GDLK Operations

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Super Chief
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

Was the hot-box defect detector still there? Use to be at MP 25.6.

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~Z~
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by ~Z~ »

Recent sightings at L&W Supply in Grand Rapids, from my night time walks there, here's how traffic has been as of late:
12/11 TTZX 87315 and TTZX 86582 unloaded. Still there 12/13.
12/26 CSXT 600646 and GAEX 000046 empty.
1/1 TTZX 86382 and TTZX 864161 loaded. Construction on their spur. They had one section of rail removed on the spur, and had a backhoe there to put a replacement in. Looked like fairly fresh cut of the weeds along the tracks to the southeast of the spur along the branch.
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NSSD70ACe
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by NSSD70ACe »

Super Chief wrote:Was the hot-box defect detector still there? Use to be at MP 25.6.
Yessir, right next to the crossing on the south side.

What I don’t get is why Grand Elk installed brand new signals when it appears they took the ones at Park and Cowling offline. Or are those signals now approach-lit?

Edit: I stand corrected, Cowling is showing “approach” as I type this. Still: why the new signals near Fairchild?
:roll:

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PatAzo
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by PatAzo »

NSSD70ACe wrote: Still: why the new signals near Fairchild?
The FRA declined their petition to deactivate the signals, they have to maintain them. Some of the gear down there is old.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by NSSD70ACe »

PatAzo wrote:
NSSD70ACe wrote: Still: why the new signals near Fairchild?
The FRA declined their petition to deactivate the signals, they have to maintain them. Some of the gear down there is old.
I would assume then that the signals at Park and Cowling are due for eventual replacement?

Also still leaves the question why is there a signal at Fairchild? Is that signal the one immediately prior to Cowling?
:roll:

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justalurker66
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by justalurker66 »

NSSD70ACe wrote:Also still leaves the question why is there a signal at Fairchild? Is that signal the one immediately prior to Cowling?
4th St is between the intermediates at Fairchild and the Control Point signals at Cowling and Park.

Signals southbound:
"169-S" near Marcellus Rd
CP Park
CP Cowling
4th St (Three Rivers Industrial Spur)
71W/71E near Fairchild Rd
75W/75E near Featherstone Rd
"CP-18" White Pigeon near US12 crossing
White Pigeon Jct (with MSO) near US131 crossing
"CP-16"
"CP-14"
85W/85E near CR 4 (Bristol Area)
87W/87E along SR 120
89W/89E near Maple Rd
91W/91E 1/2 mile east of CR 19
93W/93E .4 mile west of CR 17
"CP 1" (replaced CP 95 when NS did their signal upgrades ... end GDLK)


Did the number plates change at Fairchild? I'd expect the signal numbers to change to match the new mile markers at some point. NS changed CP 95 and the three CPs near White Pigeon have the new mile markers (instead of 83 for CP 14, 81 for CP 16 and 78 for CP 18).

(There are also approach signals "386N" and "433S" for the CN diamond in Schoolcraft and semiphore approach "538N" and a number unknown to me at 55.9 SB for BO in Kalamazoo.)

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by PatAzo »

NSSD70ACe wrote:
PatAzo wrote:
NSSD70ACe wrote: Still: why the new signals near Fairchild?
The FRA declined their petition to deactivate the signals, they have to maintain them. Some of the gear down there is old.
I would assume then that the signals at Park and Cowling are due for eventual replacement?

Also still leaves the question why is there a signal at Fairchild? Is that signal the one immediately prior to Cowling?
The signal at Fairchild Road is an ordinary automatic block signal. When the NYC laid out the signals back in the 50's one landed at Fairchild Rd. When the Airline was still in and the Kalamazoo Branch was the diverging route there would have been multi-head signals for the junction long ago removed.

NYC installed the original signals in the late 50's. Some of the gear and cable down there dates from the NYC era. When the detector at Fairchild was out a few years ago the parts were no longer manufactured. It took months to find spare parts and those came from Eastern Europe. Where a Class 1 would have the resources to do a whole sale replacement the GDLK may have to be more frugal. The heads at Park and Cowling are not searchlights and may be more easily maintained and not need replacement.

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justalurker66
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by justalurker66 »

GDLK is mostly searchlights. The last I saw Fairchild Rd it was a searchlight in one direction and a tri-light in the other. Very .... professional? (I suppose with the budget "functional" would be the word.)

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justalurker66
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by justalurker66 »

Signals have been changed to "vader" style at 71S/71N, 75S/75N and CP 18 White Pigeon. CP 16 and CP 14 west of White Pigeon are still spotlights. I expect GDLK will continue to work south/west replacing spotlights. (68N/68S at 4th St in Three Rivers remain tri-lights.) Note the renaming of the signals from east/west to south/north

As publicly posted at the site where the airline continued east from the Grand Elk (now 17051 M-86, Three Rivers):
Jason Tetzloff (JCT Enterprise & Co) has a Soil Erosion Permit to "Move earth from abandoned rail bed to accommodate parking of fleet vehicles and to raise grade of property for future building". No sediment is to leave the project site. (Issued Dec 17th)
There is also a zoning permit posted dated Jan 4th for an 80'x130'x34' commercial office and service building.

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justalurker66
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by justalurker66 »

Illustrated:
CP 18 White Pigeon (left is south)
CP 18 White Pigeon (left is south)
78W renumbered 78S with new signals
78W renumbered 78S with new signals
75W renumbered 75S with new signals (Featherstone Rd)
75W renumbered 75S with new signals (Featherstone Rd)
Last edited by justalurker66 on Mon Jan 07, 2019 12:58 am, edited 1 time in total.

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justalurker66
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by justalurker66 »

71W renumbered 71S with new signals (Fairchild Rd)
71W renumbered 71S with new signals (Fairchild Rd)
Defect Detector (Fairchild Rd)
Defect Detector (Fairchild Rd)
68N (4th St Three Rivers)
68N (4th St Three Rivers)

PatAzo
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by PatAzo »

My GDLK friend says the second derailment at BO occurred while backing on the curve. The train was stopped with a heavy independent application and the cars rolled when the slack ran out behind them. They haven't limited train weight but are paying attention to the positions of loads and empties.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Super Chief »

M-live had a full report on the second derailment which was atributed to poor communication of crew members as to car count till hitting the rear half of the train they were backing into. That'll do was given too late. "Engineer knew something was wrong when brake pressure went to O", by then the tip-over already happen.

Super Chief
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Re: GDLK Operations

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What are operations today with Elk? Any plow extras or crew precautions with the snow and wind chill? Grand Rapids is getting more snow then Three Rivers and its 20 degrees now. Colder rest of week, I doubt the crew drinking water will be outside long. NS use to have crew lunches on the engine blocks inside the engine compartment for a hot meal. Snowmobiles use them too on the exhaust pipe. Love this kind of weather.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by GAP »

501 southbound thru Portage at noon. Two engines but too far away to see the numbers. About 17 cars, seven were loaded centerbeams for Indiana, I presume. That has developed into a good business.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by GTW »

GDLK #4009 in fresh paint in the siding at CP Park northbound.

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by NSSD70ACe »

The City of Kalamazoo posted a video on Facebook about the new Foundation for Excellence that was established to help tackle problems in the City. One of the commenters asked what they were planning on doing about the train situation and despite the City informing the resident that they had no jurisdiction, the resident claimed the City was lying and that “other towns have laws”. The City did say they were exploring what I found to be a rather interesting proposal, one that I believe could potentially change railfanning if it’s implemented on a large scale:

https://youtu.be/ToiefdgM8UY

For those who can’t watch the video, it’s basically a sensor system that send messages to a phone app or dispatch terminal (for emergency services) that states which crossings are active and when. It also uses historical data to show when crossings are usually occupied and for how long. This could be a great new way to track movements for the GDLK or potentially as an early-warning system if implemented on a large scale.
:roll:

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justalurker66
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by justalurker66 »

With apologies to anyone offended ... here are a couple of pictures from an anonymous source of the new signals at CP 18 at White Pigeon.
Northbound
Northbound
Southbound
Southbound

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Ben Higdon
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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by Ben Higdon »

Any update on the former Georgia Pacific site in Kalamazoo?

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Re: GDLK Operations

Unread post by NSSD70ACe »

Ben Higdon wrote:Any update on the former Georgia Pacific site in Kalamazoo?
Last time I was out there, the tracks were in place but I haven’t seen or heard about any activity for some time now.
:roll:

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