RailRoadFan.com

What can operating pattern and customer base does the railroad have?

Primarily an agriculture base with a few other types of customers. They usually start from the engine house in Alma two or three days a week. Maybe more when there is a lot of grain to ship.
Hemlock – Andersons: inbound fertilizer & outbound corn, soybeans, & wheat (large capacity)
Wheeler – Michigan Agricultural Commodities: outbound seed (bagged)
Breckenridge – Crop Production Services: inbound fertilizer
Breckenridge – Michigan Agricultural Commodities: outbound corn, soybeans, & wheat (one of the largest in MI)
Breckenridge – Suburban Propane: inbound propane (used to be steady shipper when operated by Northwest but now seems sporadic)
Breckenridge - Michigan Agricultural Commodities: outbound beans (bagged & bulk)
St. Louis – Bear Truss & Fertilizer: inbound fertilizer, lumber & salt
St. Louis – Du Bar Drilling Fluids: inbound drilling fluid
Alma – MI Paving & Materials: inbound asphalt (used to be steady shipper when operated by Terry Materials but now seems sporadic)
Alma – Padnos Iron & Metal: outbound scrap metal (used to be steady shipper when operated by Alma Iron & Metal but now they are not using rail)

They run at least 3 days a week, sometimes more if they have a grain train to load. Here’s all of the info we have: http://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/M ... R,_MS,_GRE

Thanks for the replies

SD80MAC wrote:They run at least 3 days a week, sometimes more if they have a grain train to load. Here’s all of the info we have:
http://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/M ... R,_MS,_GRE

Nice list!

Is this still an accurate customer list for the MMRR?
(I'm making an interactive Google Map of the line).

Michigan Paving & Materials - Alma (formerly Terry Materials)
DuBar Drilling Fluids - St. Louis (formerly Mustang Mud)
Bear Truss - St. Louis
Michigan Chloride - St. Louis
MAC Elevator Downtown - Breckenridge
Suburban Propane - Breckenridge (Still active?)
MAC Elevator - Breckenridge
Nutrien Ag Solutions - Breckenridge
MAC Elevator - Wheeler
The Andersons - Hemlock

Looks good to me NS3322
I think the MAC in downtown Breckenridge is a bean plant. The MAC in Wheeler is a seed plant that loads box cars.

NS3322 wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 11, 2021 5:26 pm

Is this still an accurate customer list for the MMRR?
(I'm making an interactive Google Map of the line).

AARR wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 31, 2019 5:24 pm

Alma – MI Paving & Materials: inbound asphalt (used to be steady shipper when operated by Terry Materials but now seems sporadic)
Alma – Padnos Iron & Metal: outbound scrap metal (used to be steady shipper when operated by Alma Iron & Metal but now they are not using rail)

Padnos trucks all of their scrap to GR to be loaded. MI Paving has a plant down near Detroit that gets most of their rail traffic, then mostly trucked to Alma. However, they have been using more rail within the past couple years. Terry Materials/ MI Paving receives heated Petroleum By-Products to make asphalt. MAC downtown Breckenridge hasn't received a car in at least a year and Suburban Propane hasn't received a car since G&W took over. The link SD80 posted is the most up to date and accurate for the St Louis Sub.

HESR3868 wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 12, 2021 5:35 pm

The link SD80 posted is the most up to date and accurate for the St Louis Sub.

Thanks! That's the list I am updating.
It appears Terry Materials sold their Alma plant to MI Paving recently, and Mustang Mud was bought by DuBar quite a while ago.

HESR3868 wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 12, 2021 5:35 pm

Padnos trucks all of their scrap to GR to be loaded...

I apologize for asking a dumb question, but why would they ship it to GR to be loaded to rail? Wouldn't that cost excess fuel and wear and tear on their trucking fleet when they could just ship a few gons by rail to GR to be shipped out with the scrap from down there? Just curious. Thanks.

Conrail Quality wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 16, 2021 11:54 am

HESR3868 wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 12, 2021 5:35 pm

Padnos trucks all of their scrap to GR to be loaded...

I apologize for asking a dumb question, but why would they ship it to GR to be loaded to rail? Wouldn't that cost excess fuel and wear and tear on their trucking fleet when they could just ship a few gons by rail to GR to be shipped out with the scrap from down there? Just curious. Thanks.

No worries!

When CSX still ran the line for a brief time, they began raising rates since they didn't want the line. They had ripped up Elwell to Greenville by now and, like other lines in Michigan, got rid of branch lines by selling them. In order to make the lines look like they weren't generating enough revenue to keep, they raised rates and drove away customers as one of many alternatives. Padnos was one of them. While they still shipped rail with the MMRR after CSX sold the line, CSX would kill the customers with sitting on cars for a long time in terminals. This of course ruined the efficiency of rail and took days to ship. So, Padnos felt it would be cheaper and more efficient to truck to Grand Rapids, and have it loaded on rail for a better rate from CSX.

Padnos acquired Alma Iron and Metal around 10 years ago or so when the scrap yard was still located along the river. AI&M was a steady user of rail service shipping 3-4 cars a week. Interestingly, for CSX/MMRR to access AI&M their spur crossed TSBY in-between Wright Siding and the north connection.

HESR3868 wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 16, 2021 6:11 pm

So, Padnos felt it would be cheaper and more efficient to truck to Grand Rapids, and have it loaded on rail for a better rate from CSX.

AARR wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 16, 2021 7:08 pm

Padnos acquired Alma Iron and Metal around 10 years ago or so when the scrap yard was still located along the river. AI&M was a steady user of rail service shipping 3-4 cars a week. Interestingly, for CSX/MMRR to access AI&M their spur crossed TSBY in-between Wright Siding and the north connection.

HESR3868 wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 16, 2021 6:11 pm

So, Padnos felt it would be cheaper and more efficient to truck to Grand Rapids, and have it loaded on rail for a better rate from CSX.

The track was still in place back to there until early 2015. The switch has been tore out for as long as I can remember. Mid-early 2000s if I had to guess.

HESR3868 wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 16, 2021 6:11 pm

Conrail Quality wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 16, 2021 11:54 am

HESR3868 wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 12, 2021 5:35 pm

Padnos trucks all of their scrap to GR to be loaded...

I apologize for asking a dumb question, but why would they ship it to GR to be loaded to rail? Wouldn't that cost excess fuel and wear and tear on their trucking fleet when they could just ship a few gons by rail to GR to be shipped out with the scrap from down there? Just curious. Thanks.

No worries!

When CSX still ran the line for a brief time, they began raising rates since they didn't want the line. They had ripped up Elwell to Greenville by now and, like other lines in Michigan, got rid of branch lines by selling them. In order to make the lines look like they weren't generating enough revenue to keep, they raised rates and drove away customers as one of many alternatives. Padnos was one of them. While they still shipped rail with the MMRR after CSX sold the line, CSX would kill the customers with sitting on cars for a long time in terminals. This of course ruined the efficiency of rail and took days to ship. So, Padnos felt it would be cheaper and more efficient to truck to Grand Rapids, and have it loaded on rail for a better rate from CSX.

Thank you for the information. That makes sense why they ship down to GR by truck.

Pretty sure Padnos processes the scrap in GR. They have 2 big shredders in the Turner yard. The scrap that leaves by rail is shredded pretty fine compared to some of the stuff in the "piles".

Quick note to industries. I was going to change this as soon as I figured out, but it won't allow me to edit the pages on the MMRR wiki.

Bear Truss only does the lumber in St Louis. Michigan Chloride is now apart of Timac which, as I understand, is also apart of A&E Ag. So, all other cars besides lumber that goes into St Louis is for Timac/A&E Ag.

~Z~ hasn't figured out how to allow access to Wiki since the changeover.

HESR3868 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 17, 2021 5:24 pm

Quick note to industries. I was going to change this as soon as I figured out, but it won't allow me to edit the pages on the MMRR wiki.

AARR wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 17, 2021 6:28 pm

~Z~ hasn't figured out how to allow access to Wiki since the changeover.

HESR3868 wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 17, 2021 5:24 pm

Quick note to industries. I was going to change this as soon as I figured out, but it won't allow me to edit the pages on the MMRR wiki.

I have no idea how, but I somehow regained access. If anyone has any requests for edits or corrections on anything feel free to PM me.

All changes suggested by HESR3868 are now live. Thank you again!
https://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/ ... ivision.29

NS3322 wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 18, 2021 12:43 am

I have no idea how, but I somehow regained access. If anyone has any requests for edits or corrections on anything feel free to PM me.

All changes suggested by HESR3868 are now live. Thank you again!
https://railroadfan.com/wiki/index.php/ ... ivision.29

That's great news. I'll be sending you a few.