CSX Train Location Updates: March 2021

[LansingRailFan]

D705-09 departing Ensel at 11:15 as D708-09 gets to work in the yard w 4037 solo. Sounds like another big haul to GLC today amongst other work.

Do you know when d708'll make it to howell

Sorry I haven’t been paying attention. I heard on scanner that they had work to do at Asahi and another big cut of cars for GLC today. That’s all. I would expect them to be crossing soon over Trowbridge if they haven’t already.

[Tom49801]

Tamper & Ballast Regulator @ 1:32:44pm/1:35:25pm eastward Bangor mp CG60.7 & heading to Saugatuck Siding mp CG33. Appears they are traveling further, maybe to Holland or Grand Rapids.

Q326-09 @ 1:41pm eastward reported by DD mp CG19.1 w/ 292 axles & 4,084 ft long. CSXT engine #5432 + #3191 & 70 cars.

D705-08 @ 1:57pm westward reported by Seymour mp CH148.1 with CSXT #738 & 129 cars & rear dpu CSXT #3211.

[GP30M4216]

Q326-09 @ 1:41pm eastward reported by DD mp CG19.1 w/ 292 axles & 4,084 ft long. CSXT engine #5432 + #3191 & 70 cars.

D705-08 @ 1:57pm westward reported by Seymour mp CH148.1 with CSXT #738 & 129 cars & rear dpu CSXT #3211.

OMG two road trains arriving at Wyoming simultaneously will Rouge Tower even know what to do with them??

When I drove past on Sunday there appears to be plenty of rail real estate to handle cars at the west end. Nice to have all this daylight traffic arriving, though!

[Tom49801]

Tamper & Ballast Regulator @ 1:32:44pm/1:35:25pm eastward Bangor mp CG60.7 & heading to Saugatuck Siding mp CG33. Appears they are traveling further, maybe to Holland or Grand Rapids.

Tamper @ 2:41pm eastward by Holland Station mp CG25.3

Ballast Regulator @ 2:56pm eastward by Holland Station mp CG25.3 Both machines ok at this time to travel as far as Grandville mp CG6.0

[SD80MAC]

Q326-09 @ 1:41pm eastward reported by DD mp CG19.1 w/ 292 axles & 4,084 ft long. CSXT engine #5432 + #3191 & 70 cars.

D705-08 @ 1:57pm westward reported by Seymour mp CH148.1 with CSXT #738 & 129 cars & rear dpu CSXT #3211.

OMG two road trains arriving at Wyoming simultaneously will Rouge Tower even know what to do with them??

When I drove past on Sunday there appears to be plenty of rail real estate to handle cars at the west end. Nice to have all this daylight traffic arriving, though!

That is partly due to the entire even yard, other than E02 through E08, being locked out of service.

[mjotrainbrain]

That is partly due to the entire even yard, other than E02 through E08, being locked out of service.

Sorry, but for the newbies (namely me), what exactly does that mean? Besides obviously just that some of the yard can't be used...is there a particular reason? Also, does "even yard" mean just the even numbered tracks, so every other can still be used? It's possible my questions don't make sense because I don't know what to ask exactly.

[Saturnalia]

That is partly due to the entire even yard, other than E02 through E08, being locked out of service.

Sorry, but for the newbies (namely me), what exactly does that mean? Besides obviously just that some of the yard can't be used...is there a particular reason? Also, does "even yard" mean just the even numbered tracks, so every other can still be used? It's possible my questions don't make sense because I don't know what to ask exactly.

Wyoming Yard's primary bowls are divided into the Even Yard (West) and Odd Yard (East). Thus the numbering in each bowl is every-other track.

Starting at the south end of the yard, the tracks are the Service, Old Main, E02, E04, E06, E08, E10/W01 (a lead track basically) and then on the west end the yard keeps counting up E12, E14, etc and on the east end after W01 it goes W03, W05, etc. Eventually the Odd-side tracks become full-length tracks as well. The yard was originally planned to be a hump yard so it's laid out for two hump bowls and an arrival-departure yard on either side. The Mickey Mouse yard in the middle is where the hump would have been, so I have been told. Alas management decided to cancel that part of the plan but leave the layout more or less unchanged, so you get the huge flat switching yard that is there now. Wyoming Yard is larger than both Barr Yard in Chicago as well as Rougemere in Detroit.

For a full map of the yard, check out this PDF. It is from 1995 and a lot of stuff has been torn out, but otherwise everything is more or less the same. I have an updated but now also outdated copy of the map I did several years ago now somewhere, but it's probably high time I do another update. Maybe this spring I'll fly my drone to check up and see what's been torn out lately and get a new copy out to everyone.

http://gllx3001facts.com/maps/GrandRapidsTerminal.pdf

Locking the yard out of service means that it doesn't need to be inspected or maintained. The FRA expects all turnouts on in-service track to be regularly inspected, for instance, so taking them OOS when everything can be handled by the rest of the yard cuts down on maintenance chores for the track department.

[Tom49801]

D700-09 @ 8:41pm westward Holland Station mp CG25.3 with CSXT engines #2742 + #6244 & 5 cars (looked to be 1 Box car + 2 Reefers + 2 Coils). He will be going into the east end of Grand Jct Siding mp CG53.9 to clear up for Amtrak.

Amtrak P370-09 @ 9:06pm eastward reported by the DD mp CG91.9 with 17 axles (+1 count error) & 306 feet long. IDTX engine #4631 & 3 SuperLiner cars.

D700-09 @ 9:09pm westward reported by DD mp CG44.2 with 28 axles & 422 ft. CSXT engines #2742 + #6244 & 5 cars.

[Tom49801]

Amtrak P370-09 @ 9:47:38pm eastward Bangor's Division St crossing mp CG60.35 with IDTX engine #4631 & 3 SuperLiner cars (1 passenger On at the station mp CG60.5)

D700-09 @ 10:06:05pm westward Bangor's Center St crossing CG60.35 with CSXT engines #2742 + #6244 & 5 cars (1 Box car + 2 Reefers + 2 Coils).

Amtrak P370-09 @ 10:07pm eastward reported by the DD mp CG44.2 with 16 axles & 314 feet long.

[Tom49801]

Amtrak P370-09 @ 10:43pm eastward reported by the DD mp CG19.1 with 16 axles & 305 feet long. IDTX engine #4631 & 3 SuperLiner cars.

[trnwatcher]

01:07 EST D801 WB NINER. CSXT 99 LEADING.

[Tom49801]

Overnight Trains Bangor mp CG60.7:

N800-08 @ 02:14:10am eastward with BNSF engines #5908 + 1 & 126 loaded coal cars. They had gotten their manned rear pushers (D801-09 with CSXT engines #586 + #989) at Grand Junction & continued on to the West Olive power plant.

D700-09 @ 02:47:29am eastward w/ CSXT engines #6244 + #2742 & 10 cars (1 tank + 6 empty gons + 1 CH + 1 reefer + 1 box car)

[Tom49801]

D706-09 @ 03:13am eastward reported by the DD mp CH104.3 with 380 axles & 5,754 feet long. CSXT #3211 + CSXT #738 (dpu?) & 92 cars.

[Micah_D]

D706? Going through South Lyon @6:22 no visual

[Tom49801]

Amtrak P371-10 @ 06:36am westward reported by the DD mp CG19.1 with 17 axles (+1 error) & 308 ft long. IDTX engine #4631 & 3 SuperLiners.

[donnieland]

371 wednesday
4631 with 3 supers

619a - clear grandville
2 track to the main
623a - clear dewent
627a - clear ee hudsonville
630a - clear we hudsonville
633a - clear vriesland
637a - 19.1 - 17 axles ( 1 axle error, should be 16 axles ), 308'
637a - clear zeeland
640a - clear 112th ave
4631 with 3 supers
641a - clear waverly

644a - arr holland
648a - depart holland
used positions 1 and 2 to board passengers

652a - clear 28
654a - clear 30
656a - clear pair east saugatuck
703a - clear new richmond
706a - clear fennville
709a - clear pair wells
712a - 44.2 - 16 axles, 294'
4631 with 3 supers

713a - clear 46
715a - clear 49
716a - clear 51
721a - clear pair grand junction
724a - clear 58

728a - arr bangor
731a - depart bangor

733a - clear ee gross
735a - clear we gross
738a - clear 66
745a - clear pair kirk
748a - clear wv ( watervliet )
754a - med clear riverside - main to 1 track
757a - clear gray - 1 track
806a - clear st joe bridge, arr st joseph station

note:
at 625a - 327 conductor setting fred for the ride to barr yard

[Tom49801]

Amtrak P371-10 @ 07:13am westward reported by the DD mp CG44.2 with 16 axles & 294 ft long. IDTX engine #4631 & 3 SuperLiners.

Amtrak P371-10 @ 07:27:24am westward Bangor's Center St crossing mp CG60.35 with IDTX engine #4631 & 3 SuperLiner cars (1 passenger on at the station mp CG60.5)

Q327-10 @ 07:34am westward reported by DD mp CG19.1 w/ 576 axles & 8,462 ft long. CSXT engines #3191 + #5432 & 141 cars (79 loaded + 62 empty). He's running non-stop.

[donnieland]

327 wednesday
3191 lead and 5432 trail

657a - clear ivanrest - track #1
703a - med clear grandville - 1 track to the main
712a - clear dewent
720a - clear pair hudsonville
728a - clear zeeland
734a - 19.1 - 576 axles, 8462'
738a - clear 112th st
3191 lead, 5432 trail with 141 cars and fred

740a - clear waverly
743a - clear holland
746a - fred is clear at holland
748a - clear 28
754a - clear 30
757a - clear pair east saugatuck

[Talk]

01:07 EST D801 WB NINER. CSXT 99 LEADING.

That would've probably been 989

[Tom49801]

01:07 EST D801 WB NINER. CSXT 99 LEADING.

That would've probably been 989

The CSXT #989 is now paired up with the CSXT #586 as of yesterday.