Chessie Dow Train?

[atrainguy60]

I was looking through the Rails around Michigan book, and there was a picture of a Chessie System train called the Dow Train passing under the coaling tower at New Buffalo in 1980. I was wondering where this train originated at, and for how long it ran? According to the book, it ran to Chicago. Was this the same train called the "Bomb Train" that once derailed in Freeland?

[AARR]

Originated in TX IIRC. I think Chessie tried to route it around large urban centers so often it went up to Baldwin and across to Midland but as your note indicated it went other routes sometimes. Not sure the years of service

CMGN/GTW took away the business from CSX in the early 1990's IIRC. Whereas CSX delivered it in unit trains CMGN/GTW delivered it in three block of 10 cars per week.

I believe HESR still deliveries these cars receiving them from CN.

[Saturnalia]

CSX did put the "bomb" train on the ground on the Baldwin Sub, around Milepost 60 iirc. They still own the surrounding land despite selling the rails to MQT, and must monitor the ground for any more chemicals, and I hear they do still pump the ground routinely due to the spill.

I think there might have also been a "bomb" train from Ludington as well, but I may be getting confused with the Midland stuff.

[MRC_Andrew]

I may be misremembering, but wasn't there a massive derailment and subsequent fire involving a chemical train on C&O up near Midland in the late 70s or early 80s? I seem to recall heavy TV coverage and general fear-mongering among the regional media creating the impression that every freight train that C&O ran in the state was a ticking time bomb operating carelessly and without regulation. The phrase "death train" is the one I remember hearing, and when people of a certain age find out I'm a railfan I am often subjected to tirades about the dangerous, life-threatening cargo being hauled with impunity through our cities and towns...

[atrainguy60]

Thanks for the quick responses. That must've been quite a bit of business lost to the CMGN, considering it looked like that train in the book had a lot of tankers on it.

[AARR]

IIRC Chessie hauled it in 75 car blocks but I don't know how often. Dok might remember.

[bctrainfan]

In recent times, I have heard the Dow trains running on CN referred to as "death trains"

[trnwatcher]

I believe the "bomb train" ran Midland to Baldwin to Grand Rapids on Sundays. Then onto Chicago.

[Raildudes dad]

IIRC, DOW used to and may still ship chemicals between their plant in Midland and the one in Freeport TX. The thought back then was to operate a dedicated "chemical" train once a week exclusively for DOW. The max speed was 25 and emergency responders knew when the train operated and what was on it.

Probably a different philosophy today, don't concentrate the cars due to terrorist concerns I suspect the quantities are less today as well.

[Firemedic Mike]

As an Emergency Responder along this line, I can say RailDude's Dad is pretty much spot on. There did used to be a train that hauled for DOW that locals called "the death train" that every emergency worker knew what was coming and when. I have seen the chemical routing reports for what CSX hauls over the line now, in terms of chemicals and frequency (I can't and won't go into details) and I can say with confidence that many rail lines see far worse than what we see in terms of nastiness. There are still some things you wouldn't want derailed, but no major train of death that people are scared of.

There was an incident in Bridgman, MI in 1981 with a train derailment on this line which ultimately claimed the life of a Michigan State Trooper:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2 ... 17,1442651


http://bcsheriff.org/main/AllanPhillipPeterson

That train was hauling fluosulfonic (fluorosulfonic) acid in tank car for Dupont. Records put the car number as ACFX92961

This incident led to the creation of the Berrien County Sheriff's Dept Haz-Mat team

[Norm]

NIL:

I seem to recall in the sixties there being a big to-do about the "death train" running down the Saginaw Sub, and the Detroit TV stations instilling panic in the natives. If memory serves, it was indeed a dedicated train from Dow in Midland. Long since forgotten what they were hauling, but there was a furor over it.

[Standard Railfan]

A nice summary in the Owosso Argus-Press

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 58,4249984

[JoJames]

Train was symboled R238 and R239 and did run quite often via Garrett and used the northwest transfer at Deshler for Toledo and on to Michigan. Train would run on Tuesdays and both would be by Deshler with in a couple of hours of each other. At the time that would be the only regular scheduled move through the northwest transfer at Deshler.

[GP30M4216]

I believe the operation of this train was part of what warranted Chessie installing CWR up the Baldwin Sub going north from Grand Rapids. I believe they got as far as Bitely (milepost 62? or something in that neighborhood) and then stopped for some reason, as it's still stick rail up to Baldwin from there. Strange to think that this big train used the SE wye track crossing 8th Street crossing in Baldwin, which is now almost unfindable under the brush.

[Saturnalia]

I believe the operation of this train was part of what warranted Chessie installing CWR up the Baldwin Sub going north from Grand Rapids. I believe they got as far as Bitely (milepost 62? or something in that neighborhood) and then stopped for some reason, as it's still stick rail up to Baldwin from there. Strange to think that this big train used the SE wye track crossing 8th Street crossing in Baldwin, which is now almost unfindable under the brush.

Stick rail starts somewhere between Newaygo and the top of the hill at Drew. Everything south of that "line" is welded (except between Comstock Park and Turner Street, there might be a few other spots), and the rest northward, perhaps with a few exceptions, is all stick. Much of the Ludington Sub I know dates back to the 1940s and 50s.

[KVERBERK]

The Detroit news had a large 3 page article in its Sunday April 17 1988 issue. This thread sparked my memory and I was able to dig out the article that my dad had clipped out in 1988. The Article refers to the train as both the "death train" and
"bomb train". It shows maps of the route through Michigan stating the train usually has 45-70 cars. It even show a hypothetical map of what might happen if the train derailed. It uses three different cities as example including Plymouth.
Its an interesting article although it paints the railroad in not the best light.
Opening paragragh:

"All across America trains run routinely over rickety track with
faulty brakes, broken gauges, unreliable signal systems and
over worked engineers"

Here are a few pictures of the clippings. If I can I'll try and scan the whole thing and upload it at some point:

Route map


hypothetical Disater Map!

[JoJames]

Newspaper picture of train crossing bridge is the Maumee River bridge west of Defiance Ohio.

[BnOEngr]

Train was symboled R238 and R239 and did run quite often via Garrett and used the northwest transfer at Deshler for Toledo and on to Michigan. Train would run on Tuesdays and both would be by Deshler with in a couple of hours of each other. At the time that would be the only regular scheduled move through the northwest transfer at Deshler.

Was on this train several times when it ran. Crew out of Toledo handled the Toledo-Chicago leg. 239 came in during the evening on Tuesday, and we ran it to UP (MP) Yard Center at Dolton, backing it in to their yard if we had time. A crew would deadhead to Chicago every Monday evening at 5 PM to be rested to bring 238 east in the late morning/early afternoon on Tuesday. UP delivered the train to Barr Yard.

I preferred to catch 239, because we would deadhead back to Toledo on Amtrak Wednesday evening. Usually made for a long day though.

[amtrak1007]

I believe the operation of this train was part of what warranted Chessie installing CWR up the Baldwin Sub going north from Grand Rapids. I believe they got as far as Bitely (milepost 62? or something in that neighborhood) and then stopped for some reason, as it's still stick rail up to Baldwin from there. Strange to think that this big train used the SE wye track crossing 8th Street crossing in Baldwin, which is now almost unfindable under the brush.

15 Mile Road is the dividing line MP ~64.7ish...

see page 7

http://gllx3001facts.com/Profiles/Baldwin_Profile.pdf

[hoborich]

Chlorine is some really nasty stuff, if you've ever smelled chlorine bleach straight from the bottle. And that's diluted to about 5% strength.