"Port Huron Time!!!!" 9-17/18 (2016)

[Robertrains]

OK, I went to Port Huron last weekend (9-17/18)!!!! I stayed the night at my friend "Mazon's" house (only 6 blocks from Amtrak® 16th street station)! We walked to the station late at night! The Amtrak® "Blue Water" was parked. There was a westbound CN with two engines (unsure of numbers)! We couldn't get "Long Exposures" because there was an issue with the camera working!

In the morning (Mazon sleeping), I walked to the 24th Street overpass! Though the police came—I was fine to wait in the grass when a CN worker came! I photographed two trains there!!!! Westbound train 397 came at 10:45 a.m. It had CN ET44ACs #3005/3039 with 168 cars!!!! Eastbound train 348 was doing "Yard Work" for a little while before that westbound train. Shortly later, it started crossing the bridge! It had CN ET44AC #3028, CN ES44AC #2921, CN SD75I #5686 and CN ES44AC #2860! I didn't wait for the train (I then missed a few). Later, Mazon and I went down to St. Clair hoping to see CSX! Nothing!!!! We caught westbound CN/GTW train 501 at 16th street around 5 p.m. It had CN SD70M-2 #8866 and CN SD70I #5621 with 72 cars!!!! In the yard were two CN painted GTW GP38-2 units: #4903 and 4929! We caught CSX D710 coming into Port Huron shortly before 6 p.m. It had two CSX ES40DC locos, #5424/5202, and 11 cars!!!! OK, in August 2015, a fire burned the coal plant in St. Clair!!!! Does anybody know if that plant will "Re-open?" Is the only traffic on CSX in Port Huron the local stuff? I've read that the local only goes one direction to/from Flint per day—is this correct? Are there any others? I would like to catch more CSX trains in Pt. Huron though! I will be doing this again (spending tonight (9-24) at Mazon's house)!!!!

[Robertrains]

I went back to Port Huron to spend the night at friend "Mazon's" house! I stayed Sat. 9-24 night! We got more trains this time! Never watch the "Human Centipede!!!!" OK, no trains that night! The next morning (9-25) I walked to the tracks at 16th Street! There was a westbound on the way! This was train #397! It came at 10:35 a.m. It had CN SD70M-2 #8881, CN 'Purchased' IC C44-9W #2727 and CN C44-9W #2682 with 141 cars!!!! Mazon got up! At the west end of the yard—there was Blue BCOL C44-9W #4646 ready to pull train 533 south! This was around 12:30 p.m. I thought we had time to go to Best Buy® (north of town) before that train left!!!! At B.B., I heard on my scanner that it was leaving (before 1 p.m.)! "Missed!!!!" However, we both saw something we never "Witnessed!!!!" The GTW Local was switching Domtar Paper® near the Black River! I saw that it had to lower the "Bascule Bridge" in order to cross! This was "AWESOME!!!!" The bridge slowly lowered (guy operated the bridge) and CN painted GTW GP38-2 #4929 pulled one boxcar across! It was nice seeing the old gears operate the 1929 bridge! Then guy went to raise it up! I thought it was the Conductor operating it—but it couldn't be (because he'd be stuck on the other side of the river from train)! Here's a site showing the bridge: http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2 ... -port.html

We went to the Amtrak® 16th street station to see trains! Though we missed a westbound—there were three eastbound trains!!!! First, train #398 came with two CN ES44ACs, #2815, 2943! It had 81 cars and came at 3:07 p.m. Mazon became "Thirsty!!!!" He went home to get water, but missed the next train!!!! It had CN SD75Is, #5671, 5632 and 23 cars! This was at 3:24 p.m. Lastly, train #396 came with five engines!!!! It had CN ES44DC #2227, Blue BCOL C44-9W #4651, CN C44-9W #2551, CN ES44AC #2804, and CN C44-9W #2560!!!! It had 114 cars and came at 3:55 p.m. There was an old switcher and "Lease" loco stored at the west side of the main yard. CN painted GTW GP38-2 #4929 switched some "Well Car" sets too! It looks like they load containers right there in the yard! This was a great Pt. Huron trip (compared to last time)!!!!