West Michigan Train Location Update 03-15-2008

[Tlout]

Coal drag heading north at Riley St. 8:03 AM. BNSF power on the head end (BNSF unit in Executive paint scheme, other unit a blue lease unit); pushers: BNSF 5889 and 9688.

Amtrak P371 at Holland depot 8:22 AM.

[~Z~]

Q32615 - GRAND RAPIDS MI CG 1 03-15-2008 09:30
Q32715 - set to leave Detroit at 2pm
Q33415 - WALBRIDGE TOWER OH CTT 67 03-15-2008 09:10
Q33515 - TOLEDO GTW CROSSING OH CTT 0 03-15-2008 10:06 (left toledo at 7:15)
CP X50012 - BECK ROAD MI CH 28 03-15-2008 10:11
CP X50014 - 75TH STREET TCS IL DC 24 03-15-2008 10:04
N90314 - WELLS MI CG 42 03-15-2008 04:46
E94913, E94914 - at west Olive
N91411 - R B CABIN DTC KY CMG 27 03-15-2008 10:11 (west olive headed)
E94514 - hasn't left Flint yet
N90315 - hasn't left Chicago yet
D80115 and D80215 were the two sets of power Tlout saw, up at West Olive still.
AMtrak P37115 - NEW BUFFALO MI CG 115 03-15-2008 10:12
D70014 - WELLS MI CG 42 03-15-2008 10:09

[cnw8835]

Per Wyoming East Tower radio traffic, MQT is on their way down right now, should be into GR by 3pm. Martin Marietta must be in urgent need of lime as the carmen are to make sure those are ready.

[~Z~]

headed out for the day, so here ya's go.

Q32615 - SUNNYSIDE PLEASNT S MI CGT 0 03-15-2008 13:00
Q32715 - set to leave Detroit at 2pm
Q33515 - JOHN HIX ROAD MI CC 84 03-15-2008 12:56
CP X50012 - MICHIGAN AVE CONX MI CH 11 03-15-2008 11:00
CP X50014 - NEW BUFFALO MI CG 115 03-15-2008 12:57
N91411 - NC CABIN KY CA 522 03-15-2008 11:49
N90315 - hasn't left Chicago yet
E94514 - hasn't left Flint yet
E94913, E94914, E94915 - at west Olive
D80115 - up at west olive
D80215 - WAVERLY MI CG 24 03-15-2008 13:04
D80315 - not moving yet
D70014 - WAVERLY MI CG 24 03-15-2008 13:07

[Tlout]

Empties from West Olive south at Riley St. 1:58 PM. BNSF 5886 and 9688.

[SD80MAC]

Z151 headed north out of GR at 4 p.m. Power was GMTX 2676 and 2648. Had 30 cars, the majority of them Lime for Martin Marietta.

A half hour later, X500 pulled up to east tower with CP ES44AC #8713 as the sole unit.

Q335 died at Fox at 6 p.m. with CSX CW44AC #283 and CW60AC #607 on the head end. Y221 is supposed to come take the train in via taxi.

[BL2-1843]

I counted 141 cars on Q335-15 when he went through Howell. Looks like a busy night for the yard job when he gets there. Q327-15 was right behind him with 7380 in CR paint and 5005 but as usual, only a hand full of cars, mostly for Ensel. Q326-15 with CSX 7549-8069 had five cars, one more than Q326-14 with four cars.

[J T]

I counted 141 cars on Q335-15 when he went through Howell.

Yeah, that was a pretty long train...I was guessing 80-100 though. Wow. I was heading west on I-96 and just past the Lowell exit I heard the Clarksville detector go off. I never heard it again, though, figuring it was quite a long train and going 80+ on the highway put me out of the range by the time the end passed by it.

[SD80MAC]

I counted 141 cars on Q335-15 when he went through Howell.

Yeah, that was a pretty long train...I was guessing 80-100 though. Wow. I was heading west on I-96 and just past the Lowell exit I heard the Clarksville detector go off. I never heard it again, though, figuring it was quite a long train and going 80+ on the highway put me out of the range by the time the end passed by it.

They actually stopped west of the detector because it never went off again once the train cleared. Heard them talking to the dispatcher saying that the conductor was walking the train (apparently you have to do this if the detector malfunctions). Once back on board they wanted to die at Elmdale but since the yard job getting them couldn't operate that far east they had to take it to Fox where they tied down at the west end.

[J T]

I counted 141 cars on Q335-15 when he went through Howell.

Yeah, that was a pretty long train...I was guessing 80-100 though. Wow. I was heading west on I-96 and just past the Lowell exit I heard the Clarksville detector go off. I never heard it again, though, figuring it was quite a long train and going 80+ on the highway put me out of the range by the time the end passed by it.

They actually stopped west of the detector because it never went off again once the train cleared. Heard them talking to the dispatcher saying that the conductor was walking the train (apparently you have to do this if the detector malfunctions). Once back on board they wanted to die at Elmdale but since the yard job getting them couldn't operate that far east they had to take it to Fox where they tied down at the west end.

Ahh, ok. I got off at 36th St and backtracked to Elmdale hoping to catch whatever it was coming. I figured it was 335, and then I eventually heard the discussion about a "rollby" and then the 335 engineer telling someone to come to Pratt Lake Rd. I THOUGHT there was an eastbound dead at Elmdale, hence the rollby talk and having someone come to Pratt Lake Rd. I also heard them saying they had 30 minutes left and she told them to make it to Fox. Any idea what the instruction for sending someone to Pratt Lake Rd was for? I made it all the way to Wingeier Rd. where they were sitting just a few yards east of the crossing. Looking east down the tracks, it LOOKED like there was another train sitting on the main or siding beyond them. I would have gone to check it out, but just a few seconds after I crossed the tracks, they started to move. So it was back to Thornapple to get a shot.