Marquette Rail

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Ypsi
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Re: Marquette Rail

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atrainguy60 wrote:
Maybe its time to retire and watch some good TV
Hey, me and Ypsi would be glad to take over the MQT if you do retire :lol:
I'm in as an engineer and vice president :)
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atrainguy60
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Re: Marquette Rail

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What are the busiest moments on your line between Michigan City and Porter? I will have my trains try to run during the time that there are not alot of trains on your line so there isn't congestion.

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Saturnalia
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Re: Marquette Rail

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Lol guys. Over half that time was actuall spent outside on the hammock 8) . Also was adding fish to my aquarium, so I did the 32 steps up and then the 32 down nearl a dozen times.
atrainguy60 wrote:What are the busiest moments on your line between Michigan City and Porter? I will have my trains try to run during the time that there are not alot of trains on your line so there isn't congestion.
Ehh...no real dead times, and no real bus times are set, mostly because of the high probability of meets elsewhere. Those CP trains are called the same time out of DET, but there are nearly two dozen possible stopping points, so one late train can throw any sort of schedule off.
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Re: Marquette Rail

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Well, three tracks will probably be enough for over 70 trains a day. Traffic on the GR&P will kind of be spread out throughout the day, with about two, maybe three trains, an hour.

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Saturnalia
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Re: Marquette Rail

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atrainguy60 wrote:Well, three tracks will probably be enough for over 70 trains a day. Traffic on the GR&P will kind of be spread out throughout the day, with about two, maybe three trains, an hour.
Triple track just to the Michigan City siding, just as a long lead in case your line gets backed up and we have freights to move. We could also hide one of your trains there with there are no WB slots for it....plenty of reasons for the long lead.
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Re: Marquette Rail

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Work crews are on their way to milepost CG 122 to install the switch and track fo create CP Annoyance. Te train is headed by two ex AA GP35s, and has 15 ballast cars, then one flatcar with the pre-made switch, followed by 3 flats that have pre-manufactured track segments. Finally, our 100ft crane is bringing up the rear. When they arrive, all trains will be stopped while they install the new switch (which is also pre-wired), and then the new track segments. This will take roughly 2 hours, but then they will duck onto the GR&P lead to let trains by, as they ballast the lead. As this is going on, signal and crossing maintainers will be at the Jct doing all the wiring and testing to make sure everythin is working properly. The area between East End Michigan City Siding and West End Buffalo Siding will be EC1 Territory, effective and noon today.

The work train is currently waiting at the St. Joseph bridge for a barge to clear.
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Saturnalia
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Re: Marquette Rail

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The patch over for the new No. 1 Main between CP Grandville and CP West Hudsonville went without a problem. Amtrak to Chicago used it, went 70. A MQT employee commented via phone "Geez, it's so darn smooth....I wish the Huron Sub was like this".

All the crossings on the next double-tracking segment between West End Trowbridge and East End Ensel are finished. Grading is also completed, ready for track-laying and signalling crews to begin today, but those crews are busy putting in the switch at CP Annoyance, so it will have to wait for tomorrow. There is a rail train due out of Wyoming at 2200 EDT to Ensel. Also, the track-laying machines will be loaded this afternoon in Wyoming, and will head out shortly after the rail train, going on duty at 2230.
Last edited by Saturnalia on Sun Apr 15, 2012 3:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Marquette Rail

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MQT Locomotive Update 4-15-12:

Upgraded:
#2001 GP9 (MMRR Heritage). Work done: Upgraded unit to meet GP9-3 status. New Prime mover, traction motors, radiators and sheet metal where needed. 2001 was also equipped for remte control operations. New MQT paint. Will go lite back to Ann St Yard and take over for #2002, who's taken over during the restoration, and she herself will be coming lite to GR for her upgrade to GP9-3. #2001 is hereby out of storage

#2034 GP40-3 (LSRC Heritage). Work done: new MQT paint, sheet metal replaced where needed. New windshield, new traction motors. she will be the leader on the train to Flint tonight, and is thereby out of storage

New Storage:
#2035 GP40-3. In Wyoming for new Paint
#2002 GP9. In Wyoming for upgrade to GP9-3, paint

There are currenty 13 units stored on the MQT
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Saturnalia
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Re: Marquette Rail

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The old section of the MQT mainline has been removed, and the new switch is going in. The switch is on the ground, and the crews are busy welding all the joints. Once these joints are done, then train will quickly head for Michigan City until 17:30 so some hotshot trains can go through. Then, its back to work finishing the GR&P main. Once the train has cleared the main, trains will continue to run at 20 mph past the work site until the crews finish up, hopefully by 9 tonight. The train will then go into the New Buffalo yard to tie down.
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Saturnalia
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Re: Marquette Rail

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FOR SALE:

3 ex D&M M420Ws. They are numbers 681, 781, and 881. They are currently in operating condition. Comes with 3 boxcars worth of parts. If no one buys them they will be donated as display pieces or Scrapped and Padnos in GR.
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Re: Marquette Rail

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FOR SALE:

3 ex D&M M420W's. They are numbers 681, 781, and 881. They are currently in operating condition. Comes with 3 boxcars worth of parts. If no one buys them they will be donated as display pieces or Scrapped and Padnos in GR.
I'll take them.

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Re: Marquette Rail

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NS reports a drunk driver took out the crossing signal bungalow at Porter. This single bungalow controls the 4 westernmost crossings in Porter EAST of the Jct. ALL TRAINS ARE TO STOP AND FLAG. crews on the way to replace it, but it could be midnight before its ready to go back online. NS is sending crews out also to flag for trains, so the trains can go by at 10 MPH.
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Re: Marquette Rail

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atrainguy60 wrote:
FOR SALE:

3 ex D&M M420W's. They are numbers 681, 781, and 881. They are currently in operating condition. Comes with 3 boxcars worth of parts. If no one buys them they will be donated as display pieces or Scrapped and Padnos in GR.
I'll take them.
Okay, they are still in D&M Paint, no patch, just relettered a few weeks ago. There is no MQT reporting mark shown, so they won't be patched. The units will be set in Saginaw by tomorrow at 1000 EDT for you to pick up.
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atrainguy60
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Re: Marquette Rail

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The GR&P will be leaving them in their original paint. The only change will be a tiny GR&P just under the cab windows.

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Saturnalia
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Re: Marquette Rail

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atrainguy60 wrote:The GR&P will be leaving them in their original paint. The only change will be a tiny GR&P just under the cab windows.
Why? you don't own and ex D&M track...
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atrainguy60
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Re: Marquette Rail

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Because the GR&P likes to keep some engines in their original paint. The owner is quite fond of older paint schemes still being used on some locomotives. That's why the GR&P has ordered Heritage engines from the DT&C.

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Saturnalia
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Re: Marquette Rail

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atrainguy60 wrote:Because the GR&P likes to keep some engines in their original paint. The owner is quite fond of older paint schemes still being used on some locomotives. That's why the GR&P has ordered Heritage engines from the DT&C.
You do realize MQT owns the rights to all the paint schemes of its direct fallen flags (of course not CSX).

The locos I sold to you gives you permission to use them, but dosn't give you the rights to do any repaints in that scheme. Not even a tiny brush stroke.
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atrainguy60
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Re: Marquette Rail

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Ohhh, I didn't know that. Alright, GR&P black it is.

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Saturnalia
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Re: Marquette Rail

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atrainguy60 wrote:Ohhh, I didn't know that. Alright, GR&P black it is.
You can keep it in D&M, but you just can't patch it up from time to time, so it'll get icky, which BTW, it already is. It hasnt been repainted since December of 1991.
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Re: Marquette Rail

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Ok, they'll stay in the D&M paint until they look horrible, and then it's to the shops for new paint.

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