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Looks like Great Lakes Central may be adding a new customer in Elmira.
Wolverine Power Cooperative is building a Service Center on M-32 just west of Elmira. This property backs up to the GLC mainline.
Survey stakes on GLC's siding and Wolverines property hint of a siding going in.

Construction equipment from Maverick Corporation, https://www.maverickcorporation.com/ is clearing the property.








This would be a welcomed addition to GLC's Elmira traffic base.

Kelly

KC wrote: ↑

Mon May 03, 2021 5:09 pm

This would be a welcomed addition to GLC's Elmira traffic base.

Isn't Buzzi Unicem the only other customer in Elmira?

Yes, BU is the only customer in Elmira

KC, what would Wolverine receive/ship?

NS3322 wrote: ↑

Mon May 03, 2021 5:54 pm

KC wrote: ↑

Mon May 03, 2021 5:09 pm

This would be a welcomed addition to GLC's Elmira traffic base.

Isn't Buzzi Unicem the only other customer in Elmira?

AARR wrote: ↑

Mon May 03, 2021 6:03 pm

Yes, BU is the only customer in Elmira

KC, what would Wolverine receive/ship?

NS3322 wrote: ↑

Mon May 03, 2021 5:54 pm

KC wrote: ↑

Mon May 03, 2021 5:09 pm

This would be a welcomed addition to GLC's Elmira traffic base.

Isn't Buzzi Unicem the only other customer in Elmira?

Presumably receive utility poles.

Steve B wrote: ↑

Mon May 03, 2021 6:11 pm

AARR wrote: ↑

Mon May 03, 2021 6:03 pm

Yes, BU is the only customer in Elmira

KC, what would Wolverine receive/ship?

NS3322 wrote: ↑

Mon May 03, 2021 5:54 pm

Isn't Buzzi Unicem the only other customer in Elmira?

Presumably receive utility poles.

Poles would be my guess too, maybe transformers once in a while?

KC wrote: ↑

Mon May 03, 2021 5:09 pm

Looks like Great Lakes Central may be adding a new customer in Elmira.
Wolverine Power Cooperative is building a Service Center on M-32 just west of Elmira. This property backs up to the GLC mainline.
Survey stakes on GLC's siding and Wolverines property hint of a siding going in.

Kelly

I found a drawing set online for the project. The plans include a “Rail Yard” with a gravel base and a transformer pad.
http://www.apexem.net/WSC-Elmira-01-28 ... tr-PME.pdf

Nice find. Looks like no new trackage...use existing siding.

KC

The drawings mention a mandatory alternate rail siding. I wonder if that is not shown because there will be a separate contract for that?

Jim_c wrote: ↑

Wed May 05, 2021 7:36 pm

The drawings mention a mandatory alternate rail siding. I wonder if that is not shown because there will be a separate contract for that?

I have helped design and bid on a number of projects like the Elmira Service Center and so I am familiar with these types of bid documents.

I expect that the “rail yard” was bid as an alternate to allow for completing the project without the “rail yard” if the bids came in over budget. This strategy allows the project to continue without rebidding.

The term “rail yard” as used in the context of this project is not a rail yard in the railroad sense. The utility and construction industry refers to outdoor storage areas as yards. Since the yard in this project is designed to store material unloaded at the railroad siding the name rail yard has been applied.

Wasn't East Jordan Foundry going to build and use rail in Elmira? Wouldn't have to ship then to the transload on CSX west of Lansing?

The new EJ foundry is only two miles away from the Wolverine site.

Super Chief wrote: ↑

Wed May 05, 2021 8:56 pm

Wasn't East Jordan Foundry going to build and use rail in Elmira? Wouldn't have to ship then to the transload on CSX west of Lansing?

Transload west of Lansing?

EJIW has a spur into their storage yard in Sunfield (IIRC). It doesn't seem to see much activity.

LansingRailFan wrote: ↑

Wed May 05, 2021 10:12 pm

Super Chief wrote: ↑

Wed May 05, 2021 8:56 pm

Wasn't East Jordan Foundry going to build and use rail in Elmira? Wouldn't have to ship then to the transload on CSX west of Lansing?

Transload west of Lansing?

Read this at the other board

Posted by William on 12/30/2021, 10:35 am, in reply to "ore shipments?"
There's a rumor that EJIW now known as EJ might be receiving taconite pellets at its new foundry in Elmira Mi. Routing to be CN to Durand Mi. to GLC to Elmira.

The new East Jordan Iron Works plant west of Elmira does not use taconite pellets. It uses scrap metal exclusively AFAIK. If anyone knows differently I would appreciate the correction.

Believe it or not, my family shares a cottage up north and we are neighbors with the family that owns the EJ and I asked this past summer what the plan was, I was told they’re attempting to work something out with the GLC, as to what is unknown at this time.

I was going to make this a separate thread but I thought something would come around about this that someone would post and nothing did.

As for AARR’s question, I believe they use scrap metal too.

The EJIW uses a large amount of scrap steel, so much that it cant get enough scrap, and the demand for better and stronger products are demanding better steel so a mixture of tacnite pellets and scrap steel will be the norm. If it works out a new spere will be put in on the west side of US131 where you can see the old four lane divided highway right-a-way, there for no privet property has to be purchased for a rail line. Routing will be CN to Durand, GLC to Elmira.

Is it unusual for a steel mill that will need taconite builds a plant inland rather than along the water?

GP-35 wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 30, 2021 9:48 pm

The EJIW uses a large amount of scrap steel, so much that it cant get enough scrap, and the demand for better and stronger products are demanding better steel so a mixture of tacnite pellets and scrap steel will be the norm. If it works out a new spere will be put in on the west side of US131 where you can see the old four lane divided highway right-a-way, there for no privet property has to be purchased for a rail line. Routing will be CN to Durand, GLC to Elmira.

AARR wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 31, 2021 7:12 am

Is it unusual for a steel mill that will need taconite builds a plant inland rather than along the water?

I don’t have a definite answer to your question, but I can think of a few reasons the foundry is inland.

The siting of the new foundry away from the water was probably a political necessity. I think obtaining permits for a new facility on the shores of Lake Michigan or Lake Charlevoix would be almost impossible.

The inland location improves access to the power grid which is important for operating electric furnaces. The proximity to major highways also improves transit time/cost for inbound materials and outbound product.

The new EJ foundry consumes about 250 tons of scrap per day. If half that was taconite, 125 tons per day, a shipload of pellets would last two years. That’s a lot of inventory to sit on. I can’t imagine the gentry of the lakeshore tolerating a massive pile of pellets on the shoreline.

Makes sense too me. Thank you.

Standard Railfan wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 31, 2021 9:48 am

AARR wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 31, 2021 7:12 am

Is it unusual for a steel mill that will need taconite builds a plant inland rather than along the water?

I don’t have a definite answer to your question, but I can think of a few reasons the foundry is inland.

250 tons per day of scrap works out to 2-3 rail cars per day. Wonder if they have looked at railing it in, or if they can meet their needs with local scrap yards like Beacon in TC trucking it over?