MoTown Commuter Rail

[Saturnalia]

Attention: I am proposing a Detroit area commuter train service. This service will be from Detroit to AA, Toledo, PNT, and to plymouth. I am not sure what lines will be used, but I am intrested in finding partners, or getting trackage rights. I plan on having daily trains over many routes and to eliminate the AAs commuter operations compleatly. MI RF you are the only one that I know of with tracks in the area (MI line and ford field street running that we operate) anyone else who is intrested post here. I need approval from area railroads to start the project which I plan to have running on the MI line to AA and up to PNT by feb if all goes as planned. The AA is planning on selling all of its comuter coaches to the service, and serve as a "big brother" to the line. AA can do engine work until they get a terminal and I will be in charge of the service until it grows enough. we will only use amtrak stations at first until more platforms can be consturcted.

Getting 'er started in her own thread..

[Saturnalia]

Okay I'll bite. I don't have an issue with using the Detroit Sub from Plymouth to Detroit, but the line has problems with it

Canadian Pacific runs it's thru freights, and we have our thru freights (4 per day) and locals on the line, and it's not built for that kind of stress. It needs track upgrades, mainly getting 2 mains all the way through good for higher speeds. Right now, is 2 mains pretty much, but only 1 track is good for "route speed", and most of the 2nd track is 30mph or less, and rittled with slow orders. Nothing however that cannot be fixed with a little time & effort.

Okay, deal time.

Marquette would like to:

A: Retain 100% ownership of the line
B: Lease all on-line freight duties to another operator. MQT would like to keep Oak for Intermodal & Freight ops
C: Grant MoTown Commuter Rail (MTCR) exclusive passenger rights for only on-line passengers, so we retain any rights to passengers that will leave this route. The rights would be on everything east of the diamonds at Plymouth.
D: Continue to operate our freights. CP would run as usual, then our 4 freights to Oak. The Shortline would take locals. I'm gonna presume all switching would need to be nighttime
E: MQT retains Dispatching Rights

F: Paying for the line.

- Marquette Rail gets paid by CP for access to the line. We do not wish to annoy them, so they must be able to operate without too much delay. They should eventually be off the line, shifted south over what will hopefully be a new bridge, but for now, no major delays. CP is willing to shift traffic to a more night-oriented schedule.
- The rest of the breakdown for culmulitave costs would be by:
--A: Flat rate for each train
--B: A Tonnage rate for each train
--C: Whoever needs the upgrade pays for it. If MoTown wants a siding to store stuff, they're paying for it.

Under this plan, the Detroit Sub would be shifted to a different company than MQT, but still under Marquette Rail Holdings, LLC.

Any thoughts? We can amend this.

How much space would you guys need in Plymouth to store stuff?

[Ypsi]

That works MQT, plymouth sub service will not be until late 2013 or early 2014, and stations will not all be done until at the arliest early 2015. the MI line and AARR will be the frist lines to open hopefully in feb or march. for trains, the minimum per line will be 4, maximum is 20 (unless an event is happening then more can be run). these are set so that the freights can still run... the most I see on any line this year on a regular day is 8 on the MI line and AARR, the most on the plymouth sub will be 6 by the end of 2013.

For all lines with freights, can the trains have space for a morning run, a noon run, and an evening run? those would be the basic starting times for a route, if needed we can add more trains, but those would be based around the freights

[Saturnalia]

Now are you interested in taking over freight ops? I don't care if it was by MoTown itself (think CSS&SB Ry) or the AA.

[Ypsi]

No freight ops, AA doesnt want them either. MTRC will be only passenger, and AA is not trying to expand right now

[Michigan Railfan]

The DR&EC's plan of a commuter system is still in place. The only destination interfering is Toledo, but we are willing to drop it and allow MTRC to serve it. Other than that, you can have trackage rights over any of our track, at a fee of course, and the MTRC trains will be among the low priority trains. The MTRC is also welcome to use any of our stations, free of charge.

[DT&I]

The DR&EC's plan of a commuter system is still in place. The only destination interfering is Toledo, but we are willing to drop it and allow MTRC to serve it. Other than that, you can have trackage rights over any of our track, at a fee of course, and the MTRC trains will be among the low priority trains. The MTRC is also welcome to use any of our stations, free of charge.

The DR&EC could also use NS to get to Toledo and get right into Downtown? That would be more profitable in the long run due to more potential riders there.

[Ypsi]

swell, any equiptment to sell?

[Saturnalia]

The DR&EC's plan of a commuter system is still in place. The only destination interfering is Toledo, but we are willing to drop it and allow MTRC to serve it. Other than that, you can have trackage rights over any of our track, at a fee of course, and the MTRC trains will be among the low priority trains. The MTRC is also welcome to use any of our stations, free of charge.

The DR&EC could also use NS to get to Toledo and get right into Downtown? That would be more profitable in the long run due to more potential riders there.

I think all the lines from TOL to DET are taken...

[DT&I]

Mine isn't... I think we could squeeze in some.more.

[Ypsi]

Who's in:
Ypsi: ARB-TOL [AARR]
MQT: Plymouth sub; DET(?)-PLY
DT&I: Detroit line(?); DET-TOL
Michigan_RF: Michigan line/ downtown connection; DET-ARB

Make corrections if needed.

Equipment buying to be handled by AA, and coaches as well. So far we have 36 ex metra, ex AA coaches and an ex AA F59PHI. Will update soon.

[Michigan Railfan]

The DR&EC's plan of a commuter system is still in place. The only destination interfering is Toledo, but we are willing to drop it and allow MTRC to serve it. Other than that, you can have trackage rights over any of our track, at a fee of course, and the MTRC trains will be among the low priority trains. The MTRC is also welcome to use any of our stations, free of charge.

The DR&EC could also use NS to get to Toledo and get right into Downtown? That would be more profitable in the long run due to more potential riders there.

The DR&EC already has trackage rights to Toledo over CN. The only reason were dropping it is because there's just not a big enough demand from passengers to have two railroads go to Toledo.

[DT&I]

The DR&EC's plan of a commuter system is still in place. The only destination interfering is Toledo, but we are willing to drop it and allow MTRC to serve it. Other than that, you can have trackage rights over any of our track, at a fee of course, and the MTRC trains will be among the low priority trains. The MTRC is also welcome to use any of our stations, free of charge.

The DR&EC could also use NS to get to Toledo and get right into Downtown? That would be more profitable in the long run due to more potential riders there.

The DR&EC already has trackage rights to Toledo over CN. The only reason were dropping it is because there's just not a big enough demand from passengers to have two railroads go to Toledo.

CN no longer owns the TOL DET line it's TSCR now.

[Saturnalia]

Who's in:
Ypsi: ARB-TOL [AARR]
MQT: Plymouth sub; DET(?)-PLY
DT&I: Detroit line(?); DET-TOL
Michigan_RF: Michigan line/ downtown connection; DET-ARB

Make corrections if needed.

Equipment buying to be handled by AA, and coaches as well. So far we have 36 ex metra, ex AA coaches and an ex AA F59PHI. Will update soon.

Yes, MQT is DET to PLY. Right from the tunnel to the diamonds. Currently authorized for 6 "trips" per day. A trip is defined as 1 train travelling the line (or equivalent distance thereof) in a single direction. Running DET-PLY equals 1 trip. Running halfway to PLY and back is 1 trip. Running DET-PLY-DET is 2 trips. Please contact us if more trips are needed.

[Ypsi]

AA has just purchased 10 AMTK P32-8s and 5 GP38-2s for rebuild into passenger units, also the AA just bought 14 pullman cars from metra to add to the fleet to make an even 50 cars

[Saturnalia]

AA has just purchased 10 AMTK P32-8s and 5 GP38-2s for rebuild into passenger units, also the AA just bought 14 pullman cars from metra to add to the fleet to make an even 50 cars

We have lots of GP35s in working order in Ensel if you guys want them. We're asking $55,000 apiece. We've got like 20-30 of them, but I should double-check those numbers.

[Ypsi]

No were fine with the numbers for now but we will remember that they are there

[Saturnalia]

No were fine with the numbers for now but we will remember that they are there

Our shops can bring them up to speed easily too. We can re-gear them, upgrade them to GP35-3 (we've already finished our program, but still have the plans), add MUGC if you want, and add HEP. Oh, and paint them. We can do at least 5 units per week, but we can make that 7 or more if needed.

[Ypsi]

NO! Were good MQT

[Saturnalia]

NO! Were good MQT

Total cost afer upgrades: $62,500.

If and when you guys ever need it.