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Eastbound through Lapeer. Seven engines (including two UP patch outs) and 83 cars

Westbound through Lapeer. Lots of auto racks.

Train 451 stalled at MP 22.5 on the Holly in my backyard. Blocking Opdyke Road. Sounds like air problems from the scanner chatter. A CN 5400 leading another CN unit.

At 2:30 pm, still stalled. Broken coupler way back and train separated. Help has arrived. Crew on short time but hoping to get it into Pontiac before they die. Amtrak 350 coming up on the same track (Main 1) and will probably be delayed arriving in Pontiac.

At 2:45 pm all fixed and 451 is on the move to Pontiac, starting up very slowly up the hill. Amtrak 350 will be right behind it. Locomotives 5468 and 5436 on 451. The DS did give Amtrak the option of backing up from Troy station to Moterm to cross over to Main 2 to get around 451 but no need to now. He must have forgotten there was a double track mainline when he routed 350 onto the Holly but it will be pretty much on time at Pontiac anyway.

Manistique wrote:He must have forgotten there was a double track mainline when he routed 350 onto the Holly but it will be pretty much on time at Pontiac anyway.

No platform access at Troy on Main 2 unless something has changed recently.
Google street view indicates that Royal Oak's platform access to Main 2 has been modified and looks unusable for passengers.

No platform access at Troy on Main 2 unless something has changed recently.
Google street view indicates that Royal Oak's platform access to Main 2 has been modified and looks unusable for passengers.

Thanks for the info. This makes even less sense! They have occasionally run Amtrak down Main 2 but haven't lately as far as I know. Maybe this is the reason.

Manistique wrote: Thanks for the info. This makes even less sense! They have occasionally run Amtrak down Main 2 but haven't lately as far as I know. Maybe this is the reason.

Back when they used Birmingham, it had platform access to Main 2 and Royal Oak also had platform access to Main 2. So yea, the dispatcher could send Amtrak down Main 2 with no problems at all. Well maybe 1 problem, don't send a train down Main 1 while Amtrak was stopped at Birmingham or Royal Oak.

DaveO wrote:

Manistique wrote: Thanks for the info. This makes even less sense! They have occasionally run Amtrak down Main 2 but haven't lately as far as I know. Maybe this is the reason.

Back when they used Birmingham, it had platform access to Main 2 and Royal Oak also had platform access to Main 2. So yea, the dispatcher could send Amtrak down Main 2 with no problems at all. Well maybe 1 problem, don't send a train down Main 1 while Amtrak was stopped at Birmingham or Royal Oak.

Back in the SEMTA commuter train days on GTW's Holly Sub the timetable, which had the commuter train schedules, required all freight trains to stop before a station that had a commuter train loading or unloading passengers. Back then it was ABS on the Holly and NB (back then WB) trains almost alway were on the NB main (now Main 2) and EB on the EB (now Main 1) track. And, except at Birmingham station which had the elevated platforms, the commuter walked across the tracks freely to get to the parking lots if the train was on the wrong track. Thus the reason for stopping oncoming freight trains. From my experiences, GTW usually scheduled the freight trains on the Holly before or after the three or four morning or afternoon commuter trains, rarely in between them, but I do remember exceptions.

At 9:10 am Train 950 with 4619 SB past MP 22.5 on the Holly.

At 9:35 what looked like a Train 280 with mostly autoracks SB past MP 22.5 with a BNSF unit leading a UP unit.

At 11 am Train 515 with 4925 SB past MP 22.5 following Amtrak down the Hill.

At 1 pm Train 391 NB past MP 22.5. IC 1036 SD70 leading GTW 5930.

At 2:37 pm it sounds like Train 451 has left or is ready to leave Pontiac and head north. There is some signal or switch problem at Clarkston and Holly he has to deal with.

Manistique wrote:At 9:10 am Train 950 with 4619 SB past MP 22.5 on the Holly.



At 2:37 pm it sounds like Train 451 has left or is ready to leave Pontiac and head north. There is some signal or switch problem at Clarkston and Holly he has to deal with.

451 just cleared the detector MP 34.2 with 185 axles (185 axles? really?) at 2:50 PM. IC 1026 leading

Train 391 NB past MP 22.5 at 8:15 pm.

Amtrak schedules changed a bit on all their Wolverines in and out of Pontiac. Was wondering why some trains were going by a bit early and others late today.

116 is good to depart Pontiac southbound. NS 4020 leading, 65 loads, by 29 empty. That was all I got before they faded off into the static.

Train 451 flying NB past MP 22.5 at 11:51 am with three foreign locomotives: The UP and BNSF ones from that 280 yesterday and CSX 5309. Whose railroad is this anyway?

M399 through Potterville at 1400 with CN 3025 & 3048.

In the last 30 minutes, two eastbound through Potterville. First had CN 8960, 5415 & 4788. Near Okemos as of 1520.
Second train I believe was L502 and is now at Cory Yard. CN 2302 & 5713.

271, CN 2425 (Canadian Cab) by Delray.

IC 6203 is switching the BWL power plant at Washington ave in Lansing at 03:30

116 cleared the detector MP 34.2 at 8:54 AM. 494 axles, CN 2027 or 2037? (I did not hear it clearly)

kc8bdr wrote:116 cleared the detector MP 34.2 at 8:54 AM. 494 axles, CN 2027 or 2037? (I did not hear it clearly)

116 is good to head south from Pontiac at 9:26 AM
CN 2037
UP 8106
CREX 1512
10120 feet long
166 cars.

Train 116 is rolling by MP 22.5 right now at 9:41 am. All containers today.

And at 12 noon the three locomotives from 116 just went NB past MP 22.5 lite, probably to stay at Pontiac until needed.

At 1 pm Train 451 is NB past MP 22.5 on the Holly with an older CN cowl unit leading a BSNF unit in the warbonnet scheme and an orange BNSF one. Colorful power combination.

Saw this posted on Facebook.

"Heads up #451 past Moterm at 12:40 with CN #2425 leading BNSF Red & Silver Warbonnet #726, and BNSF Orange 71xx on train, headed north to Pontiac, Durand."