Orion Branch and Oak Yard Update

[RailsandTrucks]

Hey all,

Wanted to get on here and post a couple observations that I was able to make while working and running errands yesterday.... so here' s a few notes...


GTW Orion Branch/Ex PO&N/whatever you want to call the spur that goes to powers and GM Orion Plant...
--- while working yesterday I drove on silverbell toward Joslyn and noticed 2 things.... One is that the yard between Joslyn and powers appears to be empty from the road...all those cars that seemed to be stored there from my quick look (in all fairness it was a quick look) apeared to be gone... Again, I didnt drive in (gate was unlocked and open) but it looks like its empty..

--- to add fire to that, crossing the tracks at silverbell and looking north revealed a pair of red painted diamond shaped pieces of sheetmetal sticking up right in the middle of the track before the track curves off to the little yard... I believe a similar setup is in place close to my house on the sterling secondary just north of shuret so I'm guessing this is some sort of STOP and do NOT proceed sign/warning marking this track as OOS. I also crossed the tracks right by powers (giddings road?) and it really appears that the track has seen little/no use... Sorry to be the bearer of bad news on this one.... for what little is left of it it is a nice somewhat scenic stretch of line..

Also in my travels yesterday had to drop off a book for school at my friends work in Ann Arbor, so I ended up passing Oak Yard to get on 96.. As of noon yesterday the yard had as followed..

5 tank cars-looked like syrup or something for coke... one cargill, and at least 2 tate and lyle.. also saw at least one staley in there.

4 high side gons..... at least 2 but possibly all 4 were DJJX cars..

Also 2 low side gons-one of which I think was a railgon.

one CSX "unit" was present, but I think it was just an RC sled or whatever they are called... 9167 I think as the number..maybe I'm wrong.. either way it is or Was a 4 axle GE B something -7

2 cp wide cab GE's were sitting on the south side of 96 just west of the yard..didnt get the numbers..

Also checked osmer (found it for the first time) since i was out that way...hung around (mostly my driving from warren up to northfield church road crossing and back down to warren and joy road crossings) for about a half hour or so between 1:15 and 1:45 ish.... but didnt see anything..needed to get home (sterling/Utica area) before rush hour so I left shortly before 2.

Hope this helps for those interested and hope you all are having a good weekend....

Take care and be safe,

Karl

[conrailmike]

Orion branch hasn't seen much if any trains at all since CN stopped shipping cars from the plant and lost the traffic to the Conrail Shared Assets line.

[ConrailDetr​oit]

The diamond sign is in place again in Utica:?:

[Racer]

I was afraid to hear that about the Lake Orion Branch. Was GM the only customer on that branch, or are there any other customers that are still served by rail on other portions of the line?

[conrailmike]

I think there's a scrap yard on that line, but I'm not sure if they get still get service or not.

[firemedic54]

I think there's a scrap yard on that line, but I'm not sure if they get still get service or not.

There is a scrap yard that borders Pontiac/Auburn HIlls on the north end west of Joslyn. Powers Dist. (beer distribution center) is just to the west of the Orion plant but since I moved from that area I don't know if it still receives rail or not. On a side note about that place when I was on Orion Fire Dept. I remember an accident on that line while they were installing the spur. A loader tipped on its side while off loading killing the operator. Don't remember what year it was but I remember getting dumped with a bunch of snow that day.

[AARR]

Scrap yard is still served by CN. Powers Dist. has not received service in a few years.

Powers, at their old location in Sylvan Lake received about 250 carloads annually. When they moved to their new location they anticipated 600. Their spur can only unload 3 cars at a time. So they needed frequent and timely switching which they couldn't get from CN (or they didn't want to pay the switching charge CN wanted which is probably closer to the truth) so they reduced their expectation to 400. But in all my observations I never saw enough cars there to believe they ever came close to those numbers.

[JANGAJONGA]

Why does GM not ship by rail from their plant anymore?

[odave]

See this thread:

http://www.railroadfan.com/phpbb/viewto ... =3&t=11087

And a couple more:

http://www.railroadfan.com/phpbb/viewto ... f=3&t=9731
http://www.railroadfan.com/phpbb/viewto ... =3&t=10407

[bnsfben]

Thats too bad. I am sad to see that line go unused. I live about 4 miles north of Rochester, and that was the closest railroad around. Now my closest railroad would either be in Lapeer or NS's yard near 17 mile (not sure of the exact location). About 6 months ago I saw that entire yard full in the Orion plant. Half of the cars were tri-levels the other half were auto parts boxcars. At that point I thought "good, GM is using CN more for their parts." But now there is nothing there:(

[conrailmike]

The auto parts boxcars you saw were not being used. Orion quit receiving parts by rail a long time ago. I wish I could've hired in at Orion back in the early nineties because the rails used to go all the way through the plant from one side to the other.

[sd70accsxt700]

NS's yard near 17 mile

Any of the "NS" yards up in the mile roads are Conrail. No NS that far north, only as far north as Oakwood, and Wayne.

[odave]

NS's yard near 17 mile (not sure of the exact location).

Sterling Yard is located between 17 Mile/16 Mile and Mound/Van Dyke. There's a bowling alley/motel on the north side of 17 mile with a parking lot right next to the tracks, and a USPS office on the north side of 16 mile. Others may know of better watching spots.

If you're a modeler, you could combine a fan trip with a stop at Great Lakes Hobby & Train on Van Dyke just south of Utica - it's right on the way

[hobojim]

Orion stopped receiving parts by rail in the early 90s. The railroad tracks' entrance was converted to a truck unloading entrance on the north end of the building in 94 and the south end in 93.
They have not recieved any coal by rail in many years.

[BerkshireKid]

BEN!!!!!!!!!! WELCOME ABOARD!!!! Glad you found us. Now we need to get you a camera and posting pics!!

[hoborich]

Surprise, surprise! Great Lakes Hobby was gone, the last time I was by there back in the winter.

[odave]

Were you in the right place? GLH moved to a new location on Van Dyke south of M-59 sometime last year. I haven't been over there since February, but I think they're still in business.

[AARR]

Great Lakes Hobby is still in business and going strong. I recently picked up 4 D&M 4-bay hopper cars $2 each below SRP!

[OaklandCountyCustoms]

In regards to the Orion Branch portion of this thread....bad news. I made the hike yesterday (and tooks over 100 pictures...i'll post a few later)...everything north of the old yard Y is gone...in fact, the Y itself is gone...only the southern track remains. Now even sadder news.. the YARD is gone... there are only 4 tracks left intact and it looks like those were saved to have easy access to pick up all the rail. There was only 1 car in the "yard" and it was an old auto rack now converted into a flat car called "FL. ROCK WORK TRK CAR." The yards east end is now only a single track coming out all the way to Orion GM plant. They also removed the turnout going to the industry prior to GM. Although... even though they are not serving GM, they replaced that piece of track....maybe looking for future service? Welp. Say goodbye to the PO&N...they pretty much took the last bits of history away.

Chris

[tazer]

Maybe those four tracks will be used for the circus train when they come to the Palace ?
There was no wye there last year and probably several years before that from the looks of the growth of weeds and brush, several of the yard tracks were out of service.