West Michigan RR Abandonment Petition Coming

[GP-35]

The SW900 is going to the shop for repairs & the GP-9 is going to Arkansas to a shot line.

[KenB]

What shop? Grand Elk in Grand Rapids?

[SD80MAC]

The NW2 (not an SW900) shows going to the Keokuk Junction Railway in Peoria, IL. The GP9 is billed to Grand Junction, TN.

[Doktor No]

The NW2 (not an SW900) shows going to the Keokuk Junction Railway in Peoria, IL. The GP9 is billed to Grand Junction, TN.

Watch CSX try to set it off at the house track in Grand Junction. Bwahahahahaha.

[AARR]

What is WMI using to switch the cold storage place in Hartford? Or did they stop shipping by rail?

[SD80MAC]

What is WMI using to switch the cold storage place in Hartford? Or did they stop shipping by rail?

GLLX SW1200 #1512 is now the power for the line. It was moved there in November.

[Jochs]

Why are the signs still up in Lawrence? I thought they pulled the rails west of town.

There are still rails in the road at Red Arrow Highway, and whatever the main road off I-94 to Lawrence is.
Having them exempt means school buses don't have to stop at the crossing.
Back in the 1980's, when they ripped up the C&O line out of Benton Harbor, they left the crossing on Pipestone Rd. intact. Because there were rails and crossbucks, school buses had to stop at the crossing by law.

I think the signs have to be there because of the rails, because technically, it is a rail line crossing the road. It doesn't matter how long it is, whether it goes from Paw Paw to Hartford, or only from one side of the road to the other, it is a railroad crossing.

[TrainWatcher]

What is WMI using to switch the cold storage place in Hartford? Or did they stop shipping by rail?

GLLX SW1200 #1512 is now the power for the line. It was moved there in November.

Well, looks like I'll have to go see her at her new home. Glad the GLLX Godfather bought her. I'd love to volunteer to repaint her from that god awful maroon and silver Allen had her in.

[Super Chief]

Well hold on maybe the Saugatuck group wants to put a wine train back on tp Paw Paw then the colors would be just like the old wine train. I reported this engine there a month ago it was hidden behind the cold storage building. Is the Hartford Hamilton group puttin more track down?

[Robertrains]

GLLX SW1200 #1512 is now the power for the line. It was moved there in November.

Well, looks like I'll have to go see her at her new home. Glad the GLLX Godfather bought her. I'd love to volunteer to repaint her from that god awful maroon and silver Allen had her in.

YES!!!! I have seen (and been on) SW1200 #1512 over the years! I hope it will stay on the West Michigan® for a while!!!! I have never seen WM®, but would like to!

Here's #1512 on MAL®, Wixom, 10-23-2011




Here's GTW® #1512 in Bristol (Torrey) Yard, near Flint, 6-20-1995

—I took both "Professional" Canon® 35mm pix!!!!

[jrgerber]

The GP-9 is probably headed to Pioneer's Miss Central operation. Don't know whether the NW-2 is is operating or if they are going to try to fix her or scrap her.

[J T]

Why are the signs still up in Lawrence? I thought they pulled the rails west of town.

There are still rails in the road at Red Arrow Highway, and whatever the main road off I-94 to Lawrence is.
Having them exempt means school buses don't have to stop at the crossing.
Back in the 1980's, when they ripped up the C&O line out of Benton Harbor, they left the crossing on Pipestone Rd. intact. Because there were rails and crossbucks, school buses had to stop at the crossing by law.

I think the signs have to be there because of the rails, because technically, it is a rail line crossing the road. It doesn't matter how long it is, whether it goes from Paw Paw to Hartford, or only from one side of the road to the other, it is a railroad crossing.

Just take down the crossbucks or whatever else is there marking the crossing. At that point, the rails become irrelevant to even acknowledge (not that they aren't already with it being completely impossible for anything to be on them).

"Hey, let's put up news signs that disqualify the old signs, because we're too lazy to take down the old signs." Idiots.

[Mike H]

Why are the signs still up in Lawrence? I thought they pulled the rails west of town.

There are still rails in the road at Red Arrow Highway, and whatever the main road off I-94 to Lawrence is.
Having them exempt means school buses don't have to stop at the crossing.
Back in the 1980's, when they ripped up the C&O line out of Benton Harbor, they left the crossing on Pipestone Rd. intact. Because there were rails and crossbucks, school buses had to stop at the crossing by law.

I think the signs have to be there because of the rails, because technically, it is a rail line crossing the road. It doesn't matter how long it is, whether it goes from Paw Paw to Hartford, or only from one side of the road to the other, it is a railroad crossing.

Just take down the crossbucks or whatever else is there marking the crossing. At that point, the rails become irrelevant to even acknowledge (not that they aren't already with it being completely impossible for anything to be on them).

"Hey, let's put up news signs that disqualify the old signs, because we're too lazy to take down the old signs." Idiots.

Its not that simple buddy. Technically the line has not been abandoned which is why it is still considered an "active" crossing. Until someone consummates the abandonment all crossings will have to be treated as if a train could operate over them. Its a goofy thing that the STB would allow a line to be ripped up without having to actually abandon it. However, most companies remove the crossings when they pull up the rail, but Pioneer decided not to do that which is why there is this issues with the crossings. From what I understand it is a very unusual situation. Just my humble opinion.

Mike H

[J T]

Its not that simple buddy. Technically the line has not been abandoned which is why it is still considered an "active" crossing. Until someone consummates the abandonment all crossings will have to be treated as if a train could operate over them. Its a goofy thing that the STB would allow a line to be ripped up without having to actually abandon it. However, most companies remove the crossings when they pull up the rail, but Pioneer decided not to do that which is why there is this issues with the crossings. From what I understand it is a very unusual situation. Just my humble opinion.

Mike H

I figured the exemption signs were something done by the town of Lawrence. And how are those tracks still being in place any different from other rails left in pavement when there are no tracks continuing in either direction? I see that quite often, yet crossbucks don't remain. Why aren't the signs just removed and the rails in the pavement treated as nothing but an annoying bump when traveled over? Even though the ROW hasn't been officially abandoned, the public doesn't know that. They cross the tracks and look in both directions and see no more rails, so what's the point of them being marked?

[Raildudes dad]

Lawrence is complying with Michigan law. In fact this the only place MDOT allows the exempt sign. If the rails are in the street, the law requires hazmat and buses to stop. The other solution is just to pave over the rails. Lawrence probably doesn't want to pay for something the RR / salvage company should be paying for.

[J T]

Lawrence is complying with Michigan law.

Which sometimes defies common sense and logic.

[Clay320]

My understanding from a few things I have heard, the haircut the WMRR got was a little to short for the new owners liking. There was a quote being sought for relaying rail at one point, which may play into why the crossings are all in limbo. Why pioneer would pull rail just to have the next guy put some back is beyond me, but I've stopped questioning the sanity of the industry.

[JStryker722]

My understanding from a few things I have heard, the haircut the WMRR got was a little to short for the new owners liking. There was a quote being sought for relaying rail at one point, which may play into why the crossings are all in limbo. Why pioneer would pull rail just to have the next guy put some back is beyond me, but I've stopped questioning the sanity of the industry.

In a way,this gives the new owners an excuse to lay down 115lb rail rather easy compared to swapping the lighter rail out section by section and needing joint connectors for two different size rail lol

[AARR]

IIRC there is a warehouse between Lawrence and Paw Paw that received a carload or two annually. Maybe this is who they want the track extended too . J T has pictures of a WMI train "floating on grass" delivering a car to this customer .

[Bulby]

The GP-9 is probably headed to Pioneer's Miss Central operation. Don't know whether the NW-2 is is operating or if they are going to try to fix her or scrap her.

Plan is to fix the NW-2, not scrap it. That is subject to change.