Charlotte Southern August 11, 2015

[Larry G]

For the last two years CHS has pretty much been a once a month Dinner Train operation with an occasional extra run. However this has changed recently. On July 24 a track crew was busy regauging the connection at CN. Shortly after CN began dropping tank cars off for storage. Attached is an open album of pictures and videos showing the recent activity. It was very interesting watching old time track methods, with a friendly crew, hard at work in the hot summer sun.

Just follow this link to see this album of pics and videos:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/54894386@N07/J62j46

[SousaKerry]

If you like seeing things done the old way, you could come help us on the Southern Michigan Railroad Society. A good day is 7 ties all dug by hand with a crew of 5 or so volunteers.

[MiddleMI]

For the last two years CHS has pretty much been a once a month Dinner Train operation with an occasional extra run. However this has changed recently. On July 24 a track crew was busy regauging the connection at CN. Shortly after CN began dropping tank cars off for storage. Attached is an open album of pictures and videos showing the recent activity. It was very interesting watching old time track methods, with a friendly crew, hard at work in the hot summer sun.

Just follow this link to see this album of pics and videos:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/54894386@N07/J62j46

What's the implication, here? That the Dinner Train frequency will be reduced? I'm not sure I understand.

[Larry G]

For the last two years CHS has pretty much been a once a month Dinner Train operation with an occasional extra run. However this has changed recently. On July 24 a track crew was busy regauging the connection at CN. Shortly after CN began dropping tank cars off for storage. Attached is an open album of pictures and videos showing the recent activity. It was very interesting watching old time track methods, with a friendly crew, hard at work in the hot summer sun.

Just follow this link to see this album of pics and videos:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/54894386@N07/J62j46

What's the implication, here? That the Dinner Train frequency will be reduced? I'm not sure I understand.

No implications here at all. Dinner Train likely to stay on its one run per month with the occasional extra schedule of the last several years.

Last time the storage of cars came on line, the length of the dinner train ride becomes inverse to the number of cars stored. Back then they had well over 100 stored cars setting on the single track effectively reducing the ride length.
We will see how many cars are stored this time.

[MiddleMI]

For the last two years CHS has pretty much been a once a month Dinner Train operation with an occasional extra run. However this has changed recently. On July 24 a track crew was busy regauging the connection at CN. Shortly after CN began dropping tank cars off for storage. Attached is an open album of pictures and videos showing the recent activity. It was very interesting watching old time track methods, with a friendly crew, hard at work in the hot summer sun.

Just follow this link to see this album of pics and videos:
https://www.flickr.com/gp/54894386@N07/J62j46

What's the implication, here? That the Dinner Train frequency will be reduced? I'm not sure I understand.

No implications here at all. Dinner Train likely to stay on its one run per month with the occasional extra schedule of the last several years.

Last time the storage of cars came on line, the length of the dinner train ride becomes inverse to the number of cars stored. Back then they had well over 100 stored cars setting on the single track effectively reducing the ride length.
We will see how many cars are stored this time.

Just being sure. Just thought it was being implied that CHS is finding it more financially advantageous to grow their storage business along the line than the Dinner Train. I guess you were just keeping us up to date on some significant movements. Anyway, thanks for the pictures! I'm Charlotte very rarely and always wondered what this line was used for or how far it went. Seems the major customer is Eaton Co. Farm Co-op east of town. BTW, do they switch the grain out on to other trains at the intersection with CN or do they truck it out when it gets up to Charlotte?

[Larry G]

The Eaton County Farm Bureau hasn't shipped a carload in several years off this line. In effect the line has no customers at this point. Storage is it besides the Dinner Train and that dried up for two years until now. CN dropped more tank cars today. About 20 so far on the line.

[SousaKerry]

Really wish they would move the dinner train over to the JAIL so they could actually go somewhere and tap into the Lansing market.

[Larry G]

Really wish they would move the dinner train over to the JAIL so they could actually go somewhere and tap into the Lansing market.

Probably makes good business sense but would most likely be the demise of this shortline so hoping Dinner Train stays around here. On freight traffic: Someone mentioned to me when the Farm Bureau stopped using the RR it was CN causing it. The story was CN didn't want to switch the cars to the FB anymore since the FB couldn't guarantee a minimum number per year, something like in the hundreds. Have no idea if that's accurate or fiction but it was out there at the time rail shipments of grain ended. Rails are still in place at the mill so shipping could resume if "management situations" change.

[Super Chief]

Give me a break CN the same railroad that promised 60 -80 trains a day when the new Port Huron tunnel was finished, the team in Detroit that decided to tear out the 2nd main between Penn & Schoolcraft, the same RR that lost every customer and tore out their sidings between Battle Creek westward and is now losing the lumber business in Edwardsburg to the Grand Elk. Im surprised the South Bend local even survives eastward to Pavilion. Remember this was touted as the NAFTA link to Canada. Even though it was GT Montreal never knew what Detroit was doing.

[MiddleMI]

Give me a break CN the same railroad that promised 60 -80 trains a day when the new Port Huron tunnel was finished, the team in Detroit that decided to tear out the 2nd main between Penn & Schoolcraft, the same RR that lost every customer and tore out their sidings between Battle Creek westward and is now losing the lumber business in Edwardsburg to the Grand Elk. Im surprised the South Bend local even survives eastward to Pavilion. Remember this was touted as the NAFTA link to Canada. Even though it was GT Montreal never knew what Detroit was doing.

What is this in response, too, exactly? CN's storage on CHS, or are you just in general rant mode?

[rrirwin]

Someone was asking "Why?". I was reading on another board that Charlotte Southern Railroad gets $60 per day for storage of rail cars. Actually, that person was wrong. I looked at the tariff which is on the Adrian & Blissfield Railroad web site, and they actually get $125 per day for storage of HAZMAT rail cars. One of the other posters here notes that there are already 20 of these cars. Doing some simple arithmetic, that means that CHS is earning $2,500 per day -- or $75,000 per month -- just for those 20 rail cars sitting there. And, assuming they get up to 100 cars, as another poster suggested, that means that CHS will be earning $375,000 per month simply for storing those cars. That ain't chump change, ladies and gentleman! That is serious money. And, that certainly would explain the "why" question that someone else was asking.

As far as their dinner train. As I recall, the fare is $70 per person. Common sense should dictate here. Assume a dinner train with 100 persons, versus storing 100 railcars. Which would you choose? If they store 100 rail cars, they make more money in one day storing those cars that they do in running the dinner train. If they store rail cars and run the dinner train, too, it seems like the CHS is having their cake and eating it too!

[Mike H]

Give me a break CN the same railroad that promised 60 -80 trains a day when the new Port Huron tunnel was finished, the team in Detroit that decided to tear out the 2nd main between Penn & Schoolcraft, the same RR that lost every customer and tore out their sidings between Battle Creek westward and is now losing the lumber business in Edwardsburg to the Grand Elk. Im surprised the South Bend local even survives eastward to Pavilion. Remember this was touted as the NAFTA link to Canada. Even though it was GT Montreal never knew what Detroit was doing.

I think you should check your facts my friend, most of what you said here is incorrect.......Especially the comments about losing every customer and "is now losing the lumber business in Edwardsburg to the Grand Elk". My understanding is the local service was increased to 6-7 days per week, almost always leaves Battle Creek with 30-40 cars and has been known to depart with as many as 60 cars on occasion. Seems like a fairly healthy local to me....

Mike H

[GP-35]

I think gas cars 1075s are 25$ a day, if it was 125$ every railroad in the U.S. would be fighting to store cars

[rrirwin]

Class 1 railroads do not want to store loaded HAZMAT cars. For example CN, per their website, refers private car storage requests to their "shortline partners." And, given all of the attention given to tank cars after the LacMagnetic incident, railroads in general are treating loaded HAZMAT cars like "hot potatoes" and want to get them from point A to point B, and off of their tracks, as quickly as possible. Those railroads that are willing to store these loaded HAZMAT cars are getting a premium for doing so.

But, assume for the moment $25 per day, that is still $750 per car per month, and if that is times 100 cars, that is still a respectable $75000 per month. Some shortline railroads do not make that much revenue in an entire year!

[GP-35]

I might be missing out on something in my old age, but I dont think railroad are storing loaded LPGs 1075s, unless they treat empty hazmat as loads when they are stored, the springs on the trucks look to be pretty high when I see store LPG cars.

[AARR]

There is a shortline that stored loaded LPG tank cars until the customer on the connecting Class 1 had space for them. I don't know how often this happens.

I might be missing out on something in my old age, but I dont think railroad are storing loaded LPGs 1075s, unless they treat empty hazmat as loads when they are stored, the springs on the trucks look to be pretty high when I see store LPG cars.

[Doktor No]

I can't comment much on the cars AARR mentioned but they didn't go to Alto.

[GreatLakesRailfan]

I might be missing out on something in my old age, but I dont think railroad are storing loaded LPGs 1075s, unless they treat empty hazmat as loads when they are stored, the springs on the trucks look to be pretty high when I see store LPG cars.

There was a discussion somewhere (might've been here, Trainorders or some other site) about when an empty is really considered to be empty. As I recall, if there is a certain amount of residue from the last shipment, the car has to remain placarded until it can be cleaned. If the cars stored in Charlotte are placarded, they may still contain residue and have to be treated as such. It makes me wonder why the owner didn't have them cleaned before storing them as it seems like a clean car would be cheaper to store, especially considering the mid-term outlook for domestic crude shipments.

[rail_watcher]

Has there been any activity on the Charlotte Southern recently?