We started out in Pontiac yard where we ran into fellow RRFan user GTW6401, where we watched L513 with a former GTW GP38-2 putting blocks of pickups together for trains L507 and L508. Most of the cars being switched were from CN local L515.
![Image](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52978672016_1bda1b7cf0_z.jpg)
Block swapping is a pretty cool concept if you ask me, and I like watching the locals putting huge cuts of cars together.
About 20 minutes later, L513 hooked onto his 3 scrap gons and started making his way toward the lake orion branch. I decided to shoot the L513 over at the Walton Road Railroad Crossing. However, to my surprise, they turned south on the wye toward GM stamping, not toward ferrous (I always thought trains went in locomotive first there). They then reversed down the branch down toward FP, and started their work.
![Image](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52978667931_edcb2bef56_z.jpg)
![Image](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52978667821_df3204f5e6_z.jpg)
Not much more than 20 minutes later, L513 returned back to Pontiac Yard. While me and my friend were eating dinner, I received word that Amtrak 352 had one of the companies’ observation/theater cars, the American View on the rear. We ended up catching it at Opdyke Road.
![Image](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52978667961_305b5eec94_z.jpg)
https://youtu.be/BHw0kwAeWqs (Amtrak 352 with the American View obs car)
That’s all for this trip report, more to some soon!