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Left Cadillac for Clare at 1215. Here they are going under 131.

Thanks AAN for the photo post.

Returned to Cadillac at 1830.

AANscaleRunner wrote:Returned to Cadillac at 1830.

I see a gon for Beacon and another lumber load for Amerhart to go with the other 2 loads in Cadillac. When I flew over Beacon on the Delta A321 this morning, there were 2 loaded gons and several covered hoppers on the siding , and 2 box cars along with several more hoppers on the main.

Currently switching North Yard in Cadillac.

Traverse City bound at 0920.

Crew in clare switching letherer truss. For some reason they have their units separated at the road. One of the sd40s is north of the crossing and a geep coupled to an empty beam car behind the gate. 0948

Seen on Facebook that 329 went on the ground yesterday in Clare.

railroader and son wrote:Seen on Facebook that 329 went on the ground yesterday in Clare.

Train is gone. Track crew working in the area 1223

GLC is over on CSX at Howell picking up 72 cars off the CSX passing siding at 16:45 on their way back north from Osmer. Unknown how many other cars they picked up there. All four units were running in reverse going by me, which means they will be the same way leaving north towards Owosso soon. 395+399+390+390 in that order. Only the lead unit, 395 was running clean, the other three smoking bad.

Leaving Cadillac for Clare at 0945. 17 cars, 15 of them for McBain.

398 and 397 returned to Cadillac with 38 cars. 33 of which will end up in McBain.

AANscaleRunner wrote:398 and 397 returned to Cadillac with 38 cars. 33 of which will end up in McBain.

Given the increasing loads, it's easy to see why McBain is expanding. Was it Viking or Brewer expanding that I recently read about?

Viking is (or was) possibly going to lose their contract (they sell electricity/power) and shut down. I haven't heard anything recently about their status.

Biewer has increased loads of lumber to go along with wood chips however when the new particle board plant in Grayling opens they might divert the wood chips there and use trucks so those rail shipments would stop.

Todd_F wrote:

AANscaleRunner wrote:398 and 397 returned to Cadillac with 38 cars. 33 of which will end up in McBain.

Given the increasing loads, it's easy to see why McBain is expanding. Was it Viking or Brewer expanding that I recently read about?

Todd_F wrote:

AANscaleRunner wrote:398 and 397 returned to Cadillac with 38 cars. 33 of which will end up in McBain.

Given the increasing loads, it's easy to see why McBain is expanding. Was it Viking or Brewer expanding that I recently read about?

Viking expanded last year with the new siding. Biewers expansion should be done soon. I think it's meant to coincide with the opening of the new board plant in grayling roughly. One of the maintenance guys in lake city last night mentioned a new chip bin going into mcbain. I dont remember reading that in the article but I'm sure the finer points of what is going on there were left out since it would be lost on most people.

With the new plainer and continuous feed kiln going in finished loads may replace the chip loads and then some. I haven't heard what the transportation plans are over there. I would guess the rail line is part of why the expansion went into mcbain instead of lake city where half the mill is currently idle (plainer, kiln and only partial production).

Hearing them leave Cadillac towards Clare at 1015.

Thanks for the info AARR and KC8RBK!! It's very much appreciated.

Todd_F wrote:Thanks for the info AARR and KC8RBK!! It's very much appreciated.

After landing from Houston Sunday, went by Beacon. 6 covered hoppers and 2 DJJX gons on the siding. Then TSBY #1994 box car that was on the siding before Labor Day has not been moved off the siding onto the main and is now coupled to the TSBY/AA double door box car that's been there since March. So, still a mystery as to why that AA box car and now apparently this TSBY 1994 car keep escaping the torches.

397 and 398 left Cadillac towards Clare at 0950 with 12 cars. 11 of them for McBain.