CMGN Train Size into Durand

Unread post by **AARR** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:44 am

I'm wondering if anyone else thinks the train size of CMGN into Durand is down from years past.

I don't see them very often, maybe 3-4 times a year, and it's always on a Saturday, but in years past their trains into Durand were regularly 75+ cars.

However, the last handful of times I've seen them, inlcuding last Saturday, the trains have been around 50 cars...and most of them were Dow cars.

I haven't seen flyash cars which usually accounted for another 15 or so cars, 86' box cars which added another 3, etc.

Is it just me or is CMGN's traffic into Durand down?

SDavey · Unread post by **SDavey** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:45 pm

Traffic overall isnt down by much if at all. Interchange from the LSRC has shifted slightly since the SBS was formed, but not in general. Monday and Saturdays are generally the shortest trains heading south, but the flyash cars are still interchanged to the CN at Durand a few times a week, and having the Dow and Consumers contracts at the moment will help offset things.

trainjunkie47 · Mon Jul 30, 2007 8:23 pm

I have seen several shorter trains on Tuesdays this year outbound from Durand. The inbound trains were usually closer to 75 cars, with one stark exception about a month ago when it was only 27 cars.

hobojim · Unread post by **hobojim** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 11:38 pm

I moved to Durand last year and see the train every day. On the days I count there are usually more than 75 cars. I don't know what they have been in the past years.
They are now taking coal trains north now, and yesterday there were 6 units although 2 were dead in tow. Whether this was intentional or something was wrong with them I do not know.

Anyone coming to Durand to watch and would like to meet up with me and my wife, just IM me or send me an email and we will meet up at the Depot.

Jim and Cheryl

Unread post by **AARR** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:06 am

Thanks for letting me know traffic levels remain high on CMGN into Durand.

hobojim · Unread post by **hobojim** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:30 pm

As I was about to leave town today this train arrived and I stayed and counted 45 cars inbound. I had to leave so I didn't see how many they took back to the tri cities.

SDavey · Unread post by **SDavey** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:58 pm

I assume the carloads are okay because they ran two southbound trains into Durand this afternoon. One had 8802 and 3866 with a lot of grain hoppers on the front end and general merchandise cars.

The other had 8905, 2001 and 5175 with a lot of flyash cars on the front end. I didnt really see the entire consist just got a peek and a picture of them at Lansing Road when they were waiting for the 8802 and GLC to clear some tracks in the yard for them.

Unread post by **AARR** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 5:00 pm

I wonder if one train came from Bay City and the other from Saginaw

SDavey · Unread post by **SDavey** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 5:10 pm

Id say yes because it was the same power that was on the HESR 740 job yesterday in Saginaw (8802 and 3866) plus all the grain hoppers.

Unread post by **AARR** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 5:50 pm

I'd heard CMGN would run separate trains occasionally. From what I heard in the past CN limited grain to 15 car blocks. So bigger blocks (25-65 cars) were exchanged with CSX. Within the last couple years I heard CN started accepting bigger cuts at Durand.

SDavey · Unread post by **SDavey** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 6:58 pm

Most of the grain cars ive spotted on the HESR have CSXT reporting marks so that seems to be the trend, but most of today’s had NOKL reporting marks. Space in the yard at Durand always seems to be a premium, especially with the coal trains coming and going to Essexville.

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CMGN Train Size into Durand

CMGN Train Size into Durand