GDLK Operations

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Super Chief
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

Wilbur-Ellis has bought Johansen Farms in total on the Grand Elk. There have been from 1 to 14 cars on that siding at any given time so hopefully nothing will change and they'll continue to be a good customer.

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AARR
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by AARR »

IIRC JF siding has greater car capacity than other W-E locations. Maybe carloads will increase.
Super Chief wrote:Wilbur-Ellis has bought Johansen Farms in total on the Grand Elk. There have been from 1 to 14 cars on that siding at any given time so hopefully nothing will change and they'll continue to be a good customer.
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Waddy
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Waddy »

Not my photo, but it shows the progess at Hughart
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JStryker722
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by JStryker722 »

Which yard is Hughart?
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BDG
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by BDG »

JStryker722 wrote:Which yard is Hughart?
Grand Rapids

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MQT1223
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by MQT1223 »

Z637(?) heading from Wyoming yard to Hugart. Caught them at Century, 7030 LHF
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Doktor No
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Re: GDLK Operations

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BDG wrote:
JStryker722 wrote:Which yard is Hughart?
Grand Rapids
Hughart is the ex Pennsy/PC yard alongside US 131 between Burton and Franklin.
Curb Your Enthusiasm.

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SD80MAC
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by SD80MAC »

MQT1223 wrote:Z637(?) heading from Wyoming yard to Hugart. Caught them at Century, 7030 LHF
Z739
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Super Chief
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

Must be 7030 got the new cab heater since their using it now.

Raildudes dad
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

UCRY 600002 was on the transfer. Its the first and last car for Standard routed via Elkhart since the loss of trackage rights up the Westside.

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trnwatcher
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by trnwatcher »

Crossing at 32nd St SW in Wyoming appears to be getting new crossing signals and cantilever mast. Theyve got the NE quadrant laying on the ground. New base does not seem to be in yet.
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justalurker66
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by justalurker66 »

Saturnalia wrote:
Super Chief wrote:GDLK & CSX trackage rights battle hit Trains magazine this month. Anybody heard any new info on it? Has the STB expedited an opinion? GDLK execs. said they would have never signed 20 year lease not knowing the trackage rights weren't there. NS must have totally ignored that fine point.
Nothing has been filed since September 30th in this case. It looks like it is up for the board to decide now, taking their good sweet ole time, as government loves to do.
An additional filing was made by GDLK on November 16th notifying the board that GDLK had notified their employees that they were obtaining trackage rights over CSX.

The whole issue is confusing ... CSX claims that GDLK never obtained trackage rights and has been operating illegally yet CSX have worked with GDLK to qualify crews to use their tracks without a pilot. And until CSX dispatchers started refusing to accept GDLK trains CSX had accepted trains for seven years. CSX offered an "extension" of the trackage rights agreement that never existed at a cost of $105 per car (plus engines). CSX said they had crews and engines available to move GDLK trains across CSX tracks (at a rate of $300 per car per GDLK). Or CSX was willing to honor the expired trackage rights agreement with NS (so station NS crews to move GDLK trains across CSX tracks ?!?!?).

So ... are GDLK trains operating across CSX again or is the outcome still pending? GDLK lost a bid to remove CTC between Elkhart and Park. It would probably be best if this conflict is worked out between CSX and GDLK with limited STB interference.

Raildudes dad
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

I suspect some proposed activity down around GVSU or the Padnos Wealthy yard got the CSX legal beagles looking up old agreements and lo and behold the trackage rights had expired even if they had transferred them which they hadn't.

The trackage rights were not without a cost. The 30 year agreement called for Conrail to pay CSX $10,000 per year and CSX pay Conrail $1000 a year. The $1000 was for use of the SW interchange track to the GRE (GTW). The CSX interchange was in the NE quad and was removed.

I had done some research on the GDLK lease prior to Brinks building his transload and had concluded that the lease ended at Pleasant St. There was no mention of the property north of Ann St or the trackage rights.

CSX has in the meantime added a $300 surcharge each way for cars coming from GDLK. $300 in and $300 out.

We would like to make you aware of an additional change to our Publication CSXT 8100 that will be effective September 1, 2016.

8.1 – Intermediate Switching Services
-Location: Grand Rapids MI
-Application: Between GDLK, MQT or GR
-Switching Charges: $300 each way

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justalurker66
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by justalurker66 »

Both CSX and GDLK have been operating since 2009 as if there was Trackage Rights in place - including while setting up Padnos.

CSX rebuked GDLK for calling the failure to mention the Trackage Rights in the lease an oversight ... when it appears that CSX overlooked the issue as well. Including providing qualification training for GDLK crews and routine access to GDLK trains. (Yet somehow it became a "safety issue" when CSX discovered the oversight. A "safety issue" that they were willing to allow to continue for several more months.)

I agree with the assumption that some lawyer or legal aid was probably the first to notice the expiration of the rights (including CSX's rights on the NS connection). I assume that in the bureaucracy of the large railroad the checks were still being exchanged between CSX and NS. Even after the agreement expired.

The NS connection is under agreement between CSX and NS. If it were GDLK's track it would be interesting to see an engine tied down there until the issue was resolved.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

Padnos Wealthy / Joe Brown was served for years off the old Pennsy track (too lazy to look up the heritage) along Seward west of the GVSU parking ramp. There were separate CSX and GDLK tracks in Butterworth and Fulton. I suspect there was an effort by the City and MDOT to reconfigure the tracks so Padnos was served off the CSX lead.

I went by there today and there is a new switch just south of Butterworth to access the old Pennsy lead. The old crossings in Butterworth and Fulton are gone.

I suspect this new switch brought on the review of the existing agreements.

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MQT1223
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by MQT1223 »

Raildudes dad wrote:Padnos Wealthy / Joe Brown was served for years off the old Pennsy track (too lazy to look up the heritage) along Seward west of the GVSU parking ramp. There were separate CSX and GDLK tracks in Butterworth and Fulton. I suspect there was an effort by the City and MDOT to reconfigure the tracks so Padnos was served off the CSX lead.

I went by there today and there is a new switch just south of Butterworth to access the old Pennsy lead. The old crossings in Butterworth and Fulton are gone.

I suspect this new switch brought on the review of the existing agreements.
The crossing NS track removed is the old GR&I main that used to go up the west side along with the LS&MS interchanged with the GR&I.
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dave989
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by dave989 »

Rumor has it that the City of Grand Rapids or GVSU or both would like to boot Padnos out of its downtown facility on Front and Butterworth. Plus,
with the new construction at Hughart, Grand Elk is going to centralize and increase operations in 2017. This legal b.s.
may be irrelevant come spring.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

dave989 wrote:This legal b.s. may be irrelevant come spring.
The GRE ( and the CPMY to a much smaller extent) needs 2 connections for competitive rates for their customers.

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redcrumbox
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by redcrumbox »

Raildudes dad wrote: I went by there today and there is a new switch just south of Butterworth to access the old Pennsy lead. The old crossings in Butterworth and Fulton are gone.
Did Csx put in the new switch after the rights expired?
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SD80MAC
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by SD80MAC »

The word is Padnos is going to close their Front St (Joe Brown) location and move those operations up north to their current Turner St location, which will be expanded.
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