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A package apparently came in the mail while I was on the Bike tour last week. I found it at the foot of my bed when I woke up yesterday. The package was the new antenna for my scanner, from the Smiley Antenna Company. I put it on scanner, and in no time I was hearing lots of chatter. Around 12:00, I heard the CSX Dispatcher chatting with several trains: Stone Train K909, CP Rail X500, and Locals D708 and D709, all four of which were stuck at Lansing's Ensel Yard while some track problems were being repaired in Lansing. The track work was eventually completed and the dispatcher gave X500 permission to leave the yard. With CP Now starting to move their trains over to NS, I decided to go out and get a picture of 500 while it was still on CSX. I saw 500's headlight right when I got to the CSX crossing near the Amtrak Station. As 500 arrived at Trowbridge, the Dispatcher gave D709 permission to leave the yard. X500 chimed in just after this: "Don't get too excited 709. We're stopped at the diamonds." I found out why just two seconds later. CN TD3 was telling eastbound train 480 that there was a speed restriction in effect at Cedar Interlocking near Lansing, and that he was to be moving from Main #1 to Main #2 to run around a parked freight. I head back to the Amtrak station, and sure enough, there's a light in the distance.
Here's CN Train 480 with GTW 5934 in the lead heading past the Amtrak Station:

I was surprised to discover that this locomotive has a Nathan P5 Airhorn mounted on it. It doesn't seem like CN would use that type of horn. Nice to hear it though.

Anyway, X500 finally had a clear signal to proceed through Trowbridge and onto the Plymouth Sub, so I ran back to my spot at the CSX crossing.
With AC4400CW 8507 in the lead, CP X500 heads past Harrison Road:

I knew D709 was on his way, so I stayed put to get a shot of him as well. D709's power for the last few weeks has been GP38-2 #2575. I would have thought a new engine would have come around by now, but I guess not.
Here's 2575 Struggling to pull an unusually long D709 out of the Red Cedar River Valley. Sounds great in Run Eight :

It was also around this time that D708 got out the yard. D708 is currently being handled by GP38-2 #2642.
With both X500 and D709 past Trowbridge, and CN #480 well ahead, TD3 gave train 454 permission to proceed east past Trowbridge, and into single track at Okemos. I didn't get any pictures, since the batteries in my camera were pretty low, but I did watch them go by. The had GTW SD40-3 5942 (which is one of the new Alstom Units CN is leasing) and UP SD40-2 #3658.
A very fun few minutes if I may say so, and now I can auctually use my scanner!
That's all. Hope you enjoyed.

awesome gregg. did you end up getting the 5/8 wave slim duck from them? Isn't it nice to actually hear further out and be warned further ahead of time about train movements? You must live close to trowbridge then, about how far to the north do you live?

railroadfan wrote:awesome gregg. did you end up getting the 5/8 wave slim duck from them? Isn't it nice to actually hear further out and be warned further ahead of time about train movements? You must live close to trowbridge then, about how far to the north do you live?

Yep. 5/8 Slim Duck tuned to the 160 range. It performs a heck of a lot better than the little rubber thing that came with it. I can even get the GT Detector @ Mile Post 232 near Haslett! I live less than a mile from Trowbridge, and I can hear the trains going over the diamonds from my home. There's one going over right as type this as a matter of fact....Eastbound Soo Line (I can tell by the horn). Really neat to live "next door" to two of the busiest lines in this state.

Nice pics Gregg. Also nice report. The scanners really make a difference when out railfanning, makes you feel like more of a part of the action. Looking forward to more pics Gregg. The CN 5934 is my favorite.
Scooterb