Pontiac, Oxford & Northern
Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2010 8:05 pm
Pontiac, Oxford & Northern 1984
Acquired ex-GTW track from Oxford to Pigeon. Business never materialized south of Dryden and track was abandoned and removed shortly after acquisition.
Started out with a pair of ex-GTW S2's
Interchanged with GTW at Imlay City and Chessie at Clifford & Pigeon.
Operations was typically 1-3x a week.
Constructed engine house in Imlay City and later Cass City when line between North Branch and Cass City was abandoned.
Served agricultural customers at about six different locations. Each location averaged around 75 cars a year. Also served house builder in Dryden (1-2 cars a week), pickle plant in Imlay City (250 cars per year), and rail car repair in Gagetown (5-10 cars per week from CN).
Around 1992 the home builder and rail car repair locations closed. Track between North Branch and Cass City abandoned and removed.
Picked up a trio of ex-GTW SW1200 (with road brakes/trucks) in early 1990's and scrapped S2's.
1997 plastics plant moved into Dryden, elevators in North Branch and Cass City doubled storage, and Monitor Sugar established sugar beet yard north of Cass City.
Current service is 1-3x per week. 2007 they closed and consolidated - Cass City-Pigeon recieves 5-6 65 car blocks of empty grain cars from HESR per year. We spend the next 24 hours switching cars at the five elevators and delivering them back to HESR at Pigeon (we do not switch the huge elevator in Pigeon, they chose HESR rather than pay extra for us to handle their cars). 2008 Two elevators remain between Cass City and Pigeon (Owendale-Vita Plus and Cass City-Star of the West). They each ship up to 25 car blocks totaling 120-150 cars per year each Monitor (now Michigan Sugar) sugar beet yard north of Cass City is switched 3x per week during harvest season (around 21 weeks long) handling 15-18 cars per week which HESR picks up at Pigeon and delivers to Bay City plant. 2007 closed Terra fertilizer at Linkville that receives around 25-30 cars annually. 2009 Cooperative Elevator now operates fertilizer dealer in Gagetown and receives 12-15 cars annually
Current service on Dryden-North Branch segment is also 1-3x per week. Plastics plant in Dryden gets switched 2x per month with 2 cars each time. Pickle plant in Implay City is switched 2-3x per week during campaign (about 5 months) and 1x per week rest of the year. They can load up to 3 box cars at a time and receive some vinegar. There's a pair of elevators between 2004 Imlay City moved to location on CN mainlne and North Branch that can load 15 car blocks. Imlay City loads 60-75 cars a year. 2008 - Cooperative elevator acquired - North Branch has expanded several times and now loads around 200 cars per year in 25 car blocks and also receives fertilzer (12-15 annually) and fuel oil (16-20 per year).
New business opportunities are scarce. 2009 NIMBY'S killed this venture Terra to locate ammonia plant at Linkville but locals are protesting successfully against it. We've tried to pursued Cooperative Elevator to build an ethanol plant or biofuel plant but they balked at ethanol (looks like it was a good decision) and are more interested in Bad Axe for biofuel. We don't give up and keep looking for new business.
Millenium Industries in Cass City began service in 2007 receiving a carload of plastic pellets everyother month
Acquired 2 ex-CN (nee GTW) GP9r's and sold SW1200's.
We have begun negotiations for CN's Pontiac Beltline and what remains of PO&N in Pontiac area. We have plans which I will detail later.
Updated 8/16/10
Acquired ex-GTW track from Oxford to Pigeon. Business never materialized south of Dryden and track was abandoned and removed shortly after acquisition.
Started out with a pair of ex-GTW S2's
Interchanged with GTW at Imlay City and Chessie at Clifford & Pigeon.
Operations was typically 1-3x a week.
Constructed engine house in Imlay City and later Cass City when line between North Branch and Cass City was abandoned.
Served agricultural customers at about six different locations. Each location averaged around 75 cars a year. Also served house builder in Dryden (1-2 cars a week), pickle plant in Imlay City (250 cars per year), and rail car repair in Gagetown (5-10 cars per week from CN).
Around 1992 the home builder and rail car repair locations closed. Track between North Branch and Cass City abandoned and removed.
Picked up a trio of ex-GTW SW1200 (with road brakes/trucks) in early 1990's and scrapped S2's.
1997 plastics plant moved into Dryden, elevators in North Branch and Cass City doubled storage, and Monitor Sugar established sugar beet yard north of Cass City.
Current service is 1-3x per week. 2007 they closed and consolidated - Cass City-Pigeon recieves 5-6 65 car blocks of empty grain cars from HESR per year. We spend the next 24 hours switching cars at the five elevators and delivering them back to HESR at Pigeon (we do not switch the huge elevator in Pigeon, they chose HESR rather than pay extra for us to handle their cars). 2008 Two elevators remain between Cass City and Pigeon (Owendale-Vita Plus and Cass City-Star of the West). They each ship up to 25 car blocks totaling 120-150 cars per year each Monitor (now Michigan Sugar) sugar beet yard north of Cass City is switched 3x per week during harvest season (around 21 weeks long) handling 15-18 cars per week which HESR picks up at Pigeon and delivers to Bay City plant. 2007 closed Terra fertilizer at Linkville that receives around 25-30 cars annually. 2009 Cooperative Elevator now operates fertilizer dealer in Gagetown and receives 12-15 cars annually
Current service on Dryden-North Branch segment is also 1-3x per week. Plastics plant in Dryden gets switched 2x per month with 2 cars each time. Pickle plant in Implay City is switched 2-3x per week during campaign (about 5 months) and 1x per week rest of the year. They can load up to 3 box cars at a time and receive some vinegar. There's a pair of elevators between 2004 Imlay City moved to location on CN mainlne and North Branch that can load 15 car blocks. Imlay City loads 60-75 cars a year. 2008 - Cooperative elevator acquired - North Branch has expanded several times and now loads around 200 cars per year in 25 car blocks and also receives fertilzer (12-15 annually) and fuel oil (16-20 per year).
New business opportunities are scarce. 2009 NIMBY'S killed this venture Terra to locate ammonia plant at Linkville but locals are protesting successfully against it. We've tried to pursued Cooperative Elevator to build an ethanol plant or biofuel plant but they balked at ethanol (looks like it was a good decision) and are more interested in Bad Axe for biofuel. We don't give up and keep looking for new business.
Millenium Industries in Cass City began service in 2007 receiving a carload of plastic pellets everyother month
Acquired 2 ex-CN (nee GTW) GP9r's and sold SW1200's.
We have begun negotiations for CN's Pontiac Beltline and what remains of PO&N in Pontiac area. We have plans which I will detail later.
Updated 8/16/10