CSXT Plymouth Subdivision Never Seen Before Video Footage

[ChessieForever]

I have just released the first 30 minute video clip from a new video series documenting the CSXT Plymouth Subdivision starting in 1988. These video clips are just that - short clips - mostly of locomotives passing through Howell, Michigan around mile post 54.8.

You should be able to just click on the link below to access the video. You can also just do a search for 'The Steve Michaels Experience Railroad Video Series' online - and you will find it plus much, much more.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wOiZ ... PukFVJlqug

Thanks for watching!

[BL2-1843]

As Chessie Forever noted, this video showcase locomotives that ran on the Plymouth Sub, as well as numerous off sub locations as well I realize a lot of people like to see the entire train, something you will not see for the most part, but does document the locomotives well, even the Soo-CP trains that traversed this sub at one time.

[Tom Train]

Nice video , Steve. Brings back a lot of memories. I remember when hyou were a little kid and your dad was taking the pictures. Keep up the good work.

[hoborich]

Enjoyed your videos. Quite a variety of power back in the day. The TSBY running along Oak Grove Road brought back some memories.

[BL2-1843]

Nice video , Steve. Brings back a lot of memories. I remember when hyou were a little kid and your dad was taking the pictures. Keep up the good work.

I could be mistaken being 30 years ago, yet was quite sure that was you Tom, riding the TSBY northbound that I zoomed in close as you passed by Riddle Street leaving Howell. Those were indeed the good old days for the both of us.

[ChessieForever]

Volume #2 has just been posted! This is a continuation from Volume #1. This video showcases the Holland Tulip Train weekend featuring all four of the CSX F-Units. Following that are clips from Wyoming Yard in Grand Rapids as well as Barr Yard in Riverdale, Illinois where you can see a pair of vintage C&NW geeps pulling a transfer run. Again, the main purpose of these video clips was to document locomotives, not the entire train. Thanks again for watching!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wOiZ ... PukFVJlqug

[Tom Train]

Howell YM, I did ride the GLC once eons ago during the Melon Festival to Whitmore Lake and return, I believe.

[tsinoms]

Interesting find in the first video was of the power on the first CP train. Larry Burk caught the exact same train in Detroit later that day!
March 5th 1988 at Delray!

[ChessieForever]

Volume #3 has just been posted! This next in series video contains highlights from the Brighton derailment of CP Train 202 as well as scenes from Willard, Fostoria and Walbridge, Ohio with a little Barr Yard in Riverdale, Illinois at the end thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wOiZ ... PukFVJlqug

[BL2-1843]

Volume #3 has just been posted! This next in series video contains highlights from the Brighton derailment of CP Train 202 as well as scenes from Willard, Fostoria and Walbridge, Ohio with a little Barr Yard in Riverdale, Illinois at the end thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wOiZ ... PukFVJlqug

A few comments after just viewing the posted Volume # 3 by Chessie Forever. This one has quite a bit of variety other than trains on the Plymouth Sub at MP 54.8. Not to far into the video are three or four trains in a row taken from inside my house on a cold winter day, showing the view I have had from my living room for the last 48 years. Another one later shows a couple of TP&W units on it.

Regarding the derailment video of CP/CSX train 502 in Brighton, I just happened to be in Brighton when this train derailed looking at vehicles at a local Brighton dealership and saw the train when it came to a sudden stop. Probably being only four blocks away from the way the crow flies, I heard nothing unusual, yet only when multiple sirens from emergency vehicles going through town towards the stopped train did I check it out to find out what happened. Came back to Howell and got my camera to video what I did. The train derailed in two different places within the consist.

The VMV unit on the weed spray train at Porter Indiana at the very end of the tape was leased to CSX at the time.

[ChessieForever]

Volume #4 of this series has just been posted. Aside from continuing to view the day to day operations of CSXT's Plymouth Subdivision at mile post 54.8, this video also showcases the engine facility at Wyoming Yard in Grand Rapids as well as the locomotive line-up at Barr Yard in Riverdale, Illinois. Also look for the first freshly painted CSXT YN1 SD40-2's in revenue service and freshly painted T&SB GP35's 388 (City Of Petoskey) and 393 (City Of Cadillac) switching Ann Pere east of Howell. You will also see Illinois Central Gulf action from Kankakee, Illinois as well. Finally, and if you look close enough, you will also see brand new Union Pacific SD60M's and Cotton Belt GP60's being delivered from EMD in Canada.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wOiZ ... PukFVJlqug

[ChessieForever]

Volume #5 has been posted! This edition showcases hardcore Plymouth Subdivision locomotive action at mile post 54.8. The 1990's were a busy time on the subdivision. CSXT had three pairs of freights running. Q326/Q327 Detroit-Chicago, Q334/Q335 Toledo-Grand Rapids and Q336/Q337 Flint-Chicago. Canadian Pacific also provided daily action as well utilizing their haulage/trackage rights agreement with CSXT. R200, R201, R202 and R203 could be seen daily. These trains often ran with multiple unit consists with CP and SOO SD40's and SD40-2's and an occasional Alco C630, M630 or M636 from time to time. Add in the numerous West Olive coal trains, grain trains, the weekly Manistee lime train with Conrail power and the local and you will soon see why the 1990's were good times for the CSXT Plymouth Subdivision. Highlights include witnessing the T&SB Durand Railroad Days Special with GP35's 388 and 391, seeing FLS GP16 1703 in service (one of the few GP16's to make it up to Michigan), seeing the first freshly painted CSXT YN2 locomotives (B30-7 5565 and SD40-2 8155), and seeing fresh from the plant in Canada brand new Santa Fe GP60's in gorgeous ATSF warbonnet paint being delivered.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TITnh-nSsRo

[ChessieForever]

Volume #7 has just been posted. As for Volume #6, I am still working on it. Some serious technical glitches have arisen. But to not slow down progress any we are continuing to release the series. So welcome to Volume #7 as we share continuing locomotive action on the CSXT Plymouth Subdivision main line at mile post 54.8. The major highlight of this volume is watching PM 1225 at Ann Pere and then watching it again pull a short mixed freight westbound through Howell. You will need to see this to believe it! Another highlight is viewing classic Grand Trunk Western action in both Durand and Flint with pure GTW blue power with no Canadian National to be found. Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wOiZ ... PukFVJlqug

[ChessieForever]

The 'new' Volume #7 has just been posted. I gave up on the original Volume #6, not going to happen. Hence, I have renumbered the first Volume #7 back to Volume #6. Anyhow....This is the CSXT Plymouth Subdivision main line at mile post 54.8. Watch locomotive after locomotive pass by offering non-stop action from both the CSX as well as CP Rail. Other highlights for this edition are watching the T&SB Durand Railroad Days Special powered by GP35's 388 and 394, a brief look at McGrew Yard in Flint, and watching one of the first new CSXT C40-8W widecab GE's 7656 shining the rails in Michigan. The new General Electric CSXT widecabs would eventually forever change the face of railroading in the years and decades to come. In the meantime however, there was still an abundance of EMD GP and SD models, U-Boats and Dash 7's still operating on the subdivision from both CSX predecessor railroads the Chessie System & the Seaboard System.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wOiZ ... PukFVJlqug

[ChessieForever]

Volume #8 has now been uploaded. This volume of the CSXT Plymouth Subdivision series continues the tradition set in earlier volume's of non-stop locomotive action at mile post 54.8. What really stands out with Volume #8 however, is the huge amount of Soo Line power seen on CP trains R200, R201, R202 and R203. Canadian Pacific would routinely alter locomotive assignments on their run-thru trains and 1991 was a fantastic year for watching pure multi-unit lash-ups of nothing but SOO SD40's and SD40-2's. So if you really miss the Soo Line, then Volume #8 is for you! Also see newly acquired D&H GP39-2 7407 and numerous SP GP60's being delivered brand new from EMD in Canada on their first trip west.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2mnyVm6q-o

[ChessieForever]

Volume #9 has just been posted which picks up right where Volume #8 left off. Volume #9 continues the locomotive action at mile post 54.8 in Howell, Michigan on CSXT's Plymouth Subdivision. From Chessie System GP30M's, Family Lines System C30-7's, Soo Line SD40-2's and Canadian Pacific Alco's, there was no locomotive model you could not see at any given moment on the subdivision in 1991.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFCydiyQbZk

[ChessieForever]

Volume #10 has just been uploaded. As of January 1992, Canadian Pacific was running three pairs of trains on the Plymouth Subdivision: R200 thru R205. Due to the increased traffic, CP released C424’s 4200-4250, C630’s 4500-4512, M630’s 4550-4573 and M636’s 4700-4743 into system-wide service. CP also released the Soo Line SD60’s and SD60M’s (6000-6062) into system-wide service as well. Prior to 1992, aside from an occasional Alco here and there you would have to drive to Detroit to see any serious CP Alco action. It was quite obvious by Volume #10 however, the wide array of motive power you could now see from solid trio’s of CP Alco’s to pairs of Soo Line SD60’s. As for CSXT, YN2 repainted locomotives continued to be seen more and more frequently as Huntington and Waycross continued painting the EMD GP38-2’s, GP40-2’s, SD40-2’s, SD50’s, and the GE Dash 7’s at a feverish pace. Predecessor roads could still be seen although there was getting to be fewer and fewer older painted locomotives in the mix. This was not just from the additional YN2 repaints but also due to the continued delivery of the new C40-8W’s. The U-Boats, GP16’s, GP30M’s, GP38’s and GP40’s were all on borrowed time as any major component failure would cause them to be permanently sidelined.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wOiZ ... PukFVJlqug

[ChessieForever]

Volume #11 has just been uploaded. We continue the series with yet another volume of locomotive action from mile post 54.8 in Howell, Michigan on CSXT's Plymouth Subdivision. Highlights include watching a northbound Grand Trunk Western detour train running over the Tuscola & Saginaw Bay (Ex Ann Arbor) rails, seeing brand new Metro Link F59PH's enroute to Los Angeles for commuter train service, seeing Canadian Pacific's newly acquired Ex Norfolk Southern SD40-2's (3244-3254) in their first days of revenue service, and finally watching a westbound West Olive coal train with one of the few GE U36B/MATE sets (5202-5758) to make it up far enough north to hit Michigan rails.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wOiZ ... PukFVJlqug

[ChessieForever]

Volume #12 has just been posted. Aside from continuing to watch the day to day action at mile post 54.8 in Howell, Volume #12 showcases then President George H.W. Bush and his presidential campaign train which visited the Saginaw Subdivision on September 27, 1992. The train was chased northward from Plymouth showing numerous video clips of it specifically from the Holly area. Three separate trains were involved that day. The 'lead' train was led by CSXT B36-7 5866 and B40-8 5935 and two cars. Following that was the featured George H.W. Bush presidential train with 19 cars led by brand new CSXT C40-8W 1992 (alias 7812) and 7810. The 'follow-up' train was powered by CSXT C40-8W 7811 and 7809, again with two cars. It was a great day to be out and about on the Saginaw Subdivision to witness this unique railroading event! As a side note, and getting back to the Plymouth Subdivision, if you have been following this series for any length of time, you will recall there being a telephone call box seen in virtually all of the westward facing videos at the Pepsi switch. I bring this up because it was during Volume #12 that this telephone call box was removed by the railroad. Finally, at the very end of the clip we witness the Tuscola & Saginaw Bay train Z624 (while on CSXT rails) pulling a grain train far enough west to clear the west end of the Howell passing siding. This particular train was powered by ex Ann Arbor GP35's 389 and 390 which was still wearing its original as delivered in 1964 AA orange paint.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wOiZ ... PukFVJlqug

[ChessieForever]

Volume #13 is up and ready for viewing! This volume continues to watch the evolution of the CSXT Plymouth Subdivision during the 1990's at mile post 54.8 in Howell. At the beginning of 1993, CSXT was running 6 daily freights on the line. Q326/Q327 Detroit-Chicago, Q334/Q335 Toledo-Grand Rapids and Q336/Q337 Flint-Chicago. Canadian Pacific was up to running 4 pairs of trains daily (R200 thru R207) as they continued to add more freight to the subdivision with each passing year. Add in the frequent West Olive coal trains, grain trains for Webberville, Grand Ledge and Newaygo, the numerous Z624 (while on CSX) Tuscola & Saginaw Bay transfers from Ann Pere to West Howell, and the local, one could easily see upwards of 20 trains per day!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2wOiZ ... PukFVJlqug