Ludington Windmill Trains

[BB]

Here's a short clip of blades flexing on the UP going north into Minnesota.
http://youtu.be/scFCgAtzYNk?hd=1

[MQT3001]

Here's a short clip of blades flexing on the UP.
http://youtu.be/scFCgAtzYNk?hd=1

Is that the train headed for here?

[J T]

FYI, in case anyone didn't read it elsewhere, there are slated to be 6 windmill trains total to Ludington, with #2 on the way as Mr Tops mentioned.

I figured it would be around 5 or so total. I hope I can catch at least one or two more.

[Jochs]

FYI, in case anyone didn't read it elsewhere, there are slated to be 6 windmill trains total to Ludington, with #2 on the way as Mr Tops mentioned.

Wow, that's it? Or is that JUST the trains from Colorado?

I would guess that's it, at least for one wind farm.
In the future, I imagine more wind farms will be built, and hopefully the parts will be brought in by rail.
I'm surprised there aren't any in the wide open spaces of S MI, like around Schoolcraft for example. (If they did build a wind farm near Schoolcraft, parts would probably come via CN or Grand Elk I'd imagine.)

[bctrainfan]

Well, there are 56 windmills going near Ludington, each over 400' tall, so thats a lot of pieces and parts to bring in. I would think maybe a few more trains at least.

[J T]

Well, there are 56 windmills going near Ludington, each over 400' tall, so thats a lot of pieces and parts to bring in. I would think maybe a few more trains at least.

Yep. 51 loads on the first train, with 3 sections for each windmill tower, and that's only 17 towers on the first train. Plenty more trains to come.

[MQT3001]

FYI, in case anyone didn't read it elsewhere, there are slated to be 6 windmill trains total to Ludington, with #2 on the way as Mr Tops mentioned.

Wow, that's it? Or is that JUST the trains from Colorado?

I would guess that's it, at least for one wind farm.
In the future, I imagine more wind farms will be built, and hopefully the parts will be brought in by rail.
I'm surprised there aren't any in the wide open spaces of S MI, like around Schoolcraft for example. (If they did build a wind farm near Schoolcraft, parts would probably come via CN or Grand Elk I'd imagine.)

I was just wondering if that is just the trains from Colorado because parts from Denmark were due to be off loaded from a ship in Burns Harbor and taken via rail to Ludington. Under this senario, there would be 6 trains from colorado, PLUS x amount from Burns Harbor.

Either way, I LOVE that the trains (at least the first two), are arriving on weekends

[atrainguy60]

I wonder if windfarms have been considered in the Imlay City area. Some wide open spaces out there.

[SW]

I wonder if windfarms have been considered in the Imlay City area. Some wide open spaces out there.

Several windfarms are already in existence further north in the thumb, in the Ubly and Minden City area. Last summer there was a windmill train parked on the Huron & Eastern line just south of Minden City for that project.

[J T]

Either way, I LOVE that the trains (at least the first two), are arriving on weekends

And despite plenty of heads up prior to the first one arriving in GR, you were still too late getting to a crossing to see it.

[amtrak1007]

And despite plenty of heads up prior to the first one arriving in GR, you were still too late getting to a crossing to see it.

[MQT3001]

Either way, I LOVE that the trains (at least the first two), are arriving on weekends

And despite plenty of heads up prior to the first one arriving in GR, you were still too late getting to a crossing to see it.

If I could drive I would have been out @ Saugatuck waiting as well
Just one more year

[amtrak1007]

If I could drive I would have been out @ Saugatuck waiting as well
Just one more year

I think he's talking more about patience than mobility....

[Mr. Tops]

SBRCXW is currently at Cadwell, IL, 25 miles south of Villa Grove. No outbound crew called for it, meaning it will get tied down in the siding at Tuscola or possibly in the yard at VG. CSX/MQT must not want it yet, maybe no crew available on the CSX side? Still only the two north-facing motors on it. Maybe staging to wait for a south-facer to add onto the rear? HIIK!

[bctrainfan]

I wonder if windfarms have been considered in the Imlay City area. Some wide open spaces out there.

Consumers Energy has plans for another project similar to the Lake Winds Energy Park near Ludington being built now. It will be called Cross Winds Energy Park and will be in the Thumb area in Huron and Tuscola counties, supposed to be done between 2015 and 2017.

So yes, I expect some similar trains will be seen on Huron & Eastern tracks, too.

[trnwatcher]

Ok to answer everyone's questions....

JT: Youtube now allows you take some of the shake out of a video when you upload. Cool feature. Just noticed it for the first time when I uploaded this video. I do have a variety of tripods but shot this video by hand. I was steadying myself on the vehicle.

All: I was just west of CG19.1 The Zeeland (CG19.0) signal was west of me and the DD (CG19.1) was just to my east. I had the scanner on full volume but the camera didn't pick up the DD when the train hit it. I was in the Zeeland Hospital parking over flow lot. There are never cars in it and it sits up on a rise so it made a good locale to shoot the power plant in the back ground of the wind mill train. Kind of a old\new electricity generating technology theme so to speak....

[Mr. Tops]

Crew on duty in Villa Grove at 0530ct. Train is currently past Momence, IL, scheduled to arrive at Barr this afternoon 1515ct. My guess is it will be after that ensuing an overnight arrival into MI. I took the day off today, otherwise it would've been yours truly bringing this train into Chicago. I could've stayed on it and rode right up to Ludington, visited the MQT guys, then had the fam come pick me up!

[extra board]

Csx used that crew for a n90303.they need to taxi another crew to chicago for train.wait keep on cutting jobs csx your doing a great job.

[Typhoon]

Csx used that crew for a n90303.they need to taxi another crew to chicago for train.wait keep on cutting jobs csx your doing a great job.

??? K24202 on duty at Barr at 15:30.

[extra board]

Csx used that crew for a n90303.they need to taxi another crew to chicago for train.wait keep on cutting jobs csx your doing a great job.

??? K24202 on duty at Barr at 15:30.

My bad I didn't see that crew down there.
15:35-as of 00:01 there at Curtis ind.....
This part doesn't make any since they called a recrew
For n903 at riverside but no pusher job.