to be sent down. The lift truck operator released the brakes of the car and by the time he got back on his machine the car was already rolling on it's own. You will notice he had to catch up with it to give it the final push.

AARR wrote:Thanks Pixl. Very cool to watch

Pixl wrote:Here is Amerhart pushing the empties out on the main for GLC today.

Thank you for the videos Pixl. One day I'm going to have to chase them up there.

Pixl wrote:Here is Amerhart pushing the empties out on the main for GLC today.

This is a very neat operation, I'm glad the guys at Amerhart were happy to let you in to view the operations!

398 and 392 are working Owosso yard right now. They will be going north today and 392 will be leading.

392 and 398 will be picking up three locomotives before departing Owosso north. They will be stopping in Alma to drop off three locomotives. 396 and 397 will proceed north from Alma... if I understood them correctly.

UPDATE:
Still in Owosso at 1035.
Crew just told they'll be dropping 1 fertilizer at Shepherd, and 1 at Rosebush.

UPDATE #2:
They are sorting and picking-up the 3 locomotives now at 1052. GLC 393 will be one of the units collected, and set-out in Alma. Should be departing Owosso shortly after 1100.

UPDATE #3:
396 and 397 finished their set-out in Shepherd at 1350.
CONFIRMED - CSTN will come down to Rosebush to swap trains.
Also, 398/393/392 will run south from Alma with MM loads tonight or tomorrow morning. They may only make it to Owosso tonight.

Great Lakes Central North through Mount Pleasant at 1410.

GLC 396 Leading
GLC 397

1 hopper
5 Plastics hoppers
11 tie gondolas
2 LPG tanks
1 cement hopper
1 tie gondola
1 pole flat
1 idler flat car
1 pole flat

27 total

Todd_F wrote:392 and 398 will be picking up three locomotives before departing Owosso north. They will be stopping in Alma to drop off three locomotives. 396 and 397 will proceed north from Alma... if I understood them correctly.

UPDATE:
Still in Owosso at 1035.
Crew just told they'll be dropping 1 fertilizer at Shepherd, and 1 at Rosebush.

UPDATE #2:
They are sorting and picking-up the 3 locomotives now at 1052. GLC 393 will be one of the units collected, and set-out in Alma. Should be departing Owosso shortly after 1100.

UPDATE #3:
396 and 397 finished their set-out in Shepherd at 1350.
CONFIRMED - CSTN will come down to Rosebush to swap trains.
Also, 398/393/392 will run south from Alma with MM loads tonight or tomorrow morning. They may only make it to Owosso tonight.

Wow. I understand what they're doing, but it seems rather confusing. Interesting operation today I guess...

Great Lakes Central back South through Mount Pleasant at 15:20

GLC 397 leading
GLC 396

2 plastics hoppers
1 feed hopper
1 LPG tank
1 plastics hopper
2 empty centerbeams
3 loaded woodchip hoppers
1 empty pole flat
8 tie gondolas
6 coke hoppers
3 LPG tanks
15 cement hoppers
1 plastics hopper
1 empty centerbeam
2 LPG tanks
5 hoppers
1 LPG tank
1 hopper

51 total