Michigan Northern remains

[MQT1223]

I was looking at pics of the MIGN B-Unit that rests at the Illinois Railway Museum and it got me wondering. Besides that B unit and the Baldwin Sharks that are up North, what else of the MIGN survived after the line was abandoned for the last time?

[James Sofonia]

Ummn.. Most of the rail is still in service if that counts.

[Bulby]

I was looking at pics of the MIGN B-Unit that rests at the Illinois Railway Museum and it got me wondering. Besides that B unit and the Baldwin Sharks that are up North, what else of the MIGN survived after the line was abandoned for the last time?

Said B-unit is now a functioning locomotive, and the only E-anything B running with two prime movers. Unless something changed in the past few days, it's sitting in Janesville, Wisconsin billed out from WSOR for IRM as WSOR 102. WSOR fixed it up as OCS power to go with their two E9As, and it is now being returned to IRM at the conclusion of the lease. She got a transplant of guts from a BN E9Am (9907 IIRC).

[MQT1223]

I was looking at pics of the MIGN B-Unit that rests at the Illinois Railway Museum and it got me wondering. Besides that B unit and the Baldwin Sharks that are up North, what else of the MIGN survived after the line was abandoned for the last time?

Said B-unit is now a functioning locomotive, and the only E-anything B running with two prime movers. Unless something changed in the past few days, it's sitting in Janesville, Wisconsin billed out from WSOR for IRM as WSOR 102. WSOR fixed it up as OCS power to go with their two E9As, and it is now being returned to IRM at the conclusion of the lease. She got a transplant of guts from a BN E9Am (9907 IIRC).

It is at IRM again I believe, unless the lease was renewed. The lease was over in like 2010 or 2012. I have never seen it used at IRM, but when WSOR got it why did they not repaint it? It's still in MIGN paint. What do you mean when its the only E unit running with two prime movers? Does the UP E(B)unit not have two engines in it even though it was re-engine?

Ummn.. Most of the rail is still in service if that counts.

I wouldn't say most, I would say very little. The White Pine Trail is the former MIGN main line, and that is roughly 90 miles.

[cfriedri]

Ummn.. Most of the rail is still in service if that counts.

I wouldn't say most, I would say very little. The White Pine Trail is the former MIGN main line, and that is roughly 90 miles.

Aside from the GR&I line, the Michigan Northern Railway operated north out of Alma to Cadillac and from Cadillac to Traverse City and to Petoskey. Those portions of the line are still in service and account for more than half of what the MIGN operated.

[Bulby]

I was looking at pics of the MIGN B-Unit that rests at the Illinois Railway Museum and it got me wondering. Besides that B unit and the Baldwin Sharks that are up North, what else of the MIGN survived after the line was abandoned for the last time?

Said B-unit is now a functioning locomotive, and the only E-anything B running with two prime movers. Unless something changed in the past few days, it's sitting in Janesville, Wisconsin billed out from WSOR for IRM as WSOR 102. WSOR fixed it up as OCS power to go with their two E9As, and it is now being returned to IRM at the conclusion of the lease. She got a transplant of guts from a BN E9Am (9907 IIRC).

It is at IRM again I believe, unless the lease was renewed. The lease was over in like 2010 or 2012. I have never seen it used at IRM, but when WSOR got it why did they not repaint it? It's still in MIGN paint. What do you mean when its the only E unit running with two prime movers? Does the UP E(B)unit not have two engines in it even though it was re-engine?

Um, no. It's not at IRM. It is in WSOR paint as WSOR 102, sitting in Janesville, Wisconsin (as of last time I checked, which was a few days ago). The lease expired sometime this past spring and it's been sitting in Janesville billed out since June or July.

It has 2 engines, the UP E9B got a 16-645E in place of the 2 12-567s that it originally had.

[MQT1223]

I was looking at pics of the MIGN B-Unit that rests at the Illinois Railway Museum and it got me wondering. Besides that B unit and the Baldwin Sharks that are up North, what else of the MIGN survived after the line was abandoned for the last time?

Said B-unit is now a functioning locomotive, and the only E-anything B running with two prime movers. Unless something changed in the past few days, it's sitting in Janesville, Wisconsin billed out from WSOR for IRM as WSOR 102. WSOR fixed it up as OCS power to go with their two E9As, and it is now being returned to IRM at the conclusion of the lease. She got a transplant of guts from a BN E9Am (9907 IIRC).

It is at IRM again I believe, unless the lease was renewed. The lease was over in like 2010 or 2012. I have never seen it used at IRM, but when WSOR got it why did they not repaint it? It's still in MIGN paint. What do you mean when its the only E unit running with two prime movers? Does the UP E(B)unit not have two engines in it even though it was re-engine?

Um, no. It's not at IRM. It is in WSOR paint as WSOR 102, sitting in Janesville, Wisconsin (as of last time I checked, which was a few days ago). The lease expired sometime this past spring and it's been sitting in Janesville billed out since June or July.

It has 2 engines, the UP E9B got a 16-645E in place of the 2 12-567s that it originally had.[/quote]

Oh ok. Hmmm. Last pictures I see of the B unit at IRM place it around 2007 so that was not a long lease.

Ummn.. Most of the rail is still in service if that counts.

I wouldn't say most, I would say very little. The White Pine Trail is the former MIGN main line, and that is roughly 90 miles.

Aside from the GR&I line, the Michigan Northern Railway operated north out of Alma to Cadillac and from Cadillac to Traverse City and to Petoskey. Those portions of the line are still in service and account for more than half of what the MIGN operated.

You know after your initial comment I did do research and discovered this. However even though this is true I would still say that most of the MIGN trackage is gone.

[Bulby]

Oh ok. Hmmm. Last pictures I see of the B unit at IRM place it around 2007 so that was not a long lease.

Here it is in 2008 as WSOR 102: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1296318



What they started with: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2175313



Leaving IRM for WSOR, 6-25-06: http://www.irm.org/gallery/6-25-2006pickup/aak



Click on the links for the full size of the first two images, forum software is cropping them.

[MQT1223]

Oh ok. Hmmm. Last pictures I see of the B unit at IRM place it around 2007 so that was not a long lease.

Here it is in 2008 as WSOR 102: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=1296318



What they started with: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2175313



Leaving IRM for WSOR, 6-25-06: http://www.irm.org/gallery/6-25-2006pickup/aak



Click on the links for the full size of the first two images, forum software is cropping them.

That last picture is epic. The last unpatched C&NW units leading the way. What else is in the consist? I see a heavyweight car of some kind and I'm guessing a parts E unit or is that a part of the WSOR E unit set now?

[GP30M4216]

Cadillac Yard ca. 1996

I believe this guy was parked in a quiet corner of the Cadillac Yard around 1996. Not sure what became of her but I imagine razor blades?

Photo by my father, I believe.

[Bulby]

Leaving IRM for WSOR, 6-25-06: http://www.irm.org/gallery/6-25-2006pickup/aak

That last picture is epic. The last unpatched C&NW units leading the way. What else is in the consist? I see a heavyweight car of some kind and I'm guessing a parts E unit or is that a part of the WSOR E unit set now?

In order:

L&N heavyweight diner Galt House, headed to the WSOR's Horicon paint shop for repainting after the Flags of Our Fathers "stick on" lettering took the paint with it when they tried to remove it. This car is now back at IRM and just might make it out as a operational diner this year. (fingers crossed!)

MIGN 671, steam heat car, now WSOR 102 EMD E9B(m) with 12-645CE prime movers and other internals taken from MARC 91. Originally UP 967B

Marc 91, E9Am, now sitting on WSOR (Janesville?) as a gutted shell. For sale if anyone wants to buy a gutted E9 ($16,000 IIRC). Former BN 9907 E9Am commuter service, nee CB&Q 9973

The rest of the consist is just freight.

[MQT1223]

Leaving IRM for WSOR, 6-25-06: http://www.irm.org/gallery/6-25-2006pickup/aak

That last picture is epic. The last unpatched C&NW units leading the way. What else is in the consist? I see a heavyweight car of some kind and I'm guessing a parts E unit or is that a part of the WSOR E unit set now?

In order:

L&N heavyweight diner Galt House, headed to the WSOR's Horicon paint shop for repainting after the Flags of Our Fathers "stick on" lettering took the paint with it when they tried to remove it. This car is now back at IRM and just might make it out as a operational diner this year. (fingers crossed!)

MIGN 671, steam heat car, now WSOR 102 EMD E9B(m) with 12-645CE prime movers and other internals taken from MARC 91. Originally UP 967B

Marc 91, E9Am, now sitting on WSOR (Janesville?) as a gutted shell. For sale if anyone wants to buy a gutted E9 ($16,000 IIRC). Former BN 9907 E9Am commuter service, nee CB&Q 9973

The rest of the consist is just freight.

Yeah, I heard about that L&N diner. That's one part of the railroad experience few can replicate is dining on a train. I have never done it yet and I really want to. Kudos if that diner operates this year. I'd hate to say it but take the usable parts that are still left in Marc 91 and scrap it. I don't see it ever running again.

[Bulby]

I'd hate to say it but take the usable parts that are still left in Marc 91 and scrap it. I don't see it ever running again.

I have a few schemes for that locomotive, but the honest truth is the only parts really worth anything in the 91 are the trucks, wheels, nose, and maybe the roof hatches and doors. That's about all she has left. She'd make a good static display, or a interesting "modern guts in old body" locomotive.

[AARR]

Ummn.. Most of the rail is still in service if that counts.

I wouldn't say most, I would say very little. The White Pine Trail is the former MIGN main line, and that is roughly 90 miles.

At it's peak MIGN operated around 400ish miles of track. Of that approximately 240 miles remain in service. That's more than 50%. In my world that's more than less I agree with Pixl.

[MQT1223]

Ummn.. Most of the rail is still in service if that counts.

I wouldn't say most, I would say very little. The White Pine Trail is the former MIGN main line, and that is roughly 90 miles.

At it's peak MIGN operated around 400ish miles of track. Of that approximately 240 miles remain in service. That's more than 50%. In my world that's more than less I agree with Pixl.

Well if you put it like that... This could be a Ludacris question, but were rails ever planned to cross the straights before a suspension bridge was settled on? At the time would the car ferries not like the idea of a bridge route over the lakes? Crazier things have been done, like the Florida East Coast Key West Extension. I bet the Michigan Northern would've lived longer had rails spanned the straights.

[J T]

This could be a Ludacris question, but were rails ever planned to cross the straights before a suspension bridge was settled on?

If he were a railfan, I suppose it could be, but I really doubt that Ludacris asked that question. Unless he's a rapper/railfan of some sort that I haven't heard about.

[railohio]

Unless he's a rapper/railfan of some sort that I haven't heard about.

Word to your mother.

[J T]

Well, I did find this...

[AARR]

This could be a Ludacris question, but were rails ever planned to cross the straights before a suspension bridge was settled on?

Yes it was discussed and plans drawn up but never went beyond that.

[MQT1223]

This could be a Ludacris question, but were rails ever planned to cross the straights before a suspension bridge was settled on?

If he were a railfan, I suppose it could be, but I really doubt that Ludacris asked that question. Unless he's a rapper/railfan of some sort that I haven't heard about.

Wrong use of the WORD Ludacris. It capitalizes the word because it associates the rapper, but I get the point.