Charlotte and Southern Visitors update thread

[Larry G]

CN dropped off a cut of 20 chencial tank cars today for storage. They are in groups of 5 waiting to be moved down to the end of the line. These should bring the stored cars up to Meijers so they can be seen behind the store when moved.

I stand corrected on the report from Jan 10. CN probably did not drop these off on Tuesday. While passing by the stored cars at the end of the line I see these cars were probably withdrawn from the group to be sent off the line. All twenty are gone from the line as of 12:00 on Wed. Jan 12, 2011. Sorry for the false reporting.

[Larry G]

At 18:00 this evening the Dinner Train was in its loading area warming up ,waiting to go out, for a scheduled run at 19:00.

Website shows another run at the same time next Saturday night, Jan. 22.

http://murdermysterytrain.com/calendar_ ... 6d06a98f65 schedule

[AARR]

How much open track do they have to operate on now, Larry?

[Larry G]

How much open track do they have to operate on now, Larry?

I would estimate they could run the Dinner Train east to within 35 car lengths to the M-50 Crossing now. That is about what is stored west of the crossing. About the same amount is stored on the east side of the crossing. When I passed this location the other day one crossbuck on the EB side of the hwy on M-50 was gone. Wonder if a snowplow had knocked it down? Hopefully no vandalism.

[Larry G]

Apparently sometime overnight Wed-Th 20 tank cars were brought down to the city end of the line and are waiting to go off line. They are broken up into 4 cuts of 5 cars and are awaiting CN to fetch them away.

[Larry G]

The dinner train made a run this evening on snow covered rails and plowing drifts east of Lansing Street. The cut of tank cars that had occupied the area by the old NYC depot were picked up Friday by CN.

[AARR]

When JAIL started I thought the dinner train would move from CHS but with JAIL operating two shifts per day I am not so sure now

[GrandTrunkFan]

When JAIL started I thought the dinner train would move from CHS but with JAIL operating two shifts per day I am not so sure now

Your not the only one.

[SD80MAC]

Would that be contractually possible? I'm not sure what the terms are between JAIL and NS, but I'm assuming it's some sort of lease. The reason I ask is because I was told a while back by some MQT guys that even though they operate the line and own all the track and what not, CSX still owns the land and ROW. In CSX and MQT's agreement, CSX states MQT cannot operate any passenger trains (is what I was told, not sure if it still is that way). NS and JAIL's agreement might be similar.

[Hogger1225]

After their little mishap on the CSXT back in Dec, I'm not sure I would want to ride a dinner train behind A & B crews on a dinner train.

[AARR]

After their little mishap on the CSXT back in Dec, I'm not sure I would want to ride a dinner train behind A & B crews on a dinner train.

I doubt their dinner train would venture onto CSX tracks. It could run south from Lansing.

[CamasChris]

After their little mishap on the CSXT back in Dec, I'm not sure I would want to ride a dinner train behind A & B crews on a dinner train.

Not to step on toes but, when I operated the dinner train in Blissfield I am quite positive everyone was in good hands. The A&B has gone through a lot of changes in the past 3 years since I worked there.

[GTWFRED]

I doubt their dinner train would venture onto CSX tracks. It could run south from Lansing.

If it started at Saginaw yard they WOULD have to use CSX track, from Ensel yard (CSX) til the split just north of Kalamazoo st.

[AARR]

I doubt their dinner train would venture onto CSX tracks. It could run south from Lansing.

If it started at Saginaw yard they WOULD have to use CSX track, from Ensel yard (CSX) til the split just north of Kalamazoo st.

They have another small yard south of all the junctions. Cavanaugh Yard? They could operate from Holt or even Mason if they wanted. They do not have to operate a dinner train on a foreign railroads tracks. For that matter, even without the incident, I doubt CSX or NS would allow a dinner train on their tracks.

[GTWFRED]

I know about South yard (Cavanaugh), no facilities there (or in Holt), just thought they'd use the office at Saginaw as a home base to start the dinner train.

[AARR]

I know about South yard (Cavanaugh), no facilities there (or in Holt), just thought they'd use the office at Saginaw as a home base to start the dinner train.

If they operate from Saginaw Yard they will not travel far because even without the incident I do not see CSX letting them on their track. But then again they only travel a mile or two over at CHS so maybe the Saginaw Yard Terminal track is enough for them.

But as long as they are operating two shifts for freight they probably will not want to add a dinner train on JAIL.

[Hogger1225]

After their little mishap on the CSXT back in Dec, I'm not sure I would want to ride a dinner train behind A & B crews on a dinner train.

Not to step on toes but, when I operated the dinner train in Blissfield I am quite positive everyone was in good hands. The A&B has gone through a lot of changes in the past 3 years since I worked there.

And how many Class 1's did you have to deal with? I've rode the dinner train from Blissfield twice and I don't remember going onto a Class 1 or any other railroad. A & B (JAIL) personnel obviously didn't receive proper training in this case. Did they even get a partial Book of Rules test before being allowed out on the CSXT? We all had to take tests to run on the C & O back in the PC days, then Conrail and then NS. As far as stepping on toes, I doubt you have the time in working to even get me to take my shoes off, let alone step on my toes...

[CamasChris]

And how many Class 1's did you have to deal with?

I went to Engineers school in Cumberland!!! The dinner train in Blissfield does not go over any class 1s but that dont mean we didnt know what we were doing. Our tracks are just as wide as yours. I do not know who the crew was, and dont agree with how they were "qualified" over the track but that dont mean they do not know what they are doing. They just didnt know where they were and should not have been put in that situation. And by the way 15 years behind the control stand.

[Larry G]

At 15:00 hours the dinner train is ready to go out on an Unscheduled run in conjunction with a tour bus charter that arrived shortly before that.

[AARR]

At 15:00 hours the dinner train is ready to go out on an Unscheduled run in conjunction with a tour bus charter that arrived shortly before that.

Are they able to travel the full 2-3 miles or are there storage cars keeping the trip shorter?