End of the MAW

[Y@]

Word from a friend is that on Wednesday morning, the crew will gather the MAW 4, CNUR 5 and MAW 16 in Defiance and take them to Woodburn where the CNUR 7 is already waiting. These are all being interchanged to NS and heading back to the company as Pioneer will take over operations on the 28th. It may take them all day Wednesday and some of Thursday to make it there. This will be the first "through train" across the west end of the MAW in several years.

Sad to see the MAW go.

[conrailman75]

I take this to mean there are no storage cars on their "main" track between Defiance and Woodburn then? I haven't been up that way in a couple years which is why I ask.

[Saturnalia]

Are they getting new power? I'm not sure I'm following you

[MSchwiebert]

Apparently one of the first goals of the new operators is to get the line back to being one contigious segment. Not sure if this is move more interchange to the NS end or to gain effencies from operating it as one complete line instead of two disconnected segments. I would expect that 'new' power is on the way as the current fleet is IBCX property. I doubt that it'll be anywhere near as 'exotic' as the Indiana Hi-Rail Alco days, but it should be more intriguing than the rag-tag fleet that's there now.

[MagnumForce]

FWIW as of today number 4 still isn't in Defiance, any of the MAW trucks are loaded up on a flat bed and ready to go though.

[Y@]

FWIW as of today number 4 still isn't in Defiance, any of the MAW trucks are loaded up on a flat bed and ready to go though.

The 4 is tied down with a lengthy train west of Okolona. I'm going to assume they will take it to Defiance this afternoon or Wednesday morning.

[MagnumForce]

Tied down with 31 cars at Egler road. Doubt it's going anywhere today.

[Y@]

I also doubt it will move today, but you never know. The I&O ran today, after all.

[railohio]

I was told the MAW guys are all off on vacation until 12/26. Hopefully the power move gets rolling west of Defiance on Wednesday. I don't have any trains between Defiance and Cecil.

[Barney]

There is a string of cars west of Cecil. I think they might be derailed.

[MagnumForce]

Still IHRC cars east of 127

[iKJames]

Got a few questions related to this move.
1. What time is the crew going to be on duty for wednesday?
2. What time do they plan to leave? I do know they have MAW 4 with 31 cars that needs to come down first.
3. What time will they stop for the day on wednesday?
4. If they stop half way through on wednesday, any ideas about the move on thursday? If so, what time might they start again?
5. Also, will we be seeing Pioneer power come on to the line after the MAW leaves?

[JoJames]

With six to ten inches of snow and thirty mph winds it should make for a interesting trip to go west from Defiance.

[MagnumForce]

With all that needs to be done I expect them to stuill be working at it on Friday. The MAW will start at around sun up and go till just before sundown, I have never seen them operate after dark, ever. since this move will be along side 24 the whole time aside from in Antwerp it will be quite easy to find them. If there are no locomotives in Defiance then they have gone west. If we get as much snow as they are talking it will be interesting heading down track that no one has went down in 10 years, buried under snow and god knows what else. Really wish I could bug out on work but this is inventory time and not something I can blow off. Definitely expect Pioneer stuff to arrive after the MAW leaves, there is too much business in Napoleon to just blow off.

[iKJames]

Thanks, but why do you think they will go in to friday at this time?

[MagnumForce]

Because with what they have to do I don't see them going 50 miles in 2 days. They have multiple sets of cars in the way, a snow storm on the way and track that hasn't seen a train in ten years in front of them. if they start first thign in the morning Wednesday, number 4 and it's train will still require at least 2 hours of work to get into town and the cars dropped off at the interchange, that gets us to lets say 10 o'clock, that gives 7 hours before sundown which is a best case scenario. Not saying they will definitely operate on Friday but I would really not be surprised at all if they did. Snow will only make things worse. AT 5 MPH it take s long time to get anywhere, throw in a lot of cars to move one way or another and it adds up quickly.

[Y@]

Because with what they have to do I don't see them going 50 miles in 2 days. They have multiple sets of cars in the way, a snow storm on the way and track that hasn't seen a train in ten years in front of them. if they start first thign in the morning Wednesday, number 4 and it's train will still require at least 2 hours of work to get into town and the cars dropped off at the interchange, that gets us to lets say 10 o'clock, that gives 7 hours before sundown which is a best case scenario. Not saying they will definitely operate on Friday but I would really not be surprised at all if they did. Snow will only make things worse. AT 5 MPH it take s long time to get anywhere, throw in a lot of cars to move one way or another and it adds up quickly.

From what I've gathered, they already have all the cars out of the way on the west end, aside from one cut near Cecil. Traffic out there was light last week with the approaching holiday, and they had some spare time to shuffle things around. At least that's what I was told.

[alittlevanwerty]

Keep us updated what happens Wednesday because if they haven't made it I (an possibly my wife) will head north to document this.

[MagnumForce]

If we get a lot of snow tomorrow night I expect things to slow down a lot, a train on a line for the first time in many years and the line is covered in snow? Recipe for disaster. Still trying to figure out what they are going to do with those hoppers East of 127.

[jrgerber]

If I recall right Pioneer's roster used to be dominated by GP-9s and GP-16s I know they purged their Alcos I know they have a few GP-8s and GP-10s but mainly their locomotive roster now is GP-20s all ex BNSF rebuilds. These seem a bit heavy for bad traffic so I'm guessing it maybe GP-16s.