What year was the line north of Lansing to Saginaw on the PC Saginaw Branch abandoned? I thought that it made it through the PC to CR transition because I had seen a photo dated in the mid-1980's of a CR inspection train going through the turnout at CP North Lansing. I did check the timeline on the MI RR website to see if I could get an answer, but to no avail. (Had to throw that in there, because I know someone would ask! ) But like I said I tried doing some research but couldn't come up with anything, so I'm hoping a meeting of the minds would be able to narrow it down for me.
CR abandoned the line pretty son after they began service. AA took over from Owosso to Swan Lake (didn't operate past St. Charles) and GTW operated a 2 mile segment south of Owosso.
CR operated a 1-2 mile stub north of Lansing to serve Grace Chemcial but when that plant closed the stub was abandoned.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...
I was looking at Conrail's preliminary system plan a few months ago and did some number crunching....even with the unprofitable track from Lansing to Saginaw, keeping the line to access Bay City and Midland would have been solidly profitable. I don't understand why Conrail didn't keep this line (namely for the Dow and Essexville traffic), unless the cost to upgrade the track was prohibitive.
Ben Higdon wrote:I was looking at Conrail's preliminary system plan a few months ago and did some number crunching....even with the unprofitable track from Lansing to Saginaw, keeping the line to access Bay City and Midland would have been solidly profitable. I don't understand why Conrail didn't keep this line (namely for the Dow and Essexville traffic), unless the cost to upgrade the track was prohibitive.
I think it was the cost of upgrading the track but considering the potential volume of chemical traffic I'd like to know what the factors were too
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...
It was mostly the track. Remember, prior to the CR startup, coal was being handed off to the AA in Toledo for the Sag/BC area instead of running over the PC. I doubt the line had seen much, if any, work after the PC merger. There was also the bridge N. of St Charles to consider?
rteusink wrote:It was mostly the track. Remember, prior to the CR startup, coal was being handed off to the AA in Toledo for the Sag/BC area instead of running over the PC. I doubt the line had seen much, if any, work after the PC merger. There was also the bridge N. of St Charles to consider?
Bob Teusink
Grand Rapids, MI
I guess at that point CR had conceded the chemical traffic to Chessie cause as I recall GTW did not get a lot of chemical business out of Midland and it took CMGN a few years to build up the business they outbid CSX for.
PatC created a monster, 'cause nobody wants to see Don Simon no more they want AARR I'm chopped liver, well if you want AARR this is what I'll give ya, bad humor mixed with irrelevant info that'll make you roll your eyes quicker than a ~Z~ banhammer...
penn central wrote:Owosso north was used by loaded coal trains for Essixville until September 1977.
That makes me wonder if GTW bought Paines-Saginaw-Bay City at Conrail start up on 4/1/76, which I've always assumed.
Did Conrail retain ownership of the line to Bay City in order to handle the coal trains to Essexville via the Ann Arbor (which CR was operating), and after losing authority to operate the AA, sold the Bay City line to GTW? This situation would explain why Conrail operated the lines to Vassar and Caro for a year or two too, before selling them to TSBY. While operating the AA, Conrail had direct access to those lines via the AA and the line through Saginaw to Bay City.
) But like I said I tried doing some research but couldn't come up with anything, so I'm hoping a meeting of the minds would be able to narrow it down for me. 
