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Routing for Essexville Coal Trains
Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2021 3:19 pm
by GTWwatcher
What's the current routing for coal trains to Essexville? Obviously, I know they come up the Saginaw Sub and are then handed off to the LSRC, but how do they get from the BNSF to Michigan? I also saw a photo recently of an Essexville train in Grand Rapids. When did they stop running those?
Re: Routing for Essexville Coal Trains
Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2021 3:25 pm
by Saturnalia
The trains enter Chicago via the BNSF Racetrack, and are handed off around Cicero. CSX runs them from there to Plymouth/Wixom via their Garrett and Willard Subs, making the turn at Fostoria to run up via Toledo.
In prior years, when the CN and HESR held the contract, the trains would interchange to the CN at Chicago and then be turned over to the HESR at Durand.
Then, at times when CSX/LSRC held the contract, the trains were run via CSX from the Garrett Sub up and over the GR Sub. This required pushers over both Saugatuck and Thornapple, plus crews that simply no longer exist.
So now they run via Fostoria.
Re: Routing for Essexville Coal Trains
Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2021 4:14 pm
by LansingRailFan
Saturnalia wrote: ↑Sat Sep 04, 2021 3:25 pm
The trains enter Chicago via the BNSF Racetrack, and are handed off around Cicero. CSX runs them from there to Plymouth/Wixom via their Garrett and Willard Subs, making the turn at Fostoria to run up via Toledo.
In prior years, when the CN and HESR held the contract, the trains would interchange to the CN at Chicago and then be turned over to the HESR at Durand.
Then, at times when CSX/LSRC held the contract, the trains were run via CSX from the Garrett Sub up and over the GR Sub. This required pushers over both Saugatuck and Thornapple, plus crews that simply no longer exist.
So now they run via Fostoria.
Pushers over Thornapple? That must have been cool
Re: Routing for Essexville Coal Trains
Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2021 4:48 pm
by Doktor No
Our yard job did it a couple of times. One GP38-2 was all it took to get it up and over. Thornapple? The pull out of the yard to about Schaffer and Fox was bad enough. We shoved to Elmdale and cut off and headed home.
Re: Routing for Essexville Coal Trains
Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2021 11:41 am
by SD80MAC
Typically when the Essexville trains ran via Grand Rapids, the D800 helper job would tie onto the rear at Grand Junction or Wells like normal, then stay on the rear all the way to Elmdale. As Dok said, sometimes a yard job like Y103 or Y106 would push them out of town eastbound. More than a few times they tried to have N956 leave town without any pushers, and they would usually stall between Madison and Seymour.