GDLK Operations

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AARR
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by AARR »

Someone corrected me off-line. They ship 3 cars per weekday and sometimes on Saturday too.
AARR wrote:I've heard they ship 8-10 cars a week.
GP30M4216 wrote:Was nice to count 9 boxcars on the siding and at the dock at USG in Otsego yesterday. Single-customer branchlines always make me a little nervous so it's great to see a strong business there. Is the Otsego branch switched by the Kzoo-GR road train or does a local do it?
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Super Chief
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

Last 2 weeks now NS bad ordered power has come down the Elk to be serviced in Elkhart. Jackson has sent 2 sets of 2 units now. Even sent 1 set back thru the Elk last week. Wilber-Ellis is constructing a new building at the ex-Johansens property.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

Anybody know approximately when 303 gets into Kazoo. Do they hold out north of down for Amtrak to clear up or is it a crap-shoot on the time based on en-route switching?

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by PatAzo »

303 goes on duty at 10:00. If they make it back it's early evening. If not there is a relief crew that comes on duty at 18:00. It depends on how much switching they have in route.

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Saturnalia
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Saturnalia »

Super Chief wrote:Anybody know approximately when 303 gets into Kazoo. Do they hold out north of down for Amtrak to clear up or is it a crap-shoot on the time based on en-route switching?
I'd say both. They're not going to come into town if Amtrak is going to be in the area or if GDLK decides to run other trains first. Then their actual arrival is also based on enroute switching and over-the-road times.
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NSSD70ACe
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by NSSD70ACe »

Anyone know of any updates on the yard situation the Elk was facing last year? Are they still considering building a new yard? I noticed a construction/contractor sort of van at the Cork Street crossing (on the mainline) a few days ago and another vehicle deeper on the property and some surveying equipment facing up the tracks in the area yesterday. The site looks like it used to be a yard or some sort of RR-related facility. IIRC, Conrail had a "North" and "South" yard in Kalamazoo.

Thanks,

-NS
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by PatAzo »

NSSD70ACe wrote:Anyone know of any updates on the yard situation the Elk was facing last year? Are they still considering building a new yard? I noticed a construction/contractor sort of van at the Cork Street crossing (on the mainline) a few days ago and another vehicle deeper on the property and some surveying equipment facing up the tracks in the area yesterday. The site looks like it used to be a yard or some sort of RR-related facility. IIRC, Conrail had a "North" and "South" yard in Kalamazoo.

Thanks,

-NS
You were looking at the site of the former South Yard. It served a purpose when the Bryant and Monarch mills were open and a switch job spent the day out there servicing the mills. Once the mills closed South Yard was a small yard plagued by grades at both ends. It was slow to use and had more than one string of cars get loose and roll north. I'd be surprised to see GDLK seriously consider building a yard in Kalamazoo. They'd invest $1M a mile to lay track to park cars when the solution to Gerhat's plugging is to keep the cars moving.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by NSSD70ACe »

PatAzo wrote:
You were looking at the site of the former South Yard. It served a purpose when the Bryant and Monarch mills were open and a switch job spent the day out there servicing the mills. Once the mills closed South Yard was a small yard plagued by grades at both ends. It was slow to use and had more than one string of cars get loose and roll north. I'd be surprised to see GDLK seriously consider building a yard in Kalamazoo. They'd invest $1M a mile to lay track to park cars when the solution to Gerhat's plugging is to keep the cars moving.

Is it possible that the Elk is plannng some other project in that area that's not a yard? Not much comes to mind but at the same time I don't know what the Elk needs and doesn't need in terms of capacity. I'm
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

Thanks for the insight on 303 I've been in Kalamazoo the last 2 days and haven't seen them come across the diamonds. Did see Amtraks, 105, 501 and 302 but no 303. Noticed in the latest version of Radio Reference that the Elk yard frequency is no longer being listed. 161.535? Are they still using it? Didn't know if the new ops without BO tower involved other frequencies or just an omission on RR.coms part? Being in the two-way radio business it could be an oversight on Watcos part and they didn't renew the licence and let it expire. Happens more often than not as no one remembers the FCC dates on them. They think they get them for life. Whoops.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by justalurker66 »

A quick search finds two licenses for Grand Elk ... neither expired:
http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSear ... ey=3114828 for 160.335 and 161.535

160.335
Base at 200' SOUTH OF 2ND ST ON WEST SIDE OF RAIL ROAD TRACKS Moline, MI ALLEGAN County
30 mobiles within 40km (25mi) radius around Moline MI site (5w radios)
Base at CR TRKS 225 S OF BRIDGE ST XING PLAINWELL, MI ALLEGAN County
Base at CR BO TWR AT PORTER ST XING KALAMAZOO, MI KALAMAZOO County
Base at 449 E ELIZA STREET SCHOOLCRAFT, MI KALAMAZOO County
Base at CR TRKS 200 E OF KALAMAZOO ST XING WHITE PIGEON, MI ST. JOSEPH County

161.535
30 5w and 15 45w mobiles within 40km radius around Plainwell MI
30 5w and 15 45w mobiles within 40km radius around Kalamazoo MI
30 5w and 15 45w mobiles within 40km radius around Schoolcraft MI
30 5w and 15 45w mobiles within 40km radius around White Pigeon MI

http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSear ... ey=3743987 for 160.335

160.335
Base at Intersection of Hall St and Hynes Ave, Grand Rapids, MI KENT County,
30 mobiles within 35km (21mi) of Grand Rapids (45w radios)

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justalurker66
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by justalurker66 »

Super Chief wrote:Elk yard frequency ... Are they still using it? Didn't know if the new ops without BO tower involved other frequencies or just an omission on RR.coms part?
There was a report in this or the BO Tower thread about a GDLK train blocking an Amtrak and not responding on the Amtrak frequency because they were on the yard frequency. I'd say that is evidence that the yard frequency is in use (or at least was at the time of the incident). I believe calling Amtrak instead of BO Tower was also discussed.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

Yes thanks confirmed it later too. The White Piegon site on Kalamazoo St. too many always seems out of the way off the main. It was chosen to be there because the NYC, PC and Conrail local went east to Coldwater. MSO I don't believe ever had ownership of the tower. Gordy used an industrial frequency off his own tower and handhelds.

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justalurker66
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by justalurker66 »

MSO has a license through 2024
160.755 (AAR 43-43)
Base - 69065 S KALAMAZOO ST WHITE PIGEON, MI ST. JOSEPH County
14 mobiles within 64km (40mi) radius - 75w radios
http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSear ... ey=1919222

41-47-37.2 N, 085-38-36.0 W MSO Tower
41-47-39.2 N, 085-38-33.0 W GDLK Tower

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by PatAzo »

Super Chief wrote:Thanks for the insight on 303 I've been in Kalamazoo the last 2 days and haven't seen them come across the diamonds. Did see Amtraks, 105, 501 and 302 but no 303. Noticed in the latest version of Radio Reference that the Elk yard frequency is no longer being listed. 161.535? Are they still using it? Didn't know if the new ops without BO tower involved other frequencies or just an omission on RR.coms part? Being in the two-way radio business it could be an oversight on Watcos part and they didn't renew the licence and let it expire. Happens more often than not as no one remembers the FCC dates on them. They think they get them for life. Whoops.
Catching them coming south over the diamond is a crap shoot. I'd say more often than not they tie up at Martin or Plainwell and another crew brings the train in later. 303 is really a big local with a couple time consuming stops in route, Bay Valley in Wayland and USG in Otsego. Going north is the best chance to see them on the diamond.

They still use both frequencies.

Super Chief
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

Yeah that 2nd address is Gordy Morris excavating office south of the MSO on Kalamazoo. He use to use a 159.xxx freq. Anyway lots of history there.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

Saw the cottonseed cars being unloaded at White Piegon today at the log loading site next to 131. Animal feed for cows is what the guy told me. They come up from the south in those brand new end doors cars. He was inside one with a front end loader bringing out the product. Then saw an empty one going into Elkhart yard on 302 along with 2 loaded log cars.

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Re: GDLK Operations

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Saw one of the cottonseed cars in White Pigeon Saturday and got the reporting marks: GINX. Then did a little google research and found that the marks were for Chickasha of Georgia LLC. Further research led to this:

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/mec ... l?channel=

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by NSSD70ACe »

501 is SB, holding ~300 ft north of Cork Street in Kalamazoo.

Why would they be stopped there? It's not likely that they're waiting for someone, there's no passing siding there. I also don't think it's likely that they're waiting on CN or someone down in TR, considering the distance.
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by NSSD70ACe »

501 is passing Loy Norrix HS and Kilgore Road SB at 12:06.


Looked as if they had some new CSX boxcars about midway back. Who would get these cars?
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by SD80MAC »

NSSD70ACe wrote:501 is passing Loy Norrix HS and Kilgore Road SB at 12:06.


Looked as if they had some new CSX boxcars about midway back. Who would get these cars?
I believe they go to a customer in or near Three Rivers.
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