These two mergers are expected, if approved, to push us over the edge. It will be close through. We are planning as if we will become a Class 1 Railroad, and if we stay just below the cutoff, great.
One of the big issues we will be facing in the coming future is signalling. Much of the railroad remains unsignalled territory, so we likely will be signalling a significant amount of the railroad in the coming years.
One the few remaining construction / reconstruction projects are completed, signaling will be the next major protect cycle starting in 2025.
Last edited by chapmaja on Sun Sep 08, 2024 8:57 am, edited 3 times in total.
These two mergers are expected, if approved, to push us over the edge. It will be close through. We are planning as if we will become a Class 1 Railroad, and if we stay just below the cutoff, great.
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...
Construction update: The GLOR's construction projects are moving all very well. Buckeye Yard is expected to begin operations on October 1st. As a result, all trains running out of Columbus will now operated out of Buckeye Yard, rather than their current origination location.
Trains operating out of Buckeye Yard will now include:
Kanawha River Subdivision
CHO - Columbus to Hobson Yard
HOC - Hobson Yard to Columbus
COL-1 - Columbus East Local
Midland Subdivision
MID-2 (Previously operated WCH to Columbus) will now operate Columbus to WCH and return.
Logan Subdivison
LOG-1 Logan Subdivision Local
Lilly Chappel Subdivision
LC-1 Lilly Subdivison Local
New trains:
BUCK-1 - Buckeye Yard Switcher. Also handles interchange traffic to Parsons Yard (CSX) and Watkins Yard (NS)
COLX - Extra Crew for trains working into and out of Columbus.
These two mergers are expected, if approved, to push us over the edge. It will be close through. We are planning as if we will become a Class 1 Railroad, and if we stay just below the cutoff, great.
We know. That is one reason we are hoping that we stay just below the cutoff, but it is going to be close.
The Canadian National lockout has had a minor impact on GLOR operations. Specifically, the GLOR had a empty unit trash train destined for CN in Durand that it has been told to hold onto until traffic clears on the CN mainline from Durand to Canada. As a result, the train has been left in the siding in Shepherd, pending notification from CN it can proceed south. This has lead to minor operational timing changes along the railroad, as the Shepherd siding can not currently be used as a location for meets or dropping cars for short term storage.
Otherwise, the only impact related to the CN lockout has been about double the cars as normal sitting in Durand Yard for interchange to CN.
Given the already tight capacity in Durand Yard, the Muskegon to Durand train will be stopping their run in San Yard in Owosso, rather than in Durand. An additional crew OWX will be switching the cars in San Yard for southbound movements to Durand (CN bound cars), or to be picked up by CADT for transport to Toledo.
One other construction note. The new 4 track Coldwater Yard has been completed, and most of the rehabilitation has been completed on the Sturgis to Coldwater segment. It is anticipated that operations from Wheeler Rd to Sturgis will remain non-existant until the Spring of 2025, however trains will begin using the Coldwater Yard for sorting cars within the next couple weeks.
Coldwater Yard runs from a point just east of Wheeler Rd to just south of Garfield Rd.
The current plan will remain with the INER division local serving Coldwater to originate and terminate at Hillsdale.
No significant changes have occurred with operations on the SSAC. One change has been the start of the trackage rights train the GLOR is running between Trout Lake and SSM, ONT. These trains are operating 1 trip each direction weekly and consist almost exclusively of pulpwood cars from loading sites in Ontario for the LP mill.
This train TLSS-1 will normally operate on Sunday, leaving Trout Lake in the morning and returning that evening. This is currently the only connection with any additional portions of the GLOR system.
The Candadian Railroad Lockout was lifted and operations on the GLOR are slowly getting back to normal on the Northern Division.
Traffic congestion in Durand has eased as CN was able to pick up a large volume of manifest cars ready to head outbound, as well as the trash unit train which was being held in Shepherd.
The lockout in Canada did result in one change which will be made to the GLOR operations regarding Durand. The GLOR will now operated a switcher in Owosso as OWO-1. This will work San Yard and break down / build the following trains which will now all be based in Owosso.
OWNT - Owosso North Turn (No change to this train)
OWTN - Owosso West Turn (No change to this train)
OM - Owosso to Muskegon (Was previously based in Durand)
Additionally, the following changes will occur.
Train TD (Toledo to Durand) is being replaced with TO (Toledo - Owosso)
Train DT (Durand to Toledo) is being replaced with OT (Owosso - Toledo)
Train TO will make a setout in Durand before terminating in Owosso's San Yard
Train OT will make a pickup in Durand before terminating continuing to Erie Yard (Toledo).
OWO-1 will handle all switching duties in San Yard and will make a daily transfer run to Durand with cars bound for CN or the Saginaw Bay Division.
These changes will lessen the load on DUR-1 which was often times failing to complete, or barely completing their work during their shift.
The GLOR has made another lease as well as a property "sale", all in one transaction.
The GLOR, has obtained a lease the Ex-Toledo Terminal Railroad from Hallett to Temperance Yard in Toledo from CSX. GLOR had previously utilized the TT line via trackage rights to reach their Temperance Yard customers.
The line will immediately be sold to a wholy owned subsidiary of the GLOR, the North Toledo Terminal Railroad.
There are a couple major stipulations associated with this lease.
All cars originating at locations previously served by CSX will be interchanged to CSX in Toledo, unless a per carload transfer fee is paid to CSX. This stipulation will open up potential new routings from customer to destination, but at the same time will still allow CSX to profit off their former operations. The exact fee has not been disclosed publically.
A customer located on the line who has has received service in the preceeding 24 months from CSX will be considered as an active customer
The North Toledo Terminal Railroad will be based out of Ottawa Yard in Toledo and will interchange cars with CSX (as stipulated in the agreement), GLOR, NS, and CN in Toledo via the GLOR's Ottawa Yard / Erie Yard.
Power for the North Toledo Terminal Railroad will consist of a pair locomotives transfered from the GLOR roster. The paint scheme will be similar to the GLOR scheme, with the exception of the lettering NTTR instead of GLOR. The units have been repainted in the Lima Shops and are now in Toledo for the beginning of operations today.
Operations for the NTTR will be based in Temperance Yard and will normally start at 07:00.
The plan is for NTTR to switch all Temperance Yard customers upon going on duty, proceed east to their interchange with the GLOR and CSX, before returning to Temperance Yard, switching Perstrop Polyols which heading east. On the way back west they will switch OmniSource before returning to Temperance Yard.
Any cars for railroads other than CSX or GLOR will be switched by the GLOR's Yard crews to the appropriate train.
GLOR has "sold" another railroad line to a wholy owned subsidiary of the GLOR.
The Ohio Western Railroad has taken control of the Definance Subdivision from Fort Wayne, IN to Liberty Center, OH.
GLOR will be "selling" 4 units for the OWRR from the GLOR Roster. These units will be GLOR GP38-2's #2024, 2027, 2032, and GP38-3 #2036.
GLOR will maintain "free of charge" traffic rights over the length of the line.
OWRR will maintain two jobs, one based in Ft. Wayne and running east to Defiance and the second from Defiance and running east to the GLOR interchange in Libery Center.
All current labor contracts will remain in place, as well restrictions based on the lease of the far western end of the line.
The pending mergers have gotten some interesting requests for trackage rights.
As previously mentioned, NS has requested trackage rights over the GLOR to Saginaw (interchange with LSRC). LSRC has requested trackage rights from Saginaw to Chicago and Peoria over the GLOR and the GLOR's trackage rights from Fort Wayne to Logansports.
Ohio Central has requested trackage rights from Brewster to Cleveland.
The plan is currently for the GLOR to agree to the NS request for trackage rights to Saginaw from Toledo, and for the GLOR to agree to the OCRR request from Brewster to Cleveland. The GLOR will however fight LSRC's request for access to Chicago and Peoria. The basis for the GLOR's denial of the LSRC's request is several factors.
1) LSRC will be granted additional access to the national rail network via NS's granted trackage rights to Saginaw.
2) LSRC and GLOR currently interchange only a small amount of traffic which would be headed to Chicago or Peoria for interchange to western railroads.
There are still ongoing discussions regarding the trackage rights for NS however. While NS has requested trackage rights to interchange with LSRC in Saginaw, there are questions if the LSRC's agreements with CSX would allow such an agreement. As part of the discussion, it has been proposed that LSRC be granted, rather than NS, trackage rights from Bay City, where the LSRC has an unlimited interchange with the GLOR, south to access NS in Toledo.
Regarding the Ohio Central's, GLOR will have no problem providing access to Cleveland with both CSX and NS over the soon to be purchased Newburgh and South Shore and Cleveland Works Segements of the railroad.
The GLOR is possibly adding another route / operation to its portfolio as well. Canadian National is rumored to be wanting to eliminate its ownership of the Shoreline Subdivision, while maintaining trackage rights over the Shoreline Sub.
GLOR has been concerned with the amount of space available in its Toledo Gateway, as Ottawa Yard and Erie Yard are both heaviliy used at this point. Lang Yard would provide a substantial increase in space for switching operations in the Toledo Gateway.
Exact details have yet to be worked out, but one proposal, which is most likely to be adopted, will see the GLOR purchase the Shoreline Subdivision from FN tower to Lang Yard's south end access to CSX/NS.
GLOR will reinstall the connector between the GLOR line south of CSX Boulevard Yard to Lang Yard (which has already been planned as part of the W&LE merger.) GLOR will be granted trackage rights over the remaining portion of the Shoreline Sub from FN to Milwaukee Jct and over the Mt. Clemens Subdivision from Milwaukee Jct to Port Huron to access the Port Huron Subdivision. GLOR will terminate their trackage rights from Port Huron to Durand, including the interchange (rarely used) between the GLOR and LSRC in Flint in favor of the Mt. Clemens Subdivision trackage rights.
As part of the agreement, CN will reinstate trackage rights from Flat Rock to Toledo as well as retaining trackage rights from FN to Toledo via the Shoreline Subdivision to provide access to their connections with NS and CSX in Toledo. CN would also maintain a presence in Lang Yard, basing thier local to CSX out of Lang Yard. The proposed Lang Yard split would include CN maintaining their presence on the east 12 tracks of the yard, plus maintaining access to the shops tracks, turn table tracks and yard office. GLOR would assume control of the western 11 yard tracks, plus the former TransCo property. GLOR would build their own Yard office on the
In addition, GLOR would purchase the former Car repair shops adjacent to Lang Yard, which was most recently used by TransCo Rail Equipment. The Delta Car shops property is getting near capacity and the added traffic from the Delta industries is limiting space in the Delta Yard, even after it was expanded.
Finally, as part of these agreements, GLOR will also be gaining access from NS to the Toledo Industrial Railroad. The proposed agreement for this access will include an undisclosed per car fee for traffic interchanged to the TIR.
In addition, GLOR has reached an agreement with CSX to purchase the former Boulevard Yard location and relocate some of the CSX mainline tracks. In recent years CSX has torn out the yard tracks in Boulevard Yard, leaving only the two main tracks running on the outside of the yard in place. GLOR's construction crews will install a replacement mainline track for CSX directly adjacent to their eastern mainline track, convert the existing CSX western mainline track to a Yard track, and reinstall 3 yard tracks. These yard tracks will be used to help with the expanded outbound automobile traffic which GLOR is hoping to increase in volume again. The construction will also include building of a crossover at the south end of the Boulevard Yard site to access the connector to Lang Yard.
In other news from around the system. The Oasis Subdivision may be getting a new customer. There are talks for the former DOW Chemical Plant in Reading, OH to be redeveloped. The location has undergone an environmental cleanup over the past several years. From a railroad standpoint, the spur is still in place from next to (but disconnected from) the mainline to the edge of the property. As part of the cleanup project, the lead tracks within the property have been removed.
It is unknown if a new potential rail customer will end up taking over the property, but rail access to the facility has been preserved.
The GLOR will also be taking over another operation from NS. This operation is the Cincinnati TBT line adjacent to Clare Yard, as well as Clare Yard and the Cincinnati District from Clare Yard to the GLOR connection with the Oasis Subdivision. As per terms of this agreement, all traffic from the Cincinnati TBT line will be transfered to NS at Gest St Yard. To accomdate the additional service, GLOR will be intsituting a another train on the Peavine Subdivision, train PEA-3 will now be the Clare Yard Switcher and will handle traffic from Clare Yard to Norwood, Gest St, and Queensgate as needed. PEA-4 will be the new symbol for the previous PEA-3 and will continue to be a dedicated Hanson's stone train.
The current operations on the Peavine Subdivision will have PEA-1 working from the yard in Newton east to the end of the line. PEA-2 will pick up PEA-1 at which point it tied down and will run to Clare Yard, before returning to Newton Yard. PEA-3 will be the Clare Yard Switcher and will also serve as the interchange train to CSX and NS, as well as the rest of the GLOR system.
There have also been some other adjustments to operations on the south end of the line, which will be documented at a later time.
Current train symbols for the lines in and around the Cincinnati area are as follows: These will be effective on 9/1/2024 and include some changes from previous train lists.
CL- Cincinnati to Lima (Ford Yard)- Cincinnati to Lima through freight. Sets out and picks up cars in Springfield. (Operates over NS Dayton District)
LC- Lima to Cincinnati through freight. Sets out and picks up cars in Springfield. (Operates over NS Dayton District)
CL and LC replace the previous CS and SC (Cincy to Springfield) trains, which had traffic then moved on LS and SL (Lima Springfield Locals). Those trains still operate as local traffic only.
PEA-1 Peavine East Local - Works from the Newton Yard to the end of the line and return.
PEA-2 Peavine West Local - Picks up where PEA-1 Left off, runs to Clare Yard and Return to Newton
PEA-3 Clare Yard and TBT Local - Also runs transfers to McCullough Yard, Gest St Yard and Queensgate for Interchange.
PEA-4 Hanson's Local - Works all traffic between the Hanson's pit and the distribution center.
MAS-1 – Based in NS Reed Yard in Middletown, works Mason Subdivision as needed.
OAS-1 – Based on Norwood, works to end of Oasis subdivision and back as needed. Also works as CIN-1, McCollough Yard First Shift Yard Switcher
BAS-1 - Based in Norwod, works all customers on the Blue Ash Subdivision, Also Works as CIN-2, McCullough Yard Second Shift Yard Switcher.
CIN-X - Extra McCullough Yard Switcher. May also service Blue Ash and Oasis Subdivision Customers as needed.
MID-1 - McCullough Yard to Washington Court House and return.
BRK-1 - Based in Valley Jct Yard, Works all customers on the Brookville Subdivision.
AUT-1 - Valley Jct to Greensburg Honda Auto Traffic (only runs auto plant traffic)
CND-1 - Valley Jct to Greensburg, non-automobile traffic
CND-2 - Valley Jct to Addyston, INEOS Switcher / Transfer
CND-3 - Valley Jct to Queensgate Yard (CSX Transfer)
CND-4 - Valley Jct to McCullough Yard (GLOR Transfer)
CND-5 - Valley Jct Yard Switcher
In addition to the Cincy area trains, GLOR will be instituting two additional trains, LFR and FRL.
LFR - Lima to Flat Rock through freight, will pick up and set out in Delta. Will also work Interchange at Petersburg Siding and Diann, as well as Andersons in Metamora.
FRL - Flat Rock to Lima through freight, will pick up and set out in Delta. Will also work Interchange at Petersburg Siding and Diann, as well as Andersons in Metamora
Additionally, FRD and DFR are hereby abolished as they are replaced with trains LFR and FRL
Three agreements have been reached related to the GLOR's two ongoing major mergers. In addition, GLOR is expanding and contracting again effective the first of the year.
First, NS, Lake State, CSX, and GLOR have arranged for the following rights agreements.
A1) LSRC will have now trackage rights over the GLOR from Saginaw Yard to Toledo for interchange with NS. The routing will be Saginaw to Durand to Toledo. LSRC will establish a crew office in Ottawa Yard, with the expectation that the yard office and trackage rights may be restablished at Erie Yard upon the purchase of Lang Yard from CN.
A2) The trains will be symboled as LSTS and LSST (Lake State Toledo-Saginaw and LS Saginaw-Toledo)
A3) LSRC may utilize the trackage rights up to 5 times per week in each direction. There will be no charge for ordinary use of the trackage rights
Second, also related to the LSRC, CSX, GLOR, and NS we have the following agreement.
B1) GLOR agrees to establish a single weekly train each direction from Saginaw to Fort Wayne (and FW to Saginaw) to transport LSRC traffic for western railroads. The loads will then be added to existing trains bound for either Blue Island or Peoria. As part of the agreement, GLOR will charge LSRC as set yearly per car fee to include transport and switching services. The rate increase shall be set at the rate of inflation. The exact cost has not been released, but it is expected to be a very affordable rate as to not force LSRC to object to the merger deal.
B2) GLOR agrees that if shipments dictate GLOR will add up to two additional (3 total) trips between Saginaw and Fort Wayne.
B3) The new trains will be symboled as SFW and FWS. The current plan is to run these trains south from Saginaw to Diann, head west around the wye to Liberty Center, utlize the trackage rights over the Ohio Western from Liberty Center to Fort Wayne. These are expected to be the first through trains operating on the line in decades.
Next, The Ohio Central Rail System has agreed to the following trackage rights along with CSX and NS. Ohio Central will be granted trackage rights from Brewster to Cleveland . These rights will utilize the W&LE line from Brewster and then the to be installed connection with the Newburgh and South Shore up to the current Cleveland Works line to access CSX and NS. This will be a no orinady charge agreement, much like the LSRC Saginaw - Toledo rights.
Finally, GLOR is again expanding their operations, while at the same time contracting operations.
The contraction. The recently acquired RJ Corman Western Ohio lines segment from Ansonia to Greenville will be spun off to a wholly owned subsidiary of the GLOR, the Greenville Central Railroad. It will maintain its interchange with CSX in Ansonia.
The expansion. The GLOR, upon approval of the merger with the Wheeling and Lake Erie will purchase the assets of the railroad servicing the Timkin Steel plant in Canton, Oh.
The rest of the expansion. GLOR has agreed to purchase the Ohi-Rail segment from the Apex Landfill to Minerva and Bayard from Genesee and Wyoming. The line was purchased from Ohi-Rail in 2020 and is mostly used for car storage including a yard in Minerva which was updated in the early 2000's. line connects to the GLOR's Minerva Branch in Minerva Jct. . The purchase is contingent upon approval of the GLOR's merger with the W&LE. The line from Apex south will remain under C&W control to provide access to the Apex Landfill. It is rumored that GLOR is looking at transporting trash / waste to the Apex Landfill from the north, which would require rebuilding of the currently out of service portion of the line from Amsterdam to Apex. The line also contains a 3.8 mile branch which has been sitting in the weeds for decades and is unlikely to ever see a train again.
It was previously announced that the GLOR, in conjunction with the merger with the W&LE would also be acquiring the Ashland Railyway.
This purchase is going to be happening without regard to the W&LE deal being approved.
The following changes will happen along the Ashland Railway line.
The locomotives on the Ashland Railway will be renumbered and added to the GLOR's numbering and paint scheme. This will apply to only in service or stored units with the possibility or returning to service. A couple units are stored in Mansfield, never to operate on their own again.
Renumbering for the units will be as follows.
ASRY #30 (GP10) will be renumbered GLOR # 96
ASRY #31 (GP10) will be renumbered GLOR # 97
ASRY #32 (GP9) will be parted out and scrapped
ASRY #33 (GP9) will be renumbered GLOR # 64
ASRY #65 (NW2R) will be stripped of parts and the frame / body repainted and used as a museum piece.
ASRY #2022 (GP38) will be renumbered GLOR # 2047
ASRY #2023 (GP38) will be renumbered GLOR # 2048
ASRY #2024 (GP38) will be renumbered GLOR # 2049
ASRY #2027 (GP38) will be renumbered GLOR # 2050
ASRY #3215 (SD40-2) will be renumbered GLOR # 4054
ASRY #3505 (SD40-2) will be renumbered GLOR # 4055
ASRY #9166 (NW2R) will be renumbered GLOR # 40
The following customers will be served by the lines upon GLOR takeover.
Three possible new customers are being approached by management of both railroads.
84 Lumber Truss Plant (Mansfield)
Nurtien Ag Solutions (Polk)
Conterra COOP (West Salem)
Operations will be handled by three trains
WS-1 Mansfield to West Salem Local - Services all customers from the yard in Mansfield east to the end of the line in West Salem and return
MSF-1 Mansfield Yard Switcher 1st shift - Services AK Steel, the NS interchange, transload, the railport, and OmniSource as well as serving as the yard switcher crew for Mansfield Yard, breaking down and building WS-1 and WILL-1.
MSF-2 Mansfield Yard Switcher 2nd Shift - Services AK Steel, the NS interchange, transload, the railport, and OmniSource as well as serving as the yard switcher crew for Mansfield Yard, breaking down and building WS-1 and WILL-1.
WILL-1 - Mansfield to Willard Train. Services interchange with W&LE and CSX, as well as Lakeside Book, Central Warehouse, and Bluescoop Recycling.
Last edited by chapmaja on Sun Dec 01, 2024 10:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
Two new customers have gotten their first carloads.
Northwest Michigan Salt, which is a supplier to several area road commissions in the Cadillac area as well as to numerous other private contractors has built a salt storage facility north of North Yard in Cadillac. This facility will hold approximately 20 carloads of road salt. The facility consists of an unloading pit, conveyor system and a salt storage dome. Trucks are loaded via a second conveyor system from the bottom of the storage system. This facility was built on property next to Home Depot and has access to Old US 131. The facility has 3 spur tracks, an unloading spur capable of holding 10 cars, a storage spur with room for an additional 10 cars, and a tank car unloading spur. The tank car unloading spur will be used to unload chemical deicer which Northwest Michigan Salt will also be delivering. The facility also has two storage tanks for storing liguid deicer. In addition to the single (current) storage dome, a second dome is being built and will be operational for storage in 2025.
The second new customer is the consortium of local road commissions which has built an unloading facility outside Traverse City which also consists of a salt storage dome and chemical storage tanks for deicer. In addition, a second storage shed has been built for storing sand, which the road comissions currently receive by truck. This facility has a single unloading track for both chemical deicer and salt, while a second storage track is built adjacent to the unloading track.
Northwest Michigan Salt has now received 2 loads of deicer and 3 loads for salt. The deicer is produced by a company in Ashley, IN and took an all GLOR route to Cadillac. The INER division took the cars to Montpieler, where the trackage rights train to Milan brought the cars to Milan Yard. From Milan, they were added to the cars from Detroit Salt Company which were delivered by NS, and were taken to Toledo, to be loaded onto train TCAD for delivery to Cadillac. The road commission has now received 5 cars of salt and 1 car of chemical deicer. Those cars took the same routing and then were tacked onto train CP and then TC-1 for delivery.
GLOR operates a line that doesn't get talked about much here in Michigan from Jackson to Lansing. While not a major rail line in the GLOR system, it is sill an important line accounting for a couple to a few dozen carloads of traffic on a faily basis.
Customers on the Jackson to Lansing Line include:
Canadian National Interchange (Lansing)
JAIL Tranload (Lansing) - LPG Tank Cars
Alro Steel -(Lansing) Flat Cars
Padnos - (Lansing) - Gondolas
CSX Interchange (Lansing)
Freidland Industires (Lansing) - Gondolas - very infrequent use
Reid Machinery -(Lansing) Flat Cars - very infrequent use
JAIL Transload (Lansing) - Tank Cars and Covered Hoppers
Nucor Rebar (Lansing) - Bulkhead Flatcars
Hammond Landscape Supply (Lansing) - Covered Hoppers / Open Hoppers / Gondolas - New customer in 2024 (Former Schafers Landscape Supply)
L&L Aggregate - (Lansing) - Open Hoppers - New customer 2024
Regional Steel Distribution Center (RSDC) - (Holt) - Steel Coil Cars
Contech Engineer Solutions (Mason) - Bulkhead Flats / Gondolas - New Customer 2023
Americhem Transload (Mason) - Tank Cars - Transload
Caledonia Farmers Elevator (Mason) - Tank Cars and Covered Hoppers
Reith Riley - (Mason) - Open and Covered Hoppers - New Customer 2023
JAIL Transload (Mason) - Tank Cars (On Shafer Redi-Mix Spur)
Shafer Redi-Mix (Mason) - Covered Hoppers
Greif CorrChoice (Mason) - Boxcars
Capital Steel and Wire - Mason - Gondolas and Bulkhead Flats - Returning customer 2022
Caledonia Farmers Elevator (Lesie) - Tank Cars / Covered Hoppers -Returning Customer 2024
Marathon Petrolium Terminal / Citgo Petrolium Terminal (Jackson)- Shared Spur - Tank Cars - New customer 2024 (Fuel Additives)
Trains operated on the line are:
JLA - Jackson to Lansing Local. Will normally terminate in Saginaw Yard.
LAJ - Lansing to Jackson Local. Resumes wherever JLA left off and returns to Jackson.
JA-2 - Will sometimes play dogcatcher for LAJ and will sometimes handle work at the Marathon / Citgo Spur as needed.
There was also an update the the previously reported plans for the GLOR to purchase the Shoreline Subdivision from CN. There is a second line that now appears it will be included in the purchase. The Flat Rock Subdivision from Arsenal Rd (just west of the end of the double track to Flat Rock Yard) to Diann will be included in the projected sale. The reason for this appears to be GLOR's concerns of CN delaying MOW work on the line as currently no CN trains are running over the line. CN will retain trackage rights from Flat Rock to Toledo as previously proposed in the announced deal.
This aspect of the agreement is unlikely to peak much concern, as there are no online customers between Diann and Flat Rock.
GLOR is making another change to its train symbols at this time.
Trains FWC, CFW, LFW and FWL are being abolished. They will be replaced with trains CHLI (Chicago to Lima), and LICH (Lima to Chicago). Both trains will make pickups and setouts as needed in Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne will serve as a crew change point with a crew operating the Lima to Fort Wayne segment, and a crew operating the Fort Wayne to Chicago segment.
This goes along with making Lima a more centralized location on the railroad and the base location for several through trains on the Southern Division.
Communication with other railroads is going well and there appears to be, at this time, no significant opposition to the proposed mergers that would impact the GLOR's system.
