ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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Dan Cluley
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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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J T wrote:
Wed Jun 08, 2022 1:48 pm
Dan Cluley wrote:
Wed Jun 08, 2022 12:57 am
The first revenue run of the 821 was an overnight Mason-Lansing trip on June 7-8 2022.
You must have been standing right next to Pete Mayor. :)
Indeed I was. :)

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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https://www.wlns.com/news/local-news/ma ... vandalism/

I know there is a separate thread about this, but it appears to be dead. I noticed the article states that the Business Car and Caboose will be moved back to Blissfield for repairs. I wonder if they will remain in Blissfield after the repairs are completed to prevent further vandalism? Blissfield’s yard is pretty open to plain sight in most directions with a pretty good police presence around it. This also leads me to my next question. Does ADBF no longer have their own railroad police department/officer?

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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Just bumping this thread. The ADBF has done quite a bit of cleanup around their Blissfield yard, as of late. ADBF 1755, one caboose and the MOW flat car have all been moved out of town, to different parts of their line. All other cars that were in storage, on the north storage siding, have been moved to the south "dinner train" siding. The north storage siding has been cleaned up and had some maintenance performed on it. Not sure what the plans are, but the moves have been interesting lately.

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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IMG_20221005_073603764.jpg

GP30M4216
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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

Unread post by GP30M4216 »

The North Street crossing on the Old Town Spur in Lansing was rebuilt a couple weeks back with new pavement, and maybe new rail, too. A tamper or other piece of track equipment was parking a little further north on the spur closer to the Turner crossing, but I didn’t get a close look at it.

PS nice to see a pair of those red and white units!

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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NS3322 wrote:
Sun Jan 09, 2022 2:44 pm
Do we have confirmation that the dinner trains are kaput?

They still have a "Dinner Train" tab on their website with the statement:
At this time, due to the Covid-19 Pandemic we are not running the The Murder Mystery Dinner Train©. We do not have an expected return date. The website will be updated as new information becomes available.
https://www.abrailroad.com/dinner-train
Dinner trains are still discontinued.

One thing that weighs heavily against their return is that the meal service was provided by the Hathaway House, which is no longer in business.

Also, I was told by an A&B employee that the murder mystery train actors were largely a group of people that the previous owner knew personally. Whether the new ownership would be able to hire the same people back or find a new cast at an agreeable price is unknown.

The same source said that bringing the dinner train back wasn't as high on the priority list as quite a few other things the new owners felt they needed to do across the company. He did say, "but I wouldn't say 'never'."
-Fritz Milhaupt

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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ADBF 1752 today took the Silver Dome Dining Car to Adrian. It has new reporting marks, RPCX 15412 and has likely been sold.

RPCX = Railroad Passenger Car Alliance

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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LansingRailFan wrote:
Mon Nov 14, 2022 2:10 pm
ADBF 1752 today took the Silver Dome Dining Car to Adrian. It has new reporting marks, RPCX 15412 and has likely been sold.

RPCX = Railroad Passenger Car Alliance
The RPCX reporting marks appear to be strictly for the move, as the car has been sold to the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society and will be overhauled to run behind NKP 765.
1223 OUT! President and Founder of the Buck Creek Central, the Rolling River Route! (2012-2017) President and Founder of the Lamberton Valley Railroad, The Tin Plate Road! Proudly railfanning with Asperger's since 1996. :)

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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RPCX is used by the Railroad Passenger Car Numbering Bureau. Interesting operation.

http://rpcnb.com/

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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ADBF 4043 (Ex-CV 4043/GTW 79056) is now PNLX 4043 and has been interchanged with CSX at Ensel Yard.

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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LansingRailFan wrote:
Mon Jun 19, 2023 4:35 pm
ADBF 4043 (Ex-CV 4043/GTW 79056) is now PNLX 4043 and has been interchanged with CSX at Ensel Yard.
This caboose was privately owned and restored twenty or so years ago as basically a private passenger car and it found a home on the A&B for storage at some point. The kitchen in it was amazing. We used to 'excercise' it on excursion or dinner trains once in a while. When the owner died he willed it to an A&B owner. Not sure if it went with the sale of ADBF or a private sale or what is going on now with it. Last time I saw it, it was stored in the new Mason JAIL engine house, about five years ago.

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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Manistique wrote:
Mon Jun 19, 2023 7:12 pm
LansingRailFan wrote:
Mon Jun 19, 2023 4:35 pm
ADBF 4043 (Ex-CV 4043/GTW 79056) is now PNLX 4043 and has been interchanged with CSX at Ensel Yard.
This caboose was privately owned and restored twenty or so years ago as basically a private passenger car and it found a home on the A&B for storage at some point. The kitchen in it was amazing. We used to 'excercise' it on excursion or dinner trains once in a while. When the owner died he willed it to an A&B owner. Not sure if it went with the sale of ADBF or a private sale or what is going on now with it. Last time I saw it, it was stored in the new Mason JAIL engine house, about five years ago.
It was a part of the sale and went to the new ownership.

It’s headed out east to Bahston

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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Manistique wrote:
Mon Jun 19, 2023 7:12 pm
LansingRailFan wrote:
Mon Jun 19, 2023 4:35 pm
ADBF 4043 (Ex-CV 4043/GTW 79056) is now PNLX 4043 and has been interchanged with CSX at Ensel Yard.
This caboose was privately owned and restored twenty or so years ago as basically a private passenger car and it found a home on the A&B for storage at some point. The kitchen in it was amazing. We used to 'excercise' it on excursion or dinner trains once in a while. When the owner died he willed it to an A&B owner. Not sure if it went with the sale of ADBF or a private sale or what is going on now with it. Last time I saw it, it was stored in the new Mason JAIL engine house, about five years ago.
It’s currently in DeWitt Yard in NY

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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Rumor is A&B is transloading something at the cross dock in Adrian. Anyone seen anything?

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AARR
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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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Is this on the lead to the old Stephen's Lumber?
1TrackMind wrote:
Wed Jul 05, 2023 5:26 pm
Rumor is A&B is transloading something at the cross dock in Adrian. Anyone seen anything?
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: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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AARR wrote:
Wed Jul 05, 2023 6:06 pm
Is this on the lead to the old Stephen's Lumber?
1TrackMind wrote:
Wed Jul 05, 2023 5:26 pm
Rumor is A&B is transloading something at the cross dock in Adrian. Anyone seen anything?
I think it is. Just west of the engine house.

For a short time they were loading onto boxcars plastic gas tanks for GM trucks from the plastics plant on the west end of the line here. This is why they built the dock. That only lasted a few months. If I recall, GM went on strike for something and when they returned to work this business went back to trucking it to Texas or wherever the plant was. They were loading them in 85 ft. hicubes with the gas tanks in racks.

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

Unread post by AARR »

So that is what that building is on the north side of the spur lead. All this time I thought, mistakenly, it was part of the lumber yard property.

On the west side of the building I see there is a pit under the tracks too.
Manistique wrote:
Wed Jul 05, 2023 6:29 pm
AARR wrote:
Wed Jul 05, 2023 6:06 pm
Is this on the lead to the old Stephen's Lumber?
1TrackMind wrote:
Wed Jul 05, 2023 5:26 pm
Rumor is A&B is transloading something at the cross dock in Adrian. Anyone seen anything?
I think it is. Just west of the engine house.

For a short time they were loading onto boxcars plastic gas tanks for GM trucks from the plastics plant on the west end of the line here. This is why they built the dock. That only lasted a few months. If I recall, GM went on strike for something and when they returned to work this business went back to trucking it to Texas or wherever the plant was. They were loading them in 85 ft. hicubes with the gas tanks in racks.
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: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

Unread post by 1TrackMind »

I guess what ever it was they were using the pit and piling it next to the dock building.

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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

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Anyone heard any updates on the disposition of the CHS and it’s equipment? The longer it sits, the worse it’s gonna get.
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Re: ADBF/JAIL Changes Made Under New Ownership

Unread post by LansingRailFan »

https://youtu.be/tkMHlX48Tr0

YT drone footage of the Cavanaugh Yard and a new transload going on.

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