Indiana & Ohio Railroad

[Standard Railfan]

Interesting how RA is interested in the jet fuel business, but slapped the huge tariffs on the anhydrous traffic for the Midland and Unionpolis on the DT&I....

It's RailAmerica... 'Nuff said.

Both jet fuel and anhydrous are hazardous materials under the various regulations. Anhydrous Ammonia is also an inhalation hazard and reactive with water. Bid difference in the cost of an "event".

[MSchwiebert]

http://boe.aar.com/boe/pdf/CPC-1220_OT-55-L.pdf
The link (above) goes into detail about TIH products - of which Anhydrous Ammonia one. My guess is that the destinations didn't get the product frequently enough for RailAmerica to make the investments needed (HBD/DED's, track structure etc.) pay off, so they ramped up their rates to make it unappealing to the potential customers. My guess is that companies like this fill their bulk tanks now via truck from regional distribution facilities that are rail served instead.

Interesting how RA is interested in the jet fuel business, but slapped the huge tariffs on the anhydrous traffic for the Midland and Unionpolis on the DT&I....

It's RailAmerica... 'Nuff said.

Both jet fuel and anhydrous are hazardous materials under the various regulations. Anhydrous Ammonia is also an inhalation hazard and reactive with water. Bid difference in the cost of an "event".

[AARR]

http://boe.aar.com/boe/pdf/CPC-1220_OT-55-L.pdf
The link (above) goes into detail about TIH products - of which Anhydrous Ammonia one. My guess is that the destinations didn't get the product frequently enough for RailAmerica to make the investments needed (HBD/DED's, track structure etc.) pay off, so they ramped up their rates to make it unappealing to the potential customers. My guess is that companies like this fill their bulk tanks now via truck from regional distribution facilities that are rail served instead.

And Ammonia is highly regulated by the EPA IIRC and some distribution centers, like the one that used to be in Wadhams (west of Port Huron) have had to shut down. Its a wonder the stuff is still profitable with all the regulations.

[MSchwiebert]

Fortunately the key raw material used to make Anhydrous Ammonia is natural gas - which due to the advances in drilling processes has become much more readily available and at a lower price. That said, the end user (farmers) are still paying a pretty penny for the stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haber-Bosch_process

[midland sub]

They're still going to court over it, so the STB may force RA to loosen up tariffs and special shipping requirements. Take my word, there is far worse stuff moving on the I&O south of Lima....

[Fred]

Was at Diann from 930am until 130pm today hoping to catch #400 but all I saw was CN#384. Local resident informed me the AA went south at 830am with a lot of covered hoppers.

[CharlieX90]

And Ammonia is highly regulated by the EPA IIRC and some distribution centers, like the one that used to be in Wadhams (west of Port Huron) have had to shut down. Its a wonder the stuff is still profitable with all the regulations.

We use Ammonia for our -18 degree freezer units at work.

[jwilliam33]

Yup, natural gas is cheap cheap cheap and we're still paying $890 per ton(quite high) for anhydrous ammonia. Some ag facilities previously using rail for NH3 have stopped handling it altogether, forcing the farmer to use 28% liquid nitrogen(often transported by rail).

[midland sub]

Which the I&O is moving quite a bit of down on the south end.

[GP30M4216]

It's funny. I live in Connecticut now, and on a somewhat regular basis, I imagine myself back trackside at a variety of places in Michigan and the Midwest. But rarely do I wish to be someplace like Fostoria, or on the Water Level Route. Often, I wish for shortline or out-of-the-way action, or some diamond around the state. It wasn't all that long ago that I thought back to a day a few years ago when I saw four of the six trains which regularly cross Diann diamond in any single day. Not exactly thrilling action most of the time! But as was posted earlier, during these long summer days, one can often see the morning southbound Annie, a CN train, and then the I&O if it happens to be one of the days they come up to Flat Rock. The day I recall I saw the southbound Annie, then the northbound CN (M384?), then the northbound I&O, and then I moved up toward Flat Rock a ways to see the I&O return an hour or two later. The anticipation and beautiful farm scenery down that way makes it all worth it

Yes, traffic is down somewhat from what people will remember a few years ago, but don't forget I&O lost all of the regular autorack traffic into and out of Flat Rock Yard - which was all bridge traffic and didn't kick in much to the bottom line. Now what you see is actually generating real income for the I&O. Great to hear about the jet fuel business, hopefully it's lucrative enough to keep going, adding a few more cars to the mixed freight consists.

Robert, your photo of 4072 leading long hood forward through Carleton is fantastic! Somewhere I have a photo from the exact same spot about 10 years ago of the southbound I&O with a NYS&W "Susie-Q" SD70M leading. Not too many tunnel motors can be found in Michigan these days!

A few years ago, I&O 4083 was the regular power on this run. These scenes were recorded in June 2010:

First northbound 401 passing a centennial farm just north of Diann:


And the return trip later in the day, southbound 400 near Raisinville:


The CN stretch of the Flat Rock Sub north of Diann is in good shape and these guys really haul. South of the diamond the speed limit is lower.

[Y@]

South of Diann, it's all I&O. I&O is 25 mph across the entire north end, which is Diann to XN Tower and then DT&I Junction into Lima.

[tyler_phillips]

Today around noon, IORY was dropping off come covered hoppers for ADBF in Riga, with IORY 4082 facing North.

[JCinSummerfield]

Unless they push them all the way from Petersburg, they have to drop off northbound. I didn't know ADBF was doing business with IORY again. I thought all there business was going to NS. Competition is good!

[AARR]

Unless they push them all the way from Petersburg, they have to drop off northbound. I didn't know ADBF was doing business with IORY again. I thought all there business was going to NS. Competition is good!

I believe they exchange an occasional box car of plywood and covered hoppers of soy beans (perhaps other grains too). From what I hear its sort of a love-hate relationship. But it also has to do with money because there is better profit handing business off to NS than interchanging with IORY who takes it to CSX or CN.

[Robertrains]

Robert, your photo of 4072 leading long hood forward through Carleton is fantastic! Somewhere I have a photo from the exact same spot about 10 years ago of the southbound I&O with a NYS&W "Susie-Q" SD70M leading. Not too many tunnel motors can be found in Michigan these days!

Thanx! I almost missed that one! We left Carleton and headed north I-275! I saw it coming when crossing over the track! It was over a mile until the next exit! Luckily we made it back to Carleton with about a minute to setup! It all worked though!!!! Nathan, I like your pix of 4083! What kind of film/camera(s) do you use? I use 35mm Canon AE-1, A-1, T-70 with Fuji/Kodak print films. Also I use BW and various slide types. I shoot with Medium Format RB67 and C330 cameras and use Kodak Portra and Fuji print films! I use slide/BW also! I'm going to shoot with film FOREVER! Whenever I see good film prices—I buy it up!

[CharlieX90]

IORY 400 South out of Flatrock around 1045 with the 4082 (Blahh). Covered hopper,Boxcar,16 tanks.

[Robertrains]

IORY 400 South out of Flatrock around 1045 with the 4082 (Blahh). Covered hopper,Boxcar,16 tanks.

Interesting that they ran Saturday! What's the "Blahh" for? I'm assuming it's not your favorite loco! I agree that the "Tunnel Motors" are better though!

[CAT345C]

Unless they push them all the way from Petersburg, they have to drop off northbound. I didn't know ADBF was doing business with IORY again. I thought all there business was going to NS. Competition is good!

Is there a siding in Petersburg? I thought the only passing siding near there was in Diann, and last I checked its OS and has been that way for at least a year. That or homewood has forgot to take it off the bulletins

[AARR]

Is there a siding in Petersburg? I thought the only passing siding near there was in Diann, and last I checked its OS and has been that way for at least a year. That or homewood has forgot to take it off the bulletins

Yes, there is a passing siding in Petersburg and it is rather long, well over a mile. I do not know the condition of it, though.

I thought the siding in Diann is still used to exchange a few cars with AA? I may be wrong though as they could be using one of the yard tracks.

[CharlieX90]

IORY 400 South out of Flatrock around 1045 with the 4082 (Blahh). Covered hopper,Boxcar,16 tanks.

Interesting that they ran Saturday! What's the "Blahh" for? I'm assuming it's not your favorite loco! I agree that the "Tunnel Motors" are better though!

Im so sick of seeing the same unit lol