Delphos & Eastern RR

[DT&I]

Y002 has set out 4 hoppers on Yard Track 4 and picked up 3 and moved them to Yard Track 2. Yard tracks 1,3, and 5 are open.

[conrailman75]

They will be delivered on tomorrow morning's PIFW-3A, which will leave Pittsburgh at 9:00am and should get to Delphos around 2:45pm.

[heartlandguy]

Bits of misc. news:

-Both the Delphos & Eastern and Maumee Southern RRs are seeking to interlock the junction of our two lines, north of Delphos. The signals, which are B&O style CPLs, will be supplied by the MSRR, and the switch will be supplied by the DERR. Date of installation is to be determined.

-Autorack trains from the Illinois Central Southern will begin in around 2 weeks. They will be handed off to the W&LE at Carey, and the destination is Cleveland. There will be 1 in each direction, daily. ICS power will run-through to Carey.

-Work will continue on the south end this week. The jordan spreader will be out working on the roadbed between Delphos & Landeck, while tie installation will wrap up between Landeck and Venedocia. Ballast and tamping over the whole section will come at the middle to end of this week.

-Our SD35s will be coming today, and shouldn't be that far out by now.

[conrailman75]

Your SD35's were delivered on the interchange track at 3pm today.

[heartlandguy]

Your SD35's were delivered on the interchange track at 3pm today.

We had an RS-3 pick them up about an hour later. We also dropped 10 loaded grain hoppers and 2 empty plastic pellet hoppers off in the interchange for the PC.

[heartlandguy]

Our new SD35s came yesterday, and are currently being renumbered and having our reporting marks stenciled on. Both units were washed earlier this morning. They both should be ready by tomorrow. They are in full Western Maryland "Circus" paint, with WM lettering. They were touched up by the Maryland & Northern, who we bought them from.

Track work is in full swing on the south end, with ties installed now between Landeck and Venedocia. The jordan spreader was out between Delphos and Landeck working on the roadbed.

DCT-04 running a bit late, just now nearing Jenera, DERR 1300 and 1301 with 24 cars (6 CHs for Central Soya, 4 CHs [2 for Jenera, 2 for Pandora] from MSRR, 5 mty coke hoppers for CSX, 6 open hoppers for Rimer, and 3 mty pellet hoppers from CSP).

DVT-04 about ready to head out of Delphos. DERR 1200 and 16 cars (11 CHs for D&D, 5 CHs for Hemker).

[conrailman75]

I'm hoping to get the tie and surfacing project done on PC's portion of the Cloverleaf line by the time you guys are ready to start running mainline trains. Work was to have started today, but due to the winter storm that's coming, we have postponed starting work until Friday and then crews will work thru the weekend as long as the snow stays away.

[heartlandguy]

I'm hoping to get the tie and surfacing project done on PC's portion of the Cloverleaf line by the time you guys are ready to start running mainline trains. Work was to have started today, but due to the winter storm that's coming, we have postponed starting work until Friday and then crews will work thru the weekend as long as the snow stays away.

Yeah, we are stopping work on Tuesday as well. We'll see how quickly it melts, hopefully the work will resume shortly afterward. We were hoping to start running a pair of trains on March 18th, do you think that will be enough time for you guys?

[heartlandguy]

We actually did get some work done on the south end, since the snow did not come yet. The jordan spreader was out doing more work on the roadbed...

Both DERR SD35s are sitting in Delphos, after being patched and renumbered. They look fantastic, image coming next...

DCT-05 approaching Bluffton. DERR 1200 and 1205 with 22 cars (5 CHs for Central Soya, 2 CHs for MSRR, 4 mty coke hoppers for CSX, 6 hoppers and a lime CH for Rimer, and 4 mty pellet hoppers from CSP). Picking up 2 more covered hoppers for the MSRR at Pandora, and will make set-offs at CG and Rimer.

DVT-05 already on the move, nearing Landeck. DERR 1202, 1204, and 16 cars (11 CHs and a tankcar for D&D, 4 CHs for Hemker).

[heartlandguy]

DERR 1302 in Delphos. The MNTC guys did a great job cleaning her and her sister up. Hope to see them out on the road soon...

[ES44AH]

I see you got them numbered. There are more WM engines, but they are all in the black speed lettering

[heartlandguy]

Both of DERR's SD35s are out on DCT-06, their first revenue run for us. They are just now departing the outskirts of Carey after switching Continental Structural Plastics... Also, no new work was done on the south end, so DVT-06 ran on time today...

DCT-06 leaving Carey behind. SD35s DERR 1302 leading DERR 1303 and 28 cars (6 CHs for Central Soya, 5 CHs [3 for Jenera, 2 for Pandora], 6 mty coke hoppers for CSX, 5 open hoppers and 2 lime CHs for Rimer, and 4 mty pellet hoppers from CSP).

DVT-06 arrived back in Delphos at 1:30pm today. DERR 1200, 1205, and 16 cars.

[ES44AH]

Let me know the SD35's perform.

[conrailman75]

I'm hoping to get the tie and surfacing project done on PC's portion of the Cloverleaf line by the time you guys are ready to start running mainline trains. Work was to have started today, but due to the winter storm that's coming, we have postponed starting work until Friday and then crews will work thru the weekend as long as the snow stays away.

Yeah, we are stopping work on Tuesday as well. We'll see how quickly it melts, hopefully the work will resume shortly afterward. We were hoping to start running a pair of trains on March 18th, do you think that will be enough time for you guys?

It should be, we're going to hopefully try to get it all done by the 15th as long as the weather cooperates. The plan is to work the 8th to 11th, give the crews Tuesday the 12th off, and then work the 13th to 16th with the crews off on Sunday the 17th. We will update you on the 15th what our progress is and you can run 40 MPH on all the overhauled sections of the line(we can't increase it to 50/60 until the new rail gets laid in June) and 25 MPH on any segment that we haven't gotten to yet.

[heartlandguy]

Let me know the SD35's perform.

The crew said they ran very well. They rode really well, pulled like crazy, and were pretty responsive. They had DCT-06 scooting along at a pretty good pace all day.

[heartlandguy]

I'm hoping to get the tie and surfacing project done on PC's portion of the Cloverleaf line by the time you guys are ready to start running mainline trains. Work was to have started today, but due to the winter storm that's coming, we have postponed starting work until Friday and then crews will work thru the weekend as long as the snow stays away.

Yeah, we are stopping work on Tuesday as well. We'll see how quickly it melts, hopefully the work will resume shortly afterward. We were hoping to start running a pair of trains on March 18th, do you think that will be enough time for you guys?

It should be, we're going to hopefully try to get it all done by the 15th as long as the weather cooperates. The plan is to work the 8th to 11th, give the crews Tuesday the 12th off, and then work the 13th to 16th with the crews off on Sunday the 17th. We will update you on the 15th what our progress is and you can run 40 MPH on all the overhauled sections of the line(we can't increase it to 50/60 until the new rail gets laid in June) and 25 MPH on any segment that we haven't gotten to yet.

Roger, we are going to start dumping ballast and tamping tomorrow. Should have rail laid and starting to install it by next week.

[ES44AH]

Thats good to hear. Hope they last a long time for you.

[heartlandguy]

Work is again in full swing down on the south end. Dropping ballast and tamping was the main event. At this rate, autorack trains off the ICS will be ready to run by March 18th. Other trains from the ICS to the MSRR will follow, plus other things.

DCT-07 into Delphos at 4:54pm. DERR 1303 leading 1302 this time with 15 cars (7 CHs for Central Soya, 5 CHs for the MSRR, and 3 mty pellet hoppers for CSP). 12 loads, 3 empties....

No DVT today, but W-DV06 (Ballast Train) was dumping the rest of the ballast between Landeck and Venedocia. DERR 1200 and 1203 with 10 DERR ballast hoppers (5 loaded, 5 empty). The tampers and other machinery was working between Delphos and Landeck.

[heartlandguy]

DCT-08 picked up the panel switch, plus a boxcar of parts, from CSX in Carey this afternoon. Installation of the new switch and CPL signals at the junction of the Maumee Southern, north of Delphos, will occur on Saturday. Also, tamping was finished on the Landeck-Venedocia section of the south end. The equipment will run back to Delphos over the weekend. Rail is coming next...

DCT-08 clattering over the TCSR diamonds at Arlington. DERR SD35s #1302, 1301, and RS-3 #1205 with 29 cars (1 boxcar and 1 panel track gon from CSX in Carey, 6 CHs for Central Soya, 6 CHs [3 for Jenera, 3 for Pandora], 3 mty coke hoppers for CSX in CG, 7 hoppers and a lime CH for Rimer, and 4 mty pellet hoppers from CSP).

DVT-08 already down switching Hemker, since the curfew was lifted early today. Also gonna pick up the ballast train that was down there. Should be leaving with DERR 1202, 1204, 1203, and 1200 with 25 cars (10 mty ballast hoppers, 10 CHs and a tankcar for D&D, and 4 CHs from Hemker). 1203 and 1200 are dead-in-tow. Crew had a foremen ride with them to check for any spots. They also made 30 mph, the highest speed the line has seen in a few years.

[heartlandguy]

Here are a couple images of the covered hoppers recently purchased from the MSRR. Most are just patched, painted all in grey, like this:



One, however, is already painted in DERR's red and yellow. Must've been some extra paint laying around. Here's the result: