Work in Grawn?

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TC railman
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Work in Grawn?

Unread post by TC railman »

There is a crossbuck down in Grawn (maybe a car hit it) and there is fresh dirt like they had trucks in grawn working. But the crossbuck look like a temporary one!?!? Cherry growers is going bankrupt I think. So maybe the line is being torn out.

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Saturnalia
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Re: Work in Grawn?

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Can't tear it out without filing with the STB...
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jimnorthwood
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Re: Work in Grawn?

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Cherry Growers stopped using rail years ago. Someone will correct me but I believe this had to do with their switch from being required to use glass bottles to ship apple juice to their main shipper, a military facility in Texas, said bottles which lent themselves to shipment by rail, to plastic bottles, which were more truck shipment friendly. Or the military facility required rail shipment, but then relaxed that requirement. Or something like that. A report I read indicated CG will continue to operate in as well as after bankruptcy. The state of Michigan owns the track and as the previous poster notes, no rail removal will occur sans a filing of either discontinuance or abandonment with the Surface Transportation Board. The state has probably kept this part of the line in place in case the propane dealer wants to start using rail again, or a new rail oriented customer decides to locate there.

csx801
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Re: Work in Grawn?

Unread post by csx801 »

Cherry Growers filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy which legally obligates their creditors to cool it for a few while they get their finances in order. This was done in response to the failed apple crop a few years back which put some financial strain on the company. Only when a company falls into technical insolvency (unable to fulfill financial obligations) would they file for chapter 7 bankruptcy, liquidate their assets, and close up shop. Cherry Growers isn't going anywhere yet.

I believe someone shared a link to a news article or two on here not that long ago.

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Saturnalia
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Re: Work in Grawn?

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csx801 wrote:Cherry Growers filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy which legally obligates their creditors to cool it for a few while they get their finances in order. This was done in response to the failed apple crop a few years back which put some financial strain on the company. Only when a company falls into technical insolvency (unable to fulfill financial obligations) would they file for chapter 7 bankruptcy, liquidate their assets, and close up shop. Cherry Growers isn't going anywhere yet.

I believe someone shared a link to a news article or two on here not that long ago.
Indeed, bankruptcy isn't the "game over" sorta deal some people seem to think it is. It's a series of rules about how you restructure debt while shielded from your creditors.

The bad year of a couple years ago, followed by some great ones which drove down prices, hasn't helped the industry. Most farm businesses are way closer to bankruptcy than most people care to admit while prices remain low in a variety of markets, including and without exception corn, which is also facing international growing and currency pressures.
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AARR
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Re: Work in Grawn?

Unread post by AARR »

Many of the land tracts in Macomb County are growing soy beans instead of corn do to the low price point of corn. Fortunately, there's still plenty of sweet corn at the local produce stands :D
Saturnalia wrote:The bad year of a couple years ago, followed by some great ones which drove down prices, hasn't helped the industry. Most farm businesses are way closer to bankruptcy than most people care to admit while prices remain low in a variety of markets, including and without exception corn, which is also facing international growing and currency pressures.
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GreatLakesRailfan
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Re: Work in Grawn?

Unread post by GreatLakesRailfan »

AARR wrote:Many of the land tracts in Macomb County are growing soy beans instead of corn do to the low price point of corn. Fortunately, there's still plenty of sweet corn at the local produce stands :D
Which is probably coming from Oakland County... :P
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DLM
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Re: Work in Grawn?

Unread post by DLM »

While the apple crop had a part in the money issues, the bigger issues came from them overselling their production capacity on the apple side and then not being able to deliver. The cherry side of the business has always been stable.

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James Sofonia
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Re: Work in Grawn?

Unread post by James Sofonia »

TC railman wrote:There is a crossbuck down in Grawn (maybe a car hit it) and there is fresh dirt like they had trucks in grawn working. But the crossbuck look like a temporary one!?!? Cherry growers is going bankrupt I think. So maybe the line is being torn out.
They rebuilt the road crossing in Grawn last year. I don't think after spending that money they would tear it out a year later.

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Re: Work in Grawn?

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"Grawn" sounds like some kind of skin fungus. :lol:
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Re: Work in Grawn?

Unread post by TC Man »

Pixl wrote:
TC railman wrote:There is a crossbuck down in Grawn (maybe a car hit it) and there is fresh dirt like they had trucks in grawn working. But the crossbuck look like a temporary one!?!? Cherry growers is going bankrupt I think. So maybe the line is being torn out.
They rebuilt the road crossing in Grawn last year. I don't think after spending that money they would tear it out a year later.
No crossing was rebuilt in Grawn in at least the last 10+ years. County Road 633 was resurfaced throughout Grawn and south a couple years ago- but had nothing to do with the crossing.
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James Sofonia
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Re: Work in Grawn?

Unread post by James Sofonia »

TC Man wrote:
No crossing was rebuilt in Grawn in at least the last 10+ years. County Road 633 was resurfaced throughout Grawn and south a couple years ago- but had nothing to do with the crossing.
Well here is a posting I did on that Nov. 2015. Kinda looks like they are working on the grade crossing to me.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=32676&p=344546&hilit=grawn#p344546

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Re: Work in Grawn?

Unread post by TC Man »

Pixl wrote:
TC Man wrote:
No crossing was rebuilt in Grawn in at least the last 10+ years. County Road 633 was resurfaced throughout Grawn and south a couple years ago- but had nothing to do with the crossing.
Well here is a posting I did on that Nov. 2015. Kinda looks like they are working on the grade crossing to me.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=32676&p=344546&hilit=grawn#p344546
That was simply part of repavimg 6 miles of County Road 633. No ties or rail or flangeways were replaced, which would define "rebuilding".
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