Grand Elk RR

[Fred]

I've just read where this new railroad "GER" will be looking to hire 58 people for the Kalamazoo & Grand Rapids locations including 15 conductors and 12 engineers as well as 2 clerks, and 19 others for mechanical & track related positions. There will also be 7 managerial positions. Anybody interested can contact :
Chris Spear
315 W 3rd
Pittsburg,KS 66762
cspear@watcocompanies.com
No mention of wages or benefits. I feel for the current NS employees who will be affected by this transaction.

[MaintainerGary]

Marquette Rail filed with the STB to stay the proposed transaction and to wholly or partially revoke GER's exemption.

Another scam averted.... Thanks Marquette Rail - you saved my job!!

[~Z~]

Marquette Rail filed with the STB to stay the proposed transaction and to wholly or partially revoke GER's exemption.

Another scam averted.... Thanks Marquette Rail - you saved my job!!

Link to the STB document: http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/ ... 224064.PDF

Link for STB document with Grand Elk railroad openings: http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/ ... 224049.PDF

[mikerm19]

Do you need any experience to be a signal maintainer?

If nobody will hire me as a conductor I would love to work on signals and stuff... I first went to college for electrical work.

[Raildudes dad]

Do you need any experience to be a signal maintainer?

If nobody will hire me as a conductor I would love to work on signals and stuff... I first went to college for electrical work.

DR can tell you all about it. He went from Meijers to National Signal in MI. Another acquaintance of ours went from Dura Mfg. in Mancelona to National Signal in MO. In fact they are hiring right now MI and Cinnci OH http://www.nationalsignal.com/

[MaintainerGary]

Do you need any experience to be a signal maintainer?

If nobody will hire me as a conductor I would love to work on signals and stuff... I first went to college for electrical work.

Don't feel bad about the condutor thing as I applied for that position also and never was called. In my opinion it worked out for the best.

http://www.nscorp.com/nscportal/nscorp/ ... Positions/

All you can do is apply and find out. Most people fail the two apptitude tests they give in the first part of the interview process. Signals employees make nearly $25 an hour with benefits and plenty of overtime if you want it.

The main thing you need to know is that when you become a Signalman is you are on call 24/7. In any weather and at any time you could be called to work. Be prepared to buy high quality cold weather work gear. Also NS is pushing safe driving as, for example, you could get 30 days on the street with no pay, or termination, for a simple wreck. Having a CDLA will help also but they will help you get it if you don't.

[AARR]

Marquette Rail filed with the STB to stay the proposed transaction and to wholly or partially revoke GER's exemption.

Another scam averted.... Thanks Marquette Rail - you saved my job!!

Can someone explain what trhis is about? Thanks.

[mikerm19]

Just got this update in an email. They seem really sure of themselves...

The Grand Elk Railroad filed an application Nov. 3, 2008, with the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to operate 122.9 miles of railroad that runs from Grand Rapids, Mich. to Elkhart, Ind. The filing process is expected to take 60 days with approval anticipated by January 26, 2009 and the start-up date for operations is March 1, 2009. The Grand Elk is taking the lines over from Norfolk Southern.

The Grand Elk Railroad will be operated by Watco Companies, Inc. (Watco) and serve more than 55 Customers in Michigan and Indiana. Watco is a Pittsburg, Kan. based transportation company established in 1983. Watco’s focus on Customer Satisfaction has grown the company into an all-encompassing industry serving rail, mechanical, switching, storage, trucking, warehousing and intermodal needs of Customers throughout 24 states.

The Grand Elk will help the area’s economy by providing freight service to Customers at various locations. As part of this trans- action the Grand Elk will be investing significant resources in improving the railroad. Currently, speeds on portions of the railroad have dropped to 10 mph and the Grand Elk Railroad will be inserting ties and working on the line to bring the speed up to 25 mph from Elkhart to Grand Rapids.

Annual carloads are projected at 22,000, the equivalent of 60,000-80,000 trucks, and will provide shippers with a cost effective method to transport product. Commodities that will be shipped on the Grand Elk include automotive parts, plastics, metals, lumber and wood products and aggregates.

The primary mission of the Grand Elk will be to safely provide service to its 55 existing Customers, and to add value to the communities that are served by growing the business on the railroad.

Three different yards will be located on the Grand Elk line; the Botsford in Kalamazoo, Mich., the Fischer in Wyoming, Mich., and the Hughart in Grand Rapids, Mich., which will house the locomotive shop. The Botsford Yard consists of 19 tracks, the Hughart Yard has 20 and the Fischer Yard has 8 tracks.

The Grand Elk office will be located in Kalamazoo at the Botsford Yard on Mill Street. Grand Elk Railroad will interchange with three Class I railroads including: Norfolk Southern at Kalamazoo, Mich., and Elkhart, Ind., Canadian National at Kalamazoo, Mich., and the CSX interchanges in Grand Rapids, Ind. Three short lines, Marquette Railroad, Mid-Michigan Railroad and the Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad will interchange at Grand Rapids, Mich. The Michigan Southern Railroad will interchange at White Pigeon, Mich.

Fifty-four people will be employed by the Grand Elk in the following areas: seven management positions, 27 transportation, three mechanical, eight engineering (track), three car repair, four signal and two clerical. All positions will be full-time with benefits included.

More information about Watco can be found at http://www.watcocompanies.com.

[cnw8835]

Three short lines, Marquette Rail- road, Mid-Michigan Railroad and the Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad will interchange at Grand Rapids, Mich.

Three when you take into consideration a rather significant technicality.

[AARR]

mikerm19 wrote:
Three short lines, Marquette Rail- road, Mid-Michigan Railroad and the Grand Rapids Eastern Railroad will interchange at Grand Rapids, Mich.

Three when you take into consideration a rather significant technicality.

I was wondering about that too. MQT doesn't directly interchange with NS but rather interchanges with CSX who handles and charges for their service. Not sure about GRE.

[Scooterb]

Any word on 38J?
Will it be dropped and just a local run from Wayne to Kalamazoo? Or will the Grand Elk bring the train to Kazoo and interchange the cars for the NS east of Kzoo?
I Will imagine B57 will stay based out of Jackson.
B28 will stay as is.
B16 will still run to Albion unless its combined with B57.
Any thoughts on this or info?

[MaintainerGary]

Just got this update in an email. They seem really sure of themselves...

They haven't made a page for the Grand Elk on their website yet..

Marquette Rail has pretty much killed this deal - unless NS makes it worth there while to withdraw their stay. I also heard that the Michigan Economic Board is submitting a letter against the deal.

[GreatLakesRailfan]

Marquette Rail has pretty much killed this deal - unless NS makes it worth there while to withdraw their stay. I also heard that the Michigan Economic Board is submitting a letter against the deal.

What did MQT do? Is there a copy of whatever they filed available online? It seems kind of strange that they'd be able to kill the deal when they don't even independently interchange with the NS...

[~Z~]

What did MQT do? Is there a copy of whatever they filed available online? It seems kind of strange that they'd be able to kill the deal when they don't even independently interchange with the NS...

The links I had at the top were for this document, but now STB killed my links...bad website they have to change URL's like that.

[GP30M4216]

I also am confused about what and how MQT would be able to stop the Grand Elk deal...

As for the future of NS movements, it is interesting to ponder. Perhaps 38J and 39J will be run from Elkhart to Kalamazoo via Grand Elk, perhaps even with run through power, then to Jackson, generally unchanged from the current operations except for the entra crew. Maybe they'll run the train up from Toledo or put Michigan Line cars on a train to Livernois and run the train west from there, to Jackson or all the way to Kalamazoo as a turn road job. If only to Jackson, no doubt a local turn would run from there to Kalamazoo and back to get cars to B-1-G to go west on Amtrak and also to interchange with Grand Elk for around the Kzoo and SW Michigan area. I can't imagine Michigan Line operations for locals will change. We'll get the addition of the Grand Elk trains going from BO to West Botsford. And perhaps no more road trains by BO tower itself. I bet somebody wished the wye was still in in the NW quadrant between the MC and old PRR west of BO. That would eliminate Grand Elk having to go all the way to Gibson then changing direction.

At least for the time being, according to that report, Grand Elk will interchange with the CN in Kalamazoo, so CN must be staying for a little while. It would be cool if CN started coming all the way up to Botsford Yard again to do the interchange.

[RailCanon]

Since everyone evidently missed this...

Marquette Rail filed with the STB to stay the proposed transaction and to wholly or partially revoke GER's exemption.

Another scam averted.... Thanks Marquette Rail - you saved my job!!

I read the filing before the links changed, from what I understood of it, NS and watco had to wait until sometime next year before trying to do this again due to some STB rule, and they did not wait long enough, which, I believe, would make the deal void.
I'm not sure how correct I am on that, but after reading it several times, that's how I interpreted it.

[AARR]

I read the filing before the links changed, from what I understood of it, NS and watco had to wait until sometime next year before trying to do this again due to some STB rule, and they did not wait long enough, which, I believe, would make the deal void.

When is GER supposed to begin?

[mikerm19]

From the STB listing:

Grand Elk Railroad, L.L.C. (GER), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of
exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire, by lease, and to operate approximately
122.9 miles of Norfolk Southern Railway Company (NS) rail lines in Michigan and
Indiana.

The lines to be leased and operated are located between: (1) milepost KH 1.4 at Elkhart, IN, and milepost KH 27.4 at Three Rivers, MI; (2) milepost FB 27.3 at Three Rivers, MI, and milepost FB 102.3 at Grand Rapids, MI; (3) milepost KZ 94.25 and milepost KZ 95.0 (Kalamazoo Industrial Track); (4) milepost OW 66.6 and milepost OW 70.24 (Plainwell Industrial Track); (5) milepost XH 88.10 and milepost XH 92.40 (Hastings Running Track); (6) milepost CQ 42.8 and milepost CQ 43.9 (CK&S Industrial Track); (7) milepost KY 0.0 and milepost 3.2 ( B O Secondary); (8) milepost UP 0.0 and milepost UP 6.7 (Upjohn Secondary); (9) milepost QY 421.2 and milepost QY 421.3 (Quincy Secondary); (10) milepost VW 106.0 and milepost VW 106.9 (Comstock Industrial Track); (11) milepost AZ 69.6 and milepost AZ 70.4 (Airline Extension); and (12) milepost IJ 44.3 and milepost IJ 44.7 (CK&S Industrial Track), along with the yard tracks in Botsford Yard located between milepost MH 141.8 and milepost MH 142.7. NS will also grant GER incidental trackage rights over approximately 0.43 miles of NS rail line located between milepost 143.03 and milepost 142.6 at Botsford Yard.

[GreatLakesRailfan]

Since everyone evidently missed this...

Marquette Rail filed with the STB to stay the proposed transaction and to wholly or partially revoke GER's exemption.

Another scam averted.... Thanks Marquette Rail - you saved my job!!

I read the filing before the links changed, from what I understood of it, NS and watco had to wait until sometime next year before trying to do this again due to some STB rule, and they did not wait long enough, which, I believe, would make the deal void.
I'm not sure how correct I am on that, but after reading it several times, that's how I interpreted it.

I saw it, but from what I saw (the links might've changed, but it was only two sets of letters between the "/" marks that mattered- delete the right letters from the links and you'll get to the webpage that has the link to the pdf file), I couldn't understand how MQT was involved in what I was reading. Thanks for clearing it up Gregg.

[mikerm19]

Did some lookin, here are some more pieces to the puzzle:

MB. AnnefL Quinlan
Acting Secretary
Surface Transportation Board
395 E Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20423-0001
Re: Finance Docket No. 35187
Grand Elk Railroad, LX.C. - Lease and Operation
Tf.Tflmption — Norfolk Southern Railway Company
Dear Secretary Quintan:
On November 3, 2008, Grand Elk Railroad, LX.C. ("GBR") filed a notice of
exemption pursuant to 49 CF.R, § 1150.31. et seq. to lease and operate approximately 123 miles
of rail line in Michigan and Indiana owned by Norfolk Southern Railway Company ("NS").
OER is a subsidiary of Watco Companies, Inc. ("Watco"). The proposed transaction duplicates
in part an NS/Watco transaction previously rejected by the Board, Michigan Central Railway.
LLC — Acquisition pnd Operation Exemption -- Lines of Norfolk Southern Railway Company.
Finance Docket No. 35063 (STB served December 10, 2007), and raises many of the same
competitive and service problems as the prior iteration of the proposal.
GER's notice of exemption did not include the labor notice certification required
by 49 C.F.R. § 1150.32(e). That certification was filed yesterday, November 25th
. GER's
exemption cannot become effective until 60 days after the filing of the Section 1150.32(e)
certification, or January 24,2009. As noted in the Board's notice served November 17,2008 in
this proceeding, petitions for stay of the proposed transaction are due seven days before the
exemption becomes effective, which is January 16,2009 (January 17th
being a Saturday).
Marquette Rail, LLC ("MQT") intends to file petitions to stay the proposed
transaction and to wholly or partially revoke GER's exemption herein. MQT will file those
petitions well in advance of January 16th
.


And then....

I can't copy and paste the text..
http://www.stb.dot.gov/filings/all.nsf/ ... 224094.pdf

Bascially GER fixes what they forgot. They list some job positions, etc.