Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Daily whereabouts of train locations along with sightings for heads ups to other railfans.
MiRailProductions
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 337
Joined: Mon May 22, 2017 6:19 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by MiRailProductions »

TC Man wrote:
MiRailProductions wrote:Does anyone know if this customer in Grawn will be a permanent customer, or is it just a one-time deal? If so, will the GLC be out in Grawn every time they go up to Traverse?
Confirmed that: "the first one was loaded on Friday and will go out shortly....kind of trial run- if all goes well, we will continue to do more and more via rail".
Thanks. If they go north out of Cadillac tomorrow to Elmira (which I've noticed they usually do on Tuesdays), I'll be trackside in Kalkaska.
"If you are ever chasing trains, you're bound to end up on a 2-lane, double-striped road with a slow poke in front of you." -Danny Harmon
YouTube - Michigan Rail Productions
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPgdn ... wZHDIyfk_Q

AANscaleRunner
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 2904
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:06 pm
Location: Cadillac Michigan

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by AANscaleRunner »

Sounded like northbound out of Cadillac around 0930.

MiRailProductions
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 337
Joined: Mon May 22, 2017 6:19 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by MiRailProductions »

Caught them in between Kalkaska and Mancelona around 1125. They were NB (for Elmira I suppose) with 13 cement hoppers. 399 leading 398.
"If you are ever chasing trains, you're bound to end up on a 2-lane, double-striped road with a slow poke in front of you." -Danny Harmon
YouTube - Michigan Rail Productions
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPgdn ... wZHDIyfk_Q

SD70ACe Fan
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 377
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2016 10:20 pm

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by SD70ACe Fan »

GLC came into Durand earlier around 2pm ish.

GLC 385
GLC 396

AANscaleRunner
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 2904
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:06 pm
Location: Cadillac Michigan

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by AANscaleRunner »

Returned to Cadillac shortly before 1530.

csx801
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 630
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:44 pm

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by csx801 »

Great Lakes Central rolling north through Mount Pleasant 21:35

GLC 385 Leading
GLC 396

6 plastics hoppers
1 tank
1 pole load
1 NS top gon??? (NSSX 200216 reporting marks)
14 woodchip hoppers
1 plastics hopper
1 tank

25 total

TC Man
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1064
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2014 11:25 am

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by TC Man »

[quote="csx801"]Great Lakes Central rolling north through Mount Pleasant 21:35

GLC 385 Leading
GLC 396

6 plastics hoppers
1 tank
1 pole load
1 NS top gon??? (NSSX 200216 reporting marks)
14 woodchip hoppers
1 plastics hopper
1



NSSX 200216 is an NS MOW car for tie loading. Probably load for the place in McBain...
CEO of the Waving Institute- teaching great wave forms.

csx801
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 630
Joined: Mon Oct 26, 2009 4:44 pm

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by csx801 »

I should have figured it was a tie load. No major surprise there.

GLC 385, 396 light power south through Mount Pleasant at 23:25.

AANscaleRunner
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 2904
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:06 pm
Location: Cadillac Michigan

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by AANscaleRunner »

399 and 398 leaving Cadillac for Clare at 1005 with 2 pole loads, 2 tanks, 3 tie gons, 8 coke empties and 12 cement empties.

MiRailProductions
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 337
Joined: Mon May 22, 2017 6:19 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by MiRailProductions »

I have a question about the Yuba line. Do they ship sand out there anymore? On google maps there is a large sand facility with about 20 hoppers out there. However, I cannot find any recent reports of the GLC being out there. Is this line even used anymore?
"If you are ever chasing trains, you're bound to end up on a 2-lane, double-striped road with a slow poke in front of you." -Danny Harmon
YouTube - Michigan Rail Productions
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPgdn ... wZHDIyfk_Q

User avatar
AARR
Ann Arbor RR Nerd
Posts: 37904
Joined: Wed Dec 22, 2004 7:39 pm
Location: Washington, MI

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by AARR »

Fairmount Minerals, the operator of Wexford Sand (in Yuma) closed the sand plant a few years ago. They may have removed equipment.

At it's peak it was shipping up to 100 cars a week (65 was probably about average). In the mid 2000's Ford closed and/or retooled their Cleveland engine foundry operations and little to no sand was shipped there by around 2011. They found a few other foundry sand customers but didn't ship nearly as much as they did Ford.

Also the plant processed frac sand for a few years and would ship up to 300 cars a month but that also came to a halt as other larger more efficient sand plants opened in IL and WI.

Amazingly, Sargent reopened it's mine north of Ludington and is transloading frac sand at several locations. I don't know how they can do this and Yuma was unable too.
MiRailProductions wrote:I have a question about the Yuba line. Do they ship sand out there anymore? On google maps there is a large sand facility with about 20 hoppers out there. However, I cannot find any recent reports of the GLC being out there. Is this line even used anymore?
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...

AANscaleRunner
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 2904
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:06 pm
Location: Cadillac Michigan

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by AANscaleRunner »

398 and 399 return at 1540 with 2 covered hoppers, 2 tanks, 1 pole load, 1 NS Top Gon, 14 wood chip hoppers, 1 covered hopper and 1 tank.

User avatar
James Sofonia
Grand Traverse Dinner Train 1996
Posts: 1701
Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2014 7:56 pm
Location: Traverse City, Michigan

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by James Sofonia »

AANscaleRunner wrote:398 and 399 return at 1540 with 2 covered hoppers, 2 tanks, 1 pole load, 1 NS Top Gon, 14 wood chip hoppers, 1 covered hopper and 1 tank.
I wonder if the NS Top Gon is headed for Beacon scrapyard in TC.

Raildudes dad
Roadmaster
Posts: 4753
Joined: Fri Dec 23, 2005 9:12 am
Location: Grand Rapids, MI

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by Raildudes dad »

[quote="AARR"]
Amazingly, Sargent reopened it's mine north of Ludington and is transloading frac sand at several locations. I don't know how they can do this and Yuma was unable too. /quote]

Pretty sure it has to do with the type of sand as well as the grain size.

MiRailProductions
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 337
Joined: Mon May 22, 2017 6:19 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by MiRailProductions »

AARR wrote:Fairmount Minerals, the operator of Wexford Sand (in Yuma) closed the sand plant a few years ago. They may have removed equipment.

At it's peak it was shipping up to 100 cars a week (65 was probably about average). In the mid 2000's Ford closed and/or retooled their Cleveland engine foundry operations and little to no sand was shipped there by around 2011. They found a few other foundry sand customers but didn't ship nearly as much as they did Ford.

Also the plant processed frac sand for a few years and would ship up to 300 cars a month but that also came to a halt as other larger more efficient sand plants opened in IL and WI.

Amazingly, Sargent reopened it's mine north of Ludington and is transloading frac sand at several locations. I don't know how they can do this and Yuma was unable too.
MiRailProductions wrote:I have a question about the Yuba line. Do they ship sand out there anymore? On google maps there is a large sand facility with about 20 hoppers out there. However, I cannot find any recent reports of the GLC being out there. Is this line even used anymore?
Thanks for the info!
"If you are ever chasing trains, you're bound to end up on a 2-lane, double-striped road with a slow poke in front of you." -Danny Harmon
YouTube - Michigan Rail Productions
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPgdn ... wZHDIyfk_Q

TC Man
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1064
Joined: Sat Mar 08, 2014 11:25 am

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by TC Man »

At Yuma, some of the equipment has been removes (all tractors, pretty much everything which wheels). However, all the conveyors, the loading silos, name on the fence, etc. are still there. There are about 30 sand hoppers on the loading track that were shoved up there after the place closed up (most WSSX, SHPX, FURX, GACX, NAHX reporting marks). Toward the very end of the line are a line of beat up ex-METRA commuter cars and various old TSBY box cars (former AA). The sand plant, with the hoppers there, look like everyone went home one night and forgot to show up for work ever since. Kind of eerie!

Also a mile or 2 before the sand plant is a line of TSBY and GLC marked former MKT hoppers. All been there for a couple years or more.
CEO of the Waving Institute- teaching great wave forms.

AANscaleRunner
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 2904
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:06 pm
Location: Cadillac Michigan

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by AANscaleRunner »

399 and 398 leaving Cadillac for Clare at 1050 with 6 covered hoppers, 2 pole loads, 8 or 9 wood chip hoppers, 6 or 7 tie gons and 3 tanks. Slightly obstructed view today.

MiRailProductions
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 337
Joined: Mon May 22, 2017 6:19 pm
Location: Ann Arbor, MI

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by MiRailProductions »

TC Man wrote:At Yuma, some of the equipment has been removes (all tractors, pretty much everything which wheels). However, all the conveyors, the loading silos, name on the fence, etc. are still there. There are about 30 sand hoppers on the loading track that were shoved up there after the place closed up (most WSSX, SHPX, FURX, GACX, NAHX reporting marks). Toward the very end of the line are a line of beat up ex-METRA commuter cars and various old TSBY box cars (former AA). The sand plant, with the hoppers there, look like everyone went home one night and forgot to show up for work ever since. Kind of eerie!

Also a mile or 2 before the sand plant is a line of TSBY and GLC marked former MKT hoppers. All been there for a couple years or more.
Wow. Kinda sad to see a giant customer go, nowadays it would be nice to see more traffic in Cadillac. So the line is primarly used for storage now?
"If you are ever chasing trains, you're bound to end up on a 2-lane, double-striped road with a slow poke in front of you." -Danny Harmon
YouTube - Michigan Rail Productions
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPgdn ... wZHDIyfk_Q

AANscaleRunner
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 2904
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2011 7:06 pm
Location: Cadillac Michigan

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by AANscaleRunner »

398 and 399 return to Cadillac at 1710 with 1 tank, 1 cement hopper, 1 passenger car, 19 cement hoppers, 1 loaded centerbeam, 4 covered hoppers (feed) and 4 empty pulpwood flats. Any ideas on the passenger car?

Robertrains
Railroadfan...fan
Posts: 1989
Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2009 12:13 pm
Location: Roseville, Michigan!!!!

Re: Great Lakes Central Updates June 2017

Unread post by Robertrains »

Does anyone know where the Great Lakes Central® "Anniversary" painted GP35 #393 is working now, 6-22? :?:
Robert Jackson (Extreme Railfan/Bluewater and Michigan Transit Museum member)

http://cooltrains.rrpicturearchives.net/

Locked