Great Lakes and Ohio River Railroad

[AARR]

Looking forward to it

The next major project for the GLOR, other than the possible purchase mentioned above will be creating a map of the entire system. It is hoped that the system map, for all GLOR tracks as will as sister railroads and subsidiary lines will be completed by the end of the month. It is a slow process, but one that hopefully will provide additional insite into how massive the GLOR system has become and hope difficult it is to keep track of it all.

[David Collins]

How is this railroad isn’t a class 1 at this point is beyond me

[chapmaja]

How is this railroad isn’t a class 1 at this point is beyond me

We will be after the last mergers officially take effect. Remember the W&LE and G&W Indiana and Illinois lines mergers aren't effective until 1-1-2025, so we technically have about 3 and a half weeks left before we officially are a Class 1.

[chapmaja]

Looking forward to it

The next major project for the GLOR, other than the possible purchase mentioned above will be creating a map of the entire system. It is hoped that the system map, for all GLOR tracks as will as sister railroads and subsidiary lines will be completed by the end of the month. It is a slow process, but one that hopefully will provide additional insite into how massive the GLOR system has become and hope difficult it is to keep track of it all.

Decided to start slow. Working on the Grawn Branch of the Traverse City Southern tonight. It might take a couple months to get the entire system done, but I will publish it once I get more done.

[Erroneous Monk]

Decided to start slow. Working on the Grawn Branch of the Traverse City Southern tonight. It might take a couple months to get the entire system done, but I will publish it once I get more done.

Maps take a while but are well worth the time, excited to see it!

[chapmaja]

The GLOR has a couple announcements to make.

First, in Cadillac, the connection between the Petoskey Branch and North Yard to the southbound track will be completed in mid-2025. This will allow trains from North Yard to head straight SB without having to pull into Selma Yard, run around their train, then proceed south. This will significantly speed up the efficiency of trains entering and leaving Cadillac. As a result of this construction, the wye track which currently runs south of the mainline and is used to turn equipment in Cadillac will be removed and the property will be sold to the City of Cadillac. This track becomes redundant upon completion of the connection track and wye tracks north of the mainline into Cadillac.

Also, on the Pinckney Branch, the GLOR is proud to announce they have picked up another customer. This customer, Progressive Metal Forming, has built a spur from the PONW onto their property, but has contracted with the GLOR to provide service to the business. GLOR accesses this spur via trackage rights over the PONW which extend to US-23, and allow GLOR access to their Zander Industrial Park Spur.

Finally, another new customer has built a spur into their facility. Territorial Environmental Services, an environmental cleaning company, as built a spur into their facility. This facility, the former lumber yard across the road from Rhe-Tec hasn't been a rail customer for many years, but still has a portion of the original spur left in place, which has been rehabilitated. It is expected they will begin service in April 2025. They are expected to be a small shipper, but any carload is better than no carload.

[chapmaja]

The map is still a major work in progress, but this is what is mapped out so for for the GLOR system of railroads.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid= ... sp=sharing

[chapmaja]

Quick update on the organization of the GLOR. Effective 1-1-2025, the Clare Branch between Clare and Baldwin will be transfered from the Lake Michigan Division (Elkhart to Ludington) to the Northern Division (Toledo to Petoskey). The local which runs on the line has been based out of Baldwin, but will now be based out of Clare Yard. It will still utlitize the same train symbols (CB and BC). The line will be classified as the Reed City Subdivision of the Northern Division.

This will simplify the operations of the railroad including the locations where traffic is being picked up and set out (making the Baldwin setout now a rare event).

There will be additional structural changes to the railroad and the railroad's operations being on 1-1-2025, but those will be announced at a later time.

[chapmaja]

The sugar beet harvest has come and gone. Some beets remain at the piling stations to be transported to the sugar plants. The harvest was solid. With Michigan sugar using additional rail served locations this year, the carload volume is expected to be higher than previous years, although exact carloads have yet to be determined. The beet harvest appeared to be very solid this year, but was delayed due to the warmer weather into October.

GLOR management opted to run dedicated sugar beet trains again this season, rather than include the carloads on existing trains. This created additional costs for the GLOR, but works out better for the timely transport of the product to Michigan Sugar's plants.

[chapmaja]

The majority of the Northern Division mainline trackage is now mapped out, the exception being the Reed City Subdivision which I have not mapped out yet. Additionally, I have yet to map out a lot of the industry tracks / passing sidings / yard tracks on the Northern Division. Once I finish the Northern Division I will begin working on the next Division to be mapped, which will likely be the Muskegon Division.

In addition, I will be posting the GLOR's updated Division / Subdivision list and the affiliated railroads divisions / subdivisons list soon as well. There have been some additional changes to the GLOR's management / divisional structure from what has previously been reported.

[chapmaja]

The Northern Division will be changing significantly starting on 1-1-2025. The division was previously divided into only two subdivisions, the Ann Arbor Subdivision and the Owosso Subdivision, will not consist of the following subdivisions.

Toledo Subdivision - GLOR operated trackage between Lang Yard and Ottawa Yard including all industrial and service spur tracks in Toledo. Begins at Michigan-Ohio State Line and all points not part of the former W&LE trackage rights into Toledo.

Ann Arbor Subdivision - Michigan -Ohio State Line north to the east end of San Yard in Owosso. Also includes the Pinckney Branch, Saline Branch, and Erie Yard.

Owosso Subdivison - East End of San Yard to West End of Selma Yard and North End of North Yard in Cadillac, including Oakley and Middleton Branch and Clare Industrial Track.

Petoskey Subdivision - North end of North Yard in Cadillac to Petoskey.

Thompsonville Subdivision - West End of Selma Yard in Cadillac to the end of tracks in Thompsonville

Clare Subdivison - GLOR Owosso Subdivision Mainline Connection west side Clare to Baldwin Wye south end connection with Lake Michigan Division.

Shoreline Subdivision - Boulevard, through Lang Yard, north to Harrison Rd (CP Rodney) in Trenton. (Trackage Rights over CN from Trenton to Port Huron

Additional Division Alignment Changes will be coming up as well, but those are not publically announced as of yet.

[chapmaja]

It had been previously announced that the GLOR was interested in purchasing, and was in fact going to purchase the Clinton Industrial Track from NS. This line runs from the Elevator in Ottawa Lake to Airline Yard in Toledo. The exact trackage purchase was recently disclosed when the STB approved the transaction.

GLOR will be purchasing the Clinton Industrial Track from NS. This line runs from Airline Junction to Ottawa Lake. In addition, a surprise additional track purchase was included in the deal. GLOR will also be purchasing the disconnected Alro Steel Lead which runs from the NS Maumee Branch to a point just south of the main NS Chicago Line. This line is currently disconnected from the Maumee Branch and is OOS. GLOR plans, and has been approved to build a connection from this line to the NS Chicago Line.

As a result of this purchase, GLOR will have control over the line from Ottawa Lake to Schneider Rd. NS will not approve the reinstallation of the diamond as Nasby, so the lines will remain disconnected.

GLOR has announced that they will be immediately spinning this line off as the Ottawa Lake and Toledo Railroad (OLTR), effective 1-2-2025, 1 day afte the line is acquired by the GLOR. This line will be a wholy owned subsidiary of the GLOR and will consist of the Clinton Industrial Branch running from Ottawa Lake to Airline Junction, the Alro Steel Lead from the to be built connection at Nasby to a to be rebuilt connection to the NS Maumee Branch, and trackage rights from Airline Junction to Ottawa Yard over NS, the NTTR and GLOR.

As previously had been announced, GLOR did plan on assigning two locomotives to Ottawa Lake, but the units had not been determined. As of yet, power on the line appears to be scheduled to be power leased from the GLOR roster, rather than specific assigned power.

[chapmaja]

GLOR Management has made a decision to spin off another rail which was also recently acquired. GLOR acquired the Shoreline Subdivision from Lang Yard to FN Tower effective on 1-1-2025. A portion of this purchase included the JR Whiting Power Plant Spur. The plant was closed about 8 yards ago and was demolished a couple years later. There has been some development on the property, but the current owners of the property are looking to build a logistics / transload facility on the propery, which has direct access to I-75. GLOR, which currently has the disconnected spur to the property from the Shoreline Subdivision, is assisting the porpety owner with revelopment plans, however they do not want to reconnect the tracks under actually service is assured. As a result the line has been spun off as the Whiting Terminal and Transfer Line (WTTL). The WTTL, if service is restored to the property will provide switching services to the facility. In addition, Norfolk Southern has also been involved in discussions for the property, and has expressed interest in access to the property. As a result of the GLOR's longstanding positive relationship with NS, GLOR will be providing NS access to the WTTL for interchange purposes. Additionally, the WTTL, as a condition of the purchase agreement between the GLOR and CN, will also potentially interchange traffic with CN as well.

Until such time as future traffic for the property is assured, there will be no direct connection between the WTTL trackage and the national rail system, as the switches had been disconnected upon closure the power plant. If future traffic to the facility becomes a reality, the switch will be reinstalled, and it is possible a connection between the GLOR and NS may also be installed in the vacility.

[chapmaja]

GLOR will be purchasing additional "power" for the railroad. CSX has recently sold off a number of their Road Slugs to LTEX. LTEX has then turned around and will be selling a handful of them to GLOR.

Several GLOR lines can use the additional tractive effort a road slug will provide, but the company doesn't want to go through the additional expense of running three or more locomotives on the trains. The road slugs will be paired with SD40-2's which will be getting shopped in early 2025, many of which are coming from the W&LE roster. It is estimated that 10-15 more Road Slugs will be making their way to the GLOR's roster.

In addition, the GLOR may be selling off or otherwise removing from the roster some of its older power. GLOR rosters some units which began their lives during the 1950s or 1960's, and even though the units have been kept in very good shape, age catches up with everyone and everything.

[chapmaja]

The GLOR has been contacted by another company about possible rail use in the future. Michigan Brick, located in Corruna, MI is looking into the possibility of returning to rail service in the near future. There is currently no direct rail connection to the property, so there are a few options being considered. One is to attempt to rebuild the original right of way to the plant, which from my best guess was removed over 60 years ago, and runs through Corruna. The second option is to build a new spur running from alongside M71 north to the plant property which would be approximately 1.25 miles in length. The third option is to build a transload and warehouse facility alongside the existing trackage. GLOR Management is strongly in favor the third option and has indicated they will not fund any portion of the project to build a spur to the property given the likely legal challenges to the project which it would face.

In furtherance of the warehouse / transload option, GLOR's parent company, through their real estate arm, has purchased a former industrial property in Owosso between Beehler, Chipman and Lyon Streets alongside the Oakley Branch of the GLOR. This property could be developed as a transload and warehouse facility for Michigan Brick and other potential customers.

[chapmaja]

Here is a quick update on the GLOR Map Project.

I have not gotten all of the minor tracks, industrial tracks, yard tracks included, but the majority of the trackage for the GLOR's Northern Division has been included on the map.

The map can be found at the following website address.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid= ... sp=sharing

[AARR]

Looking good!

Here is a quick update on the GLOR Map Project.

I have not gotten all of the minor tracks, industrial tracks, yard tracks included, but the majority of the trackage for the GLOR's Northern Division has been included on the map.

The map can be found at the following website address.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid= ... sp=sharing

[chapmaja]

Looking good!

Here is a quick update on the GLOR Map Project.

I have not gotten all of the minor tracks, industrial tracks, yard tracks included, but the majority of the trackage for the GLOR's Northern Division has been included on the map.

The map can be found at the following website address.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid= ... sp=sharing

Thanks,

Just added most of the Muskegon Division mainline from Owosso to Muksegon and south to West Olive Junction (they use trackage rights over CSX to Holland and onto the Hamilton Branch.)

[chapmaja]

There is news to report from some of the GLOR's interchange partners.

The MMGN, which connects to the GLOR in Middleton although the interchange is now done at Perrinton, via MMGN trackage rights shipped 127 cars of traffic during 2024, not including storage cars and cars of construction materials for the MMGN's rebuilding of the branch to Vickeryville for the MMAN plant traffic. Traffic is expected to drastically increase as MMAN's Vickeryville plant ramps up operations. Also, in 2027 Potato Services will be opening a now under construction plant on the MMGN, for which the GLOR will provide service as the connecting railroad.

In addition, the GLOR made a rather interesting purchase related to the MMGN / MMAN. After having previously sold NW-2 #1977 to the MMGN, the unit was subsequently sold to MMAN, but has now been repurchased by the GLOR, and is currently in Owosso for repair and maintainance work. This unit still wears TSBY plant and has not been upgraded.

The A&MI, which connects to the GLOR in Alma, but interchanges most traffic in Wright Siding south of Alma, had another strong year. They had 2001 carloads of traffic split between carload traffic for multiple customers and unit trains for Cargill. The unit trains have been using GLOR runthough power as the current locomotives on the A&MI struggle to handle the full 85-105 car units trains. GLOR generally has been operating these unit trains with their SD60's, although some other power can also pull then north from the CN connection in Durand. The good news for the A&MI traffic is that additional traffic appears to be on the horizon as a couple fertilizer customers will be operating online starting in 2025. In addition, A&MI has been working with Northern Logistics and ZFS to provide SIT services on their now unused branch to Remus. This traffic can be pulled and delivered to the GLOR within 24 hours of request and is normally delivered in 12-24 hours beyond the delivery time, although hot traffic can be routed even quicker than that.

Overall it appears to be a solid working relationship between the GLOR and the AARR family of railroads.

[AARR]

Overall it appears to be a solid working relationship between the GLOR and the AARR family of railroads.

GLOR is a great partner!