After a lapse of couple of years, nice to see the Northern Arrow return to Great Lake Central rails and Petoskey.
GP38-2's 396-398 arrived at Cadillac from Owosso around 1pm Saturday, after servicing the passenger cars and
placing a engine on each end, the 398 lead the train from Cadillac to Petoskey.
Crossing the Manistee River:
After a stop at Fife Lake, the train rolls on, seen here passing the PRR passenger depot at Kalkaska:
Outrunning a thunderstorm, the Northern Arrow is viewed at the southern edge of Mancelona Michigan, passing the razed Dura Automotive plant site.
After spending two days at Petoskey, the Northern Arrow will return south on Tuesday, August 7th.
Kelly
"I feel like an old railroad man
...and I know I can walk along the tracks,
It may take a little longer but I'll know
how to find my way back"
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...
Northern Arrow pulled lakeside in Cadillac at 1:30 this afternoon for the return trip to Owosso. Might want to keep your ears and eyes open if you are south of here. They are supposed to have a 2 hour layover before they head out.
I followed the GLC Northern Arrow Special today from Cadillac to Mount Pleasant. Took both still pictures and videos. Only saw 3 rail-fans seeing this train. Last chance tomorrow (Wednesday, July 08, 2012) to get it in Michigan. Here's their schedule:
5:00 AM DP: Owosso, MI.
6:15 AM AR: Durand, MI.
7:47 AM DP: Durand, MI. “Northern Arrow” train will be made part of today’s departing Amtrak #365, "The Blue Water".
Here's today's 365 with the cars added to the rear. Running about 40 minutes late through East Lansing. Photos taken at Nixon Rd. just west of Millett/Dimondale.
GLC 398 and 396 brought the train into the siding South of the Durand Station then ran north into the yard. Amtrak 365 went west of Durand then got a restricting signal to reverse around the Chicago Wye and pick up the cars. Amtrak had air issues that delayed the train for about 20 minutes. They got moving at 8:30am.
1st private car behind the Amtrak consist was Louisville and Nashville "Royal Street", Pullman "Pacific Union", New York Central "NYC 3 Portland", Northern Sky Charter "Northern Dreams", Northern Sky Charter "Northern Dreams" Dome Car, Louisville and Nashville "Oliver Hazard Perry", Northern Pacufic Dome Car "The Observatory, North Coast Limited", Southern Pacific passenger car, Pullman "Federal", Carita's end porch car.
GLC 398, GP38-2 Diesel Locomotive, Great Lakes Central Railroad
GLC 396, GP38-2 Diesel Locomotive, Great Lakes Central Railroad
PPCX 800045 (SLSF/CN 1450), Open Air Observation Car "Caritas", High Iron Travel Corp. (Iowa Pacific Holdings)
PPCX 800713 (Pullman-B&O/DL&W 98), Open Air Observation Car "Federal", Lackawanna Ninety-Eight, Inc.
PPCX 800736, (SP 9020/AMTK 2696/AMTK 2451), Sleeper Car "Birch Grove", Cincinnati Railway Co.
PPCX 800290, (NP-CB&Q 558/AMTK 9485/AMTK 9406), Vista Dome Sleep-Lounge Car, Cincinnati Railway Co.
PPCX 800482, (CN "Resplendent"/L&N "Oliver Hazard Perry"), Sleeper-Lounge Car, Cincinnati Railway Co.
PPCX 800588, (UP 9003/AUT 903), Vista Dome Sleeper-Lounge Car "Northern Sky", Northern Sky, Inc.
PPCX 800710, (UP 1705/AMTK 2254/AMTK 2230), Sleeper-Lounge Car "Northern Dreams", Northern Sky, Inc.
PPCX 800384, (NYC 3/PC 4/CR 1), Open Air Observation Car "Portland", VarChandra, Inc.
PPCX 800640, (UP 1446/AMTK 2639/AMTK 2890), Sleeper Car "Pacific Union", Unknown?????
PPCX 800726, (L&N-SOU 3301), Observation Car "Royal Street", American Rail Excursions Inc.
PPCX 800316, (SAL 71/SCL 6105/AMTK 2235), Business Car "Venice", NRHS Bluewater Chapter???
Seems like a little more affordable excursion like from AA to TC for an overnight stay at Turtle Creek casino would be workable, especially with a few perks from the casino to help out. I mean look at the tons of seniors that do the bus trips to various casinos now. Not like GLC couldnt squeeze a weekend passenger train into its schedule, and the tracks already go to the casino parking lot!
bctrainfan wrote:Seems like a little more affordable excursion like from AA to TC for an overnight stay at Turtle Creek casino would be workable, especially with a few perks from the casino to help out. I mean look at the tons of seniors that do the bus trips to various casinos now. Not like GLC couldnt squeeze a weekend passenger train into its schedule, and the tracks already go to the casino parking lot!
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the entire or a good chunk of the Traverse City branch is excepted track, over which passenger trains cannot operate. IIRC that was one of the reasons the dinner train shut down.
j32885 wrote:
PPCX 800316, (SAL 71/SCL 6105/AMTK 2235), Business Car "Venice", NRHS Bluewater Chapter???
As far as I know, Bluewater NRHS has never owned the Venice. I believed it was owned by an individual who stored it at the Saginaw Roundhouse. He passed away and his wife sold it Sam Staples, who is the current owner. It also listed for sale on Ozark for $155,000.00: http://www.ozarkmountainrailcar.com/det ... e--REDUCED
bctrainfan wrote:Seems like a little more affordable excursion like from AA to TC for an overnight stay at Turtle Creek casino would be workable, especially with a few perks from the casino to help out. I mean look at the tons of seniors that do the bus trips to various casinos now. Not like GLC couldnt squeeze a weekend passenger train into its schedule, and the tracks already go to the casino parking lot!
Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the entire or a good chunk of the Traverse City branch is excepted track, over which passenger trains cannot operate. IIRC that was one of the reasons the dinner train shut down.
Thanks R.E.A.P.E.R. for the info. I remember seeing this car on paired up several times in the past with SAL (BMCX) 6604 Observation Car "Global Star IV". Both cars have that defacto VIA Rail mod stripe running in the middle. Was I saw SAL Venice was back during TF2009 on a special train on the GLC south of Owosso. Didn't know IF it was still owned by NRHS Bluewater. When people were getting off the Northern Arrow special in Caddy, the foot plate had BMCX lettering on it. I knew it was sort of for sale on the Ozark website. It would be nice to see SAL Venice to stay in Michigan IF possible.
It would be nice to see intercity passenger train service on the Great Lakes Central from TC to AA. GLC would need to buy some single level passenger cars to make it so. The ex-Metras that they have already would be used for commuter passenger train service between Howell to Ann Arbor as part of the WALLY. The Northern Arrow itself was a beautiful mixed of private varnish passenger cars.
The only thing I thought was missing was a steam locomotive on the point, namely Pere Marquette 1225. Hopefully, whenever this train comes back to Michigan, maybe next time it will have a steamer powering the train across the GLC.
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