CSX Train Location Updates - June 2022

[Tom49801]

Y121-21 @ 11:30 eastward Holland’s Dock Track to Main mp CG25.0 with CSX Slug Set #6470 + #2239 & 10 cars (1 Hoppers + 9 Gons loaded with scrap metal. He will have to wait on the Dock Track until R598-20 passes by with its loaded coal train.

R598-20 @ 11:59 eastward has gone into Emergency on the Saugatuck Hill with his head end stopped at mp CG32.9 & the rear of his train at approx mp CG34 with BNSF engine #9227 & CSX engines #253 + #718 & 130 loaded coal cars & rear dpu BNSF engine #9264.

Y121-21 @ 12:11 eastward moving out of Holland’s Dock Track onto the Main Track mp CG25.0

[BL2-1843]

12:57am - G804-18 Westbound Clear EE South Lyon. CSX 123 + ? & 92 cars. 380 Axles, 5279 feet. No visual.

This one headed to Webberville TOO, but was stashed in the Williamston siding. Not sure if yesterdays G077 actually went to Webberville and may have gone to Grand Ledge. Speaking of, never hear or saw the empty G802-12 with 426 leading come back loaded that went there back on June 16th. Bummer you didnt get the trailing unit number because I could not read it when it went by Howell this morning.

[Tom49801]

E800-20 @ 12:31 westward reported by the DD mp CG44.2 with 532 axles & 6,861 feet long. BNSF engine #5964 & 130 empty coal cars & rear dpu BNSF engine #9260.

M326-21 @ 12:34 eastward reported by the DD mp CG91.9 St Joseph, Mi with 356 axles & 4,437 feet long. CSX engine #979 + 1 & 86 cars.

R598-20 @ 12:47 had replaced a knuckle on the 12th car's east end & then had gone into Emergency again when they had attempted to get on the move again on the Saugatuck Hill with a 2nd knuckle breaking on the 52nd car with BNSF engine #9227 & CSX engines #253 + #718 & 130 loaded coal cars & rear dpu BNSF engine #9264.
Engineer had complained saying this is too much horsepower on the head end since the change was made to add the CSX extra power to the headend instead of the way it was done before (2 engines front & 2 engines on the rear of the train). To avoid the risk of breaking another knuckle, they're going to take half their train over the hill & then go back & get the remaining half.

E800-20 @ 12:49:50 westward Bangor’s Center St crossing cam mp CG60.35

[Tom49801]

M326-21 @ 13:46:49 eastward Division Street crossing Bangor, Mi cam crossing mp CG60.93 with CSX engines #979 + #532 & 86 cars.

[Andy24]

Anything on L303-21?

[Tom49801]

Anything on L303-21?

As of 2:17pm nothing has been heard for L303-21.

M326-21 @ 14:20 eastward reported by the DD mp CG44.2 Pearl, Mi with 356 axles & 4,525 feet long. CSX engines #979 + #532 & 86 cars.

E800-20 @ 14:24 westward reported by the DD mp CG91.9 St Joseph, Mi with 532 axles & 6,954 feet long. BNSF engine #5964 & 130 empty coal cars & rear dpu BNSF engine #9260.

R598-20 at this time is still in the process of getting his train put back together but he is getting low on time & also has M326 waiting behind him. There was a mention of re-crewing R598 but they're not sure which crew would be available to take over, L301 or Y121. At 14:40, R598 engineer heard saying "we have half an hour to get this train off of the hill [Saugatuck]".

[DutchBrad]

At the East Saugatuck hill. 136th is blocked (top of hill), assuming the other half of the train is on the hill yet. I’m going to walk down to see what else I can see.

[Tom49801]

At the East Saugatuck hill. 136th is blocked (top of hill), assuming the other half of the train is on the hill yet. I’m going to walk down to see what else I can see.

R598-20 @ 15:16 released his EC1 for the Fremont sub-division & the Dispatcher asked if he was being re-crewed by Y121's crew [in the Saugatuck area] but no response was given back to the Dispatcher.
Y121-20 @ 15:37 is the crew for R598's loaded coal train & sounded like they have to finish up putting the train together & will then get their EC1 to proceed to th Fremont sub-division.

[DutchBrad]

At East Saugatuck, it appears both pieces of the train are at the top of the hill. Not sure how much time they have to put it together. Are going to move to see if I can get a closer look

[GP30M4216]

the east end of the
siding was removed along with the switch to vandenbosch feed, which was replaced
with a curve section of rail connecting vandenbosch feed silo to the lead

First off thank you very much Don for posting that explanation!

Note: The original switch for the Vandenbosch feeds siding is still in place and the M.J. lead still runs about 200 feet past the switch before it ends.

Love this great history. As someone mentioned, "MJ" stands for Mead-Johnson. At one point, the large Mead-Johnson plant at East Main and Fairview was served by a spur coming off the Zeeland siding. It crossed Washington Street to the west of what is now the 19.8 intermediate signal and arced along the south side of the Reith Riley property and then south into M-J. I'm not sure when the railroad stopped serving the MJ plant. The former siding along the main was cut back several years ago, but the tail track GRH&C showed is necessary on the occasion about 1-2 times per year when Venden Bosch Feed gets more than 2 cars at once and the Y121 crew needs to "rearrange the deck chairs" so they can all be unloaded at the elevator. Little bits of railroad history slowly disappear, but for a small town with three active RR customers, I'll take it!

[GRHC]

L301-21 westbound approaching Buzzi cement mp CG5.3 Grandville MI @ 11:09

Thru Zeeland MI eastbound @ 15:40

[Tom49801]

L301-21 westbound approaching Buzzi cement mp CG5.3 Grandville MI @ 11:09

Thru Zeeland MI eastbound @ 15:40

L301-21 @ 15:42 eastward reported by DD mp CG91.9 with 62 axles & 913 ft long. CSX engine #8052 & 14 cars.

[GRHC]

Love this great history. As someone mentioned, "MJ" stands for Mead-Johnson. At one point, the large Mead-Johnson plant at East Main and Fairview was served by a spur coming off the Zeeland siding. It crossed Washington Street to the west of what is now the 19.8 intermediate signal and arced along the south side of the Reith Riley property and then south into M-J. I'm not sure when the railroad stopped serving the MJ plant.

The last time I can recall seeing a car at Mead Johnson was in the very early 80s 1980 1981 maybe. I do recall it was a railbox box car. At one point Mead Johnson was served by two railroads the Pere Marquette and the Grand Rapids Holland and Chicago. (GR H & C)

[Tom49801]

Y121-21 (re-crewed R598-20) @ 16:23 copied his EC1 at mp CG31.0 to continue eastward & onto the Fremont sub-division with BNSF engine #9227 & CSX engines #253 + #718 & 130 loaded coal cars & rear dpu BNSF engine #9264.

[GRHC]

Y121-21 @ 16:23 copied his EC1 at mp CG31.0 to continue eastward & onto the Fremont sub-division with BNSF engine #9227 & CSX engines #253 + #718 & 130 loaded coal cars & rear dpu BNSF engine #9264(?)

Into Holland MI mp CG27.87 48th St. grade crossing @ 16:29

[Tom49801]

M326-21 @ 17:01 eastward reported from mp CG40 with CSX engines #979 + #532 & 86 cars.

M326-21 @ 17:59 eastward reported by the DD mp CG19.1 Zeeland, Mi with 356 axles & 4,450 feet long.

[Tom49801]

L301-21 @ 18:27 has re-crewed M326-21 at Grandville mp CG6.0 & will bring the train into Grand Rapids. Medium Clear signal called at 18:44

G125-18 @ 18:30 Grand Rapids, Mi job briefing with the RN Dispatcher: CSX engines #8903 + #3375 & 87 grain cars @ 11,393 tons & 5,343 feet long. Getting a signal but don't know if that's to get to his cars & no EC1 copy yet.

G125-18 @ 18:56 at mp CH148.5 copied an EC1 for Bancroft Ave crossing false partial activation problem & Dispatch had also said there are plant problems at Lake Odessa & he'll hold off for now for the Lake Odessa/Ensel EC1.

Note: L303-21 hasn't ran & the engines G125 has were expected to be on today's L303.

[BL2-1843]

G125-18[/b] @ 18:30 Grand Rapids, Mi job briefing with the RN Dispatcher: CSX engines #8903 + #3375 & 87 empty grain cars @ 11,393 tons & 5,343 feet long. Note: L303-21 hasn't ran & the engines G125 has were expected to be on today's L303.

But..... 3375+8903 was the power that came into GRP with G126-11 back on June 14th. What I want to know is why is this train coming back east as an empty nearly a week after it went west as an empty? Also, isn't 11,393 tons a little but much for an empty? Perhaps not.

[Tom49801]

G125-18[/b] @ 18:30 Grand Rapids, Mi job briefing with the RN Dispatcher: CSX engines #8903 + #3375 & 87 empty grain cars @ 11,393 tons & 5,343 feet long. Note: L303-21 hasn't ran & the engines G125 has were expected to be on today's L303.

But..... 3375+8903 was the power that came into GRP with G126-11 back on June 14th. What I want to know is why is this train coming back east as an empty nearly a week after it went west as an empty? Also, isn't 11,393 tons a little but much for an empty? Perhaps not.

Interesting question for the weight. I went back & reviewed his job briefing twice and he had said "we're zero by 87" (0 loaded cars & 87 empties). But, that would seem to be loaded car weight after looking up what an empty Covered Hopper weighs. The numbers he had given for weight & length are as what he had stated. The notes I have do say eastward grain trains are loaded & the westwards are empty. Perhaps the engineer made an error during his job briefing?

G125-18 @ 19:57 eastward reported by the DD mp CH126.3 with 360 axles. CSX engines #8903 + #3375 & 87 grain cars.

[sparrow24]

Approx. 20:05 something was west through South Lyon. Green Oak DD at CH39.1 said 262 axles, 3597 feet. Did not hear complete radio transmissions to confirm anything else.