AA

[Ypsi]

another one of my cabooses

[Ypsi]

The AA/ HCE christmas train is being prepared this week. The HCE Mohawk is getting ready in Toledo along with the FPA-4 and F7. The consist includes HCE tool car, HCE coach, HCE twin unit diner (used as seats/ snack car), AA dome car, and AA observation car. There will be a deadhead move this friday night to get the train staged in Ypsilanti where it will start its trip

[Ypsi]

AA X101 North is getting ready to head north from Toledo to Ferry yard where it will spend the night then on Friday night the train will head over to Ypsilanti, it will be AA SD70ACe 101 leading, a AA box car as a spacer car, the HCE Mohawk is getting ready in Toledo along with the FPA-4 and F7. The consist includes HCE tool car, HCE coach, HCE twin unit diner (used as seats/ snack car), AA dome car, and AA observation car, a AA box car as a spacer car, and an AA caboose on the rear.

[Ypsi]

AA X101 arrived in Ann Arbor at 0300 this morning, it is sitting on the first yard track. The train will leave AA tonight at 2300 and head north to our wye at Osmer, after the train is turned it will head back south to Pittsfield. At Pittsfield there will be an sw1500 waiting to head up the reverse move of the consist. The train will hear down the Pittsfield branch into Ypsilanti. Once in Ypsilanti, the train will take the yard at ypsi right up next to the freight house. The sd70ace 101 and sw1500 will head back to Ferry yard late Friday night after the Christmas train is tied down in ypsi yard. The HCE steam crew and AA escort crew will be in Ypsilanti Saturday morning at 0600 to get the train steaming and ready to go, and loaded up with presents and Santa.

Train is set to open up at 0900, and leave ypsi at around 1000. The Christmas train will be in AA at the latest of 1600.

[Ypsi]

Christam train running just a bit late is just now arriving at Ferry yard in Ann Arbor for its final stop

[Ypsi]

christams train estimated times:

Trains between Toledo and Mackinaw (using leased coaches)
AA11 (auto train) load in Toledo between 7-8:30 am, depart at 9 am. Arrive Mackinaw at 2:30 pm.
AA12 (auto train) load in Mackinaw between 4:30-6:00 pm, depart Mackinaw at 6:30 pm. Arrive Toledo at 11 pm.

departure times listed, 5mins included in each for boarding

AA20:
Mackinaw City- 7:00am
Gaylord- 7:45am
Grayling- 8:10am
Clare- 9:00am
Mt. Pleasant- 9:15am
Owosso- 10:05am
Durand- 10:25am
Howell- 10:50am
Ann Arbor [D]- 11:20am
Toledo- 11:55am

AA19:

Toledo- 2:00pm
Ann Arbor [R]- 2:40pm
Howell- 3:10pm
Durand- 3:35pm
Owosso- 3:55
Mt. Pleasant- 4:45pm
Clare- 5:00pm
Grayling- 5:50pm
Gaylord- 6:15pm
Mackinaw City- 6:55pm

These trains will be running at speeds up to 90mph in some sections (auto trains max is 79mph)

Trains between Ann Arbor and Toledo (using AA commuter coaches)
Train AA1: depart Toledo at 9:15 am, arrive Ann Arbor at 8:00am
Train AA2: depart Ann Arobr at 8:30 am, arrive Toledo at 9:15 am

Train AA3: depart Toledo at 11:15 am, arrive Ann Arbor at Noon
Train AA4: depart Ann Arbor at 1:00 pm, arrive Toledo at 1:45 pm

Train AA5: depart Toledo at 7:30 pm, arrive Ann Arbor at 8:15 pm
Train AA6: depart Ann Arbor at 8:45 pm, arrive Toledo at 9:30 pm

There will be station stops at Saline (Pittsfield junction) and Milan (just south of ex wabash dimond). Those stops will be 3 minute stops. trains will operate at up to 79mph

_____________________________________________

AA stations will be:
Toledo- Amtrak station
Milan- 1
Salian- 1
Ann Arbor- Station built north of ferry yard, "Ann Arbor Union Station" built in 1971 as possible amtrak station and AA HQ
Howell- 2
Durand- Durand union station
Owosso- 2
Mt. Pleasant- 2
Clare- 2
Grayling- 2
Gaylord- 2
Mackinaw City- 2

1= single wide trailer, situated like a waiting room with restrooms and heat.
2= double wide trailer, situated like a waiting room with restrooms, heat, and vending machines.
all stops will be manned by at least one ticket agent.

[conrailman75]

So Ypsi, any truth to the rumors on the rrfan Ohio board about you selling the AA to Watco?

[Ypsi]

It is correct watch contacted us about or railroad, but we declined to even talk about selling at this time. The AA will be in my hands for quite some time

[Ypsi]

AA TM-1Q just left Toledo late with the AA f7 in NYC wrap one last time. Consist is: AA f7, and then 3 gp60bs.

The AA passenger trains are running until the 3rd of January

[Saturnalia]

Marquette is interested in rebuilding a portion of the old Pere Marquette east from current end-of-track in Evart to the AA in Farwell. We would then be interested in Trackage Rights from Farwell to Clare and Clare to Grayling. MQT already has rights from Grayling to Mackinac City.

Marquette would use the route mainly for passenger excursions. MQT has exclusive Passenger rights from Grayling (junction with the MQT Mackinac Sub) to Mackinac City.


Is the AA interested? A study would need to be conducted of the proposed route before construction would start anyway. The old PM is currently a bike trail from Evart to Farwell.

[Saturnalia]

MQT3001 to YpsiAmtrakboy, over

[Ypsi]

I'm baaaaacccck! Lol sounds ok to me MQT, any more details for me?

[ConrailMan5]

You have a FB coming to you In the AM. Send it from Ottawa to saline for interchange. Also send me the details of your lounge order!!!

[Saturnalia]

I'm baaaaacccck! Lol sounds ok to me MQT, any more details for me?

We wondering where you went....thought you might've took an executive train up to Traverse City and gotten snowed in. Sent for a telegraph, but apparently the Cadillac fowarding station's machine was frozen

Joking aside, I think we'll be doing it. Study showed that we could make some nice $$$ in summer running trains between Grand Rapids & Mackinac. We'd also look into Detroit-Mackinac Trains as well, unless you guys want to run those. We've got C425s for power

The line would be the connection we're looking for. We obviously already have a route up there, but taking a passenger train via Detroit? Not gonna fly.

We could also add a connection in Clare if you ever operated trains to Traverse City.

Trains would run around the weekends from 1 week before Memorial Day thru 1 week after Labor Day, with some other runs throughout the year.

For starters, probably 1 C425 (or even 1223/1225 ) and 5-8 coaches.

[Ypsi]

You can have the rights to mackinaw, I will be running autotrains daily during the summer and tri-weekly during the winter, my studies showed that other then an auto train, nothing north of Durand other then mackinaw got a lot of passengers. I will have a station with a balloon track in MAK (mackinaw) as well as a unloading ramp for my autos. So basically I am only going to be running the auto train that I tested over winter. I have other plans in the works too. Schedules for my trains will be out soon, and my trains will have priority over yours. Also you will need to build any stations you need, and staff my mackinaw station when yor trains will use it. And if you need space to park trains overnight, we can talk about some stub end tracks for you to park in. Lastly, during the summer because of my 6 trains that work north of owosso to mackinaw, you will be able to run north from owosso in the morning (between 7-10 am) and only run south from mackinaw in the evening (depart between 8-10pm) that is what works Best for my trains. Only reason for those restrictions is because of the loading of my auto train and intermodal trains. We are still on your old no 6 axel rule between Clare and mackinaw so no steamer or big Alcos, only 4 axel until next summer. Any more details or questions ask.

[Saturnalia]

You can have the rights to mackinaw, I will be running autotrains daily during the summer and tri-weekly during the winter, my studies showed that other then an auto train, nothing north of Durand other then mackinaw got a lot of passengers. I will have a station with a balloon track in MAK (mackinaw) as well as a unloading ramp for my autos. So basically I am only going to be running the auto train that I tested over winter. I have other plans in the works too. Schedules for my trains will be out soon, and my trains will have priority over yours. Also you will need to build any stations you need, and staff my mackinaw station when yor trains will use it. And if you need space to park trains overnight, we can talk about some stub end tracks for you to park in. Lastly, during the summer because of my 6 trains that work north of owosso to mackinaw, you will be able to run north from owosso in the morning (between 7-10 am) and only run south from mackinaw in the evening (depart between 8-10pm) that is what works Best for my trains. Only reason for those restrictions is because of the loading of my auto train and intermodal trains. We are still on your old no 6 axel rule between Clare and mackinaw so no steamer or big Alcos, only 4 axel until next summer. Any more details or questions ask.

Don't forget MQT still has all rights reserved when it comes to passenger rights up there, except for the allowances already made

Our thoughts are to maybe have some auto-train stuff (not too many, not more than a half dozen racks) from Grand Rapids to Mackinac. So are you going to have a DET-MAC train? We'd be happy to supply people to help operate the station, as long as MQT logos can be shown (we can do something where both railroads are shown). As far as parking for equipment, can we lease 3 tracks for a total of at least 3,000ft in the Mackinac Yard, plus access to the fuel racks? We'd be happy to invest in auto-train loaders too. How many do you think you will need total, just for you?

Ahh yes, the no-6-axle rule. How much work still needs to be done to be able to operate 6-axle diesels? The 6-axle rule never applied to steamers, they go by weight per axle (plus we need to check curve radii). I'm sure we could use some geeps this year though. We love running our steamers through.

How about access with a 4-4-0 steamer?

[Ypsi]

Two offical heritage units are now out and about, GP35s 390 and 391 were released this afternoon and the first assignment for this pair is to pull the OCS cars and f7 up to AA for a trip over the HCE...
consist tonight will be AA 390, AA 391, AA 9, and our 3 current business cars. Train to arrive on HCE rails at 0800 tomorrow after getting up to AA tonight. Train leaving TOL at 2200

[ConrailMan5]

Two offical heritage units are now out and about, GP35s 390 and 391 were released this afternoon and the first assignment for this pair is to pull the OCS cars and f7 up to AA for a trip over the HCE...
consist tonight will be AA 390, AA 391, AA 9, and our 3 current business cars. Train to arrive on HCE rails at 0800 tomorrow after getting up to AA tonight. Train leaving TOL at 2200

AA 290 north is set to arrive at Jackson at 1230 for lunch at the circle track cafe. Hillsdale was visited at 10:00, looking to depart south to Toledo as AA 391 south at 1400

[Ypsi]

We're back on home rails in Toledo at 1930 this evening.

Correction: AA F7 #9 was the only engine on this 3 car train.

Headed back up to AA where it will spend the night

[Ypsi]

with the opening of Motown Rail on this Friday, the AA will be sending an OCS to Detroit with the AA F7, 2 AA SD70ACes, and 4 OCS cars. The F7 will lead the first train to AA, then switch over to a train to Toledo.