CSX Train Location Updates - Nov 2024

[LansingRailFan]

13:58 - EB L306/CN H710 thru Imlay City with CSX 5467/CSX 5369 and the high and wide load from that S983 last month. Headed to Port Huron where CN will pull it thru the tunnel and hand it back to CSX’s Sarnia operation to deliver it to Courtright, ON.

[Tom49801]

M326-03 @ 15:30 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG66.2 Hartford, Mi with 432 axles. CSX engine #4711 & 105 cars & rear dpu UP engine #7815.

M326-03 @ 16:07 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG44.2 Pearl, Mi with 432 axles.

M326-03 @ 16:29 reported to the Dispatcher they have stalled out on the Saugatuck Hill at approx mp CG32.5

M326-03 was told to back their train into Wells siding mp CG41.4 & leave it there. There is a R Job crew on duty at the West Olive, Mi power plant & they will deal with it later.

[MikeB89]

Approximately 4:15pm L303 crossed over the Plymouth diamond. He was a bit far from my location as I'm on the south end on the Saginaw Sub.

Shortly after a yard turn went by on the Saginaw Sub going north and took the wye to head to Detroit on the Detroit Subdivision.

Not my normal range so don't know all the symbols.

[Tom49801]

R598-03 @ 16:59 copied their EC1 to depart the power plant in West Olive, Mi mp CGP 1.0 & diverge onto the Fremont sub-div & head south to the Grand Rapids sub-div in Holland, Mi heading westward with CSX “Pusher engines” #966 + #819. He’ll meet M326-03 at Wells Siding mp CG41.4 to take their train to Grand Rapids. M326 had stalled out on the Saugatuck Hill approx mp CG32.5 & had backed their train to Wells.

[Tlout]

R598-03 CSX lite power south at Riley St. Holland 5:29 PM.

[MikeB89]

What I believe to be L302 in Plymouth crossing the Plymouth Diamond. Time was 5:50pm.

I couldn't make out the symbol over the radio.

[MikeB89]

CSX Grain Train north on Saginaw Sub.

This one snuck up on me so still didn't get much information.

Time was approximately 6:10pm.

[Tom49801]

R598-03 (M326-03 re-crew) @ 19:04 eastward departing Wells mp CG41.5 with CSX engines #4711 + #819 + #966 & 105 cars & rear dpu UP engine #7815. M326 had stalled out on the Saugatuck Hill & backed their train to Wells mp CG41.5 & R598-03 had added CSX engines #819 + #966.

[BL2-1843]

L302-03 by Howell at 19:07 with 133 cars per the DD at Fowlerville. Got faked out as I thought the leader was going to be 5215 and had that already that written down on my paper. When going by I looked closely and it turned out to be 5315. I looked so long, and because the 2nd unit was running elephant style was not sure of the number. 458 perhaps. Perhaps Andy24 saw this set on a camera in Ohio. Otherwise, will have to wait to see if spotters to my west see it or when it returns on L303 tomorrow. Crew already confirmed they had to spin the power when getting to GRP. Crew also said they have no set off at Lansing but have five cars to pick up and asked if they could bypass this work. Hard to believe with 133 cars there were nothing for Lansing in the train.

[RoyalKingoftheRails]

Grain train heading south through Plymouth at 7:55 pm

[Tom49801]

R598-03 (M326-03 re-crew) @ 19:59 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG19.1 Zeeland, Mi with 444 axles. CSX engines #4711 + #819 + #966 & 105 cars & rear dpu UP engine #7815. M326 had stalled out on the Saugatuck Hill & backed their train to Wells mp CG41.5 & R598-03 had added CSX engines #819 + #966.

[David Collins]

Shortly after a yard turn went by on the Saginaw Sub going north and took the wye to head to Detroit on the Detroit Subdivision.

Not my normal range so don't know all the symbols.

That would be L315. Interesting that it’s running on a Sunday.

[BL2-1843]

Regarding the G07703 grain empty that I thought was going to Grand Ledge this morning but got tied down in the pass at Williamston instead, the trailing unit on this train, 3399 was the unit that was involved in the head on collision in Folkston Ga. on 4-15-24.

[Tom49801]

L302-03 by Howell at 19:07 with 133 cars per the DD at Fowlerville. Got faked out as I thought the leader was going to be 5215 and had that already that written down on my paper. When going by I looked closely and it turned out to be 5315. I looked so long, and because the 2nd unit was running elephant style was not sure of the number. 458 perhaps. Perhaps Andy24 saw this set on a camera in Ohio. Otherwise, will have to wait to see if spotters to my west see it or when it returns on L303 tomorrow. Crew already confirmed they had to spin the power when getting to GRP. Crew also said they have no set off at Lansing but have five cars to pick up and asked if they could bypass this work. Hard to believe with 133 cars there were nothing for Lansing in the train.

L302-03 @ 20:49 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CH104.3 Mulliken, Mi with 545 axles (+1 error). CSX engines #5315 + 1 & 133 cars.

Amtrak P370-03 @ 21:07 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG91.9 St Joseph, Mi with 20 axles. AMTK P42 engine #82 & 4 cars.

[Jetlink]

Interesting to me that 326 stalled even with a rear dpu. Assuming wet rails based on the radar I saw late this afternoon.

[Andy24]

L302-03 by Howell at 19:07 with 133 cars per the DD at Fowlerville. Got faked out as I thought the leader was going to be 5215 and had that already that written down on my paper. When going by I looked closely and it turned out to be 5315. I looked so long, and because the 2nd unit was running elephant style was not sure of the number. 458 perhaps. Perhaps Andy24 saw this set on a camera in Ohio. Otherwise, will have to wait to see if spotters to my west see it or when it returns on L303 tomorrow. Crew already confirmed they had to spin the power when getting to GRP. Crew also said they have no set off at Lansing but have five cars to pick up and asked if they could bypass this work. Hard to believe with 133 cars there were nothing for Lansing in the train.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see the numbers clearly at Deshler Railfan. Both M508 and M510 ran in the dark where visibility is an issue. I will probably get L303 tomorrow if it doesn’t rain

X508 to Rougemere had CSX 3413 solo & 70-80 ish cars

I believe the following issues will cause M326 to stall at Saugatuck Hill:
- wet rails
- TO?
- traction motors
- tonnage over 10k
- engine power?

M326-03’s power came from M642-02’s power which had CSX engine 4711 + UP engine 8144 (head end) + mid UP engine 7815 DPU and around 140 cars

[Tom49801]

L302-03 @ 21:32 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CH126.3 Clarksville, Mi with 544 axles. CSX engines #5315 + 1 & 133 cars. He had no work in Lansing – final destination is Grand Rapids, Mi.

[Tom49801]

Interesting to me that 326 stalled even with a rear dpu. Assuming wet rails based on the radar I saw late this afternoon.

When they had stalled out, M326-03's engineer had told the RN Dispatcher when they were in Barr Yard their leading engine wasn't very good & had told whomever there they doubted they would make it over the Saugatuck Hill even though they were 9,700 tons. Guess Barr Yard didn't believe what he was trying to tell them.

[Jetlink]

I guess not. Probably not a lot of other convenient options for them at Barr and on the power desk. Easier to just dispatch them out and hope for the best. However as we sometimes say in my business “ Hope is not a strategy.”

[Tom49801]

Amtrak P370-03 @ 22:14 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG44.2 in Pearl, Mi with 20 axles. AMTK P42 engine #82 & 4 cars.

R598-03 @ 22:42 with CSX engines #966 + #819 contacted the RN Dispatcher to depart Grand Rapids & proceed westward to Grand Jct siding mp CG54 to tie down there. He'll head out of Grand Rapids when Amtrak P370-03 has cleared there.