Lake State Railway at East Tawas, MI

[DonHarding]

Hello all,

I will be visiting an old friend in Tawas this week and I was wondering how often the Lake State Railway operates through there?

[LSRC]

M-F road freights, hit or miss this time of year.

Normally, train 326 departs Alpena southbound around 5pm, and 327 is northbound out of Bay City roughly around the same time. They swap trains on the north side of Tawas at night. However, this time of the year is generally the slowest for the railroad. I wouldn't be surprised if you only saw one or two trains each way per week.

[DonHarding]

M-F road freights, hit or miss this time of year.

Normally, train 326 departs Alpena southbound around 5pm, and 327 is northbound out of Bay City roughly around the same time. They swap trains on the north side of Tawas at night. However, this time of the year is generally the slowest for the railroad. I wouldn't be surprised if you only saw one or two trains each way per week.

Ah. Okay. Thank you.

[DonHarding]

Well, unfortunately, I didn't see anything. My friend said he heard them go through about 2AM last night. Oh well!

[DonHarding]

You know, before this visit, I hadn't been to Tawas in twenty years. Does anyone know what happened to the old DTM shops and roundhouse there?

[SD80MAC]

You know, before this visit, I hadn't been to Tawas in twenty years. Does anyone know what happened to the old DTM shops and roundhouse there?

Bulldozed and part of the line was relocated to make room for a Walmart.

[DonHarding]

You know, before this visit, I hadn't been to Tawas in twenty years. Does anyone know what happened to the old DTM shops and roundhouse there?

Bulldozed and part of the line was relocated to make room for a Walmart.

Wow! So that's why the line curves so violently near Walmart. Man, the things you miss over the years. Are there any photos of the yard, shops, and roundhouse on this site? I would love to see them.

[LSRC]

Found these pictures in the photo gallery. Most belong to Larry G.

[SD80MAC]

If I'm not mistaken that D&M combine is now on display at the old GTW Depot in St. Johns.

[AARR]

Back not all that long ago (5-6 years) D&M/LSRC operated local from East Tawas. At one time it worked all the gypsum pits as well as the Air Force Base in Oscoda. As business closed or went to truck its last remaining job was hauling 20-30 car cuts from White Rock to the unloading / conveyor pit at Port Gypsum. I think this operation went to truck around 2006/07 (unconfirmed). Now the road freights handle the few remaining rail-served businesses in the area. Michigan Gypsum at Turtle ships gypsum to Lafarge in Alpena and E.A. Wood gets a little bit of stone from a transload in Alpena.

[Sppengelly]

Just talked to Michigan Gypsum owner, Sargent Sand Co. MI Gypsum no longer ships to Alpena (or elsewhere for that matter) by rail from Turtle. They are actively looking for places to ship by rail because of the savings.

[Standard Railfan]

If I'm not mistaken that D&M combine is now on display at the old GTW Depot in St. Johns.

I thought the combine was the experimental NS Roadrailer RPO.

[AARR]

Just talked to Michigan Gypsum owner, Sargent Sand Co. MI Gypsum no longer ships to Alpena (or elsewhere for that matter) by rail from Turtle. They are actively looking for places to ship by rail because of the savings.

That's disappointing. Shipments in and out of Lafarge are significantly down. Traffic from Alpena is down in general. LSRC needs a good sales person to get things turned around as business north of Bay City has dropped since the former owner passed away. He must have had the relationships that got and kept the business.

[Sppengelly]

I know that Lake State just recently got a new marketing director. I am unsure what happened to Mark Nagy.

[Mike H]

Lake State had a record year last year and this year is/was on track to blow last year out of the water. Mark Nagy is one of the best marketing guys that I know did a great job going the business at LSRC. Before Mark left he had just secured 3,000 cars of outbound cement from Alpena, but since he left my understnding is that their has been some changes and that some or all of the business is not coming now.

Mark is now at the GLC so watch for big things to happen over there. As long as Watco keeps their hands out of company and just has ownership I think you will see a lot of new traffic start moving on the GLC. There is on particular move that I think will surprise everyone if happens.

Mike H

[AARR]

Lake State had a record year last year and this year is/was on track to blow last year out of the water.

The south end (around Saginaw) may be very active thanks to the heavy grain traffic off the HESR but their lines north of Bay City in particular to Alpena are substantially down. Whomever LSRC hired better start visiting up there starting with Lafarge.

[Mike H]

Well from what I understand LaFarge is very upset with LSRC over some things that happened shorly after Mark left. LaFarge was vey pro LSRC before Mark left, but the impressions I am getting now is that things have drastically changed. I guess time will tell.

Mike H

[AARR]

Well from what I understand LaFarge is very upset with LSRC over some things that happened shorly after Mark left. LaFarge was vey pro LSRC before Mark left, but the impressions I am getting now is that things have drastically changed. I guess time will tell.

Mike H

Lafarge used to get flyash and gypsum in and ship out a lot of cement (3000 a year sounds about right). NO more gypsum by rail, flyash is a fraction of what it used to be, and outbound cement is significantly down too. Even Spec Stone is way down as they no longer send stone to Flint. I hope the new guy can mend the hard feelings.

[Mike H]

I think the flyash being down is because of the change in policy in Ontario that has turned the power plant into a backup supplier of energy. I believe LaFarge is being forced to source flyash from other origins that are not as rail friendly. We looked at a move from Wisonsin, but it did make sense. LaFarge does get a lot of flyash from Consumers in Bay City by using the LSRC transload in Bay City. They also truck at least 1,000 cars worth of bottom and flyash from DTE in Monroe.

I don't know if he will be able to mend things or not. Unfortunately for him all of this happened between when Mark left and when Mike the new guy arrived so he might get lumped into the "bad guy" group. I have not met Mike yet, but I sure am looking forward to doing so.

Mike H

[AARR]

I think the flyash being down is because of the change in policy in Ontario that has turned the power plant into a backup supplier of energy. I believe LaFarge is being forced to source flyash from other origins that are not as rail friendly. We looked at a move from Wisonsin, but it did make sense. LaFarge does get a lot of flyash from Consumers in Bay City by using the LSRC transload in Bay City. They also truck at least 1,000 cars worth of bottom and flyash from DTE in Monroe.

DTE in St Clair produces over 2000 car loads a year of flyash (currently all going into a local land fill) and they have a loading facility. Once upon a time CSX loaded covered hoppers and interchanged them with CN in Port Huron. Maybe the new LSRC rep can look into a CSX-LSRC movement, two railroads moving 40+ carloads a week even a short distance may be profitable.