CN Updates- November 2018

Daily whereabouts of train locations along with sightings for heads ups to other railfans.
KC8RBK
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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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Eb by 205 at 1442. 2 cn. Looked like maybe 502

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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Eb manifest by 205 at 0100

Manistique
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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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At 6:18 am a SB followed Amtrak 351 down the Hill out of Pontiac past MP 22.5. By the time I got up to look at it I missed it. Probably 116 or maybe 280? Long train.

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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149 by 205 at 1028 cn xup cn

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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eb manifest by 205 at 1110. 252 axles csx cn up cn

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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Long wb by 205 at 1352. Cn blue cefx ns. A couple car loads of wheels in the mix.

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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Train 451 NB passing MP 22.5 at 2:08 pm with two CN's leading CEFX 1018.

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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Eb manifest with 2 cn by 205 at 1445

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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Eb manifest by 205 at 1519. 3 cn. 3rd is a zebra cowl.

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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116 by 205 at 2220. 2 units, lots of intermodal. several cars of frames just ahead of the stacks. Can anyone tell me how the equipment from 116 gets back west since it doesn't have a wb counterpart?

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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WB double stack movement out of Moterm Yard in Ferndale/Detroit has had trouble being worked out over the years. When it first started there (with piggybacks) they had a dedicated, hot WB that left everynight like around 11 pm. Actually, this was I think the first cabooseless train on GTW in the early 1980's and it was limited to only being ten cars long or something (so it didn't need a crew in the caboose and could run with only two crew members) as we its EB counterpart.

We moved into your present house at MP 22.5 on the Holly (just south of Square Lake Road overpass) in 1989. In 1991 or so they had to lower both mainlines out back to clear Square Lake Overpass with the then-new doublestack trains. At some point after this, maybe late 1990's, the WB intermodal (as there were both type still) lost its dedicated WB train and was picked up by a mixed freight out of Flat Rock at Moterm on its way north and west. Maybe because it was mostly empty containers?

This lasted a few years then in the mid to late 2000's, probably when they stopped running the Detroit locals out of East Yard or around that time, a Holly Sub local train brought the doublestacks (piggybacks were gone by then) from Moterm to Pontiac for the WB manifest freight to pick up with its other pickups at Pontiac. This was the period of WB doublestack chaos as I got the impression that the two locals never knew which one was doing the pickup until they got the call to do so. And by 2009 or so with the Great Recession the two locals were the only freight trains running on the Holly other than one manifest freight NB and SB. Some days there were more Amtraks on the Holly than CN trains.

This is all from my observations and memory so someone jump in and correct me or fill in the gaps if they want.

A few years ago this doublestack routine changed to the present one (finally getting to your question). A local train from Port Huron to Moterm, via the Mount Clemens and Holly Subs. runs each day and it takes some double stacks from Port Huron to Moterm and takes all the WB doublestacks out of Moterm to Port Huron where I presume they are picked up by the WB Laser train or some train to go west. This is Train 533 and it does local work on its daily trip too. Lately it has been getting two Geeps as power so the trains must be long as the Mount Clemens sub is pretty flat, unlike the Holly which is uphill from Milwaukee Junction in Detroit all the way to Pontiac.

Every once in awhile they have an extra WB doublestack out of Moterm on the Holly, usually at Train 119. Oten this train is mostly empty well cars going west. And, of course, there has been that doublestack out of Prince Rupert once in awhile that was coming into Moterm on Thursday and heading back on Saturdays but neither of these have not been very common lately (though I think I did see a Prince Rupert train this week). So much for the great increase in doublestack traffic in and out of Detroit that was rumored.

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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WB manifest by 205 at 0938. Bnsf leading former csx elephant style.
Last edited by KC8RBK on Sun Nov 11, 2018 9:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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Can anyone tell me how the equipment from 116 gets back west since it doesn't have a wb counterpart?
116s power goes to Flat Rock, then from there on 451 or 384.

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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Manistique wrote:
A few years ago this doublestack routine changed to the present one (finally getting to your question). A local train from Port Huron to Moterm, via the Mount Clemens and Holly Subs. runs each day and it takes some double stacks from Port Huron to Moterm and takes all the WB doublestacks out of Moterm to Port Huron where I presume they are picked up by the WB Laser train or some train to go west. This is Train 533 and it does local work on its daily trip too. Lately it has been getting two Geeps as power so the trains must be long as the Mount Clemens sub is pretty flat, unlike the Holly which is uphill from Milwaukee Junction in Detroit all the way to Pontiac.
L533 currently utilizes two units in order to avoid turning the power at Milwaukee Jct. The two geeps provide no more hp than the single unit trains.

Virtually all of the containers headed out of Detroit and up the MTC sub are going east with marine traffic and blocks to Toronto (BIT), the Port of Montreal and Halifax. Q148 will pick it up in Sarnia, and according to the crews, very little goes back west to Chicago. L533S only does local work when headed SB, thanks to switch points all facing south. The exception is when the salt traffic kicks in between Chesterfield and New Haven, with those customers having points facing north. L533S has a moderate amount of intermodal traffic for Ferndale, and the train can be quite short or quite lengthy depending upon the steamship schedules in Eastern Canada. L533N on the other hand is usually very long, and occasionally massive with 350-400 containers not uncommon.

Relatively speaking, the MTC may be a bit more level than some GTW routes, but flat is not a good word. This is hogback territory, and the many river valleys crossed (Clinton, Belle, Smiths Creek, Pine, etc) provide somewhat mild, but often lengthy grades. Although only .59%, the ruling nb/eb Lowe Plank grade from North Haven to the summit in Richmond will slow a heavy manifest, particularly if it is pulling out of the siding from a stop at Haven. Power, not so much for a steady ascending grade, but to keep trains stretched out at speed.

Indeed, the great intermodal "experiment" that began in the early 1990's has been ongoing. Sounds like the next phase may be coming sooner than later...

Man o' War

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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Eb through east Lansing. I just saw racks when I looked down Harrison rd so cant report much more about it 1544

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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Eb manifest with 2 cn by 205 at about 1840, he's up to about mill now m1. Another eb by 205 at 1850, mixed freight with a single unit. Lined to follow his same route

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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149 by 205 at 1917. 2 units although I couldn't see what brand. Long train with lots of jb, schneider and cn 53' equipment.

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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wb manifest by 205 at 1945. didn't catch the leader, up up bnsf

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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I caught what was likely 502 at Williams Lake Rd. 7:14 PM. 2040 leading, Citirail 1503. Only had a momentary glimpse at the lead unit never did see a road name on it.
Jim

In Waterford, Michigan

Near Mile Post 32 on CN's Holly Subdivision

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Re: CN Updates- November 2018

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Eb manifest by 205 at 2033. 3 units, didnt see the leader followed by 2 cn

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