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Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 9:12 am
by SD80MAC
kd_1014 wrote:How will you think they will get them on the GDLK? Would they terminate in Wyoming, run around their train, then an Elk crew takes it down the Hughart Runner?
Yes. Run around the train in Wyoming, Elk crew gets on and takes it down the runner to White Pigeon. The reverse for the loads.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 1:13 pm
by Super Chief
Was at the Andersons this morning, yard has no cars, there are 12 silos, 4 small metal,4 large metal and the original 4 concrete which are the smallest. Gonna be alot of trucks on the highway to replenish them with 5 trains a month.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 6:42 pm
by kd_1014
Sources say its been stopped in Plymouth since around 9-10 this morning. Anybody know the reason?

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 7:06 pm
by Raildudes dad
Trace says "departure annulled". The RR guys will need to tell us what that means.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 8:54 pm
by SD80MAC
Crew is currently enroute to Plymouth to get the train. Might run as a G010 instead of V778. Look for a morning southbound departure on the Grand Elk.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2020 9:17 pm
by NSSD70ACe
SD80MAC wrote:Crew is currently enroute to Plymouth to get the train. Might run as a G010 instead of V778. Look for a morning southbound departure on the Grand Elk.
That’d probably place them in Kalamazoo around 8-12 depending on when Grand Elk picks up the train.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:06 am
by ~Z~
Grain train heading south on gdlk nearing Moline 9:06am.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 10:17 am
by Jim_c
Plainwell at 10:10.

My wife got a better picture than I did. My calculations indicate about 25 mph. And that would match an hour from Moline to Plainwell.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 10:45 am
by MQT1223
Jim_c wrote:Plainwell at 10:10.

My wife got a better picture than I did. My calculations indicate about 25 mph. And that would match an hour from Moline to Plainwell.
Looks like you got em at Plainwell? Definitely a strange sight for sure.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 10:54 am
by SD80MAC
Jim_c wrote:Plainwell at 10:10.

My wife got a better picture than I did. My calculations indicate about 25 mph. And that would match an hour from Moline to Plainwell.
Max track speed between GR and Kzoo is 25 mph.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 12:03 pm
by AARR
My notes show the elevator's capacity as 3,180,000 bushels. That's about 825 car loads in 110 ton cars. I suppose it's possible but in my opinion unlikely that they'd be able to load 5-10 units trains "every" month. Looking forward to updates :) .

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 12:23 pm
by Jim_c
I presume the return trip will be on the same route. Is the power likely to run light back to GR or will they leave it there?

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 12:24 pm
by SD80MAC
Jim_c wrote:I presume the return trip will be on the same route. Is the power likely to run light back to GR or will they leave it there?
I'm almost certain the power will stay with the train, that's the point of run-through power.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 12:43 pm
by ~Z~
As of 12:40pm, grain train is starting to spot its empties at white pigeon.

Chased them from Grand rapids to white pigeon with trnwatcher and LSRC. excellent morning and afternoon. Ran into Super Chief and GTW at white pigeon.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 1:55 pm
by SD80MAC
Train is currently being loaded and should be back northbound by late tonight. Left GR at 8 and was spotted in White Pigeon by just after 1 pm. Pretty good run!

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 5:50 pm
by Ypsi
FWIW there are normally (this could have changed by now, but..) no scheduled crews for Saturday evening, first crew is on at 0700 tomorrow morning and could be flexed to 0500. GDLK doesn’t have an extra board presently (also could have changed) so they would need a crew to volunteer to run it tonight.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 6:25 pm
by eastonj
Watched them load the first cut of 9 cars. It took around an hour.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 8:41 pm
by MQT1223
Ypsi wrote:FWIW there are normally (this could have changed by now, but..) no scheduled crews for Saturday evening, first crew is on at 0700 tomorrow morning and could be flexed to 0500. GDLK doesn’t have an extra board presently (also could have changed) so they would need a crew to volunteer to run it tonight.
So they will come north tomorrow possibly?

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:17 pm
by Ypsi
Tomorrow should have 2 crews on at 0700 and then the yard job at 1900. Unless people volunteer to run the Train. But assumably it would start to get assembled around 9am then head north late morning mid day.. IF that is how they are running it. On NS they had an agreement for quick turn around, not sure how CSX works. Also keep in mind you need a crew that’s qualified into CSX. Most of GDLK should be, but only a couple of crews go into CSX on the regular.

Re: White Pigeon Grain Trains

Posted: Sat Feb 22, 2020 10:09 pm
by MQT1223
Ypsi wrote:Tomorrow should have 2 crews on at 0700 and then the yard job at 1900. Unless people volunteer to run the Train. But assumably it would start to get assembled around 9am then head north late morning mid day.. IF that is how they are running it. On NS they had an agreement for quick turn around, not sure how CSX works. Also keep in mind you need a crew that’s qualified into CSX. Most of GDLK should be, but only a couple of crews go into CSX on the regular.
Guess all we can do is keep an eye on the forums...