Bangor, MI today on the CSXT

[GP30M4216]

On a spur of the moment (otherwise I would have sent a few emails or posted a message here) I decided to head over to Bangor for the lunchtime hour to try my luck on the CSX Grand Rapids Subdivision in scenic southwest Michigan. While I had missed Amtrak by at least an hour upon my arrival at 10:30 I was surprised to find a red-over yellow-over yellow at the north end of the Gross passing track signal in town for a SB train. Knowing that any signals in Bangor are "approach lit", I made my way down to the 60th Street crossing at wait.

A CSX signal crew was out working on the new crossing lights and gates at the next crossing south of 60th street, so I got to watch them put the gates up and lower them again and again. At one point, one of the signal crew members drove over to me to ask why I was parked along the tracks at the next crossing up, and was very understanding of my photography interests, and even volunteered to inform me about the soon-to-be-coming southbound train. Scanner on and car windows open I waited to here him come into the passing track. At 11:05 I could hear them coming south through town...nice and slow. This turned out to be train K911, empty stone hoppers from Lansing. They came into the pass and came to a stop north of the crossing, "to wait for an eastbound," as the engineer told the signal maintainer over the radio.

So I get back in my car to wait a while and shortly before the east bound comes, the ground under my right front car tire gives way all of a sudden so my car is tipped down in that corner and my left rear wheel is almost a foot off the ground. So I decide to hold off on calling AAA to tow my car and wait for the eastbound, which by now has tripped the detector at MP66.5. This eastbound turns out to be a lateish Q326 from Chicago. They had CSX scheme 7 SD50 #8653 (complete with conrail hood lights intact), and a tired looking warbonnet B40-8, and maybe only 20 or 25 cars. They came by me at 11:55AM. By Noon, K911 was underway west again. They had a great old paint power lashup - CSX SD40-2 #8105 in scheme 3 modified, CSX SD40-2 #8030 in scheme 4 modified, and an HLCX or something or another SD40-2 as well.

Thus begins my wait for the tow truck and I'm getting a lot of reading done in my book for class. Finally over an hour later the guys shows up, and in two minutes I'm 5 feet back away from the new ditch in the shoulder and I hear X502 tripping the detector at MP66.5. I jaunt down a few crossings and catch a very lengthy X502 with twin Soo Line SD60s, #6042 in Candy Apple Red and #6007 in Hockey Stick colors. Unfortunately, by this time I was quite late for class and had to be going, but I'm pretty sure I heard on the radio that local D700 was not too far behind X502. So, to summarize my action in the fall colors on the CSX mainline:

K911 Stone Empties Westbound
CSX SD40-2 8105 Scheme 3 M
CSX SD40-2 8030 Scheme 4 M
HLCX SD40-2 in Gray I think
Arrived siding 11:10, departed at 12 noon

Q326 Mixed Freight Eastbound
CSX SD60 8653 Scheme 7
BNSF B40-8 (#810?) Warbonnet
Through Gross pass at 11:55AM

X502 Containers Eastbound
Soo SD60 6042 Candy Apple Red
Soo SD60 6007 Hockeystick
Through Gross pass at 1:30PM

Possibly followed by D700 Local Benton Harbor-Holland Waverly.

Photos will show up here when I get them developed!

[sd70accsxt700]

Did you ever get that sinking fealing? LOL

[~Z~]

awesome report nathan...enjoyed another very detailed report as they always are. be sure to send in your pics when you get them back. thanks!