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New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 12:09 pm
by KC
Tri-State Forest Products has opened at the former Hager site in Gaylord.
Stopped by this morning, and yes they do plan on using rail.... :D :D


Heres link to company website:
http://www.tsfpi.com/index.html

Heres their sign:
Image




Heres their siding back in Hager days:
1 May 2009
Image

Kelly

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 12:13 pm
by AARR
Tri-State operates the former Hager Distributors in Saginaw too.

In its Hager days the place in Gaylord would get 3-5 cars a month. Maybe a little less toward the end of service.

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:07 pm
by David Lang
Took a trip to Mackinaw City and back yesterday. 2757 Dickerson Road in Gaylord, according to Google Maps, is about 2000 feet West of the Lake State Railroad right next to the airport. Maybe this is their office building? This address is not the picture shown in the first post when I look at Google Maps. Strange. Maybe they will offload somewhere? Anyway, hope this will still have rail service.

Anyway, on the way up and back yesterday (Sunday July 21st) we saw about a dozen boxcars in Gaylord on that track that loops around the main just under the freeway. Didn't stop, but that is what we saw. Also noticed the old Mill on the West side of Gaylord all but gone - piles of demolishion still around with equipment. Hope this site can be developed someday!

Went to the Indian River and Wolverine depots on the way home. Took pics. Sorry this is not much of a train report, but also saw the "new" track to A and L Iron in Gaylord too. This was new to me as I haven't been up north in 10 years! I know, I know - what a shame. We had kids and haven't made it up. Anyway, had a nice time in Mackinaw on our Anniversary.

David Lang

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:16 pm
by AARR
David Lang wrote:Took a trip to Mackinaw City and back yesterday. 2757 Dickerson Road in Gaylord, according to Google Maps, is about 2000 feet West of the Lake State Railroad right next to the airport. Maybe this is their office building? This address is not the picture shown in the first post when I look at Google Maps. Strange. Maybe they will offload somewhere? Anyway, hope this will still have rail service.
Tri State has a lumber yard where they unload in Gaylord. Their spur connects to the A&L (formerly G-P) line.

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:38 pm
by Standard Railfan
David Lang wrote: 2757 Dickerson Road in Gaylord, according to Google Maps, is about 2000 feet West of the Lake State Railroad right next to the airport.

David Lang
You are lucky if Google Maps places your address in the correct section (the 36 per township kind of section). Sometimes you have to drive around a bit and look for yourself. I have seen Google place addresses of a well known business on a main thoroughfare in Northern Michigan in the middle of a lake. Don't trust the placement outside of a generalization.

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 12:45 pm
by Raildudes dad
Hager was located at the same address so I'm pretty sure its at the same location as Hager. Tri States GR location is the old Hager yard on Judd Street as well.

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 4:51 pm
by David Lang
CORRECTION! The dozen or so cars I saw in my above post was in GRAYLING not Gaylord! Sorry about that.

Anyway, the reason for this post is this...Looking at Google Maps again, there are a LOT of rail sidings on the Lake State South of Grayling, between Grayline and Roscommon, all just south of 4 Mile Road, and all in a short distance of each other. What is all that and who are all the customers between Bay City and Gaylord? Thanks!

David Lang

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Mon Jul 22, 2013 6:45 pm
by AARR
David Lang wrote:Anyway, the reason for this post is this...Looking at Google Maps again, there are a LOT of rail sidings on the Lake State South of Grayling, between Grayline and Roscommon, all just south of 4 Mile Road, and all in a short distance of each other. What is all that and who are all the customers between Bay City and Gaylord?
There are three steady customers at 4 Mile Rd.
- Weyerhaeuser receives wood resin (from G-P next door) and ships out particle board
- Georgia-Pacific receives ingredients and ships out wood resins (including to Weyerhaeuser next door and to the G-P mill in Gaylord when it was open)
- Lake City Redimix - Inbound stone from Alpena (loaded at a team track)
Note that there are many obstacles obscuring the view of Weyerhaeuser and Georgia-Pacific, and the Redimix spur is way down (1/2-3/4 mile) from 4 Mile Rd. There are "No Trespassing" signs posted and I hear security at both G-P and W will enforce it on their property and report trespassers to LSRC if on the ROW.

The only remaining customers that I'm aware of between Bay City and Grayling is the small bird seed mill in Standish and the new Auburn Bean and Grain elevator under construction in Sterling.

Even in its heyday there was not an abundance of customers between Bay City and Grayling.

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2013 10:00 pm
by KC
Raildudes dad wrote:Hager was located at the same address so I'm pretty sure its at the same location as Hager. Tri States GR location is the old Hager yard on Judd Street as well.
Correct, one and the same, some former Hager employees rehired too.
AARR wrote: - Lake City Redimix - Inbound stone from Alpena (loaded at a team track).
There is a constant rumor of Lake City Redimix to get inbound cement someday also.

Kelly

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 5:57 am
by AARR
KC wrote:
AARR wrote:- Lake City Redimix - Inbound stone from Alpena (loaded at a team track).
There is a constant rumor of Lake City Redimix to get inbound cement someday also.
I've heard it too. 1000 cars a year from Alpena. Hope its true but I'll believe it when I see it :)

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 4:57 pm
by GP-35
Lake City redi mix was in talks with Halcim with the possible purchase of the Elmira terminal, & moving everything to Elmira.

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 4:59 pm
by Saturnalia
GP-35 wrote:Lake City redi mix was in talks with Halcim with the possible purchase of the Elmira terminal, & moving everything to Elmira.
I'm not very familiar with that area...would this move be just to another place in town?

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 5:13 pm
by GP-35
No, about 35mi or so to the north west, in Elmira Mi. Halcim used to get cement in by rail, they truck it from Chicago, they are looking at getting rid of the terminal, but they don't want the compitission to get it.

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 5:21 pm
by Saturnalia
GP-35 wrote:No, about 35mi or so to the north west, in Elmira Mi. Halcim used to get cement in by rail, they truck it from Chicago, they are looking at getting rid of the terminal, but they don't want the compitission to get it.
Wonder if they would still get stone from Alpena by rail? That would be a long, long ways for a stone haul that is really only about 70 miles! You'd have to go LSRC -> MMRR -> GLC. And iirc most of the LSRC stone cars are not fit to leave home rails...inspections/rebuilds?

If they did move and still get the same stone by rail, that would be a really nice pickup for the GLC

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 6:44 pm
by AARR
MQT3001 wrote:
GP-35 wrote:No, about 35mi or so to the north west, in Elmira Mi. Halcim used to get cement in by rail, they truck it from Chicago, they are looking at getting rid of the terminal, but they don't want the compitission to get it.
Wonder if they would still get stone from Alpena by rail? That would be a long, long ways for a stone haul that is really only about 70 miles! You'd have to go LSRC -> MMRR -> GLC. And iirc most of the LSRC stone cars are not fit to leave home rails...inspections/rebuilds?

If they did move and still get the same stone by rail, that would be a really nice pickup for the GLC
I love railroad rumors. So the cement will move south on one railroad 120 miles, west 40 miles on another railroad, and then southwest on a 3rd railroad 130 miles when a truck could go from Alpena to Elmira and back in 4-5 hours :lol:

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 7:06 pm
by KenB
When I was in Gaylord last sat (July 20) I did not see any railcars at all. No oil tank cars, no scrap gons and no covered hoppers. Is the oil guy still getting oil by rail?

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 7:11 pm
by AARR
KenB wrote:Is the oil guy still getting oil by rail?
Yes, around 50ish cars per year last I heard. May be more or less now but I'm pretty sure they still get rail service.

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 6:48 pm
by railroader and son
Some LSRC stone cars indeed leave home rails this summer.GLC got about 30 of them full of stone for dumping on the main line,between Owosso and Elise.

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 7:12 pm
by AARR
railroader and son wrote:Some LSRC stone cars indeed leave home rails this summer.GLC got about 30 of them full of stone for dumping on the main line,between Owosso and Elise.
Heard the stone comes from Wallace (HESR) or Kawkawlin (LSRC). I think both sources (and Alpena) are owned by same interests.

Re: New Lake State customer in Gaylord

Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 7:27 pm
by railroader and son
If Lake City was changing there Supply to Holcim,why not buy Elmira. Benefits the supplier, and Lake City,plus GLC.My buddy haul cement out of Wyoming Yard for High Grade Materials,best thing they did was start using rail he said.