RailRoadFan.com

NSSD70ACe wrote:501 is SB, holding ~300 ft north of Cork Street in Kalamazoo.

Why would they be stopped there? It's not likely that they're waiting for someone, there's no passing siding there. I also don't think it's likely that they're waiting on CN or someone down in TR, considering the distance.

That is the end of the yard limits. Perhaps they were waiting for track authority?

Updating the Grand Elk Wiki page and I ran into a few questions... http://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/Grand_Elk

-Does anyone know the OFOX/CEFX number that WAMX 4225 wore prior to being purchased by Watco?

-What is the number of the GMTX unit currently leased by the Grand Elk?

-Did WAMX 3829 ever return to the Elk after going to Chicago in 2015 or 2016?

SD80MAC wrote:Updating the Grand Elk Wiki page and I ran into a few questions...

-Does anyone know the OFOX/CEFX number that WAMX 4225 wore prior to being purchased by Watco?

-What is the number of the GMTX unit currently leased by the Grand Elk?

-Did WAMX 3829 ever return to the Elk after going to Chicago in 2015 or 2016?

GMTX is 2204. I haven't seen 3829 in Gearhart Yard recently but it's been a little while. I'll try to run over there in the next few days to be sure unless someone else knows for a fact.


Also, @justalurker66, they waited for at least an hour, if not longer (since I don't know how long they had been stopped since before I found them). Would it usually take an hour or more for a DS to give track clearance to a train? I know the Grand Elk isn't all that busy right now but it makes me wonder if the Watco dispatchers all have only one railroad to worry about or if one DS works multiple RRs (say, one guy does GDLK and the AA for example).

-What is the number of the GMTX unit currently leased by the Grand Elk?

GMTX 2204.

NSSD70ACe wrote:

SD80MAC wrote:Also, @justalurker66, they waited for at least an hour, if not longer (since I don't know how long they had been stopped since before I found them).

All speculative but, they could have followed 302 out and had to hold there until 302 was clear further south. I once saw them tie 302 and 501 together at Gerhart once, leave as a single train and and split them up when they were south of town. Could have been M of W in the way further south and they went to Cork St to not have to wait for Amtrak to get out of Gerhart.

NSSD70ACe wrote: Would it usually take an hour or more for a DS to give track clearance to a train? I know the Grand Elk isn't all that busy right now but it makes me wonder if the Watco dispatchers all have only one railroad to worry about or if one DS works multiple RRs (say, one guy does GDLK and the AA for example).

GDLK is dispatched from the K&O office in Wichita. If they couldn't reach the dispatcher they wouldn't have been able to get to Cork St.

SD80MAC wrote:Updating the Grand Elk Wiki page and I ran into a few questions... http://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/Grand_Elk

-Does anyone know the OFOX/CEFX number that WAMX 4225 wore prior to being purchased by Watco?

'RRPictureArchives is saying 2789. Did you ever have that engine on one of your trains?

It was a held up parade yesterday. 302 was at Cowling with 4206 and 2 sisters with a malfunctioning alarm bell. Power mechanics were down from Kalamazoo working on it. Track crew with dual axle rail truck was behind them replacing broken rail at Cotherman Lake Rd. So 501 could hold or only go to Schoolcraft to work customers. Guess they elected to sit where you saw them at least out of the yard and Amtraks way. 3829 went back to Wisconsin from Chicago as I reported earlier. Did see 3534 at Gearhart which is usually rare.

Any given day is a chess game on the Elk. Get 302 and 501 out of the yard before Amtraks start. Get 302 to Elkhart and wait at CP 95 for NS to let them into the yard between their own trains. Get 501 out of 302s way after they've gotten back out of Elkhart and get into Kalamazoo between or after Amtraks. If they run out of time they park it at CP Park (no pun intended ) and a 2nd crew will drive down to bring it in. 501 will sometimes beat them home due to the wait time in Elkhart. Every day is different. Hence 3 different radio frequencies and a lot of radio/cell talk between 501 & 302. Safety First.

Super Chief wrote:Anybody know approximately when 303 gets into Kazoo. Do they hold out north of down for Amtrak to clear up or is it a crap-shoot on the time based on en-route switching?

The current routine is for the 18:00 relief crew to meet 303 wherever they are. It's usually somewhere around Shelbyville, Martin, Plainwell. Figure once re-crewed they'll switch USG (good for 1 hour +). Back to Kalamazoo would be maybe 10:00PM or later.

There is talk on GDLK that the property east of Gerhart has been purchased by a company that will receive stone by rail. They are said to have a contract to supply stone to someone. The stone would arrive in 80 car trains coming off the NS. I was curious who in the Kalamazoo area would be using that quantity of stone.

I thought the AA was still being dispatched from Toledo, but that may have changed in the last year or so. It would not shock me if it changed. I know the signage on the AA building in Howell is all gone and the building looks vacated from railroad business.

There is talk on GDLK that the property east of Gerhart has been purchased by a company that will receive stone by rail. They are said to have a contract to supply stone to someone. The stone would arrive in 80 car trains coming off the NS. I was curious who in the Kalamazoo area would be using that quantity of stone.

If this talk is true it "could" be a stone yard similar to what Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Flint have. Kalamazoo could be a good centralized location for cement / construction /other industries to get stone from all around Southwest Michigan. Very close to this location is a large Consumers Concrete operation (Michigan Ave and Sprinkle Road) with a large sand pit behind them to the North along Sprinkle Road. I can see them as one of the "possible" receivers of stone.

This is just a thought that comes to mind, I know nothing about the facts here.

Hope it is true. That property is the old Paper Mill property, which would be an ideal location as it is also close to Michigan Avenue, M-96, and of course the railroad.

Keep us posted!

David Lang

Well that will be interesting to keep one of those out of Amtrak's way. Years ago Gordie Morris wanted to put a stone pit south of Schoolcraft between XY and YZ avenues. Remember the Morris Land and Cattle Co. sign along US131. This was after Vulcan stone went in at the Andersons in WP. This cut him out bringing the trains down the MSO branch and unloading in his pit. Rumors then were lots of concrete was going to be poured by MDOT on surrounding highways. Didn't happen so the siding wasn't put in and the land went for sale. Maybe this time around.

Well that will be interesting to keep one of those out of Amtrak's way.

Its double track from Comstock West, so I don't believe a stone train would be in the way as long as they were clear of Comstock.

Don't they have a fairly new crossover somewhere east of BO that could be used in the even a freight was occupying the south main track?

David Lang

The property the paper mill was on I thought was on the north side of track beyond Gearhart along Michigan Ave? But their was a crossing if you could call it that that went over the tracks to some land.

Is the paper mill you're thinking about the former Georgia-Pacific plant?

Super Chief wrote:The property the paper mill was on I thought was on the north side of track beyond Gearhart along Michigan Ave? But their was a crossing if you could call it that that went over the tracks to some land.

AARR wrote:Is the paper mill you're thinking about the former Georgia-Pacific plant?

Super Chief wrote:The property the paper mill was on I thought was on the north side of track beyond Gearhart along Michigan Ave? But their was a crossing if you could call it that that went over the tracks to some land.

South of the tracks and east of the yard WAS the GP Paper Mill. So yes.

Thanks for the clarification so they might put a siding off the yard lead then?

David Lang wrote:

Well that will be interesting to keep one of those out of Amtrak's way.

Its double track from Comstock West, so I don't believe a stone train would be in the way as long as they were clear of Comstock.

Don't they have a fairly new crossover somewhere east of BO that could be used in the even a freight was occupying the south main track?

David Lang

They would pull into Gerhart and go into the site off the lead at the east end of the yard. It extends past the old Georgia Pacific site.

The other track that went across the road went to the iron and metal scrap yard. That scrap yard, BTW, started using rail service again loading at a team track a block or so to the west.

Doktor No wrote:

AARR wrote:Is the paper mill you're thinking about the former Georgia-Pacific plant?

Super Chief wrote:The property the paper mill was on I thought was on the north side of track beyond Gearhart along Michigan Ave? But their was a crossing if you could call it that that went over the tracks to some land.

South of the tracks and east of the yard WAS the GP Paper Mill. So yes.