RailRoadFan.com

For those of you interested, here’s an old newspaper article about a derailment on the Orion Branch some years ago.

GTW Dude wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 14, 2022 11:15 am

For those of you interested, here’s an old newspaper article about a derailment on the Orion Branch some years ago.

I lives in Waterford west of that derailment site above in Pontiac. That Orion Sub was part of the Cass City Sub that crosses the old NYC RR Mackinaw Branch in Oxford.

GTW Dude wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 14, 2022 11:15 am

For those of you interested, here’s an old newspaper article about a derailment on the Orion Branch some years ago.

Very cool! Nice pull GTW Dude!

Not yet...
Just spent a few hours on my local guberment website going over material from a planning commission meeting with GM, for the proposed/in progress Orion Assembly site development. GM will build electric trucks there. GM is adding facilities to the existing plant and reconfiguring roads, utilities, etc... From text in the materials, they plan on leaving most of the existing rail track in at the facility.

The site is in a wetlands area, so each new project (each building, road, parking area) had multiple layouts under consideration, in order to have as minimal wetland impact as possible. All of those projects worked around the existing rail tracks, as if the tracks could not be moved or removed. There was an exception of a spur on the north side of the plant, which is planned to be removed to make way for a new building.

In addition, CN (GTW) has granted 25K for a welcome to Orion sign on the north-west side Joslyn and Brown roads and for a mini (or pocket) park on the south-west corner.
Does this mean they are going to use the track from Orion to the Yak? Who knows. But, it doesn't look like GM is removing the tracks and I have doubts that CN would grant money to projects if they don't have a stake in the area.

Good Day,
Beemer

The paper railroad, Pontiac Beltline (PONB), is paying very close attention as the will have to switch the Orion Assembly dock tracks and possibly bring in truck frames http://railroadfan.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=37881

Beemer wrote: ↑

Thu Aug 25, 2022 6:25 pm

Not yet...
In addition, CN (GTW) has granted 25K for a welcome to Orion sign on the north-west side Joslyn and Brown roads and for a mini (or pocket) park on the south-west corner.
Does this mean they are going to use the track from Orion to the Yak? Who knows. But, it doesn't look like GM is removing the tracks and I have doubts that CN would grant money to projects if they don't have a stake in the area.

Good Day,
Beemer

For those interested in wading into it, it looks like the documents can be found here:

https://www.oriontownship.org/governmen ... ission.php

Steve B...

Receipts...

08032022 Planning Commission Meeting Documents...
Check the August 03 meeting documents. The GM related material for the meeting is from pages 35 to 603. The PDF search function won't work on image files, which is how most of the GM related documents are saved/presented as. Pages 47-48 and 78-81 mention the tracks. Nothing specifically saying they are keeping them, but the reading between the lines is as obvious as the sun. I didn't see anything in any other document.

The grant information is from other meetings in March and May.

Good Day,
Beemer

Thanks for the date info, Beemer! I looked at the site a little yesterday but was too tired to search in depth. Quite a contrast from tiny townships which can barely be bothered to post skeletal general meeting minutes online!

Steve B wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 26, 2022 10:32 pm

Thanks for the date info, Beemer! I looked at the site a little yesterday but was too tired to search in depth. Quite a contrast from tiny townships which can barely be bothered to post skeletal general meeting minutes online!

It's an enormous project involving taxpayer money from the state, they have to post it.

I agree it sounds like they’re keeping 98 percent of the rails that are already in place. With expected volume of the new Silverado EV they’re going to have to ship by rail, they won't have a choice.

Oh wow that's definitely some rather interesting news, I sure hope when the electric vehicles come around that GM will start using the railroad again. It's perfectly setup considering the rails go right to their business, obviously the railroad will need tons of repairs and crossings will need to be inspected along with the rails no longer being paved over (however the heck they're gonna fix that, that's a whole different story) but seriously if they do start shipping again I'm definitely gonna have to go railfan that section. The question would be how often are they going to send out trains.

RoyalKingoftheRails wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 27, 2022 8:29 pm

Oh wow that's definitely some rather interesting news, I sure hope when the electric vehicles come around that GM will start using the railroad again. It's perfectly setup considering the rails go right to their business, obviously the railroad will need tons of repairs and crossings will need to be inspected along with the rails no longer being paved over (however the heck they're gonna fix that, that's a whole different story) but seriously if they do start shipping again I'm definitely gonna have to go railfan that section. The question would be how often are they going to send out trains.

Inbound frames at least once per day if it's a body on frame truck. I haven't seen any confirmation on that. Plus inbound and outbound auto racks. I don't think any other parts will come in via rail, everything else will be trucked in.

Chip wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 27, 2022 8:39 pm

RoyalKingoftheRails wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 27, 2022 8:29 pm

Oh wow that's definitely some rather interesting news, I sure hope when the electric vehicles come around that GM will start using the railroad again. It's perfectly setup considering the rails go right to their business, obviously the railroad will need tons of repairs and crossings will need to be inspected along with the rails no longer being paved over (however the heck they're gonna fix that, that's a whole different story) but seriously if they do start shipping again I'm definitely gonna have to go railfan that section. The question would be how often are they going to send out trains.

Inbound frames at least once per day if it's a body on frame truck. I haven't seen any confirmation on that. Plus inbound and outbound auto racks. I don't think any other parts will come in via rail, everything else will be trucked in.

So most likely at least 3 trains a day? Not bad if you ask me.

I can see inbound/outbound auto racks only being moved at night since there's so many high traffic grade crossings, namely Joslyn/Brown Rd.

Either way we're taking about at least 2 years out for any of this to possibly come true.

Depends how many trucks are assembled. There are 40 docks at Orion so 320 trucks can be pulled in one switch. Typically 70% of assembled vehicles go out by rail. So if the plant builds 100,000 vehicles the docks can be switched once per day. If they build more than that you're looking at twice a day and so on.

No matter what, there will always be some shipped out on trucks too.

Update on Great Lake Crossing Drive, they replaced the gate, lights and e-bell. Even though they’re required to keep it up to code it sucks that they went through all that but yet the line is still disused. Obviously meaning it won’t get any use unless that line makes a come back in the future.

Chip wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 28, 2022 9:56 am

No matter what, there will always be some shipped out on trucks too.

100% - 70% (number from AARR) leaves 30% by truck.

LansingRailFan wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 05, 2022 12:29 pm

Chip wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 28, 2022 9:56 am

No matter what, there will always be some shipped out on trucks too.

100% - 70% (number from AARR) leaves 30% by truck.

So it's highly likely to see this line make a come back then. Also how did you hear about those numbers?

Seems like I read it in a Trains Magazine article that 70% of assembled vehicles are shipped by rail. That was probably 3-5 years ago, but I wrote the notes down so I wouldn't forget.

However, keep in mind that they could truck the finished vehicles to a logistics center (like New Boston or Flat Rock or Lansing) and ship them by rail from there.

RoyalKingoftheRails wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:11 pm

So it's highly likely to see this line make a come back then. Also how did you hear about those numbers?

AARR wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 05, 2022 4:51 pm

Seems like I read it in a Trains Magazine article that 70% of assembled vehicles are shipped by rail. That was probably 3-5 years ago, but I wrote the notes down so I wouldn't forget.

However, keep in mind that they could truck the finished vehicles to a logistics center (like New Boston or Flat Rock or Lansing) and ship them by rail from there.

RoyalKingoftheRails wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 05, 2022 3:11 pm

So it's highly likely to see this line make a come back then. Also how did you hear about those numbers?

They probably could truck them down there but they wouldn't be able to get as many out of Orion as they could if they just use the railroad, and considering there's a yard that could probably be used too, wouldn't it just be easier for them to ship them out by Orion? Then all they have to do when they get down to Detroit would be to switch lines.