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Annies daily freights

Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:51 pm
by MIGN-Todd
Going back through all my records and memories, I still can't seem to figure out just how many trains Ann Arbor ran from Toledo to Frankfort on a daily basis. I figure in the forties and fifties it was several ferry trains along with locals per day. My big puzzle is the seventies and eighties- I've read stories about hearing the Annie running at night and during the day so I'm taking a guess at two ferry trains per day along with at least one local to handle interchange along with switching. Can anyone shed some light on the number of AA/MI trains daily and types? Thanks :mrgreen:

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:56 pm
by MIGN-Todd
Also, forgot to add this to the above........other than the beloved GP35's, does anybody know of any exotic visitors to ride the rails pulling ferry trains?

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Mon Jul 06, 2009 11:18 pm
by astrovanman1989
rs2 #301 #303 both ex gbw

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 7:56 am
by AARR
Wabash had some steam on the AA from time to time. Also, DT&I sent GP7's and 38's for a few years. One of the steel hauling railroads in Duluth sent a few engines on occasion. Leigh Valley sent some C420's for a short period. I'm sure I'm missing someone.

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 11:33 pm
by MIGN-Todd
Holy crap! Lehigh Valley? Wouldn"t that be a sight to see! and C420s to boot! I definately was born far too late.

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:50 am
by AARR
Oops, missed the question about number of trains.

During the Wabash (up till 1963) ownership AA averaged three freight trains in each direction. For the most part all three went from end to end although there were days if traffic was low they terminate a train in Owosso.
1. One pair was a hot train that usually went straight through. It handled mostly perishables east and auto's west
2. One pair stopped at most of the major interchanges with special emphasis on east end connections (Ann Arbor - Toledo).
3. The final pair did all the local work
Toledo, Ann Arbor, Owosso, Cadillac, and Elberta all had yard jobs.

For the last few years of Wabash ownership and during the DT&I ownership (1963-1976) there was one massive train in each direction which took around 12 hours to go end to end and locals as follows:
1. Toledo - Dundee
2. Toledo - Ann Arbor
(Sometimes these two were combined)
3. Owosso - Ann Arbor (as needed)
4. Owosso - Cadillac (out one day and back the next...may only work 2 days a week or 6)
5. Elberta - Cadillac
Cadillac yard job was cancelled during this period but others remained

During CR and MIRY operation (1976-1982) one train worked end to end and did all switching. It took up to 36 hours to make one trip. Yard jobs worked Toledo, Ann Arbor, Owosso (mainly to switch St. Charles Branch) and sometimes Elberta (sometimes ferries were switched by switcher and other times road freight crew).

I don't have as good a handle on passenger service but up until Wabash ownership (1925) they had as many as 6 trains in each direction. At end of service (1950) there was one in each direction pulled by one of their 4-4-2's.

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:52 am
by AARR
Another thing about the C420's, the AA exchanged some GP35's IIRC for LV to use while AA was testing their C420's.

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:06 pm
by penn central
Thanks for that info Don that's very fascinating, I wished i could have went to durand when the annie main line crossed the holly sub just south of the station and went through on the east side of it. A 24 hour period in durand in 1975 would have been awesome. I didn't start going to durand alot until 1989.

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 7:06 am
by AARR
I should add that my general summary of AA operations is from numerous sources. I've never had someone provide me the definitive schedule. So, in other words, while I think I'm in the ballpark...I could be off too.

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Fri Jul 10, 2009 9:31 pm
by annarbor1948
Two other good sources of information on the number of trains:
The Association website has Ralph Matthies trip logs that date into the early 1970's
Bob Warricks book (has photos of the LV C420's)

In terms of exotic power don't forget the PC coal trains that ran up from Toledo, through Owosso and then over to Saginaw. More often than not they ended up on the ground. Whitmore Lake in 1972 comes to mind. I think the PC was using 6 axle units which just could not deal with the track conditions (16 derailments between 1969 and 1975)

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 10:08 am
by AARR
I think the PC was using 6 axle units which just could not deal with the track conditions (16 derailments between 1969 and 1975)
I've never heard of them using 6 axle engines on the coal trains. Usually it was 4-5 4 axle engines. However, Bob M is registered on this board and he listed almost every coal train during the period they ran so he would be a good authority if 6 axle units were used or not.

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 11:52 am
by penn central
Don Simon wrote:
I think the PC was using 6 axle units which just could not deal with the track conditions (16 derailments between 1969 and 1975)
I've never heard of them using 6 axle engines on the coal trains. Usually it was 4-5 4 axle engines. However, Bob M is registered on this board and he listed almost every coal train during the period they ran so he would be a good authority if 6 axle units were used or not.

Hi Don they had six axle power quite a bit, I grew up on the line to paines and beyond in the 1970's, In the Ann Arbor book by Bob Warrick, There's pics in there of the coal trains, I remember sitting on the front porch in the 1970's, And hearing the coal trains power approaching saginaw from paines, It is a sound that i will never forget. Most of the time he had five six axle units and they were in a fairly high throttle setting, Any combination of power to that was neat. Mostly GE U-boats and ALCO's. The tower man that worked at mershon tower told me once there was southern pacific SD45T-2's, on the coal train, Three of them that was about 1974, They would have been almost brand new. Thanks.

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:43 pm
by AARR
Thanks guys. I learned something new today about those coal train on the AA.

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 5:48 pm
by penn central
Your welcome Don. :) I don't claim to be an expert or anything, This is just what i wittnessed when i was a kid growing up here in saginaw.

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:55 pm
by AARR
If Bob M ever checks on this thread he could add a ton of info. I documented almost every coal train that ran on the AA from the first to the last train.

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 9:48 am
by penn central
It seems to me that the coal trains to dow had four axle power more times then the coal trains to essixeville, I do remember that. If you come to durand when im around there. Don i will bring the book by Bob Warrick and you can take a look. I only lived one house up from the main line. And the things i saw were mind blowing, I also remember New Haven U25B's in the early 70's on the frieght's.

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 10:49 am
by AARR
That would be cool to hook up with you in Durand sometime, pc. I'll keep an eye open for opportunities.

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 12:42 am
by Railnut
Weren't the AA's hot shot trains FT1 & TF2 (or something like that)?
Dave C

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 7:36 am
by AARR
Weren't the AA's hot shot trains FT1 & TF2 (or something like that)?
Dave C
Oddly I think one of the hot shots was 5 or 6. I'd have to review my notes. In the days when DT&I operated AA and ran one train in each direction they were not FT1 and TF2. One of them was 5 or 6. At least that's what I read in one of my books and several articles about the AA. Yet, I have another book that says they were 1 and 2. Sometimes the more I read the more I think I don't know :?

Re: Annies daily freights

Posted: Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:14 pm
by Fred
TF-5 & FT-2 operated Toledo-Frankfort (Elberta) while TO-7 & OT-8 ran Toledo to Owosso.