Shortlines Train Location Heads Up - October 2023

[Andy24]

Grand Elk Job 303 NB @ 1:47pm with horns heard in the distance around the Wyoming area with WAMX #4225 and WAMX #4206 with unknown number of cars

Grand Elk Job 303 SB @ 4:42 pm with horns heard in the distance around Wyoming area with WAMX #4206 and WAMX #4225 with ?? cars

[Andy24]

Hearing train horns in the distance around Wyoming area at 10:26pm. Maybe a Grand Elk local switching ?

[MuskegonRailfanning]

MS Z627-11 @ 8:11 Southbound horns heard with MMRR #2019 + #2170(?) no visual. 100% was 2019 leading.

[Andy24]

Grand Elk Job 303 NB @ 12:26 passing 106th Ave in Plainwell, Mi with WAMX Engines #4189, #4209, #4017, #4225 and 15 cars (covered hoppers and tankers only)

Credits to this YouTuber
https://youtu.be/PzarglCP-20?si=RsOVe8BLp2Rw8rho

[~Z~]

Grand Elk Job 303 NB @ 12:26 passing 106th Ave in Plainwell, Mi with WAMX Engines #4189, #4209, #4017, #4225 and 15 cars (covered hoppers and tankers only)

Grand Elk north through Byron Center at 2:38pm with the same locos and 14 cars.

Back south at 5:36pm, 14 cars with wamx 4209 and 4189 as power.

[AARR]

Buster Manning reports a westbound from Newberry with one empty centerbeam for Timber Products and five box cars for Neenah Paper

[Dowagiac Train Dude]

A long Grand Elk just went by the Elkhart VR cam at 11:50am heading back to Kalamazoo with WAMX 4189 and WAMX 4206 with 99 cars in tow. It was a good mix of box cars, tank cars, covered hoppers, 1 NS hopper car, 2 loaded center beams, 2 Refrigeration Box cars and 11 loaded “High Top” NS hopper cars.

[LansingRailFan]

ADBF NB into Lansing with 821/1751. 821 is parked just south of Cedar and north of the old LS&MS branch.

At 12:20, adbf 1751 was SB on the main heading back to Cavanaugh Yard. They are storing plastics hoppers on the branch line. They’ve already done two shove moves today.

[~Z~]

Grand Elk was north through Byron Center at 10:38am, 20ish cars, mostly covered hoppers, with WAMX 4209 running LHF solo.

Grand Elk back south at 2:47pm. WAMX 4209, WAMX 3807 with 18 cars(mix of boxcars, loaded centerbeam, covered hoppers and tank cars.)

[LansingRailFan]

ADBF NB into Lansing with 821/1751. 821 is parked just south of Cedar and north of the old LS&MS branch.

At 12:20, adbf 1751 was SB on the main heading back to Cavanaugh Yard. They are storing plastics hoppers on the branch line. They’ve already done two shove moves today.

1751 and 821 went back SB independently so there’s two engineers working. They are currently back on the Lakeshore Branch shoving more storage cars back towards Reid Machinery

[jadamczyk]

Wow-just looked back on the Elk leaving Elkhart today. Nice long train. And 2 Reefers today-I have never seen any Reefers on the Elk in a very long time. Anybody have an idea of where they are going????

[Jim_c]

Grand Elk was north through Byron Center at 10:38am, 20ish cars, mostly covered hoppers, with WAMX 4209 running LHF solo.

Grand Elk back south at 2:47pm. WAMX 4209, WAMX 3807 with 18 cars(mix of boxcars, loaded centerbeam, covered hoppers and tank cars.)

When they crossed M-89 going SB there were 21 cars, mostly boxcars, and the covered hopper on the end. I don't know if they worked any place south of ~Z~, if not there must have only been 3 from Otsego.

[Andy24]

Grand Elk was north through Byron Center at 10:38am, 20ish cars, mostly covered hoppers, with WAMX 4209 running LHF solo.

Grand Elk back south at 2:47pm. WAMX 4209, WAMX 3807 with 18 cars(mix of boxcars, loaded centerbeam, covered hoppers and tank cars.)

When they crossed M-89 going SB there were 21 cars, mostly boxcars, and the covered hopper on the end. I don't know if they worked any place south of ~Z~, if not there must have only been 3 from Otsego.

There’s a customer south of Z, I believe they use only grain cars there. I could be wrong. This customer is north of the Gun Lake Casino

[kd_1014]

Grand Elk was north through Byron Center at 10:38am, 20ish cars, mostly covered hoppers, with WAMX 4209 running LHF solo.

Grand Elk back south at 2:47pm. WAMX 4209, WAMX 3807 with 18 cars(mix of boxcars, loaded centerbeam, covered hoppers and tank cars.)

When they crossed M-89 going SB there were 21 cars, mostly boxcars, and the covered hopper on the end. I don't know if they worked any place south of ~Z~, if not there must have only been 3 from Otsego.

There’s a customer south of Z, I believe they use only grain cars there. I could be wrong. This customer is north of the Gun Lake Casino

Are you thinking about Nutrien Ag Solutions? If so, they get both tanks and hoppers.

[Andy24]

There’s a customer south of Z, I believe they use only grain cars there. I could be wrong. This customer is north of the Gun Lake Casino

Are you thinking about Nutrien Ag Solutions? If so, they get both tanks and hoppers.

If that is the customer’s name located in Wayland, Mi, than yes

On the other hand, I drove pass Hughart Yard around 3:15pm and saw the Wisconsin and Southern paint WAMX #4190 on the farthest track by the sheds

[David Collins]

Not too familiar with GR area shortlines, but there’s a Wisconsin Southern SD40-2 sitting in Wyoming Yard just outside of Grand Rapids, passed it on US 131.

[~Z~]

If that is the customer’s name located in Wayland, Mi, than yes

Nutrien Ag Solutions, when they are switched, is typically on the southbound run, and located in Moline. They also sometimes work Endeavor Ag on the south side of Wayland. Transcendia in Martin is also a customer served on southbound runs, but don't know how frequently they get cars.

Not too familiar with GR area shortlines, but there’s a Wisconsin Southern SD40-2 sitting in Wyoming Yard just outside of Grand Rapids, passed it on US 131.

Awesome david, thanks. We've lost sight of the Wisconsin southern unit lately, and nice to see it's outside again. If you saw it in a yard along side US131, that's Hughart Yard for Grand Elk. Wyoming Yard is CSX and located along I-196 on the west side of Grand Rapids.

[jadamczyk]

Grand Elk just left Wayland a bit agp northbound with 30 cars.

[~Z~]

Grand elk north through Byron Center at 8:18pm. Earlier drove by Hughart yard, and indeed, Wisconsin southern wamx4190 is parked outside with 4225 and two other units.

[AARR]

E&LS has had a couple derailments recently.

One on the south end I don't have any details about.

The most recent one in Iron Mountain I watched a video by Jason Asselin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGzX7BTqPjs . An engine and a couple Mega-Hauler log cars derailed. No major damage and they had everything up and running quickly.