CN Yooper Operations

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Racer
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CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by Racer »

What are the trains that operate on the CN main line across the UP and what time of the day are they normally spotted, particularly between Trout Lake and Saulte Ste Marie?
Last edited by Racer on Fri Aug 27, 2021 9:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Saturnalia
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Re: CN Yupper Operations

Unread post by Saturnalia »

WTF is “yupper”? It’s “Yooper”.
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Re: CN Yupper Operations

Unread post by LansingRailFan »

Saturnalia wrote:
Fri Aug 27, 2021 2:09 am
WTF is “yupper”? It’s “Yooper”.
Hahahaha

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Racer
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Re: CN Yupper Operations

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Saturnalia wrote:
Fri Aug 27, 2021 2:09 am
WTF is “yupper”? It’s “Yooper”.
Gotta love autocorrect on this phone. You know the location I’m talking about Mr. “Ganassee & Wyoming”.
"...and I was in the front and Matt grabbed and pulled my ears from behind me and made horsey sounds."

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AARR
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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by AARR »

There is a mixed freight between Gladstone and Sault Ste. Marie in each direction and a local that operates from Gladstone to Rudyard and back. I don’t know the days or times they run.
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...

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Re: CN Yupper Operations

Unread post by Saturnalia »

Racer wrote:
Fri Aug 27, 2021 9:52 am
Saturnalia wrote:
Fri Aug 27, 2021 2:09 am
WTF is “yupper”? It’s “Yooper”.
Gotta love autocorrect on this phone. You know the location I’m talking about Mr. “Ganassee & Wyoming”.
Touché :D

Info here is still current:
viewtopic.php?f=15&t=34204

The Gladstone to Sault train typically gets to SSM around 6-8p
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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by GAP »

Any current word on the Watco take-over of the Trout Lake to Munising line?

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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by NS3322 »

GAP wrote:
Fri Aug 27, 2021 1:05 pm
Any current word on the Watco take-over of the Trout Lake to Munising line?
It all depends on when the STB approves the acquisition. They are hoping to hear by October 1.

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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by chapmaja »

Does anyone know the operational plan for the Trout Lake - Munising line, one control does get handed over?

I assume the new operator will operate from Trout Lake. It looks like the interchange will be at the small yard on the CN mainline, which is where the current interchange between CN trains happens now as I understand it.

Also, what customers are on this line?

What I see appears to be LP in Newberry, Northern Hardwoods in Newberry (tracks, no cars), Another pulpwood place in Newberry (no name on the map), a pulpwood place west of Newberry by the Tahquamenon River (no cars). Pulpwood loading in Seney (again no cars and doesn't look well used), plus another west of Seney, another possibly in Shingleton (no cars), and finally in Munising, Neenah Paper.

Are there any customers I missed on this line? About how many weekly carloads are expected on the line?

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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by NS3322 »

chapmaja wrote:
Sun Aug 29, 2021 11:20 pm
Does anyone know the operational plan for the Trout Lake - Munising line, one control does get handed over?
Honestly, CN currently runs the line almost like a shortline. So other than different locomotives (I believe they are getting two), I would expect the operational plan to remain largely the same.
chapmaja wrote:
Sun Aug 29, 2021 11:20 pm
Also, what customers are on this line?
I believe there are currently only four customers. To my knowledge there is only one active pulpwood yard on the line. Please correct me if I am wrong. There have been reports that CN has been spotting tank cars on the Northern Hardwoods spur, but I cannot 100% confirm this.
newberry.JPG

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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by AARR »

Does the small mill in Newberry still get inbound logs?
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...

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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by Tom Train »

The wood loading spur 2 miles west of Seney has been empty for maybe 10 years, although the track remains. Timber Products at Forest Center(Wetmore) is a shipper. There is or was a log shipper on that line,per a WC video on youtube.
AARR, if that small sawmill you are referring to in Newberry is near Newberry Lumber, it has been mty for the past couple of years, no cars,no logs. It was quite a busy place in recent years, always with three or more cars on hand, usually Besse Forest Products cars.

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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by AARR »

You're correct Tom. The Besse spur is the one I'm referring too. It'd be nice if Watco can get the pulp wood/log business back.
Tom Train wrote:
Mon Aug 30, 2021 9:49 pm
AARR, if that small sawmill you are referring to in Newberry is near Newberry Lumber, it has been mty for the past couple of years, no cars,no logs. It was quite a busy place in recent years, always with three or more cars on hand, usually Besse Forest Products cars.
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...

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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by i995impalass »

chapmaja wrote:
Sun Aug 29, 2021 11:20 pm
Does anyone know the operational plan for the Trout Lake - Munising line, one control does get handed over?

I assume the new operator will operate from Trout Lake. It looks like the interchange will be at the small yard on the CN mainline, which is where the current interchange between CN trains happens now as I understand it.

Also, what customers are on this line?

What I see appears to be LP in Newberry, Northern Hardwoods in Newberry (tracks, no cars), Another pulpwood place in Newberry (no name on the map), a pulpwood place west of Newberry by the Tahquamenon River (no cars). Pulpwood loading in Seney (again no cars and doesn't look well used), plus another west of Seney, another possibly in Shingleton (no cars), and finally in Munising, Neenah Paper.

Are there any customers I missed on this line? About how many weekly carloads are expected on the line?
They will be reporting out of Newberry. CN will be retaining the Trout Lake depot.

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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by Standard Railfan »

AARR wrote:
Tue Aug 31, 2021 6:53 am
You're correct Tom. The Besse spur is the one I'm referring too. It'd be nice if Watco can get the pulp wood/log business back.
Tom Train wrote:
Mon Aug 30, 2021 9:49 pm
AARR, if that small sawmill you are referring to in Newberry is near Newberry Lumber, it has been mty for the past couple of years, no cars,no logs. It was quite a busy place in recent years, always with three or more cars on hand, usually Besse Forest Products cars.
I was in Newberry on September 26th. I saw four log flats on the old sawmill spur downtown (Kimberley-Clark/ Louisiana-Pacific/ Besse). I believe all the cars were Besse Forest Products cars. No sign of loading going on. Perhaps these cars are being stored here.

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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

I just read that U. P. Propane recently received a state grant to enable them to install a spur at their facility in Escanaba to bring product in by rail. Is this the facility right at US-2 and 426 on the north side of town? Has anyone been by to note if construction has actually taken place?

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Re: CN Yooper Operations

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Yes that is the UP Propane site. It was in operation last year.

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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by Tim »

Newberry 10/20 & 21/21
I stopped on the evening of the 20th and there was no power on the diaper east of the depot.

Considerably east of that were 5 tank cars and a WC boxcar. The west tank car was DOWX although I didn’t get close enough to read the number.

There were fresh flange marks in the Charles St crossing and the rails showed recent use also. There were cars several hundred feet south of Prison Rd with shiny wheels on the north car which was WC 238075. I didn’t walk in past the No Trespassing signs to get it. There was a compromise joint south of the road were it went from 80# to 100# rail for the crossing. Also painted on the side of the rail was CN I IND which must be the division between CN and whomever owns the rest of the track.

In the sw corner of Victory and Charles are still the five Besse pulp cars. There were at least nine loaded ones there in 3/2019.

I returned the following evening and found GTW 4919 GP38-2 in quite fresh paint idling on the diaper and seven cars east of it. TBOX 639351 was the west car and had the EOT on it’s west end. East of it were BCOL 730386, BCOL 730122, WRWK 120330, CIV 626138, ATW 300975 all loaded with LP Smart Side, plus UTLX 683686 placarded 3082 (environmentally hazardous substances, liquid) OR (other regulated substances, liquid) plus further east, in the same spot as yesterday, the same six cars. It had rained overnight however the rails were not rusty so I’ll assume the seven cars came down off the hill.

I checked several switch locks both here and in Munising and they were all the Adlake style ones stamped for the WC.

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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by David Collins »

Tim wrote:
Fri Oct 29, 2021 7:09 am
Newberry 10/20 & 21/21
I stopped on the evening of the 20th and there was no power on the diaper east of the depot.

Considerably east of that were 5 tank cars and a WC boxcar. The west tank car was DOWX although I didn’t get close enough to read the number.

There were fresh flange marks in the Charles St crossing and the rails showed recent use also. There were cars several hundred feet south of Prison Rd with shiny wheels on the north car which was WC 238075. I didn’t walk in past the No Trespassing signs to get it. There was a compromise joint south of the road were it went from 80# to 100# rail for the crossing. Also painted on the side of the rail was CN I IND which must be the division between CN and whomever owns the rest of the track.

In the sw corner of Victory and Charles are still the five Besse pulp cars. There were at least nine loaded ones there in 3/2019.

I returned the following evening and found GTW 4919 GP38-2 in quite fresh paint idling on the diaper and seven cars east of it. TBOX 639351 was the west car and had the EOT on it’s west end. East of it were BCOL 730386, BCOL 730122, WRWK 120330, CIV 626138, ATW 300975 all loaded with LP Smart Side, plus UTLX 683686 placarded 3082 (environmentally hazardous substances, liquid) OR (other regulated substances, liquid) plus further east, in the same spot as yesterday, the same six cars. It had rained overnight however the rails were not rusty so I’ll assume the seven cars came down off the hill.

I checked several switch locks both here and in Munising and they were all the Adlake style ones stamped for the WC.
Diaper…?!
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Re: CN Yooper Operations

Unread post by DaveO »

David Collins wrote:
Fri Oct 29, 2021 5:28 pm
Diaper…?!
In order to minimize soil contamination, they have placed an absorbent mat to catch nasty stuff that drips off the engine.
An example http://surf-prep.com/track-mat.html

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