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Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 3:46 pm
by BL2-1843
csx801 wrote:Great Lakes Central back South through Mount Pleasant at 15:20
GLC 397 leading
GLC 396
Amazing how quickly some of these locomotives get around. Last evening at 9pm, GLC was over on CSX at Howell picking up 45 cars out of the Howell passing siding, on their way back north from Osmer after delivering a grain load. Power stopped right behind the house. In order, 385,398,397,396,393. 385 & 398 as well as 393 & 396 were back to back with each other, 396 was the odd man out and facing north. (west by me)
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 3:54 pm
by MiRailProductions
BL2-1843 wrote:
Amazing how quickly some of these locomotives get around. Last evening at 9pm, GLC was over on CSX at Howell picking up 45 cars out of the Howell passing siding, on their way back north from Osmer after delivering a grain load. Power stopped right behind the house. In order, 385,398,397,396,393. 385 & 398 as well as 393 & 396 were back to back with each other, 396 was the odd man out and facing north. (west by me)
Wait... they went to Osmer last evening? Dang, I live within two or three miles of Osmer and went all the way to Milan last evening just to see an NS Local, when I could've seen the GLC.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 6:47 pm
by Todd_F
MiRailProductions wrote: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...
Crew said it was a crazy busy day and they're doing just about everything on that run that they could do. Oh, they also dropped 2 loaded center beams in Alma with the three units. It was a good easy chase day with all the stops.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 6:54 pm
by Todd_F
MIRailProductions, listen to the Durand feed tonight and tomorrow b/c those Mid Michigan loads are going south. Not sure if that goes to Howell or Osmer, but with two GP35's (one the anniversary unit), it would be nice train to catch.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 7:29 pm
by Todd_F
GLC 397 just got permission to use the PHY in Durand to double his train. He will then head south.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Fri Aug 25, 2017 10:13 pm
by MiRailProductions
Todd_F wrote:Crew said it was a crazy busy day and they're doing just about everything on that run that they could do. Oh, they also dropped 2 loaded center beams in Alma with the three units. It was a good easy chase day with all the stops.
Wow, sure sounds like one! Are they using a different crew to go south? Unfortunately I was not able to catch them again, but oh well. One day, I will.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 6:30 am
by Todd_F
MiRailProductions wrote:Todd_F wrote:Crew said it was a crazy busy day and they're doing just about everything on that run that they could do. Oh, they also dropped 2 loaded center beams in Alma with the three units. It was a good easy chase day with all the stops.
Wow, sure sounds like one! Are they using a different crew to go south? Unfortunately I was not able to catch them again, but oh well. One day, I will.
It definitely sounded like a different engineer.
I'm heading to Owosso first thing this AM to check and see if that unit train from MM is there, or the freight from the Cadillac train. Might give me an indication about what went south last night. Hopefully they run one this morning.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 10:46 am
by AARR
There is a separate day and night crew operating from Owosso
Todd_F wrote:MiRailProductions wrote:Todd_F wrote:Crew said it was a crazy busy day and they're doing just about everything on that run that they could do. Oh, they also dropped 2 loaded center beams in Alma with the three units. It was a good easy chase day with all the stops.
Wow, sure sounds like one! Are they using a different crew to go south? Unfortunately I was not able to catch them again, but oh well. One day, I will.
It definitely sounded like a different engineer.
I'm heading to Owosso first thing this AM to check and see if that unit train from MM is there, or the freight from the Cadillac train. Might give me an indication about what went south last night. Hopefully they run one this morning.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 10:56 am
by Todd_F
Just got word on Facebook that the mid Michigan train left Alma with about 100 cars at 10 AM with GLC 392/393/398. It is headed for Osmer.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 12:52 pm
by MiRailProductions
Todd_F wrote:Just got word on Facebook that the mid Michigan train left Alma with about 100 cars at 10 AM with GLC 392/393/398. It is headed for Osmer.
Once again, not in town... lovely. I hope you get to chase it though!
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 1:09 pm
by Todd_F
The above GLC train is currently sitting in Durand, waiting on BNSF empties to finish. GLC tacked a 4th loco on in Owosso; 397, on point. Shot him a few times already. Currently waiting at Pitt. As of this posting, GLC has not received permission to proceed south.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 10:39 am
by AANscaleRunner
395 and 399 left Cadillac for Clare at 0945 with 4 pulp wood loads, 3 cement, 1 pole, 1 idler, 1 pole, 1 covered hopper and 12 tie loads.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 1:01 pm
by csx801
Great Lakes Central North through Mount Pleasant 1255
GLC 392 leading
GLC 393
GLC 398
2 hoppers
3 coke cars
17 tie loads
1 plastics hopper
1 tank
3 LPG tanks
17 cement hoppers
44 total
I am second guessing my count on the first few cars. The total may be +/- one or two
Edit: A photo from a friend helped me confirm my error. 4 Coke hoppers bringing the total to 45
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 2:55 pm
by csx801
Great Lakes Central South through Mount Pleasant at 1450
GLC 393 leading
GLC 392
3 plastics hoppers
4 pulpwood loads
3 cement hoppers
1 feed hopper
2 empty pole flats
4 hoppers
5 tie gons
22 total
398 did not come back south.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Mon Aug 28, 2017 4:26 pm
by AANscaleRunner
399, 395 and 398 return to Cadillac at 1605. Caught 4 hoppers and some of the tie loads. Nice to see three locomotives up here again.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 6:55 am
by Todd_F
AANscaleRunner wrote:399, 395 and 398 return to Cadillac at 1605. Caught 4 hoppers and some of the tie loads. Nice to see three locomotives up here again.
Nice! Keep us posted on what they do. Sounds like they may have considerable freight to move... somewhere.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 7:27 am
by AARR
Up until around 2006 TSBY kept three engines in Cadillac. Two handled the Cadillac-Yuma-Clare Turn and one handled everything north of Cadillac. Up until 2006 Integrity Iron and Metal, Cherry Growers and Schultz, Snyder & ??? (now Amerhart) required multiple switches per week. Plus, the cement terminal in Elmira was also switched multiple times per week. TSBY started growing the traffic north of Cadillac in the early 1990's and sustained it until just before GLC acquired them (2006). The reduction in rail service didn't have anything to do with TSBY's service.
Todd_F wrote:AANscaleRunner wrote:399, 395 and 398 return to Cadillac at 1605. Caught 4 hoppers and some of the tie loads. Nice to see three locomotives up here again.
Nice! Keep us posted on what they do. Sounds like they may have considerable freight to move... somewhere.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 10:03 am
by AANscaleRunner
398, 395 and 399 left Cadillac for Clare at 0920 with 2 wood chip hoppers, 8 tie loads and 1 covered hopper.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 10:28 am
by MiRailProductions
AARR wrote:Up until around 2006 TSBY kept three engines in Cadillac. Two handled the Cadillac-Yuma-Clare Turn and one handled everything north of Cadillac. Up until 2006 Integrity Iron and Metal, Cherry Growers and Schultz, Snyder & ??? (now Amerhart) required multiple switches per week. Plus, the cement terminal in Elmira was also switched multiple times per week. TSBY started growing the traffic north of Cadillac in the early 1990's and sustained it until just before GLC acquired them (2006). The reduction in rail service didn't have anything to do with TSBY's service.
Todd_F wrote:AANscaleRunner wrote:399, 395 and 398 return to Cadillac at 1605. Caught 4 hoppers and some of the tie loads. Nice to see three locomotives up here again.
Nice! Keep us posted on what they do. Sounds like they may have considerable freight to move... somewhere.
I think the economic recession, which happened to be around the time that GLC acquired TSBY, really impacted the rail traffic up north. Thankfully, it looks like it's starting to come back, now that they're shipping close to 20 cars on average per week to Elmira, and Beacon in Traverse, who hopefully will become a permanent customer.
Re: Great Lakes Central Updates August 2017
Posted: Tue Aug 29, 2017 12:43 pm
by csx801
Great Lakes Central North through Mount Pleasant 1240
GLC 396 leading
GLC 397
1 plastics hopper
1 pole load
1 LPG tank
4 tanks
7 total