CSX Train Location Updates: April, 2020

[Tom49801]

327 by 19.1 at 707a
2 csx motors in lead with 2 bnsf motors for setout at grand junction per crew csx 5429 lead engine
had 468 axles - 4 engines, 111 cars and 6786'
didn't hear if they had work at wy or not?

Yesterday's Q329 had CSX engines #5429 + #8441 and it also had BNSF engines #5874 + #8775, sounds like Q327 had all 4 of those same engines today. He didn't have any work in Waverly/Holland this morning & had rolled straight thru to Grand Junction.

[BL2-1843]

Q327-06 @ 09:10:25 Bangor's Center St crossing mp CG60.35 with CSX engines #5429 + #8441 & 111 cars.

Q32906 by Howell at 08:58. 3220 on the head end, DPU 808 on the rear end with 127 cars, 7,017 feet. A good 25 stone loads and 9 rip rap in the middle. Q32806 went east at 06:05 with 500+4574 and 58 cars.

[KC8RBK]

Q327-06 @ 09:10:25 Bangor's Center St crossing mp CG60.35 with CSX engines #5429 + #8441 & 111 cars.

Q32906 by Howell at 08:58. 3220 on the head end, DPU 808 on the rear end with 127 cars, 7,017 feet. A good 25 stone loads and 9 rip rap in the middle. Q32806 went east at 06:05 with 500+4574 and 58 cars.

Through grand ledge at 1035. I caught it at m100 in the middle

[Tom49801]

Q327-06 @ 09:10:25 Bangor's Center St crossing mp CG60.35 with CSX engines #5429 + #8441 & 111 cars.

Q32906 by Howell at 08:58. 3220 on the head end, DPU 808 on the rear end with 127 cars, 7,017 feet. A good 25 stone loads and 9 rip rap in the middle. Q32806 went east at 06:05 with 500+4574 and 58 cars.

Through grand ledge at 1035. I caught it at m100 in the middle

Q329-06 @ 10:52am reported by the DD mp CH104.3 with 520 axles, the above power & 127 cars for the axle math.
Q329-06 @ 11:43am reported by the DD mp CH126.3 with 520 axles & 7,131 feet long.

[Tom49801]

D700-06 @ 12:45pm westward reported by the DD mp CG19.1 with CSX engine #4050. The DD call was stepped on, may be 22 axles (engine & 4 cars) or it was 122 axles (engine & 29 cars). He may have gone into Waverly/Holland mp CG23 since I haven't heard any mp updates from him in the last 20 minutes since the DD reported. Radio interference from the MoW crew working is making it hard to hear the train reports. After reviewing the radio archieves for D700's DD19.1 report heard total length was 1,377 feet, guessing that was 122 axles for 29 cars & he went into Waverly/Holland.
Q326-06 @ 1:37pm reported clear of the St Joseph Bridge with the CSX #5250 leading.
Q326-06 @ 2:19:42pm Bangor's Division St crossing mp CG60.93 with CSX engines #5250 + #3460 & 109 cars.
D700-06 @ 3:14pm eastward reported by the DD mp CG19.1 with CSX engine #4050 & 11 cars. He worked only as far as Holland today.
N801-06 @ 3:35pm cleared the St Joseph Bridge with BNSF engine #6272 leading. At 3:39pm, N801 reported a failure with his EOT & will be restricted to 30mph. He is to tie down inside Wells Siding mp CG43.3

[MQT1223]

700 clear Grandville

[Tom49801]

N801-06 @ 4:35:48pm Bangor's Divsion St crossing mp CG60.93 with BNSF engines #6272 + #5838 & 130 loaded coal cars. Tying down inside Wells siding mp CG43.3

[Tom49801]

Q327-07 @ 07:35am reported by the DD mp CG19.1 with 592 axles & 7,999 ft long. CSX engines #3220 + #808 & 145 cars. No Holland stop this morning.

[donnieland]

hmmmm
327 went past the tower at east wy 756am 3220 lead with 1 trail and the 145 that tom called
hi ball waverly ' east and west wyes, and holland

[CantBeShook.WeHot]

q32607 stateline DCC6 IN. q32707 wells MI. q32807 arrived detroit 7:30am. q32907 fowlerville MI.
d70007 set for 10:45am grand rapids. d70706 arrived lansing 6am. d70807 set for noon lansing.
n80008, e80008 in system.
q15007 set for noon north baltimore. q15107 set for 10:30am detroit. q38607 willard OH. q38707 sibley road romulus MI. q50807 stockton OH. q50907 sidney OH.

[~Z~]

Y106 east at MP146 in Grand Rapids at 9:17am. Shows running into the siding at Elmdale to run around their train.

[Tom49801]

Q327-07 @ 09:23:11am Bangor's Center St crossing mp CG60.35 with CSX engines #3220 + #808 & 145 cars

[BL2-1843]

Q32907 by Howell at 08:52. BNSF 6937+5989, power from the K546 ribbon rail train that went to Lake State, plus CSX 293+123 with 78 cars. 28 stone loads 12 cars back. Q32807 went east at 05:57 with 5250+3460 and 102 cars. D708 took back 33 cars to Lansing yesterday from Howell for 329 pick up, plus whatever else is there. Amazing on the various DD's most everyone will give a differrent length of train within 150 feet of each other even if the same axle count.

[Tom49801]

Q32907 by Howell at 08:52. BNSF 6937+5989, power from the K546 ribbon rail train that went to Lake State, plus CSX 293+123 with 78 cars. 28 stone loads 12 cars back. Q32807 went east at 05:57 with 5250+3460 and 102 cars. D708 took back 33 cars to Lansing yesterday from Howell for 329 pick up, plus whatever else is there. Amazing on the various DD's most everyone will give a differrent length of train within 150 feet of each other even if the same axle count.

Hi BL2-1843, from what I understand about the varying lengths being reported by the DD's, if the train is slowing or speeding up it affects the calculations for the length. There is an advance start magnetic transducer placed at a certain distance from the scanner's center line, one is located east & one is west. It detects the presence of a train & opens the scanner shutters & turns off the 110VAC power to the internal scanner heaters (the heaters keep snow off the scanners & also prevents condensation build up on the lens & each scanner has its own internal thermostat with a fixed setting around 80 degrees) & that power is turned off to prevent any electrical noise pick up by the infra-red sensors. The train length calculation (and speed if you have that feature turned on) can be affected by the "advance start" transducers not being at the exact specified distance they're supposed to be at. One brand sytem I had worked with we had to enter that distance down to the 1/16th of an inch. There is also a pair of magnetic transducers (gating transducers) near the scanners. Not sure about which HBD system CSX is using, I had Progress Rail systems that followed the same specs as the old Servo Corp (the 1st HBD company or at least one of the 1st manufacturers) where the Transducer "A" center line was 8 inches from the center line of the scanner's opening & the Transducer "B" center line is 24 inches from A's center line. The infra-red samples are taken as the wheel flanges travel that 24 inch distance.

[Tom49801]

Q327-07 @ 10:30am cleared the St Joseph Bridge with CSX engines #3220 + #808 & 145 cars.
Q326-07 @ 11:44am reported from mp CG95 with CSX engine #754 leading.
Q326-07 @ 12:04pm reported clear of the St Joseph Bridge.
D700-07 @ 12:17pm westward reported by the DD mp CG19.1 with CSX engine #4050 & 24 cars. Sounds like he has work inside Holland.

[LansingRailFan]

CSX 329 pulled a bunch of empty Stone gons from StoneCo in Lansing today.



They are clear Ensel and almost clear Airport. 12:40 PM

[Tom49801]

Q326-07 @ 12:52:00pm Bangor's Division St crossing mp CG60.93 with CSX engines #754 + #485 & 103 cars.

[Tom49801]

CSX 329 pulled a bunch of empty Stone gons from StoneCo in Lansing today.



They are clear Ensel and almost clear Airport. 12:40 PM

Q329-07 @ 1:37pm reported by the DD mp CH104.3 with 616 axles & 8,879 ft long. BNSF #6937 + BNSF #5989 + CSX #293 + CSX #123 & 148 cars.
Q329-07 @ 2:15pm reported by the DD mp CH126.3 with 616 axles (length was stepped on by another radio call & couldn't hear it).

[GP30M4216]

14:20hrs on the west side:
Q329 west at Elmdale siding with BNSF power.
Q326 East coming up to Holland.
D700 west approaching New Richmond.

I saw the train as they rolled through Zeeland. If someone wants to trace CSXT boxcar 136297, it looks like it just came straight out of the paint booth. Of course, if you’re into the graffiti, a covered hopper later in the train sported a giant “D12” across the side, 6 feet high.

Two centerbeams were dropped off byY121 yesterday at Zeeland Lumber. One is already unloaded and they are working on the second. A single covered hopper is lounging at Plastcore. The grain elevator is empty.

[BL2-1843]

Q326-07 @ 12:52:00pm Bangor's Division St crossing mp CG60.93 with CSX engines #754 + #485 & 103 cars.

Thanks Tom for the long, thorough and detailed information on why DD's have many different readouts for train lengths when axle counts remain the same. All sounds logical to me and you did a good job explaining all that. Understood it all and learned something new today.