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GLC Northbound just south of Howell, MI @ 1045. GLC 385 on point, empty grain train.

I wonder if they had a long night or if this is an extra.

So does that mean that the annie will probably be in Ann Arbor this afternoon?

No... empties north. Loads South.

Hi-Railer on the AA in Ann Arbor

This was a empty for Middelton,started loading it this morning...

Little late but the grain train will be heading south today off the Middleton branch.Looks a 65 car train from what I seen from M-57,last train 2weeks ago was a 90car.Also trucks were hauling in corn to MAC today and they had one of the big corn piles uncoverd also.I would bet we will see another unit train in Middleton soon.

HSO 1307 wrote:Little late but the grain train will be heading south today off the Middleton branch.Looks a 65 car train from what I seen from M-57,last train 2weeks ago was a 90car.Also trucks were hauling in corn to MAC today and they had one of the big corn piles uncoverd also.I would bet we will see another unit train in Middleton soon.

Funny that just a few years ago most if not all the corn from MAC was going to local ethanol plants by truck and rail shipments were down. Not sure why it changed but glad to see it.

This morning on my truck travels back to Greenville I caught 395&393 heading north out of Owosso with 53 cars.4or5 for Ashley,a cut of 8-10 tanks for Terry Materials in Alma,several Coke hoppers,few other mixed in tanks,pole load,some plastics,and a good size cut of Sand cars on the end.Seen them 3 times this week out of Owosso,seems like there going north every other day or so.Also noticed the 389 is tied up to the 2648 and some coaches next to the shop.I guessing the 389 may have seen her last days on the main line.

Last i knew the GLC was running 2 crews a day and sometimes a 3rd crew to keep up with traffic. They should be going both north and south every day M-F with grain extras on the weekends. 90 car trains will start to be the norm here soon, Oakley and Middleton will both be running 90's most of the time with Shepherd, Rose Bush and Henderson doing smaller cuts. A lot of grain, corn etc is being trucked in from the thumb from LSRC and HESR customers to be loaded on GLC grain trains do to a better price.

The norm seems to be the 2 crews like you said.I come though Owosso just about everyday and see the 1st crew switching the yard and uselly more power being fired up when I go by the shops.This week was alittle different cause Im almost certain nothing went north Monday.Tuesday morning or maybe Wednesday I seen them heading north with 399&385,big cut of TSBY hoppers,couple plastics,and a long cut of sands on the end.About 50 cars total,there was also a small 2bay sand hopper with AA reporting marks in the mix.Stood out among the rest of the cars alot.

HSO 1307 wrote:The norm seems to be the 2 crews like you said.I come though Owosso just about everyday and see the 1st crew switching the yard and uselly more power being fired up when I go by the shops.This week was alittle different cause Im almost certain nothing went north Monday.Tuesday morning or maybe Wednesday I seen them heading north with 399&385,big cut of TSBY hoppers,couple plastics,and a long cut of sands on the end.About 50 cars total,there was also a small 2bay sand hopper with AA reporting marks in the mix.Stood out among the rest of the cars alot.

IIRC that AA 2 bay is GLC's car for locomotive sand. It ventures up to Yuma once in a while to be loaded with sand for use at the Owosso shops.

Thats what I was thinking also,it was grey with yellow painted trucks under it.Heres a qustion,if they are trucking grain to shippers on the GLC from the thumb.I wonder if MAC in Wheeler and the large grain shipper in Hemlock would get better rates by getting there unit CSX trains from GLC? Or would this involve to many railroads to make it work?

HSO 1307 wrote:I wonder if MAC in Wheeler and the large grain shipper in Hemlock would get better rates by getting there unit CSX trains from GLC? Or would this involve to many railroads to make it work?

From what I hear for commodities like grain there is not enough profit from more than 2-3 railroads in most cases. And GLC is already sharing revenue with AA. Now if AA and GLC ever unite as one company again...

Seen GLC switching the yard in Owosso this morning,399&385 doing the work of building northbound train.Seems last 3weeks they have been pairing up a 38&35 compared to the a all 38 pair.GP35 385&393 have been the units of choice out of Owosso with one of the 38"s.

Grain Train loaded over weekend in Middleton and ready to head south today,looks like a 65car CSX unit.They brought one into Oakley over weekend also they was starting to load it this morning at 9am when I came up M52,also a CSX unit train.

The AA reporting marked 2 bay hopper is the sand hopper for the Ann Arbor Railroad and is based in Toledo. It is shipped to Yuma to be filled for their use. The GLC sand hoppers are black and carry the reporting marks TSBY 920-21 if im remembering the numbers right.

Article about the recent collision.

http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2 ... =fullstory

At least they got one or two of the facts correct.

HSO 1307 wrote:Grain Train loaded over weekend in Middleton and ready to head south today,looks like a 65car CSX unit.They brought one into Oakley over weekend also they was starting to load it this morning at 9am when I came up M52,also a CSX unit train.

I think that's the same one I seen last night
around 10:30 pm in Howell just to the south of the viaduct over Grand River. I could see the EOT device as it sat idled. Finally got clearance and headed south. Not too much later a WB CSX came thru.