It was a nice day last saturday, so Dad and I went out to look for stuff.
As we were leaving the house, we heard Q326 and a G949 Grain train coming up to Trowbridge on CSX, and we heard them both call stop Indications. G949 called up Gordon at the AW Desk and he told them they had to wait for CN to get out of the way, and that he had to get 326 in the siding to go around them.
We got there just one minute too late to catch the CN, but we did get there just in time to see Q326 cross in front of us. No picture here though from me, but Here's one Mike Tabone took at "Oak Grade" near South Lyon:
Q326 had CSXT 750, and ~25 cars (Okemos DD said 106 Axles).
Now with 326 out of the way G949 had a clear run for Grand Ledge and GRR. CSX 7705 and 7636 get it started again down the hill:
After this we head out to Okemos to do some chores at Home Depot and Mejiers, and while we are in Meijers, the cell phone starts to ring. I pick it up and am surprised to hear Patrick at the other end saying he is town. Patrick gives me heads up that there is another train on CN that was just leaving Flint when he left, so we finish the grocery shopping and book it down Marsh road to the bridge at Haslett. We didn't see the train Patrick told us about, but we did see something there.
Here's CN 399 heading westbound approaching my perch on the marsh Road bridge:
We head back to Amtrak and meet Patrick. We have a quick chat, and then I hear somebody calling Gordon. It turns out to be Q327, at Ensel in Lansing, telling Gordon that someone at Rougemere yard screwed up with the train. Gordon sez: "Whoever did that a Rougemere doesn't know what the heck he's doin'".
So Patrick, his mother and I, all hop in the van and head off for Ensel to see 327. We timed this perfectly, as no sooner do we get to the yard then:
"CSX AW Train Dispatcher Jacksonville Over."
"Q327-08, ready to Rock...and roll over."
"Q327-08 ready to move 16:42 GWD. Take off when ready over."
"CSX AW Train Dispacher Jacksonville out."
"Q327-08 out."
Park the car, and then get into position for pictures. They waited for about five minutes before they aucutally started moving. During this time I got set up for a shot of them passing the signal on the west side of the crossing, but when they started moving finally, I backed up right into a great idea:
Where's Patrick?
50 Bucks CASH for finding him:
Q327 had the same locomotives that Q326-07 had the day before. RLCX 8582/CSXT 8241, and they also picked up D709's locos to take to GRR while they stopped in Lansing. D709s locos were CSXT 2622/2724.
After this we started to head back, but then Patrick spyed Miss Scarlet sitting at the stone place by the yard, so we turned around and went back for the following:
Funny, in the three years that Miss Scarlet spent at this place before going to Marquette this past winter, I never took a picture of her. Dad and I came out to see her a bunch of times, and we even saw her switching once, but no pictures taken until today...
Anyway, we went driving around a little bit through Lansing and then went to the NS Saginaw yard, where the Conrail #3062 was sitting. Too far back in the yard for pictures though.
Then we went to the CN yard, which was and still is PACKED with old Box cars. Most of these cars are GTW Hi-cubes, with many having the "GoodTrack Road" slogan on the sides. There are also two or three DT&I cars still in full DT&I Paint as well. If you like old cars like this, then get out there.....there's so many cars in that yard it isn't even funny.
Anyway, the K933 local was switching in the yard, but their GP9R was way too far back for us to go and get pictures, and although there was a coal train in the yard, it's UP engines were switching the powerplant by Washington Street.
So we went back to my house and then chatted a little bit before Patrick left.
Thanks again for driving me around Lansing Pat.
Hope you enjoyed
