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Ep. 461: CSX Local Y223 Switching Zeeland Lumber & Vanden Bosch

Oct 12, 2015 ZEELAND, MI -- Road freights might be the most exciting, but spotting cars on customer spurs is what pays the bills for railroads.

Based out of Waverly Yard on the CSX Grand Rapids Sub, Y223 is the second trick Holland Job, assigned to working the "Dock Track" customers in downtown Holland, as well as what we see here just east in Zeeland.

Starting at Waverly, the control point on the east end of the yard, they begin their shoving move to Zeeland. The engine is sandwiched into the consist, owing to the setup of the trackage in Zeeland.

After catching their arrival, the crew made their way onto the ancient siding, known at the MJ Lead. They're soon picking the empties from Zeeland Lumber Co, and spotting the fresh loads.

Next, they move down to the end of the lead, where Vanden Bosch receives inbound feed ingredients for area poultry farmers. They've got two cars to pickup and one to setoff this fine October evening.

CSX Y223 Zeeland Local Switching
Consist enroute to Zeeland:
- 1 CH [For Vandenbosch]
- CSX 6388 [GP40-2]
- 2 Centerbeams [For Zeeland Lumber]
- CSX 904091 [Operation Redblock Caboose]
Consist returning to Holland:
- CSX 904091 [Operation Redblock Caboose]
- 2 Centerbeams [From Zeeland Lumber]
- CSX 6388 [GP40-2]
- 2 CHs [From Vandenbosch]
Location/Time:
- CSX GR Sub, Holland, MI, Lakewood Blvd/120th Ave xings, on 10-12-15 at 18:00 EDT
- Zeeland, MI, Franklin St xing, at 18:09
- Elm St xing/Zeeland Lumber, from 18:15 to 18:30
- Vandenbosch, from 18:35 to 18:50
- Franklin St xing, at 19:06

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Recorded with a Sony PJ790 Camcorder
Edited with Cyberlink PowerDirector 13

Copyright 2015 Thornapple River Rail Series

Thanks for posting, MQT.

I'm surprised they are allowed to push the freight car first rather than have the caboose go first.

AARR wrote:Thanks for posting, MQT.

I'm surprised they are allowed to push the freight car first rather than have the caboose go first.

The hopper is easy to ride, so the conductor will ride that out and keep the caboose on the west end behind the centerbeams, since those suck to ride. When you have to work both customers in Zeeland you're going to have to shove there and shove back so you might as well keep the caboose on the end that has the worst cars that you would otherwise have to ride. There is also no runaround in Zeeland that would facilitate have the caboose on the both ends.

SD80MAC wrote:

AARR wrote:Thanks for posting, MQT.

I'm surprised they are allowed to push the freight car first rather than have the caboose go first.

There is also no runaround in Zeeland that would facilitate have the caboose on the both ends.

They took the switch out at the east end of the Zeeland siding back in the 80's some time. The night passenger train used to stop at the Zeeland freight house and load up chicks heading to Chicago and they would sit in the siding while loading. I saw a picture somewhere of a train in the daylight that was making this stop.

I'm not sure how I've never run into this thread and video before considering I live just minutes from downtown Z! Great recordation of the run from Waverly Yard out to switch 2 of Zeeland's three current rail customers.

Yes, because the switches face opposite directions at Zeeland and the MJ lead (for Mead-Johnson, I assume, a former customer to which the spur once extended) has no east end switch, it is one of the jobs the Holland switcher often makes with their caboose for the shove moves. I've seen them come into Zeeland with cars for Zeeland Lumber and Plasticore during the day, but arriving or departing from Vanden Bosch only after dark in my experience. Still, depending on where positioned on the Vanden Bosch spur, it can be great location for roster rolling stock photos if there's something nice to look at:



You can see the same hopper on the spur in the distance here:
download/file.php?id=1604&t=1

The Zeeland Historical Society has recently revamped their website and made hundred of their photos available online. I recommend the Zeeland - Aerial, Industries & Industrial Buildings, and of course Transportation - Trains (and Streetcar!) galleries. Vanden Bosch had a huge facility fire in July of 2002 which is pretty well documented in the Industrial album. https://www.zeelandhistory.org/research ... collection

Anyhow, great documentation! It's a fun operation to watch and always interesting to see which customers have cars spotted.