Michigan Rail Business news

Anything pertaining to railfanning in Michigan.
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Doktor No
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by Doktor No »

arty flowers wrote:Evart Twp will getting a potash mine.

https://www.worldfertilizer.com/potash/ ... -facility/
Interesting development. We shall see if the price is compatible with the world suppliers prices. THAT will be the make or break.
Lots of potential here but we have read this story before, wayyy too many times.
Let the speculation of rebuilding the old C&O GRADE BEGIN!
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Raildudes dad
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

From the same publication:
https://www.worldfertilizer.com/special ... -february/
Prices are up to 2011 levels...............

Steve B
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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I do find it entertaining to daydream about rebuilding the C&O. Whether you do it from Clare or Baldwin, it would be around 34 miles. Baldwin is MP 107.3, Clare 50.4, and for the shortest branch to the mine, about 5 miles, the switch would be at about MP 79.

There's probably a snowball's chance in hell of it happening, with an up front cost of tens of millions, plus the NIMBYs and trail users fighting it every step of the way. If the Ludington Sub still went through there I'm sure building a 5 mile branch would be relatively easy, though it'd require a new bridge across the Muskegon River unless it veered off on the east side of Evart.

chapmaja
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by chapmaja »

My guess would be a likely transload operation on either the GLC or the MQT, or possibly both railroads to keep the railroads honest.

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AARR
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by AARR »

GLC has a transload in Cadillac that back in 1997 loaded a few carloads of potash from Hersey but was discontinued quickly. The transload sat dormant until a few years ago when MAC started using it to load local corn but its seasonal and doesn't amount to many carloads.
chapmaja wrote:My guess would be a likely transload operation on either the GLC or the MQT, or possibly both railroads to keep the railroads honest.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

Steve B
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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Of course, I have no idea how much of it would be shipped far enough to make rail profitable, whether from a transload or not. What would that distance be-- several hundred miles?

I also don't have a clue how much would be shipped to begin with. Would we be talking about the equivalent of four hoppers a day, or 100 per week? Time will tell.

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AARR
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by AARR »

IIRC in 1997 the potash from Hersey was destined for Chinese markets which made rail movements logical. Of course things are much different now.
Steve B wrote:Of course, I have no idea how much of it would be shipped far enough to make rail profitable, whether from a transload or not. What would that distance be-- several hundred miles?

I also don't have a clue how much would be shipped to begin with. Would we be talking about the equivalent of four hoppers a day, or 100 per week? Time will tell.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

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Saturnalia
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by Saturnalia »

Most of the product will likely be trucked to local farms who will use it. May dent the potash trains which show up at Webberville a few times annually. "Michigan Trucks" will help ensure of that. So while I can see some traffic coming out of this, I don't see gobs and gobs of it, at least from the start. And surely not enough to relay any significant amount of track.
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arty flowers
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by arty flowers »

This could mean more rail shipments for Michigan Shore Railroad and CSX in and out of Muskegon Mi.

https://mibiz.com/sections/small-busine ... operations

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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by arty flowers »

Possible new traffic source for the IN, not in Litchfield, but from the Andersons Elevator in Reading to Litchfield.

https://mibiz.com/item/26203-commercial ... GZKzFqlfcs

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AARR
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by AARR »

It'd be nice but not likely as it will most likely all come in ships
arty flowers wrote:This could mean more rail shipments for Michigan Shore Railroad and CSX in and out of Muskegon Mi.

https://mibiz.com/sections/small-busine ... operations
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

penn central
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by penn central »

I didn't want to say anything until it was official. But Pinnacle Foods(Vlasic)in Imlay City is called Conagra Foods now. All paper work says Conagra Foods. Pinnacle was bought out last year. But integration didn't happen until this week. I asked the shipping and receiving clerks about rail service. They said maybe. I was told there was to much damage to product. I spoke to the person that used to load the boxcars. That's what he told me.

arty flowers
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by arty flowers »

Get ready for more propane shipments by rail to Michigan.

https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/mark ... hut-line-5

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AARR
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by AARR »

Spokesperson said on WJR that the volume of propane that would flow through the pipeline would be the equivalent of 2,000 trucks per day (or 500 rail cars using the 4 to 1 theory :D )
arty flowers wrote:Get ready for more propane shipments by rail to Michigan.

https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/mark ... hut-line-5
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

Man o' War
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by Man o' War »

arty flowers wrote:Get ready for more propane shipments by rail to Michigan.

https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/mark ... hut-line-5
Perhaps some of the dear souls living in Crescent City, IL, could convince the governor to reconsider the Enbridge project. Tongue in cheek - not really... :wink:

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redcrumbox
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by redcrumbox »

arty flowers wrote:Get ready for more propane shipments by rail to Michigan.

https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/mark ... hut-line-5
While the use of rail is feasible and will bring more trains to the state, it would likely result in increased propane costs for residents. Enbridge says Line 5 delivers 65% of the U.P.'s propane and 55% of the propane used statewide. I'm guessing 110 railcars per day everyday of the year would be needed just for the propane used for residental heating alone. With no government regulation or control of propane and the fact that Michigan leads the nation in total residential propane consumption, railfans will be better off using wood for heat. The upside is 300+ more trains per year if rail is used.
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Saturnalia
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by Saturnalia »

arty flowers wrote:Get ready for more propane shipments by rail to Michigan.

https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/mark ... hut-line-5
So far haven't had too many gripes with this Governor but this isn't a smart move.

First off, Enbridge has volunteered to build a completely new, sealed tunnel under the Straits in order to keep their service going, and would also allow other services, such as electric and telecom, use it as well. The recent spill in the Straits was from an old power line, after all. This would have little to no environmental impact, virtually eliminate the oil spill concern everybody has, while also allowing them to maintain their business.

Instead, we're going to continue to risk an oil spill in Line 5 by delaying or terminating this idea entirely. The older infrastructure is, the more likely it is to fail. We should be very happy that Enbridge wants to make this investment, and fork over the permit as soon as possible. The sooner that tunnel is built, the sooner the old lake-floor pipes are decommissioned and removed.

What's more, terminating the line would as mentioned jack up energy prices. As a Democrat, the Governor fancies herself as a champion of the less fortunate. So it would seem to me that keeping energy prices low would be a goal of hers. After all increases in energy prices disproportionately hurt poorer people. Certainly she will never again worry about her utility bill, with the Mansion of the people now and a fat pension later.

So bottom line: increased environmental risk in delaying the replacement of Line 5's existing Straits crossing, likely increased energy prices for the majority of Michiganders, all in exchange for one political promise made to get the state's environmental lobby to like her.
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PatAzo
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by PatAzo »

As much as I like trains a pipe line offers a clear advantages. If you have read how the Line 5 pipe was originally installed and how exposed it is , yes it needs to be replaced. Whitmer objected to the 7-10 year horizon. Then work with industry to expedite an acceptable plan. Tunnel boring is not a new technology.

penn central
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by penn central »

The FRA is issuing grants that where announced today i noticed that the LSRC is getting between 8 and 9 million dollars to upgrade the Mackinaw Sub very nice.

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AARR
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by AARR »

Back in 2013 they were down to about one round trip per week between Bay City and Gaylord. So they instituted a daily job out of Grayling that went everywhere and did everything between Pinconning Jct. and Gaylord and business is up significantly again.
penn central wrote:The FRA is issuing grants that where announced today i noticed that the LSRC is getting between 8 and 9 million dollars to upgrade the Mackinaw Sub very nice.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...

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