NS B1G today in Kalamazoo

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GP30M4216
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NS B1G today in Kalamazoo

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

Another longer then normal consist for NS local job B1G makes me think that their customers west of town are increasing their car inbounds and outbounds which is certainly a great thing! I was just driving through downtown when I spotted them stopped between West Botsford and the Kalamazoo River Bridge. A moment later, BO Tower gave them the highball and at 11:10am they began rolling west toward Lawton and Dowagiac. Power for the day was Conrail GP40-2s #3066 and #3065, and 16 cars behind. Included were a number of boxcars, (SLC, CSXT, Railbox and a former Western Pacific car), loaded bulkhead flatcars of lumber, and tank cars for Welsh's. At least two of these tank cars looked quite new, and were light gray with newly required FRA safety reflective stickers attached.

On both the 8th and the 29th of November, they had 15 cars each. They run west from Kalamazoo's Botsford Yard on Tuesdays and Thursdays. B1G will depart after Amtrak 351 passes through, but if they will not be able to clear Main #2 (eastbound) by the time Amtrak 350 gets into town, they will wait till after 350 go east. Therefore, normal departure time west as of late seems to be between 11am and 12noon.

NS GP40-2s #3068 and #3069 were teamed up with a decent size train including many covered hoppers and four ADM tank cars, this was last night's B-56 from Battle Creek and Augusta.

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