Marquette Rail

[DT&I]

Well you arent exactly staying on NS's good side...

[MQT3001]

Well you arent exactly staying on NS's good side...

They could never veto our trackage rights because we would have no other way to get off our line. We either cross it or use it

crossing would mean EVERYTHING stops, so they hate that. We did just add two more track though (one friehgt and one dedicated passenger) to ease things that was a joint project

ex MEGA train currently going over the St. Joseph swing bridge.

[DT&I]

Well you arent exactly staying on NS's good side...

They could never veto our trackage rights because we would have no other way to get off our line. We either cross it or use it

crossing would mean EVERYTHING stops, so they hate that. We did just add two more track though (one friehgt and one dedicated passenger) to ease things that was a joint project

ex MEGA train currently going over the St. Joseph swing bridge.

Either way NS is getting screwed by your 200 car trains

[MQT3001]

Well you arent exactly staying on NS's good side...

They could never veto our trackage rights because we would have no other way to get off our line. We either cross it or use it

crossing would mean EVERYTHING stops, so they hate that. We did just add two more track though (one friehgt and one dedicated passenger) to ease things that was a joint project

ex MEGA train currently going over the St. Joseph swing bridge.

Either way NS is getting screwed by your 200 car trains

We've never sent them anything over 152.

[DT&I]

Well you arent exactly staying on NS's good side...

They could never veto our trackage rights because we would have no other way to get off our line. We either cross it or use it

crossing would mean EVERYTHING stops, so they hate that. We did just add two more track though (one friehgt and one dedicated passenger) to ease things that was a joint project

ex MEGA train currently going over the St. Joseph swing bridge.

Either way NS is getting screwed by your 200 car trains

Dont you have a 250 car train going that way?

[MQT3001]

They could never veto our trackage rights because we would have no other way to get off our line. We either cross it or use it

crossing would mean EVERYTHING stops, so they hate that. We did just add two more track though (one friehgt and one dedicated passenger) to ease things that was a joint project

ex MEGA train currently going over the St. Joseph swing bridge.

Either way NS is getting screwed by your 200 car trains

Dont you have a 250 car train going that way?

have you NOT been reading the updates I've been posting? Shes under 100 cars now, and was only around 200.

BTW, I saw NS drag a 165-car intermodal thru Porter last fall....

[DT&I]

No i havent due to the DTC issue, hockey, painting, and something big in the TSCR thread to come...

[MQT3001]

No i havent due to the DTC issue, hockey, painting, and something big in the TSCR thread to come...

Our train has finished switching Glenlord, has just gotten underway. Next stop is at Livingston, where both Amtraks will go by.

Train Stats:
5 locos
91 cars (all loads)
5,787ft
5,956 tons

They will be dropping off 21 at Technisaid in the Pass @ Livingston.

[MQT3001]

No i havent due to the DTC issue, hockey, painting, and something big in the TSCR thread to come...

Our train has finished switching Glenlord, has just gotten underway. Next stop is at Livingston, where both Amtraks will go by.

Train Stats:
5 locos
91 cars (all loads)
5,787ft
5,956 tons

They will be dropping off 21 at Technisaid in the Pass @ Livingston.

arriving at Livingston 19:04 EDT

[conrailman75]

We've got a wreck. The Penn Central was pulling up to switch the Interchange with MQT at the Ann St yard, and GATX tanker #485939 broke an axle, and the 20-car consist didn't allow the crew to feel it so now there are 8 railcars off the tracks, with 5 completely off and in the Mill Creek ditch. The bridge for the Mainline north to Baldwin has been fouled because railcars hit it, and will need to be inspected. Same goes for the interchange track bridges.

The Grand Rapids turn will be stopping at Sparta, tying down the consist, then returning north to Baldwin lite power. Hopefully, tomorrow we can get the southbound to pick up all cars from Walhalla South needing pickup, and can return north with the 98 cars than need to go to Manistee, and then we'll run all the cars to be dropped off between GR and Walhalla and the Ludington cars north on the same train, working the industries along the way. A grain train will be part of that. Get ready, it will be in excess of 200 cars

The PC crew is gearing up to take the cars still on the tracks south back to Hugart.

Sounds like a nice little mess. My maintenance department guys up there can come over and help with anything you need to get your tracks back up in operation.

[MQT3001]

We've got a wreck. The Penn Central was pulling up to switch the Interchange with MQT at the Ann St yard, and GATX tanker #485939 broke an axle, and the 20-car consist didn't allow the crew to feel it so now there are 8 railcars off the tracks, with 5 completely off and in the Mill Creek ditch. The bridge for the Mainline north to Baldwin has been fouled because railcars hit it, and will need to be inspected. Same goes for the interchange track bridges.

The Grand Rapids turn will be stopping at Sparta, tying down the consist, then returning north to Baldwin lite power. Hopefully, tomorrow we can get the southbound to pick up all cars from Walhalla South needing pickup, and can return north with the 98 cars than need to go to Manistee, and then we'll run all the cars to be dropped off between GR and Walhalla and the Ludington cars north on the same train, working the industries along the way. A grain train will be part of that. Get ready, it will be in excess of 200 cars

The PC crew is gearing up to take the cars still on the tracks south back to Hugart.

Sounds like a nice little mess. My maintenance department guys up there can come over and help with anything you need to get your tracks back up in operation.

Our crews got everything out of the creek already and are busy inspecting the bridges. Looks like the interchange tracks will need work....GRE would therefor be cut-off

An annoying hurtle will be the EPA inspection to be sure nothing ended up getting spilled...the problem is, those tracks have been there forever so they are bound to find something and fine the $$@%@$ out of us

[MQT3001]

No i havent due to the DTC issue, hockey, painting, and something big in the TSCR thread to come...

Our train has finished switching Glenlord, has just gotten underway. Next stop is at Livingston, where both Amtraks will go by.

Train Stats:
5 locos
91 cars (all loads)
5,787ft
5,956 tons

They will be dropping off 21 at Technisaid in the Pass @ Livingston.

arriving at Livingston 19:04 EDT

Recrewed at Technisand at 20:24 EDT. Done switching at 22:15 EDT. Clear WE Livingston at 22:32. Hiballing the scheduled stop at Sawyer (we're gonna try to get this crew back to GR on the intermodal tonight).

Clear CP 482 at 23:21 EDT

[MQT3001]

Mainline to Baldwin has been re-opened following the okay from our inspectors. Interchange bridge needs work, will likely be out about a week....

EPA is still out creating their laundry list of complaints....MQT will fight to the death

Get ready for 200+ cars tomorrow...they're kicking the train in Wyoming Right now. Track 4, 6, 31, 27, and 15 for the big one. Train to Manistee will be taking track 6 & track 25.

Should be 5 or 6 units up front, and an SD40-2 on the rear to put cars into sidings with facing point switches. Front end will handle trailing point switches. We had 2 employees working out the logistics, so that all cars will be at either the front or rear when they are needed. The Ludington cars will be in the middle.

It's gonna be fun!

[DT&I]

Mainline to Baldwin has been re-opened following the okay from our inspectors. Interchange bridge needs work, will likely be out about a week....

EPA is still out creating their laundry list of complaints....MQT will fight to the death

Get ready for 200+ cars tomorrow...they're kicking the train in Wyoming Right now. Track 4, 6, 31, 27, and 15 for the big one. Train to Manistee will be taking track 6 & track 25.

Should be 5 or 6 units up front, and an SD40-2 on the rear to put cars into sidings with facing point switches. Front end will handle trailing point switches. We had 2 employees working out the logistics, so that all cars will be at either the front or rear when they are needed. The Ludington cars will be in the middle.

It's gonna be fun!

I wonder how long MQT will run these 200 car trains, it lasted under a year for CR and their 300 car coal trains...

[MQT3001]

Mainline to Baldwin has been re-opened following the okay from our inspectors. Interchange bridge needs work, will likely be out about a week....

EPA is still out creating their laundry list of complaints....MQT will fight to the death

Get ready for 200+ cars tomorrow...they're kicking the train in Wyoming Right now. Track 4, 6, 31, 27, and 15 for the big one. Train to Manistee will be taking track 6 & track 25.

Should be 5 or 6 units up front, and an SD40-2 on the rear to put cars into sidings with facing point switches. Front end will handle trailing point switches. We had 2 employees working out the logistics, so that all cars will be at either the front or rear when they are needed. The Ludington cars will be in the middle.

It's gonna be fun!

I wonder how long MQT will run these 200 car trains, it lasted under a year for CR and their 300 car coal trains...

The train yesterday was 200 for 25 miles This one will be over 200 to Grant, and over 100 all the way to Baldwin!

These trains are NOT normal.....the one yesterday was that train not working over the weekend Curse employee summer vacations!

[DT&I]

Well thats why TSCR keeps 2 sets of crews for each train so they switch on and off running it everytime its needed, its not like other railroads where you constantly bid, here you bid once until youre time working that train is up.

[MQT3001]

Well thats why TSCR keeps 2 sets of crews for each train so they switch on and off running it everytime its needed, its not like other railroads where you constantly bid, here you bid once until youre time working that train is up.

We have plenty of crews, it's just several of our crews qualified for the Baldwin, Ludington, and Manistee subs happened to be on vacation this week, a VERY rare event.

Speaking of which, the monster northbounder will be 1 train insted of 2 because 1 crew took work off starting yesterday

[MQT3001]

Here comes the biggest train in Marquette Rail History. Due to the line's closure yesterday, we'll attempt to haul 2 days worth of freight up the Baldwin sub. The train totals 364 railcars.

The crew taking this train north is right now coming south at Turner Street with 2 days worth of M617, the southbound on the Baldwin Sub. They will bring their train into wyoming and park in on the Service track. Then, they will switch trains and have at this 22,000ft+ monster.

Yard crews have been busy assembling the train since 9 o'clock this morning. They started by shoving the 6 headend engines up Main #2/Sunnyside Lead to just before the Godfrey Street crossing circuit. Then, they shoved the first track of cars to them, which left the rear end around plaster creek. Then, they pushed more cars, these a 65-car unit grain train for Newaygo, about 300 yards to the rear, tailing onto 4 track. Then, they assembeled the rear by pulling west then shoving east. The train's rear is at the Ivanrest signals on track #2, with MQT 3001 being the solo rear end loco, and will both push and setout cars for inductries that would otherwise be facing point switches on the way to Walhalla. The crew is on duty and is going to help M617 park their train. Yard crews have already done the airtest on M616, the northbounder.

M616 headend crew is good until 22:00 EDT, and the rear end crew is good until 23:00 EDT.

Leaving Wyoming, here is M616-27's stats:
7 locos [all SD40-2s] for a total of 42,000hp
364 railcars, 186 loads, 178 empties
Totalling 24,115ft; 29,680 tons.

Train is currently restricted to 15 mph operation.

Baldwin sub speed: 40mph
Baldwin sub when in excess of 8,000 tons: 30 mph
Baldwin sub when in excess of 12,000 tons: 25 moh
Baldwin sub when in excess of 16,000 tons: 20 mph
Baldwin sub when in excess of 22,000 tons: 15 mph
Baldwin sub when in excess of 30,000 tons: 10 mph

[MQT3001]

14:12 EDT: M616-27 ready to depart
14:15 EDT: M616-27 emergancy application. Fouled Godfrey
14:27 EDT: M616-27 brakeline issue fixed. Open angle cock on rear loco 3001
14:38 EDT: M616-27 slow approach Watson (Dispatch hasn't givin Fuller to M616 yet)
14:46 EDT: M616-27 medium clear Fuller. Rear of train clear Plaster Creek
14:59 EDT: M616-27 okay at max allowable track speed past restricting at Turner St (basically givin a clear)
15:03 EDT: M616-27 stopping at Van's Logistics. Rear end clear Bridge St.

5 loads to set out at Van's. Headend doing the work.

Headend power is MQT 3002, 3026, 3017, 3012, 3004 and 3006. Rear power is MQT 3001 as mentioned.

[MQT3001]

14:12 EDT: M616-27 ready to depart
14:15 EDT: M616-27 emergancy application. Fouled Godfrey
14:27 EDT: M616-27 brakeline issue fixed. Open angle cock on rear loco 3001
14:38 EDT: M616-27 slow approach Watson (Dispatch hasn't givin Fuller to M616 yet)
14:46 EDT: M616-27 medium clear Fuller. Rear of train clear Plaster Creek
14:59 EDT: M616-27 okay at max allowable track speed past restricting at Turner St (basically givin a clear)
15:03 EDT: M616-27 stopping at Van's Logistics. Rear end clear Godfrey.

5 loads to set out at Van's. Headend doing the work.

Headend power is MQT 3002, 3026, 3017, 3012, 3004 and 3006. Rear power is MQT 3001 as mentioned.

15:32 EDT: M616-27 done switching Vans.

They will pull until the rear is clear of Ann St, then they will cut the train just short of West River, and the headend will pull away and switch Michigan Rail & Carter Lumber. Then, they will return to the rear of the train and continue to Sparta.

Train stats:
7 locos
359 cars (181 loads, 178 empties)
Totalling: 1490 axles, 23,790 ft, 29,280tons