GDLK Operations

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dave989
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by dave989 »

GP-35 #3534 was ar the engine house in Grand Rapids with doors wide open looking rather ill. Hope it ain't terminal.

1TrackMind
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Re: GDLK Operations

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Super Chief wrote:According to one source the entire Cleveland pool is being eliminated out of Elkhart in the near future or has already. The reason Gearhart seemed empty is I saw no coil cars, so did the JAIL traffic just disappear or was it rerouted east? So has NS eliminated WBs on the Michigan line to the Elk? I've seen no coil cars on any Elk train in a week now.
Bellevue to Wayne then Jackson.

Super Chief
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

So coil loads in via Bellevue and empties out via Elk to Elkhart or were those 8 I saw yesterday on 302 Magic Steel as the were covered cars going southbound?

NSSD70ACe
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by NSSD70ACe »

No sign of a stone train yet but the amount of Amtrak gondolas has doubled to 13 or 14 with an on-board mini excavator and a large piece of MOW equipment on a second track behind the string of gondolas. They appear to be parked on the gravel pit leads.
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chapmaja
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by chapmaja »

1TrackMind wrote:
Super Chief wrote:According to one source the entire Cleveland pool is being eliminated out of Elkhart in the near future or has already. The reason Gearhart seemed empty is I saw no coil cars, so did the JAIL traffic just disappear or was it rerouted east? So has NS eliminated WBs on the Michigan line to the Elk? I've seen no coil cars on any Elk train in a week now.
Bellevue to Wayne then Jackson.
'

Looked like a good sized train today east of Chelsea. It was stopped east of Lima Center Rd and Chelsea Grain Company on the single track, likely because they had to were going to switch Chelsea Grain Company on its trip to Jackson. Did not get a car count, but it was 2-3 engines. I did notice some track cars on the train, something I don't recall seeing on the train west to Jackson months before.

Jim_c
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Jim_c »

There were 5 or so box cars on the Otsego line this evening waiting for the southbound to pick them up. That's not unusual. What was real unusual was an open hopper. I'm not well versed in hopper to know what kind. I made note of the reporting mark and number. Can someone who has access to such information shed some light on what was up? I don't think it was a MOW hopper.

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SD80MAC
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Re: GDLK Operations

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Jim_c wrote:There were 5 or so box cars on the Otsego line this evening waiting for the southbound to pick them up. That's not unusual. What was real unusual was an open hopper. I'm not well versed in hopper to know what kind. I made note of the reporting mark and number. Can someone who has access to such information shed some light on what was up? I don't think it was a MOW hopper.

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Sounds like a ballast hopper. I know GDLK has been doing some work on the Otsego branch this year.
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Jim_c
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Jim_c »

SD80MAC wrote:
Jim_c wrote:There were 5 or so box cars on the Otsego line this evening waiting for the southbound to pick them up. That's not unusual. What was real unusual was an open hopper. I'm not well versed in hopper to know what kind. I made note of the reporting mark and number. Can someone who has access to such information shed some light on what was up? I don't think it was a MOW hopper.

WC 33067
Sounds like a ballast hopper. I know GDLK has been doing some work on the Otsego branch this year.

They definitely have. I was thinking this was in much better shape than the MOW hoppers I'd seen before on the Elk. I was hoping either a transload had popped up, or the paper mill needed a hopper for something.

The piles of ties are gone, but the MOW equipment is still on the stub that used to go to Parchment.
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Ypsi
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Ypsi »

Does't appear to be what we use for ballast, but I've been surprised many times already :lol: Could be transload, could be ballast, could be BO, could be misrouted who knows. For what its worth we have a pair of maybe three former CR(ish) ballast hoppers that are marked for GDLK MOW.
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Raildudes dad
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

Loaded in Mosinee WI. I'm guessing at Milestone Materials

Jim_c
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Re: GDLK Operations

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Raildudes dad wrote:Loaded in Mosinee WI. I'm guessing at Milestone Materials
Thanks. It might have been ballast, but it was imported ballast. Unless somebody else needed a load of aggregate. In the old days it could have come across the lake.
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~Z~
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by ~Z~ »

Haven't seen cars too often at L&W supply in Grand Rapids, but saw a pair Tuesday night, TTZX 85840 and TTZX 866024. Both slightly unloaded at that time.
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Raildudes dad
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Re: GDLK Operations

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Both reporting empty in Detroit this morning. Came loaded from the same place in KY as in the past. The lumber I track dropped off for 6 weeks or or so. Now I have more inbound at one time than ever before.

Super Chief
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Re: GDLK Operations

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Heard a 700 series train go thru Cowling and Park 15 minutes ago northbound. Could it be the first elusive stone train?

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12Bridge
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Re: GDLK Operations

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Doubt it being that the conveyors are not done yet.

Jim_c
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Jim_c »

AMTK on the GDLK
20190701_163752(3).jpg
Saw this looking out the window of the Old Mill restaurant in Plainwell. The Elk dropped three or four in Plainwell, and took two to Otsego.
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Super Chief
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

Three Rivers yard has 1 gondola of ties tied up there. Plus there are more track panels ar various crossings for replacement. Lot of improvments going on right now.

Super Chief
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

NS 3323 SD40-2 leading 4209 and 4189 thru Three Rivers northbound at 4:30pm. They were hauling the mail!!

PatAzo
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by PatAzo »

They are looking at transloading propane in Kalamazoo. Car counts are down which opens up yard tracks which is bringing back...store cars.

1TrackMind
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Re: GDLK Operations

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PatAzo wrote:They are looking at transloading propane in Grand Rapids.

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