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Here is a quick update on the RAN. The locomotive power remains the same for the railroad, although the GP15-1 suffered a major mechanical issue and has been sent to Owosso for repairs. The railroad is currently operating with the two GP16 locomotives, which at this time is enough for the railroad t...

The agreements between the GLOR / E&LS / WATCO and CN were all approved in ealry to mid-Decemeber and the take over of operations by the ELSR official commenced on December 26th, 2024.

A more detailed look at the ELSR will be coming later this month.

One more thing about the SSAC / CN across the river. There have been talks between the United States and Canada about the bridge over the river. The current bridge has weight restriction issues which limit how trains are moved over the bridge. While 286K cars are allowed over the bridge, the power o...

There hasn't been a significant amount of changes for the SSAC in recent months. The Agawa Canyon trains run this fall and they are running snow trains during the winter up through the Canyon. In addition to those trains, they are running the passenger trains on the line between SSM and Hearst. Powe...

Things on the northern end of the GLOR have returned to something resembling normal with normal train operations resuming into an out of Cadillac. Elsewhere on the Northern Division, the GLOR is still operating numerous unit grain trains to and from online elevators. The southern division is also bu...

There was a fatal train vs pedestrian accident in Holland yesterday. This one, unlike other accidents, leaves us with a lot more questions than there will ever be answers. Per the mlive article, which is somewhat short on details, the student was a Hope College student who was blind from birth and w...

There is another "new" customer for the GLOR's northern division as well. Previously ZD Metal Products, located across US131 from EJIW had been getting occassional carloads of inbound product from the EJIW spur. Due to a disagreement about costs, as well as due to an estimated increase in both inbou...

The derailment in Marion has captured much of the GLOR news recently, however there is additional customer related news from the GLOR, also related to the Thompsonville area. A lumber manufacturing company has decided to build a pressed lumber plant on the SW side of Thompsonville. This facility wil...

Wednesday and Thursday were wild days around the Cadillac area. As a result of the backup of cars from the derailment and the resulting delay, the only trains that ran on Thursday were the locals to Petoskey, Thompsonville and to Clare, as well as loaded and empty trash trains running in to and out ...

What a wild day for the GLOR in Cadillac yesterday. The derailment was cleaned up and the tracks repaired on Tuesday evening, so trains began moving as quickly as they could on Tuesday and Wednesday. The first priority was to get the trash trains moving to TAWRE in Thompsonville. On Wedensday, train...

I thought that the State of Michigan built and owned the yard? What's your source for that? Maybe the state gave some money to build it but I highly doubt they ever owned it. My understanding was that the State of Michigan provided funding to build the branch but the ownership was never by the Stat...

Cadillac was busy this morning. Last night, the NS train which had been waiting in Baldwin was brought to Cadillac, where it changed crews and was immediately taken to the TAWRE facility in Thompsonville. The crew that worked Baldwin to Cadillac with that train, returned to Clare with train CADE, be...

The tracks in Marion were reopened at approximately 8pm. The currently the following trains will be operating to and from Cadillac to clear the backlog of traffic. The first train into and out of Cadillac after the remaining derailed train was the NS Trash train which had been sitting in Baldwin. It...

As a result of cleanup from the Marion derailment, the GLOR now has the following trains sitting waiting for access to Cadillac / points north or to exit Cadillac for points south. Empty Trash train, held at TAWRE bound for CN in Durand - GLOR #9000 (SD90MAC) #1003 (GP35) #1002 (GP35) and #9002 (SD9...

Trouble on the GLOR. On Saturday 1-4-2025 approximately 19:46, a loaded unit trash train derailed just south of Marion, Michigan. The train, a unit trash train from Toronto to the TAWRE facility in Thompsonville, consisted of locomotives #7012 (SD70M), #7010 (SD70M) and #7005 (SD70) powering the tra...

Just a quick update. The STB approved the Carload Express Division of the GLOR purchasing the Maryland and Delaware, which is expected to be fully effective on 1-31-2025. The plans have been in the works for months, since before the GLOR purchased Carload Express and their companies. The MDDE will s...

Another quick update on some of the GLOR's services. Train AA-1, which operates between Ann Arbor and Durand (normally only as far north as Howell), has been busy lately. The current customers for AA-1 include GLOR - Ferry SIT Yard Burt Forest Products / Gypsum Supply - Northern Division - Amtrak Di...

Unfortunately it is way more than it needs to be on highways (I-94 around Ann Arbor) or that said highways really have the capacity to handle. I-94 is way over loaded in certain areas than it was ever designed for. In my opinion, the opening of the new international bridge in Detroit will not help ...

The following locomotives have been seen in the deadlines preparing for transit to or in transit towards Lima so far yesterday and today. #4006 SD40-2 - Expected to be equipped with ITCS as part of upgrade- normally in use on Amtrak Division #603 GP60 - Expected to be equipped with ITCS as part of u...

Today is the day the GLOR officially becomes a Class 1 Railroad. Today the following railroads all join the fold as part of the GLOR: Wheeling and Lake Erie, Toledo Peoria and Western, Tazwell and Peoria, Illinois Midland, Indiana Southern, Ashland Railway, RJ Corman's Cleveland Lines, and several o...