GDLK Operations

[PatAzo]

That switch was never removed. KMR has a big operation on the east side of town and has been trucking scrap to "the junk yard spur" for twenty years, although I haven't been in the area much in the last couple years to see if they're still loading.

302 had to wait at Cork St while 501 switched the junk yard this afternoon.

[bn13814]

Is Mann Filter in Portage the old Moehler Plastics plant? Last I heard they shut down before the new spur was used. Can anyone confirm they're actually receiving product there?

Same deal for Kaiser Aluminum at Midlink...any confirmed sightings? LC Howard at the end of Reed St used to get bulkhead flats of aluminum rod, never heard where they were destined. Can't be many customers in the area that use that quantity of aluminum.

Interesting about Mueller Plastics. Mann + Hummel does make injection molded plastic parts at this plant, though no covered hoppers on spot when I was there. Perhaps I was too early, because the plant was dedicated September 29.

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-mich ... ann_h.html

I noticed track going into the Kaiser Aluminum plant, but the railheads were not shiny. So those aluminum rods for LC Howard might have been stored for Kaiser?

[bn13814]

GRAND RAPIDS, MI
Louis Padnos Iron & Metal - 601 Letellier Ave (scrap metal)
(shipper unknown) - GDLK Hughart Yard (crushed cullet glass)
Bulkmatic Transport Co. - 1440 Hynes Ave. (bulk wheat flour)
RSI Leasing Inc. - 1460 SW Hynes Ave. (plastics)
GE Railcar - GDLK Hughart Yard (railcar storage)
Blue Linx Corp. - 825 Buchanan Ave. SW (building materials, lumber)
Great Lakes Gypsum & Supply - 3470 Roger B. Chaffee Blvd. (gypsum wallboard)

WYOMING, MI
Brink Farms - Mart St. (frac sand)
*Padnos‐Wyoming Recycling - 500 44th St. S (scrap paper, plastic recycling)
Magic Steel Sales LLC - 4242 Clay Ave. SW (steel warehouse)
Zeeland Truss & Components - 5836 Clay Ave. SW (lumber trusses)

Hey guys...any idea if the Savory Foods/Penn Street Bakery on Hynes Avenue in Grand Rapids just north of Hughart Yard is rail-served? Google satellite seems to show two covered hoppers in the back of this complex.

[Raildudes dad]

Eagle Film Extruders is the customer, not Savory Foods http://www.eaglefilmextruders.com/

Padnos Wyoming hasn't shipped / received anything by rail to my knowledge although I haven't checked in some time.

[bn13814]

Eagle Film Extruders is the customer, not Savory Foods http://www.eaglefilmextruders.com/

Padnos Wyoming hasn't shipped / received anything by rail to my knowledge although I haven't checked in some time.

Thanks.

I included Padnos Wyoming on my list because it was shown at the same address as Sterling Logistics of Michigan, which GDLK lists as a customer on its most recent (2011) switching circular. Google searches seem to indicate that Columbian Logistics had bought out Sterling's accounts many years ago and that Sterling had moved its operations from 500 44th Street to a location south of town. Google satellite photos do show a TBOX(?) hi-cube boxcar on the switchback serving this building, so I wondered if Padnos Wyoming's recycling operation (scrap paper) shipped baled wastepaper by rail. Perhaps they do not.

Anyway, thanks for identifying another GDLK customer!

[SD80MAC]

Grand Elk delivered 3 N&W gons to Joe Brown/Padnos in GR a few weeks ago, they're still there as of last night. Word is those 3 cars will be cut up there. The Grand Elk switch to Padnos is scheduled to be removed in the near future.

[bn13814]

Grand Elk delivered 3 N&W gons to Joe Brown/Padnos in GR a few weeks ago, they're still there as of last night. Word is those 3 cars will be cut up there. The Grand Elk switch to Padnos is scheduled to be removed in the near future.

Padnos wants CSXT to do all switching?

[SD80MAC]

Grand Elk delivered 3 N&W gons to Joe Brown/Padnos in GR a few weeks ago, they're still there as of last night. Word is those 3 cars will be cut up there. The Grand Elk switch to Padnos is scheduled to be removed in the near future.

Padnos wants CSXT to do all switching?

Evidently. The volume of traffic (virtually none) Grand Elk has done with Padnos since they took over is apparently not worth keeping the second switch and redundant track in place to the parties involved. The switch has been red tagged and out of service since May.

[PatAzo]

303 has has stalled and had to double the hill near Shelbyville twice in the last week or so. They have been coming out of GR with up to 8000 tons with more sand to pick up in Moline. 4124 sets in GR with it's blown engine. There is talk of it going to VMV. 4206 is out of service with engine trouble. 302 is supposed to start using four axle power to let 303 have the six axles.

When track work at Gerhart is complete the contractor is supposed to go to Hugert to start putting track back in service.

[Super Chief]

Thanks Pat i saw both4124 &4206 sitting at GR and not MU'ed and thought it was odd? Any word on the NS new turn start date?

[PatAzo]

Just that GDLK and NS were working on an agreement but nothing else.

[conrail7695]

What is "VMV"?

303 has has stalled and had to double the hill near Shelbyville twice in the last week or so. They have been coming out of GR with up to 8000 tons with more sand to pick up in Moline. 4124 sets in GR with it's blown engine. There is talk of it going to VMV. 4206 is out of service with engine trouble. 302 is supposed to start using four axle power to let 303 have the six axles.

When track work at Gerhart is complete the contractor is supposed to go to Hugert to start putting track back in service.

[AARR]

What is "VMV"?

I think that's the locomotive repair facility in Paducah. It was formerly an IC shop. If I'm correct it's now operated by National Railway Equipment. They might even build some new "green" locomotives.

[ns8401]

What is "VMV"?

I think that's the locomotive repair facility in Paducah. It was formerly an IC shop. If I'm correct it's now operated by National Railway Equipment. They might even build some new "green" locomotives.

Operated as VMV Paducahbuilt, a subsidiary of NRE now.

[bctrainfan]

What advantage is there to NS in this plan? Doesn't seem like it would make sense to hand off to GDLK in Elkhart only to pickup again in Kalamazoo. Wouldn't that just give a piece of NS's fees to GDLK, when NS gets the whole thing as they do it now using their own trackage via Toledo/Detroit?
Or maybe NS wants a bigger bite by grabbing the GR traffic in Kazoo instead of GDLK taking it all the way to and from Elkhart? Most past speculation has been that NS wants out of the Michigan line altogether, at least from Jackson west, and that someone like JAIL or GDLK would bid on the rights to the Jackson/Kazoo portion.

If NS does do a Jackson/Kazoo train, they probably would not really "add" anything, just extend the B57 (from BC/Hinman yard) thru to interchange/turn at Gearhart instead of turning at Augusta as it does now.

[PatAzo]

As long as NS keeps handling freight on the Michigan Line the advantage is costs for cars to and from the west. Rather than taking the cars to the east side of the state, switch them and send them back west, NS lets Grand Elk take them north from Elkhart. If NS is still intent on getting ride of freight service west of the Detroit area (GDLK managers say they are) it could be the first step.

[NSSD70ACe]

Pat, I may have totally misunderstood what you said, but if I did read that correctly, it sounds like if NS does rid of traffic west of Detroit, it could be an opportunity for Grand Elk or the AA or both) to expand. However, with GDLK's power problems I doubt that it would happen...

That is, if I read that right

[PatAzo]

Pat, I may have totally misunderstood what you said...

It was a continuation of bctrainfan's post. The two together might read with more continuity.

GDLK has two six axles down with engine trouble but they are not cancelling trains. If they had the opportunity to take over the freight traffic east of Kalamazoo I suspect WAMX could dip into it's inventory and send a few more units over. Google Maps Wichita KS and look for 1855 Orient Blvd, Wichita, KS 67213. Along it you'll see a yard and small shop. This is Watco's Kansas and Oklahoma. The line of locomotives parked there are mostly WAMX units waiting to go to work.

[Super Chief]

Well October came and went but the discussions are ongoing as my original post stated. Three Rivers is still going to be an interchange track at GM siding. The yard at 4th street is to have some attention to it upon completion of Gearhart and Hughart yards being upgraded. The six axle units continue to be the WSOR units so they must be working the entire line due to sand cars. I personally have not seen 4125 in weeks so don't know her status shes not among the two we know about that are down.

[GTW]

I heard #501 this past week looking for someone at GDLK to interview the Editor and Chief from Railfan Magazine at CP Cowling...


GTW