Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023

[GP30M4216]

Decided to scroll back a bit on the Frankie's Three Rivers cam, and found the northbound road freight passing by at 20:01: WAMX 4125, 4124 and 49 cars. Good mix of boxcars, tanks, covered hoppers, and lumber loads.

A little over an hour later, the Bristol turn came back north, behind a pair of standard cab Geeps (3807 & 3808), with 21 cars - mostly boxcars, with 3 empty centerbeams and a single tankcar.

The Bristol turn went south earlier in the morning at 11:03, behind 3808 and 3807 with 20 cars: boxcars, 4 lumber loads, 4 covered hoppers, and 3 tankcars.

[Andy24]

Grand Elk Hughart Runner Z439-14 @ 9:00am awaiting signal to head into Wyoming Yard with WAMX #3531 and 3 cars

Z439-14 @ 9:30am entered Wyoming Yard

Marquette Rail Z151-14 @ 9:31 reported arriving at CGE 3.6 Turner St Yard with MQT #3408 leading south

[LansingRailFan]

JAIL Z646 is departing Ensel EB on CSX trackage and will then go south at Kalamazoo Street for work at Cavanaugh Yard

[~Z~]

Grand Elk north through Byron Center at 3:41pm. WAMX 4125, 4124, and 39 cars. Lots of boxcars with some short gons and covered hoppers mixed in.

Back south with same power and 31 cars at 6:13pm.

[tsinoms]

GDLK (502?) Is tied down at Vistula for the weekend. Track crews are busy at work in Bristol doing tie replacement. @ 12:47pm.

[MQT1223]

NB JAIL at Saginaw St in Lansing. All tanks, about 6 or 7. Has 822 up front and 1751 bringing up the markers.

[~Z~]

Grand Elk north through Byron Center at 11:47am. WAMX 4125, 4124, and 7 cars, mix of a tank car, couple boxcars and a few covered hoppers.

[GRRailFan08]

Grand Elk north through Byron Center at 11:47am. WAMX 4125, 4124, and 7 cars, mix of a tank car, couple boxcars and a few covered hoppers.

North into Hughart @ 12:14 PM

[Andy24]

Grand Elk north through Byron Center at 11:47am. WAMX 4125, 4124, and 7 cars, mix of a tank car, couple boxcars and a few covered hoppers.

Grand Elk Job 303 heading southbound through 54th Wyoming area at 2:13pm. Assuming WAMX #4124 and WAMX #4125 are the engines.

Southbound at 68th at 2:18pm

[~Z~]

Grand Elk Job 303 heading southbound through 54th Wyoming area at 2:13pm. Assuming WAMX #4124 and WAMX #4125 are the engines.

Southbound at 68th at 2:18pm

Appreciate it Andy - was able to snap a few pics of them with that heads up. WAMX 4124, 4125, and 4209 south by Byron Center at 2:25pm, 20 cars. 10 boxcars followed by tank cars and covered hoppers.

[LansingRailFan]

14:15 - HESR Job 702 pulls across the diamond in Durand for head room today instead of utilizing the Port Huron Wye. 3390/3484

15:39 - HESR job 701 backs across the diamond in Durand and departs. 3484/3390 and a small train today.

[GP30M4216]

GRE east at east Belt Line 08:57.

[~Z~]

Grand Elk north through Byron Center at 1:06pm. WAMX 4206, 4209, and 21 cars. Last half covered hoppers, mostly boxcars to start.

[Andy24]

Grand Elk north through Byron Center at 1:06pm. WAMX 4206, 4209, and 21 cars. Last half covered hoppers, mostly boxcars to start.

Grand Elk 303 passing thru Culterville 68th to Wyoming 54th area at 1:17pm. No visual of the train but can hear their distance horns

[Andy24]

Grand Elk Job 303 @ 3:10pm heading southbound through Culterville 68th St with WAMX #4209 and WAMX #4206 and 22 cars (loaded potash cars at head end followed by some big covered hoppers with tubes at bottom and 2 NS open top hoppers)
Got a visual of the train on video

[David Lang]

Got stopped this morning on the way to work driving East on Grange Hall Road just North of Holly by a Northbound Lake State train (Don't know the symbol) at 6:20am.

He had a CSX leader followed by a Lake State SD70M locomotive, with 113 cars. Some cars in no particular order included 2 long flat cars (with an empty in the middle of the two) loaded with poles (power line type poles), autoracks here and there, several white and black tank cars, covered hoppers, and maybe a dozen or so CSX hoppers with small stone (maybe for Flint?).

I don't get to see Lake State very often, so this was a treat.

[MQT1223]

Z151 is EARLY today… southbound under I-96 just north of Turner.

[AARR]

You are correct that the poles are probably for DTE in Wixom. They'll set them out in Flint and the Holly Local will take them back to Wixom.

I think the pole mill in Grayling ships outbound and doesn't receive any inbound loads.

You are correct that Stoneco in Flint gets loads from both their own pit in OH and from the pit in Alpena.

...Northbound Lake State train......included 2 long flat cars (with an empty in the middle of the two) loaded with poles (power line type poles)...maybe a dozen or so CSX hoppers with small stone (maybe for Flint?).

[AARR]

Is it common for HESR to pull across the Durand diamond rather than use the Port Huron wye? Why do they cross it rather than use the wye?

14:15 - HESR Job 702 pulls across the diamond in Durand for head room today instead of utilizing the Port Huron Wye. 3390/3484

15:39 - HESR job 701 backs across the diamond in Durand and departs. 3484/3390 and a small train today.

[MuskegonRailfanning]

Z151-19 @ 11:52 Northbound Turner Ave. Grand Rapids, MI, With MQT engines #3406 + #3389 + #2041 + #3408 (f/f/r/r) & 20 cars.