Michigan Rail Business news

Anything pertaining to railfanning in Michigan.
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AARR
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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Thanks 1TrackMind and railroader and son
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TSS
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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Last week, I drove past the Technisand site in Bridgeman (Livingston siding). Back when I moved to the area in 2012, there were sand hoppers on site, but it quickly went dormant. The whole place has looked defunct since then. But I drove past it last week and there were signs of activity. It looked like a ballast regulator had been used to sweep off all the industry tracks. They used to be almost covered with sand but now are swept down to the ties. There was a large berm of sand piled between the industry track and the passing siding. In addition, there was a boxcar spotted at the unloading ramp at the end of the spur track. Possibly coincidentally, there was a Michigan Gas truck waiting in the driveway. Gas would be needed if sand processing resumed.

Does anybody know what’s up?

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SD80MAC
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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TSS wrote:Last week, I drove past the Technisand site in Bridgeman (Livingston siding). Back when I moved to the area in 2012, there were sand hoppers on site, but it quickly went dormant. The whole place has looked defunct since then. But I drove past it last week and there were signs of activity. It looked like a ballast regulator had been used to sweep off all the industry tracks. They used to be almost covered with sand but now are swept down to the ties. There was a large berm of sand piled between the industry track and the passing siding. In addition, there was a boxcar spotted at the unloading ramp at the end of the spur track. Possibly coincidentally, there was a Michigan Gas truck waiting in the driveway. Gas would be needed if sand processing resumed.

Does anybody know what’s up?
Boxcar was a hotbox set off by Q327 a few weeks ago. Had to get the car department in there to fix it. D700 should be picking it up any day now.
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TSS
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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SD80MAC wrote: Boxcar was a hotbox set off by Q327 a few weeks ago. Had to get the car department in there to fix it. D700 should be picking it up any day now.
Ok. The cleanup of the tracks is still a mystery, but it sounds like everything else is coincidence. Technisand is still dead!

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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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Could this be the steel plant coming to Durand Michigan?


https://www.marketwatch.com/story/nucor ... 2019-01-07

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DaveO
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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arty flowers wrote:Could this be the steel plant coming to Durand Michigan?


https://www.marketwatch.com/story/nucor ... 2019-01-07
The Durand mill is proposed by New Steel International. Unless someone gives it money/tax breaks it will remain a company on paper only.

Nucor is actually a steel producer. Notice how they said Midwest location. States start your tax break and other incentive bidding.

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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by arty flowers »

Word on the other board is that the same company that operates the Lapeer transload is setting up a transload at Millington to either ship out brine from underground tanks.

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AARR
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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I think it's The Wilkinson Corporation near Mayville
arty flowers wrote:Word on the other board is that the same company that operates the Lapeer transload is setting up a transload at Millington to either ship out brine from underground tanks.
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...

Jeff Smith
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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arty flowers wrote:Word on the other board is that the same company that operates the Lapeer transload is setting up a transload at Millington to either ship out brine from underground tanks.
Please be advised I was part of that conversation. There was only speculation that it is Wilkinson due to the word that this is a brine operation in Millington and that's what they do. I asked that if it is them then would it be likely they would move their transload to the new place.

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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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Has anyone heard of any business changes in TC. Apparently the GLC, per the other board, is doing some interesting trackwork in Boardman Yard.

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Standard Railfan
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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WLUC TV in Marquette is reporting that Cleveland-Cliffs (CCI) announces that the Empire mine may be restarted. CCI is in need of pellet capacity to supply Hot Briquette Iron (HBI) to a new plant being built near Toledo.

No word if the pit will reopen or just the mill.

https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/co ... 63601.html

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Saturnalia
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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Standard Railfan wrote:WLUC TV in Marquette is reporting that Cleveland-Cliffs (CCI) announces that the Empire mine may be restarted. CCI is in need of pellet capacity to supply Hot Briquette Iron (HBI) to a new plant being built near Toledo.

No word if the pit will reopen or just the mill.

https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/co ... 63601.html
Should be both the pit and mill if they do it. Word on the street was they ordered several dump trucks which are too big to fit inside the ore house at Tilden last year, meaning they'd be only good for stripping new ground - which is what Empire will need. They probably don't want to "steal" dirt from Tilden since it'll only shorten Tilden's life and with the long distance haul it would have smaller margins.
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Standard Railfan
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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The last I knew, the Empire was reaching the end of it’s life owing to the ore reserve being exhausted. I have been told by a number of people that part of the spoil pile sits atop the ore body.

The distance from the top of the Tilden pit to the Empire crusher is about two miles. The longer run is not a serious economic impediment.

Perhaps the Larger haul trucks were obtained to reduce the per ton hauling cost to Empire....

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Saturnalia
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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Standard Railfan wrote:The last I knew, the Empire was reaching the end of it’s life owing to the ore reserve being exhausted. I have been told by a number of people that part of the spoil pile sits atop the ore body.
That is also what I have heard. Supposedly the pit extension is to the northwest, which is under a couple hundred feet of waste rock. But, considering that they have to remove a lot of overburden anyway, and that it is just loose rock rather and blast-requiring bedrock, it should be fairly easy to move, one just has to keep the cost per yard down.

I guess we may soon find out. I'm just hopeful that the mine comes back in some form, 200+ jobs is a lot for the region, not to mention the cost of consumables - and paying the people to make that happen.
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Doktor No
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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https://www.wdio.com/TWIM/cleveland-cli ... eQul_JoC6w They are also looking at Minnesota locations as well. Minnesota has prohibited ESSAR from doing business there? Interesting.
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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Doktor No wrote:https://www.wdio.com/TWIM/cleveland-cli ... eQul_JoC6w They are also looking at Minnesota locations as well. Minnesota has prohibited ESSAR from doing business there? Interesting.
Minnesota has been lukewarm at best about new mines. Michigan and Marquette in particular are jumping up and down saying “PICK ME PICK ME”. Cliff’s CEO has stated that this definitely gives Empire a leg up, even though the costs are similar for both project proposals.
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1TrackMind
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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Just watched a video on the GLC. They had a car of plate steel in there train as they pulled into Cadillac. Wonder where that could be headed.

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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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Well the new Stone Yard in Kalamazoo appears to be moving forward!

Just drove by today and there are 4 conveyor belt systems on site. There is also an area where a smaller conveyor is connected to where the hopper cars will be dumped. There is other equipment on site as well, so it appears things are coming together.

It will be interesting to begin seeing stone trains in Kalamazoo in the near future.

Just before then, a little after 10am I was stopped downtown by a southbound Grand Elk train. Mostly covered hoppers - 74 cars total. Didn't have the scanner with me, so I didn't know the train number.

Before that I was pacing Westbound Amtrak train 351 along Stadium Drive on the way to Costco. He was already doing 65mph just West of Howard Street, which is where the railroad and Stadium drive begin to separate. I need to ride Amtrak one of these days West of the zoo and experience riding the rails at 110mph. I suggested it to my wife, but she was less than thrilled - gotta work on her some more !! :D

David Lang

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AARR
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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

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It's unloaded in North Yard. I think someone said it might go to a factory in Lake City.
1TrackMind wrote:Just watched a video on the GLC. They had a car of plate steel in there train as they pulled into Cadillac. Wonder where that could be headed.
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...

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Re: Michigan Rail Business news

Unread post by arty flowers »

Evart Twp will getting a potash mine.

https://www.worldfertilizer.com/potash/ ... -facility/

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