Ann Arbor Railroad Trains

[Erroneous Monk]

As I understand it, the AA serves as the GLC's connection to NS, as well as the HESR's / Mid-Michigan connection to NS via the GLC. Additionally, the AA acts the connection for the HESR (and maybe Mid-Michigan) to the IORY system.

How much traffic is actually interchanged at Diann? Every time I've chased AA they speed right past but that might be coincidence.

The only other carloads I know of brought north of Dundee would be car storage. They have stored cars in two locations, on the Saline Branch, and on the passing siding at the former Ferry Yard.

Cars are also stored at Urania siding south of AA and I believe at least one track in the Milan yard.

[chapmaja]

I dont think there is a lot interchanged at Diann. Maybe a few cars per week if that.

I forgot about Urania siding. That too is used for car storage. At one time Urania siding had a spur that crossed Platt Rd into the old Mental Hospital where Toyota now is. They used to get coal for the on-site power plant and likely other loads as well. I dont know when that spur was pulled, but I don't recall it in my lifetime.

[Erroneous Monk]

I forgot about Urania siding. That too is used for car storage. At one time Urania siding had a spur that crossed Platt Rd into the old Mental Hospital where Toyota now is. They used to get coal for the on-site power plant and likely other loads as well. I dont know when that spur was pulled, but I don't recall it in my lifetime.

Was wondering the same about the old station there. I assume it was located in the now-empty plot of land on the north side of Willis?

[Thatmichrailfan]

I dont think there is a lot interchanged at Diann. Maybe a few cars per week if that.

I forgot about Urania siding. That too is used for car storage. At one time Urania siding had a spur that crossed Platt Rd into the old Mental Hospital where Toyota now is. They used to get coal for the on-site power plant and likely other loads as well. I dont know when that spur was pulled, but I don't recall it in my lifetime.

Funnily enough, I was actually about to ask about that spur as I had noticed some abandoned track that went to the Toyota plant. I originally thought it was for Toyota, but whatever they were shipping out of there was not worth it by rail. I guess it makes sense now considering it's only offices. My father cleans the carpet in that building every year, so he has a pretty good connection with Toyota. Very cool!

[AARR]

I have heard of some fertilizer and soybean meal but not very much and it's possible not anything at the moment.

As I understand it, the AA serves as the GLC's connection to NS, as well as the HESR's / Mid-Michigan connection to NS via the GLC. Additionally, the AA acts the connection for the HESR (and maybe Mid-Michigan) to the IORY system.

How much traffic is actually interchanged at Diann? Every time I've chased AA they speed right past but that might be coincidence.

[cfriedri]

I have heard of some fertilizer and soybean meal but not very much and it's possible not anything at the moment.

As I understand it, the AA serves as the GLC's connection to NS, as well as the HESR's / Mid-Michigan connection to NS via the GLC. Additionally, the AA acts the connection for the HESR (and maybe Mid-Michigan) to the IORY system.

How much traffic is actually interchanged at Diann? Every time I've chased AA they speed right past but that might be coincidence.

I think a lot of the interchange is dependent on the frequency of IORY. We used to grab 10-15 cars going north at Diann 2-3 times per week which I think coincided with the frequency of the IORY runs to Flat Rock and back. It was healthy enough. Most cars went straight to the GLC. Lot of hoppers and centerbeam flats.

[GP30M4216]

I have heard of some fertilizer and soybean meal but not very much and it's possible not anything at the moment.

How much traffic is actually interchanged at Diann? Every time I've chased AA they speed right past but that might be coincidence.

I think a lot of the interchange is dependent on the frequency of IORY. We used to grab 10-15 cars going north at Diann 2-3 times per week which I think coincided with the frequency of the IORY runs to Flat Rock and back. It was healthy enough. Most cars went straight to the GLC. Lot of hoppers and centerbeam flats.

I miss your AA reports, cfriedri. Going way back, I miss Loco_engr's IORY reports, too. Your respective insight from the cab was helpful here for SE Michigan shortlines. It seems like the IORY-AA interchange has ebbed and flowed for years. I forget when but I'm pretty sure the interchange track in the NW quadrant of Diann was expanded to double track - maybe 20 years ago? I'm looking at aerial imagery - google maps is really recent (since the tower was demolished) and the interchange tracks are empty. Bing Maps imagery is older - before the tower was leveled but after the CN removed the signaled sidings - and both interchange tracks are pretty full. One track is all boxcars (including some NS cars), I wonder if those were for interchange, or car storage?

Not a core part of the interchange traffic, but I recall several years ago a couple instances where excursion passenger cars were interchanged back and forth at Diann between the GLC (SRI) and Ohio Rail Experience. I also remember a special move around 2009 or 2010, when the C&O Chapel Hill was interchanged in this way, heading north. A special IORY job came to drop the car off, and the IORY power was stashed in the siding near Petersburg.

It's too bad if the Milan interchange is no longer a thing. I know the auto parts boxcars were a part of that. Does NS still base a local there? Unfortunately, between Saline Ford/Faurencia (several years ago), the Innovative Fluids plant west of the diamond(?) and now the Milan Georgie-Pacific plant no longer using rail, the local work on the NS side sure is not what it used to be.

[Erroneous Monk]

It's too bad if the Milan interchange is no longer a thing. I know the auto parts boxcars were a part of that. Does NS still base a local there? Unfortunately, between Saline Ford/Faurencia (several years ago), the Innovative Fluids plant west of the diamond(?) and now the Milan Georgie-Pacific plant no longer using rail, the local work on the NS side sure is not what it used to be.

Last I saw the local is based out of Oakwood.

[cfriedri]

I miss your AA reports, cfriedri. Going way back, I miss Loco_engr's IORY reports, too. Your respective insight from the cab was helpful here for SE Michigan shortlines. It seems like the IORY-AA interchange has ebbed and flowed for years. I forget when but I'm pretty sure the interchange track in the NW quadrant of Diann was expanded to double track - maybe 20 years ago? I'm looking at aerial imagery - google maps is really recent (since the tower was demolished) and the interchange tracks are empty. Bing Maps imagery is older - before the tower was leveled but after the CN removed the signaled sidings - and both interchange tracks are pretty full. One track is all boxcars (including some NS cars), I wonder if those were for interchange, or car storage?

Haha well I appreciate that somebody appreciated them. It was an interesting experience to work for the AA for a bit after having spent my later school years as an enthusiast. Several of the guys I worked with remembered me from trackside with a camera. Having had a few years of experience under my belt from working at another Watco property (which I ultimately went back to after my tenure at the AA), the teasing could only go so far as I had at least a little bit of know-how and wasn't a half bad trainman . All in good fun.

The 60' boxcars you see in the older Bing aerial imagery are stored, ready for use when needed at the Dundee Engine Plant. For a while, they were specific about what car they wanted, so we'd have to switch out four boxcars from the collection between Diann (in addition to switching bad orders out of the IORY interchange traffic), the yard in Toledo, or from the string at the Dundee Cement Plant. At some point, they decided which four 60' boxcars they got was inconsequential, so that eliminated the need to do little more than grab the head four boxcars and go. At the time I was on the road job, there were a few unique older 60' Berwick built boxcars among the sea of modern builds. I may or may not have chosen to make a few special moves here and there to make their set of four a collection of the Berwick cars that were around .

[Thatmichrailfan]

I miss your AA reports, cfriedri. Going way back, I miss Loco_engr's IORY reports, too. Your respective insight from the cab was helpful here for SE Michigan shortlines. It seems like the IORY-AA interchange has ebbed and flowed for years. I forget when but I'm pretty sure the interchange track in the NW quadrant of Diann was expanded to double track - maybe 20 years ago? I'm looking at aerial imagery - google maps is really recent (since the tower was demolished) and the interchange tracks are empty. Bing Maps imagery is older - before the tower was leveled but after the CN removed the signaled sidings - and both interchange tracks are pretty full. One track is all boxcars (including some NS cars), I wonder if those were for interchange, or car storage?

Haha well I appreciate that somebody appreciated them. It was an interesting experience to work for the AA for a bit after having spent my later school years as an enthusiast. Several of the guys I worked with remembered me from trackside with a camera. Having had a few years of experience under my belt from working at another Watco property (which I ultimately went back to after my tenure at the AA), the teasing could only go so far as I had at least a little bit of know-how and wasn't a half bad trainman . All in good fun.

The 60' boxcars you see in the older Bing aerial imagery are stored, ready for use when needed at the Dundee Engine Plant. For a while, they were specific about what car they wanted, so we'd have to switch out four boxcars from the collection between Diann (in addition to switching bad orders out of the IORY interchange traffic), the yard in Toledo, or from the string at the Dundee Cement Plant. At some point, they decided which four 60' boxcars they got was inconsequential, so that eliminated the need to do little more than grab the head four boxcars and go. At the time I was on the road job, there were a few unique older 60' Berwick built boxcars among the sea of modern builds. I may or may not have chosen to make a few special moves here and there to make their set of four a collection of the Berwick cars that were around .

Thats so cool that you worked on the AA! How was it there? Was the management any good?

[NS3322]

Does Ford still occasionally get boxcars in Milan? I thought I read on here they were using that facility for storage.

[cfriedri]

Thats so cool that you worked on the AA! How was it there? Was the management any good?

There were reasons that I went back to the other Watco property - probably best that I just leave it at that.

[Thatmichrailfan]

Thats so cool that you worked on the AA! How was it there? Was the management any good?

There were reasons that I went back to the other Watco property - probably best that I just leave it at that.

Hahahaha. Well, I’m glad you found somewhere a bit better to work. Out of curiosity, is there any reason why the Ann Arbor Heritage Unit stays in Toledo? I’ve heard it’s there because of MU issues.

[Thatmichrailfan]

Does Ford still occasionally get boxcars in Milan? I thought I read on here they were using that facility for storage.

From what I've gathered and seen, no. It's only used for tanker storage at the moment.

[cfriedri]

Thats so cool that you worked on the AA! How was it there? Was the management any good?

There were reasons that I went back to the other Watco property - probably best that I just leave it at that.

Hahahaha. Well, I’m glad you found somewhere a bit better to work. Out of curiosity, is there any reason why the Ann Arbor Heritage Unit stays in Toledo? I’ve heard it’s there because of MU issues.

I don't think I ever asked that question but I'd surmise that reliability was a concern that shared company with the MU issues. Easier to fix problems closer to home base.

[Thatmichrailfan]

There were reasons that I went back to the other Watco property - probably best that I just leave it at that.

Hahahaha. Well, I’m glad you found somewhere a bit better to work. Out of curiosity, is there any reason why the Ann Arbor Heritage Unit stays in Toledo? I’ve heard it’s there because of MU issues.

I don't think I ever asked that question but I'd surmise that reliability was a concern that shared company with the MU issues. Easier to fix problems closer to home base.

Wow, I’m surprised I’m the first to ask you about this! Makes sense anyway, I think it’s the Ann Arbor‘s oldest engine, that hasn’t been rebuilt anyway. Thanks for the other comments on this thread, lot of very useful information

[GP30M4216]

How much traffic is actually interchanged at Diann? Every time I've chased AA they speed right past but that might be coincidence.

I’m a pretty firm believer that a railfan shouldn’t need a drone in order to be successful…..but having one would at least be informative at Diann. With a long zoom lens, binoculars, or perhaps a telescope, you can see parts of the diamond area and interchange tracks looking east up the I&O, North up the Annie, or west on the CN from the closest crossings to the south and east. It’s just an isolated spot that is hard to see.

You could always take a walk, too. It’s more likely you’d see a farmer or a hawk than a train….but this would, of course, be trespassing.

But if someone wanted a legal up close look at the interchange area, Ohio Rail Experience just announced a June passenger round trip on the I&O ex DT&I from Leipsic up to Diann and back. Passengers in the north most cars would probably have a decent view of the interchange tracks assuming they pull up almost to the I&O home signal before reversing back south.

https://www.ohiorailexperience.com/