Holland Sightings 04/05/06 (4 5 6!)

[~Z~]

Driving along on my normal commute to work, get off the highway at Jenison. Reach around to the backseat to grab my camera in case anything shows up...backseat empty...bah, i left my camera at home! Now hoping I don't see anything for that reason, no trains were seen on the drive to work. Washington St was closed in Zeeland though because the gas power plant created too much fog over the road, gates were down and blocking traffic. Quite a sight to see...wishing i had the camera.

Anyway, took off for lunch. Heard something needing headroom to double up at Waverly. Grab my BK and head down to Lakewood Blvd to sit and wait. Out comes D803 to get some room, and shove back to double up their train. And what do they have for power? MONTANA RAIL LINK 290 and HLCX 9035....If that just isn't a kick in the ...bah.... They pull out onto Lakewood Blvd, blocking that and 120th Ave. They couldn't get the dispatcher to give them the signal back in... They finally got the light, backed up 12 car lengths to let Lakewood go... connected their cars, got 3 step protection... Had to contact Y121 to make sure they were out of the way in the yard, and pulled back 8 more to let 120th Ave free up....traffic was snarled for quite a while

D803 then proceded east about 5 minutes later with 60 cars. All mixed freight from around Holland and from MMRR in Muskegon. While driving back to work, heard D006 (a work train) working back from West Olive towards the north leg of Waverly Wye...didn't get a chance to see them though as work duties called. Bah, to not have a camera for the first Montana Rail Link i saw....

I probably forgot the cam cuz it's 4/5/6... why? It's probably because Seven Ate Nine! (insert lame laugh by me here)

[GP30M4216]

D double-oh six might be something worth catching. Paul D posted this on the Lower MI board at Michiganrailroads.com, and it may have been the same thing:

The [Jordan] spreader worked their way from Wyoming to Holland Tuesday and this morning headed up toward West Olive.

Not quite blasting snow but a spreader might be cool to see out and about!

[~Z~]

D double-oh six might be something worth catching. Paul D posted this on the Lower MI board at Michiganrailroads.com, and it may have been the same thing:

The [Jordan] spreader worked their way from Wyoming to Holland Tuesday and this morning headed up toward West Olive.

Not quite blasting snow but a spreader might be cool to see out and about!

Ah, then that is what I saw on Tuesday heading west through Zeeland mid afternoon...pushed with the spreader in front, CSX engine running long hood forward from behind... I heard them needing to use a tamper earlier, but guess that wasn't it. I did see fresh marks along Chicago drive where the spreader ran.

[Railzfan]

Wow, a MRL unit this far east! I caught MRL SD45 343 in Rochelle, IL. last weekend working with a former Conrail C40-8W. How about that; a western regional working with an eastern giant! Not something you see everyday. And Zack, please remember your camera next time!

[sd70accsxt700]

Actually you see it all the time, and probilly more now that they have there ACE's. They have been known for a while now, especally sence they sold off the IMRL, for leasing there excess locos. We usually average at least three to four a month at vickers (at least ones I see, who knows how many, when I am not there). In fact I believe NS has a fairley regular, almost perminate lease on about 15 to 20 SD45's & SD40's.

[Mr. Tops]

Not saying your wrong Zack, but those units (HLCX & MRL) show as being on Q326-05 all the way from Chicago to Detroit. Hasn't been a D803 since March 29th.

[sd70accsxt700]

If you are using the computer to trace it, it wont show as the power is assigned to Q326, if it had to be recrewed with D008, then it will still show as D008. Thats why in IMHO, the csx trace system sucks, it only traces what the locos are assinged to, not what they actually are running at one given moment. You guys shouldent get to excited by that thing, some times it takes me a little while at work to figure out exactly what happenes, and then some times, you cant figure it out at all. What happens, is lets say that Q245 dies on the way into walbridge, and they send a D902 out to rescue it. The times past the OS locations, will show under the Q245, insted of the D902, and so will the trace of the locos. The only thing D902 will show is crew names and on duity time. Same as your D008, altough with it beeing a some what regular train, it may show OS's it probilly wont show traces of locos.

[~Z~]

Not saying your wrong Zack, but those units (HLCX & MRL) show as being on Q326-05 all the way from Chicago to Detroit. Hasn't been a D803 since March 29th.

Wish i had my camera to show I was right...heard them say D803 quite a number of times... Matt is quite correct on this also about CSX's trace system... You never know where the power will be dropped off and swapped for something else. At least I remembered the camera today, but so far, no train movements this morning.

[Mr. Tops]

Hey now, I didn't say I thought you were wrong! Just running that by you...I can attest to the INaccuracy of trace..

[~Z~]

Hey now, I didn't say I thought you were wrong! Just running that by you...I can attest to the INaccuracy of trace..

Hey now, I didn't say that I thought that you thought that I was wrong either! ehehe, make of that as you will...

[sd70accsxt700]

Ok Ok Ok seince nether of you will take responsability, I will. I think both of you are wrong.

[Railzfan]

Here is the picture I got of 343 when I was in Rochelle, she sure is nice and clean-looking!