Great Lakes Central Updates October 2017

[MiRailProductions]

Heard them on the north end of Cadillac at 0915. Haven't heard them since, assuming they are currently headed north.

With those loaded centerbeams in mind, possibly a TC run?

I'm still on the west coast, but I'm told that on Friday, GLC brought 3 loaded center beam loads to Amerhart, pulled 2 empties, and pulled 3 loads from Beacon, leaving town with a 5 car train.

Okay, all I needed to know. Thanks!

[Raildudes dad]

2 gons going to Marion OH and 1 to Crawfordsville IN, both home to mini mills.Same places the other 3 went to.

[SW]

Worked as a car host on yesterday's Northern Arrow passenger special from Kalkaska to Petoskey and return. There were about 350 passengers, close to a sellout. A few showers along the way, but little rain during the 5 hour layover at Petoskey. Here is the freight I saw on the line:
14 covered hoppers at the Plastics siding in Petoskey
4 separate cuts of covered hoppers north of Elmira: 6 + 2 + 9 + 10, for a total of 27
2 covered hoppers at the Ellsworth facility in Mancelona
5 tankers at the north end of the siding in downtown Kalkaska

[AANscaleRunner]

Leaving Cadillac for Clare at 1100.

[csx801]

Great Lakes Central north through Mount Pleasant at 1250

GLC 397 leading
GLC 399
GLC 396

11 hoppers
6 plastics hoppers
3 wood chip hoppers
17 tie gondolas
12 cement hoppers
1 tank
16 LPG tanks

66 total

[Todd_F]

Great Lakes Central north through Mount Pleasant at 1250

GLC 397 leading
GLC 399
GLC 396

11 hoppers
6 plastics hoppers
3 wood chip hoppers
17 tie gondolas
12 cement hoppers
1 tank
16 LPG tanks

66 total

Ooh! When he's running late like this it's the only opportunity I have to shoot him, without taking work off. Hopefully he'll be SBD through CMU after 3pm so I can catch him south of there.

[Mackinac Mac]

I'm in Owosso. Wondering if so have time to head north to maybe Ithaca or something.

[Todd_F]

I'm in Owosso. Wondering if so have time to head north to maybe Ithaca or something.

Don't think I'd wander further than Ithaca since we don't know for sure where he is. Theoretically, he shouldn't depart Clare till at least 2:30-3:00 - if the guys do a normal, albeit late run. My wild guess through Ashley/Ithaca would be 4:00-5:30. It'll take him about 45 minutes to get to Ithaca from Mt Pleasant. Perhaps csx801 will catch the SBD move and post.

[csx801]

Great Lakes Central headed south through Mount Pleasant at 1640

GLC 399 leading
GLC 397

12 hoppers
1 pole flat
1 LPG tank
2 empty centerbeams
10 plastics hoppers
9 empty tie gondolas
1 empty centerbeam
6 LPG tanks
3 scrap loads from Beacon

45 total

Should be coming up on shepherd now with near perfect lighting. If I didn't have meetings tonight I would chase them.

[AANscaleRunner]

Returned to Cadillac at 1700.

[AANscaleRunner]

Missed them leaving Cadillac, but saw this shortly after 0900.

[Pixl]

Interesting, I don't get to see them backing up very much. Where was this at? Was there a man on the last car ?
Thanks AAN

[AANscaleRunner]

Interesting, I don't get to see them backing up very much. Where was this at? Was there a man on the last car ?
Thanks AAN

East end of Selma Yard off Wright St. There is a small paved area here that is good for watching. They had a string of cars winding back into the yard. Had to run an errand and when I got back they were gone.

[Todd_F]

Heads-up. 393 is trailing on ONTN today.

[csx801]

Great Lakes Central headed south through Mount Pleasant at 1415. I am not sure when the Northbound Snuck past me, I've been in eyeshot of the tracks almost all morning.

GLC 393 leading
GLC 397
GLC 396

1 plastics hopper
4 pole empties
4 feed hoppers
5 plastics hoppers
9 coke hoppers
8 empty tie gondolas
1 feed hopper

32 total

[AANscaleRunner]

They are being sneaky today. Heard them move from Selma Yard to the engine house at 1540. Didn't even hear them go through town.

[MiRailProductions]

Missed them leaving Cadillac, but saw this shortly after 0900.

Did that poor crew have to run in 396 LHF all the way to Clare? Or did they turn the engines on the wye?

[csx801]

Did that poor crew have to run in 396 LHF all the way to Clare? Or did they turn the engines on the wye?

They would have run 396 LHF down to Clare. It was facing north when it went SBD through Mount Pleasant

[Todd_F]

Did that poor crew have to run in 396 LHF all the way to Clare? Or did they turn the engines on the wye?

They would have run 396 LHF down to Clare. It was facing north when it went SBD through Mount Pleasant

While they could have easily shuffled 396 to third unit in Cadillac, or even turned it for that matter, I doubt running it LHF was an issue for the crew.

On an interesting note, when I shot ONTN approaching Owosso yesterday, 396 and 397 were facing north while 393 faced south. This orientation makes it likely that 397 and 393 could be power on ONTN/OSTN for a few days.

[AANscaleRunner]

Northbound out of Cadillac at 0920 with 22 cars.