Detroit Belt Line (DBLX)

[GTW Dude]

Detroit Belt Line, reporting marks DBLX (Double X) Services the last 8 remaining miles of trackage on the former GTW Cass City Subdivision from Pontiac to Lake Orion MI. The engine terminal is connected to the former GTW roundhouse turntable and houses a present-day single track shed for locomotives on the roster. CN drops carloads on a siding in Pontiac yard where DBLX crews will pick up the cars and distribute them among industries along the line. When the delivered cars need to be shipped out, DBLX waits 2-3 days in order to let other industries unload cars so less trips can be made and by going from the farthest north on the line and working their way down south to Pontiac. If industries do not respond or are not finished unloading in this time span, DBLX picks up cars that need to be delivered and shove them back into a separate siding in Pontiac yard. Currently, DBLX is operating 2-3 times a week and seeks to secure a possible contract with the Lake Orion GM plant who has been given a multi-billion-dollar budget in order to produce electric cars. This in turn would allow the railroad to secure a loan in order to purchase larger power and boost profits greatly.


DBLX also runs a small excursion operation along the line, this being the only train that enters Lake Orion and follows the line to the GM plant. When at Orion Yard, whatever power is on the front will pull the train into one of the side tracks and run around the train to the front. thus pulling it back towards Pontiac. The excursion consist is made up of 1 open air gondola, 1 coach, 1 RDC, and a caboose all pulled by a switcher. The train will only run on weekends during April-December which have shown to be peak times for RR excursion ridership and will allow crews a 3 month time period to complete work and make suggestions on the current status of equipment.

[GRHC]

Detroit Belt Line, reporting marks DBLX (Double X) Services the last 8 remaining miles of trackage on the former GTW Cass City Subdivision from Pontiac to Lake Orion MI. The engine terminal is connected to the former GTW roundhouse turntable and houses a present-day single track shed for locomotives on the roster.

DBLX also runs a small excursion operation along the line, this being the only train that enters Lake Orion and follows the line to the GM plant. When at Orion Yard, whatever power is on the front will pull the train into one of the side tracks and run around the train to the front. thus pulling it back towards Pontiac. The excursion consist is made up of 1 open air gondola, 1 coach, 1 RDC, and a caboose all pulled by a switcher. The train will only run on weekends during April-December which have shown to be peak times for RR excursion ridership and will allow crews a 3 month time period to complete work and make suggestions on the current status of equipment.

I would love to have a little more in-depth information about the equipment on the DBLX. You state that there’s a switcher on the property I’d like to know a little bit more about that unit and if that is used in freight service and I’d love to know a little bit more about the RDC.
I like the logo however I don’t know what the Runners Rhythm Route means. I’m not from that side of the state does it have some kind of local or regional significance.

[GTW Dude]

The switcher would be some kind of GE Tonner probably a 45 or 60. The RDC would be Reading and Northern 9168 (Former NYC “Beeliner” unit RDC-3 M499 now converted to RDC-1). I just used the Runners rhythm route as a fast paced service sort of phrase to use. Plus I’m a long distance/mid distance runner.