Unit Grain coming to Amtrak Line?

[Beal99]

Pretty interesting, anyone know more on this?

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/ind ... er_default

[AARR]

The mystery of the Cargill location is now revealed. North Star already ships unit grain trains south to Michigan City and Porter.

[Saturnalia]

The mystery of the Cargill location is now revealed. North Star already ships unit grain trains south to Michigan City and Porter.

I didn't know they shipped unit trains. How often do they run?

[OwlCaboose2853]

The mystery of the Cargill location is now revealed. North Star already ships unit grain trains south to Michigan City and Porter.

I didn't know they shipped unit trains. How often do they run?

Possibility; Amtrak Freight engines:
There is an Orange one in the Omaha Area from time to time. Works at a Grain Elevator now.

GP7
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/loc...id=AMTK&mid=40

GP9
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/loc...id=AMTK&mid=49

GP38
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/loc...d=AMTK&mid=183

[Ypsi]

IIRC NS has trackage over the Amtrak line for Freight still. I think it is BO4 that works the 110 area from Porter to Kzoo, and I believe those engines (GP40-2s I believe) have ITCS. I would assume NS would get the Grain trains as well. I don't see Amtrak get into Freight hauling.

And OwlCaboose, all three of the links didn't work for me

[AARR]

IIRC NS has trackage over the Amtrak line for Freight still. I think it is BO4 that works the 110 area from Porter to Kzoo, and I believe those engines (GP40-2s I believe) have ITCS. I would assume NS would get the Grain trains as well. I don't see Amtrak get into Freight hauling.

Correct, NS switches freight customers between Porter and Mattawan.

North Star has been a steady shipper for the last few years. IIRC North Star could hold 8 cars on its two spurs. Last year (maybe 2 years ago?) they significantly expanded its siding capacity to hold 75 (or so) cars. I am not aware of any unit trains shipped but the infrastructure is there to do so.

North Star also can receive dry and liquid fertilizer.

Recently a rumor surfaced that Cargill was going to build an elevator on GDLK in southern Michigan. As we railfans do we have been trying to figure out where and when.

Now that we know about the purchase of North Star to Cargill the rest of the story surfaces

[David Lang]

Purchasing North Star Grain in Decatur and expanding (articles said they were completing another 500,000 bushel storage bin) might have been more cost effective as opposed to building a whole new facility, not to mention a lot faster too. I assume these factors were a part of the decision process.

Another thing I will note - unit grain trains will have to deal with Amtrak, unless they run at night. (I suppose its possible there could be windows of time during the day, but you would really have to keep that train moving to avoid Amtrak delays).

Are there large enough passing sidings between Decatur and Michigan City for a grain train to sit and wait for Amtrak? I would think a freight between Decatur and Michigan City would need at least 2 hours.

David Lang

[Ypsi]

After about 11pm-midnight for sure you would have 6-7 hours to move a unit train, so it is possible. Would be a couple hours between 350 and 351, and time between 354 and 355 as well.

[Standard Railfan]

Another thing I will note - unit grain trains will have to deal with Amtrak, unless they run at night. (I suppose its possible there could be windows of time during the day, but you would really have to keep that train moving to avoid Amtrak delays).

David Lang

I believe that Amtrak will be dispatching the entire Michigan line, so I expect that NS freights will be relegated to the overnight hours. I cannot see Amtrak wanting to risk holding up a high speed passenger train for a slow moving grain train. IIRC, NS already works east of Porter and West of Battle Creek overnight on the Amtrak line. Is that correct?

[Saturnalia]

The local from Burns Harbor seems to head east after 350 & 351. It returns anytime thereafter, I've seen it anywhere from 1400 EDT to 2300 EDT.

[Ben Higdon]

I heard last year that the guy who owned or ran Northstar folded and stiffed farmers who were owed money.

[bctrainfan]

Yes, NS train B57 works overnight on weekdays out of Hinman yard in Battle Creek serving the customers to the west of BC. (ADM Sweetner terminal, Kellogg, Post, RockTenn paper, sometimes Ralston's or the siding/team track next to US Lumber, and Knappen Milling.) Don't think they ever go any further west than Knappen Milling in Augusta.

[GTW]

BO 5 is usually in the siding at Decatur inthe middle of the afternoon between Amtrak's. Usually hear him head west around 5-6 pm. as far as heading east I have never heard him or seen him east of Lawton.

[AARR]

Yes, NS train B57 works overnight on weekdays out of Hinman yard in Battle Creek serving the customers to the west of BC. Don't think they ever go any further west than Knappen Milling in Augusta.

Correct, in fact about a year or so ago a car had to go from BCK to Kzoo and it had to go to Jackson, Detroit, Elkhart, then north on GDLK to get there. Some of us made fun of NS for not simply taking it the 15ish miles from Augusta to Kzoo but someone explained the reasons and although I don't recall them all I understood why (but it's still fun to poke fun at Class 1's and their inflexibilities

[AARR]

BO 5 is usually in the siding at Decatur inthe middle of the afternoon between Amtrak's. Usually hear him head west around 5-6 pm. as far as heading east I have never heard him or seen him east of Lawton.

Where ever the juice plant is as far east as they go so Lawton is probably it (I don't know what made me think of Mattawan

[David Lang]

Sorry to ask this guys, but how far does 38E and 39E go now? Do they go all the way to Kalamazoo like they used to, to interchange with the Grand Elk or do "locals" now move cars between Jackson and Kzoo? I even hesitate to ask this because as was posted earlier, one car couldn't go from Battle Creek to Kzoo, so how is all this handled now? Obviously, I haven't followed the whole NS to Grand Elk transition very well.

BTW, I'm going to Ann Arbor tomorrow on Amtrak from Royal Oak. Any chance I might see 38E, 39E, or a local? Thanks.

David Lang

[SD80MAC]

38E and 39E only go as far as or originate in Jackson. There's a local train out of Jackson that works between Jackson and Battle Creek. There's also a local job in Battle Creek that goes only as far west as Augusta. NS does not run anything to Kalamazoo anymore, all of the Grand Elk traffic is interchanged in Elkhart.