Jackson & Lansing equipment

[ThatRailfanningKid]

One train goes north during the day and comes back to Mason then goes south during the night, 5-6 days a week.

Okay, thanks. I've heard from other people that it was more active, but they may have slowed down a bit during the winter.

[wawatam]

From what I can tell the JAIL crew usually heads south out of Mason sometime after midnight. They stop at Michigan Packaging Co. and pick up empty cars there and sometimes the loaded tank cars that are on the stone track. They head on down to Jackson and return to Mason between 7:00 and 9:00 am. If they don't have too many cars to work with they will leap frog one of the engines and use it to sort and spot cars at MPC. Sometimes, if they have a big train (30-40cars) and the cars are all mixed up, they will head into Mason where the crew will sort their cars on the siding north of the engine barn then head back to MPC to drop off up to 12 boxcars at MPC and lately as many as 7 tank cars on the stone track. From there they will head back up to town and pick up any coil cars,gondolas, flatcars, or covered hoppers they may have and head up to Holt and Lansing as needed. I hope this helps you out. Tim.

[MP73point4]

Okay, thanks. I've heard from other people that it was more active, but they may have slowed down a bit during the winter.

Always been one north to Lansing and back during the day, one south to Jackson and back at night. Winter has not altered the schedule or frequency.

[ThatRailfanningKid]

That info helped a ton.

Always been one north to Lansing and back during the day, one south to Jackson and back at night. Winter has not altered the schedule or frequency.

Okay, then. Hopefully I can head up there this week and catch it along Eden Rd. Which days will it operate with Christmas and all?

[wawatam]

I believe that the Regional Steel Distribution Center (RSDC) has the same work schedule as the auto plants they supply, so I wouldn't expect to see a lot of steel coil cars until after New Years day. Also, from what I've seen over the years MPC will be down for several days too. As far as JAIL goes, I would guess that they will operate Sunday night, Monday, Monday night and maybe Tuesday. They may pick up again Thursday night into Friday or they might have the rest of the week off. I think your best bet is to wait until after the first of the year. You'll likely see longer trains and they'll be back on a regular schedule.

[ThatRailfanningKid]

I believe that the Regional Steel Distribution Center (RSDC) has the same work schedule as the auto plants they supply, so I wouldn't expect to see a lot of steel coil cars until after New Years day. Also, from what I've seen over the years MPC will be down for several days too. As far as JAIL goes, I would guess that they will operate Sunday night, Monday, Monday night and maybe Tuesday. They may pick up again Thursday night into Friday or they might have the rest of the week off. I think your best bet is to wait until after the first of the year. You'll likely see longer trains and they'll be back on a regular schedule.

Okay, thanks. I will hopefully be getting a scanner soon, so that will help too, after a bit of research obviously.

[GrandTrunkFan]

My new job in Lansing is right along Ensel and I usually see/hear JAIL leaving Lansing about 1-2 in the afternoon. Ran down to the truck dealer down the street the other day and seen the two GP9s and two hi cube TTX boxes. Where do those hi cubes come from? I think they pick them up from CSX but not sure as I see them with those cars quite a bit.

[Dan Cluley]

My GF saw a train at the W Michigan crossing (behind Sexton's football field) last week in the early evening. I haven't seen any storage cars, so I'm guessing they still do some interchange with CN?

[AARR]

I haven't seen any storage cars, so I'm guessing they still do some interchange with CN?

I think they still receive box cars from CN for the box plant in Mason.

[SousaKerry]

think they still receive box cars from CN for the box plant in Mason.

It would stand to reason that the box plant is receiving it's paperboard and craft paper from a Canadian paper mill via rail so that would explain the CN routing.

Of coarse this is conjecture and I could be full of crap again.

[Saturnalia]

think they still receive box cars from CN for the box plant in Mason.

Of coarse this is conjecture and I could be full of crap again.

Don't worry, I don't think you have to worry about passing Pat C anytime soon

[KenB]

The plant could be receiving paper from down South. CN goes all the way to the gulf coast.

[AARR]

I think the box plant gets cars from all three JAIL's Class 1's connections

[SousaKerry]

I know they could be receiving paper from almost anywhere but I based that assumption on the fact that I used to work for a particle board (I know different industry but same base material) lamination and custom cutting company in Tiffin, Oh. We received almost all our board from rail, and they would come from one of two sources depending on who was a cheaper contract that week. Either it was Boisy board from out west(the good stuff) or it was Canadian board(crap) from god knows where. Boisy board was better stuff and therefore more expensive but when you milled it on my CNC Routers it cut like butter and your cutters would last all week. Canadian board was full of crap like sand and hardwoods that would eat the cutters up in a day or less.

Often they would spot buy the board after it was shipped. The particle board plants would send railcars in blocks this way with no customer or destination set during the trip they would be sold and the destination set. The closer to the delivery date the cheaper the cost got as then the cars would sit in a yard somewhere and the demarruge clock would start. Our boss old "Fast Freddie Zoeller" would sometimes wind up buying a warehouse full of this board for next to nothing.

[ThatRailfanningKid]

My GF saw a train at the W Michigan crossing (behind Sexton's football field) last week in the early evening. I haven't seen any storage cars, so I'm guessing they still do some interchange with CN?

I think RustBeltRailroad has a video on YouTube of JAIL switching cars out of CN yard by the factory and heading north to Saginaw yard. You guys should check it out.

[SD80MAC]

JAIL does still interchange with CN but it seems to be very sporadic. The last time I went by their line down to the CN the rails were quite rusty.

[ThatRailfanningKid]

JAIL does still interchange with CN but it seems to be very sporadic. The last time I went by their line down to the CN the rails were quite rusty.

Oh yeah, they're so rusty. It's ridiculous. Also, it might be just me, but the rails looked shorter in height than those which are CN operated.

[SD80MAC]

JAIL does still interchange with CN but it seems to be very sporadic. The last time I went by their line down to the CN the rails were quite rusty.

Oh yeah, they're so rusty. It's ridiculous. Also, it might be just me, but the rails looked shorter in height than those which are CN operated.

Well, yeah, it's lighter rail than what you'd find on the mainlines.

[ThatRailfanningKid]

Well, yeah, it's lighter rail than what you'd find on the mainlines.

Yeah, makes sense. I mean, you don't need much there for a train to use once a month or so. Did trains used to pass through the west side and through Saginaw yard more often before Adrian and Blissfield? Like, was it ever really an active location?

[DonHarding]

I believe that the Regional Steel Distribution Center (RSDC) has the same work schedule as the auto plants they supply, so I wouldn't expect to see a lot of steel coil cars until after New Years day. Also, from what I've seen over the years MPC will be down for several days too. As far as JAIL goes, I would guess that they will operate Sunday night, Monday, Monday night and maybe Tuesday. They may pick up again Thursday night into Friday or they might have the rest of the week off. I think your best bet is to wait until after the first of the year. You'll likely see longer trains and they'll be back on a regular schedule.

Okay, thanks. I will hopefully be getting a scanner soon, so that will help too, after a bit of research obviously.

A scanner would be useless if you were trying to find JAIL. Adrian & Blissfield is ALL DIGITAL now, I believe. I think they use AAR Channel 365. Simple to remember, just think all the days of the year!

Icom sells great digital radios. They're the same ones that Amtrak uses, I believe: http://www.icomamerica.com/en/