CSX Train Location Updates: March 2021

[Tom49801]

Amtrak P371-05 @ 07:11am westward reported by the DD mp CG44.2 with 16 axles (correct axle count) & 295 ft long. IDTX engine #4631 & 3 SuperLiner cars.

Amtrak P371-05 @ 07:27:30am westward Bangor's Center St crossing (3 passengers on at the station mp CG60.5)

[donnieland]

327 friday
823 lead, 5300 mid and 4025 trail with 61 cars

608a - all stop grandville - on 1 track
622a - restricting grandville - 1 track to the main
639a - clear dewent
642a/649a - clear ee/we hudsonville
652a - clear vriesland
655a - clear zeeland
657a - 19.1 - 262 axles, 3665'
701a - clear east wy
823 lead, 5300 mid, 4025 trail ( in tow ), 61 cars and fred

703a - clear waverly
will work off main at holland for todays pick up
will pick up tracks 1, 2, 9, and 23 today

722a - clear holland
727a - restricting holland - main to old siding
picked up 54 cars from waverly
702 told 327 that the rear car is just west of the eas waverly

818a - med clear holland - old siding to the main
826a - restricting holland - main to main back on to their train
after making the joint - the head end power and 4 cars are stopped between 8th and 9th street
making 111 cars between the eas holland to the eas waverly
in 1969 holland siding was 111 car capacity - based on 50' car length and 320' for 4 engines
and a caboose between clearance points between the holland and waverly os sections

907a - 327 on the pull at holland
917a - fred clears holland
823 lead, 5300 mid, and 4025 trail with 115 cars

923a - clear 28
931a - clear 30
936a - clear pair east saugatuck
941a - clear new richmond
947a - clear fennville
955a - clear pair wells
10xxa - 44.2 - 478 axles, x663'
823 lead, 5300 mid, 4025 trail with 115 cars and fred

1006a - clear 51
1010a - clear pair grand junction

[Tom49801]

D702-05 @ 08:05am eastward reported by DD mp CG19.1 with 52 axles & 730 ft. CSXT engines #6244 + #2742 & 11 cars.

[Racer]

Seems like the abolishment of Q328/Q329 is slowing being undone haha

With this change, it is effectively undone! Only real difference left is the symbol, which changes some of how it is reported and who in the company "owns" the train in terms of budgeting and things, but that's about it.

Can't wait for the day when they decide to run a train to Toledo again. I think this system probably works better but it'll be one of those "everything that is old is new again" situations lol

With what traffic would there be to justify a train from GR to Toledo/south? D705/706 would likely be sufficient to handle everything currently on the Plymouth Sub. I liked the way it was decade ago when CSX was running a pair between GR and Detroit AND GR to Toledo, but there was a lot more traffic back then. A fun fact is almost 10 years ago from now we saw 326/327 being abolished for Detroit and everything via Toledo on 334/335, Q195/196 was abolished shortly after. So it’s now been almost a decade that the Plymouth Sub has been schedule 1 train each way a day (minus some short term cuts at times). Another factor is that there is no longer a GR-Toledo pool, even when Q384/385 was running this way crew swaps were done in Plymouth like the grain and potash trains currently practice, plus GR no longer has a YM for the yard. Knowing how the Plymouth Sub has been “feast or famine” to CSX for almost a decade I’d be hard pressed they would invest anymore up here aside from 1 train per day as it is now - that always gets messed with and reverted over time. I hope I’m wrong, though.

[Tom49801]

Amtrak P371-05 @ 08:27am westward reported by the DD mp CG91.9 with 17 axles (+1 error count) & 308 ft long. IDTX engine #4631 & 3 SuperLiner cars.

[BL2-1843]

D70505 had 102 cars when it went by Howell at 04:04 this morning. DPU was after the 46th car, but there was also an extra four axel unit directly behind the DPU. Could not read the number. Earlier, GLC Z62404 was over on CSX between 01:00 and 02:30 this morning picking up the 38 cars D708 left for them yesterday and placing 58 more for CSX in the siding for D708 today. GLC had 329 on the north end of their power, 382 on the south end. (while on GLC)

[TSS]

WSBT's St. Joseph "Weather Cam" is pointed to the southwest today, so you should be able to see passing trains. Guessing they had it pointed that way to show the lake ice and catch the passing of P371. https://wsbt.com/weather/storm-alert-we ... st-joseph

If you right click on the video, you can go full screen, or pop out a "picture in picture" viewing window. Only downside is that they are stingy with the bandwidth and you have to restart the feed every few minutes.

[Tom49801]

Q327-05 westward @ 09:07am on the move at Holland mp CG25.3 with CSXT engines #823 + #5300 + #4025. He had 61 cars before picking up additionals at Holland.

[Tom49801]

D70505 had 102 cars when it went by Howell at 04:04 this morning. DPU was after the 46th car, but there was also an extra four axel unit directly behind the DPU. Could not read the number. Earlier, GLC Z62404 was over on CSX between 01:00 and 02:30 this morning picking up the 38 cars D708 left for them yesterday and placing 58 more for CSX in the siding for D708 today. GLC had 329 on the north end of their power, 382 on the south end. (while on GLC)

D705-05 @ 09:16am westward reported by the DD mp CH104.3 with 600 axles & 9,179 ft long. CSXT #738 leading & #3211 as the DPU + the 4 axle engine & 146 cars.

[SD80MAC]

Seems like the abolishment of Q328/Q329 is slowing being undone haha

With this change, it is effectively undone! Only real difference left is the symbol, which changes some of how it is reported and who in the company "owns" the train in terms of budgeting and things, but that's about it.

Can't wait for the day when they decide to run a train to Toledo again. I think this system probably works better but it'll be one of those "everything that is old is new again" situations lol

With what traffic would there be to justify a train from GR to Toledo/south? D705/706 would likely be sufficient to handle everything currently on the Plymouth Sub. I liked the way it was decade ago when CSX was running a pair between GR and Detroit AND GR to Toledo, but there was a lot more traffic back then. A fun fact is almost 10 years ago from now we saw 326/327 being abolished for Detroit and everything via Toledo on 334/335, Q195/196 was abolished shortly after. So it’s now been almost a decade that the Plymouth Sub has been schedule 1 train each way a day (minus some short term cuts at times). Another factor is that there is no longer a GR-Toledo pool, even when Q384/385 was running this way crew swaps were done in Plymouth like the grain and potash trains currently practice, plus GR no longer has a YM for the yard. Knowing how the Plymouth Sub has been “feast or famine” to CSX for almost a decade I’d be hard pressed they would invest anymore up here aside from 1 train per day as it is now - that always gets messed with and reverted over time. I hope I’m wrong, though.

A few things: almost all of the traffic that is eastbound out of Grand Rapids could/should go to Toledo. Hell, most of it goes to Detroit, barely gets switched and then gets sent to Toledo just to get switched again at Walbridge.

Q326/327 were abolished in 2011 along with Q196/195. Q334 and Q335 continued to run to and from Toledo until early 2016. Then they tried the D707/D708 disaster, only to finally relent and start up a D705/D706 briefly between Ensel and Toledo. The plan changed again with the closure of Stanley Yard, so all of GR's traffic went via Chicago. They also started D701/D702 between Grand Rapids and Flint. Finally in 2017 everything shook out to Q326/327 between Grand Rapids and Chicago and Q328/Q329 between Grand Rapids and Detroit. These were later changed to D705/D706 after a month or two of nothing in between GR and Detroit in 2020.

[donnieland]

d702 friday
2644 lead, 2742 trail with 11 covered gons
754a - med clear waverly - old siding to the main
756a - clear east wy
802a - clear zeeland
805a - 19.1 - 52 axles, 730'
807a - clear vriesland
811a/814a - clear we/ee hudsonville
819a - clear dewent
831a - pick up 1 car from standard lumber grandville
854a - clear grandville - main to 2 track
902a - app ivanrest - 2 track
912a - restricting lamar to the odd yard

[Tom49801]

Q327-05 @ 09:59am westward reported by the DD mp CG44.2 with 478 axles & 6,600+ feet long (call got static). CSXT engines #823 + #5300 + #4025 & 115 cars. He had picked up 54 cars from Holland.

Q327-05 @ 10:20:10am westward Bangor's Center St crossing mp CG60.35

[CantBeShook.WeHot]

q32605 sawyer MI. q32705 gross MI. d70004 arrived holland 3am. d70205 lamar grand rapids MI. d70505 ensel lansing 8am. d90505 set for 1pm. d70605 in system. d70704 arrived lansing 2am. d70805 set for noon lansing.
e80004 arrived chicago 3am. n80006 in system.

[Tom49801]

D70505 had 102 cars when it went by Howell at 04:04 this morning. DPU was after the 46th car, but there was also an extra four axel unit directly behind the DPU. Could not read the number. Earlier, GLC Z62404 was over on CSX between 01:00 and 02:30 this morning picking up the 38 cars D708 left for them yesterday and placing 58 more for CSX in the siding for D708 today. GLC had 329 on the north end of their power, 382 on the south end. (while on GLC)

D705-05 @ 09:16am westward reported by the DD mp CH104.3 with 600 axles & 9,179 ft long. CSXT #738 leading & #3211 as the DPU + the 4 axle engine & 146 cars.

D705-05 is tying down somewhere prior to the DD at mp CH126.3 Heard the crew at 09:50am calling the cab driver & giving directions to take M66 to Eaton (?) Highway.

[Tom49801]

Q326-05 @ 10:39am eastward reported by DD mp CG91.9 w/ 332 axles & 4,444 ft long. CSXT engines #5203 + #5 & 80 cars. He's meeting Q327 on the double track on the east side of the St Joseph Bridge.

[Tom49801]

Q327-05 @ 11:29am westward reported by the DD mp CG91.9 with 478 axles & 6,696 feet long. CSXT engines #823 + #5300 + #4025 & 115 cars.

[Talk]

Q327-05 @ 11:29am westward reported by the DD mp CG91.9 with 478 axles & 6,696 feet long. CSXT engines #823 + #5300 + #4025 & 115 cars.

Doesn't that leave only 1 yard engine (2016) for all the switching and Y106? Crazy

[Tom49801]

Q326-05 @ 11:44:17am eastward Bangor's Division St crossing mp CG60.93 with CSXT engines #5203 + #5 & 80 cars.

[Racer]

With this change, it is effectively undone! Only real difference left is the symbol, which changes some of how it is reported and who in the company "owns" the train in terms of budgeting and things, but that's about it.

Can't wait for the day when they decide to run a train to Toledo again. I think this system probably works better but it'll be one of those "everything that is old is new again" situations lol

With what traffic would there be to justify a train from GR to Toledo/south? D705/706 would likely be sufficient to handle everything currently on the Plymouth Sub. I liked the way it was decade ago when CSX was running a pair between GR and Detroit AND GR to Toledo, but there was a lot more traffic back then. A fun fact is almost 10 years ago from now we saw 326/327 being abolished for Detroit and everything via Toledo on 334/335, Q195/196 was abolished shortly after. So it’s now been almost a decade that the Plymouth Sub has been schedule 1 train each way a day (minus some short term cuts at times). Another factor is that there is no longer a GR-Toledo pool, even when Q384/385 was running this way crew swaps were done in Plymouth like the grain and potash trains currently practice, plus GR no longer has a YM for the yard. Knowing how the Plymouth Sub has been “feast or famine” to CSX for almost a decade I’d be hard pressed they would invest anymore up here aside from 1 train per day as it is now - that always gets messed with and reverted over time. I hope I’m wrong, though.

A few things: almost all of the traffic that is eastbound out of Grand Rapids could/should go to Toledo. Hell, most of it goes to Detroit, barely gets switched and then gets sent to Toledo just to get switched again at Walbridge.

Q326/327 were abolished in 2011 along with Q196/195. Q334 and Q335 continued to run to and from Toledo until early 2016. Then they tried the D707/D708 disaster, only to finally relent and start up a D705/D706 briefly between Ensel and Toledo. The plan changed again with the closure of Stanley Yard, so all of GR's traffic went via Chicago. They also started D701/D702 between Grand Rapids and Flint. Finally in 2017 everything shook out to Q326/327 between Grand Rapids and Chicago and Q328/Q329 between Grand Rapids and Detroit. These were later changed to D705/D706 after a month or two of nothing in between GR and Detroit in 2020.

Going via Toledo would require another crew schedule to make the connection in Plymouth with the GR boys - something I’m sure management would fight to prevent. Running it with one crew all the way to Toledo back in 2013-2015 timeframe showed a lot of dog catching from both terminals as it’s much further run than Detroit vs. just running the cars to Rougemere and forwarding them to existing trains that can handle the Toledo blocks such as Q214/215 (especially after working Plymouth). Time will tell.

[LansingRailFan]

Q327-05 @ 11:29am westward reported by the DD mp CG91.9 with 478 axles & 6,696 feet long. CSXT engines #823 + #5300 + #4025 & 115 cars.

Doesn't that leave only 1 yard engine (2016) for all the switching and Y106? Crazy

There’s only one functioning engine in Ensel too.