Where's the coal?

[Big T]

Maybe this has been explained before and I just missed it, but where have the coal trains across the Plymouth SD gone? I don't think I've seen one this winter. I know MSU has stopped using coal, and the Essexville plant was nearing shutdown, but it seemed like I used to see trains bound for Marysville still? Anybody have insight on this?

[SD80MAC]

To my knowledge, Marysville coal trains have never used the Plymouth sub. MSU has converted their power plant to natural gas and torn out most of the track in their facility, so you'll never see a coal train there again. The Essexville coal is currently on a BNSF-CN-HESR routing, and if and when it does ever return to CSX, it'll likely run via Indiana and Ohio like it had been in recent years. West Olive used to get 1 or 2 eastern coal trains a week from CSX, but now that all of their burners can burn western coal, they don't order eastern coal unless BNSF can't keep up. IIRC there were no eastern coal trains for West Olive in 2016 at all.

[BamaSubdivision94]

To my knowledge, Marysville coal trains have never used the Plymouth sub. MSU has converted their power plant to natural gas and torn out most of the track in their facility, so you'll never see a coal train there again. The Essexville coal is currently on a BNSF-CN-HESR routing, and if and when it does ever return to CSX, it'll likely run via Indiana and Ohio like it had been in recent years. West Olive used to get 1 or 2 eastern coal trains a week from CSX, but now that all of their burners can burn western coal, they don't order eastern coal unless BNSF can't keep up. IIRC there were no eastern coal trains for West Olive in 2016 at all.

For the Essexville coal trains, the contract for them is traded every few months by CN/HESR and CSX/LSRC last time I checked. When CSX/LSRC has the contract probably for spring/summer, the trains come up the Saginaw Sub at Plymouth.

[Saturnalia]

For the Essexville coal trains, the contract for them is traded every few months by CN/HESR and CSX/LSRC last time I checked. When CSX/LSRC has the contract probably for spring/summer, the trains come up the Saginaw Sub at Plymouth.

This was the case until over a year ago, when the HESR and CN captured a longer-term contract.

Sounds like HESR and CN probably had a better deal, and I think Consumers was getting concerned about the number of derailments LSRC was incurring with the CPOX equipment, but the latter deal is more rumor than confirmed fact.

In part to facilitate the coal trains, the HESR got four additional SD40-2s, two from ISRR and two from MQT, to help move that tonnage.

[BerkshireKid]

No SD40's came from ISRR. There were 2 GP40-3's that were supposed to go to the ISRR but G&W rerouted them to HESR.

[Racer]

In addition to the DTE coal trains to St. Clair, CSX has been running occasional eastern coal trains to Essexville as well. They are sporadic, but on a good week CSX has ran 2-3 loads through Plymouth, especially this past fall season.