New Switch = New Rail customer.

[M.D.Bentley]

Conrail will be installing a new switch just south of the Cicotte st. (west side on track) crossing on the Lincoln secondary. The track inside the fence is already in just waiting on the switch. This building is warehousing aluminum ingots like a bunch of others around the Detroit area.

[AARR]

Conrail will be installing a new switch just south of the Cicotte st. (west side on track) crossing on the Lincoln secondary. The track inside the fence is already in just waiting on the switch. This building is warehousing aluminum ingots like a bunch of others around the Detroit area.

There's around half a dozen places around Detroit warehousing these aluminum ingots that get switched almost every day. When I drive by these places there doesn't seem to be much activity so my guess is they're storing far more than their shipping out. Anyone know the story behind this?

[Trainman2223]

Any idea of when the switch will go in? Just to see if my mind is correct its the warehouse across from the AT&T building on cicotte right?

[M.D.Bentley]

That's the place.

[Trainman2223]

Is the switch in place yet?

[M.D.Bentley]

Not yet. It's sitting on the ground at the location.

[AARR]

It's my understanding that far more ingots go into these warehouses than what goes out. I've read that their stockpiling due to some favorable pricing having inventory in US/MI. Don't know if that's the case and if it is how long it can last.

[M.D.Bentley]

For as long as I can remember, aluminum ingots and slabs have been coming over here from Alcola of Canada. The DT&I train "Queen 2" always had 10 to 12 special slab cars in the consist. For the last 2/3 years there has been a big surge of aluminum to anyplace that it could be stored and not just places with a rail siding. There are a couple of old factories that had sidings that were turned into warehouses for the stuff.

[Trainman2223]

Any new news on the switch to be put in?

[Gov. Crappo]

what ive heard from some folks in different industries (namely my landlord who is in the "power distribution industry") is this.....with the "expected" rise in deepcell batteries to be constructed here in MI some folks are "speculating" on Al and some others even "hoarding" it....im not sure what Al has to do with with making lithium ion batteries but thats the story ive been getting.....

[CharlieX90]

I see ignots and slabs going South alot to toledo and flatrock on the cn..

[Trainman2223]

Went past today looks like the switch is in place... who will be in charge of switching?

[M.D.Bentley]

Switch is installed, but not connected to the track inside the fence. It has not been decided yet, but I'am thinking the RR-25 (afternoon or evening ) they are the one who switch the Ford Brownstown plant during the week. They may do it on their way back to River Rouge yard. Just my guess, nothing written in stone.

[Racer]

Wasn't it RR-62 and RR-63 that worked the Lincoln Secondary? Possibly those jobs could switch this industry.

[M.D.Bentley]

There use to be a relief crew (rr-62) that went out to glass on saturdays. That job was cut last year, after Conrail changed asignments around.

[M.D.Bentley]

Switch is connected and they are finishing up with the stone. Hopefully they will start seeing service soon.

[Trainman2223]

Any rail activity yet? I see trucks all the time going in loaded and leaving empty.

[M.D.Bentley]

They keep telling us that the cars will be coming soon. Thats the last we heard.

[ConrailDetr​oit]

Has Metro Cicotte been an active shipper as of late?

[NYCMan]

ALUMINUM. Hmmm.... automakers are starting to look to aluminum instead of steel. The 2017 Ford F150 is going to be built with an aluminum body, shaving 700 pounds off the weight of the vehicle. Perhaps the "tie in" to the battery industry is the need to make the vehicles lighter to make the batteries be able to last longer?