Yards along I-96

[pbmaxno15]

A few weeks ago the wife and I were visiting some friends in Redford. We were headed into Downtown Detroit along I-96 and I noticed a couple of rail yards. They are located between Evergreen and the Southfield Freeway. I have very little knowledge of Detroit railroading and my friend had no clue. The yard on the north side had a few containers in it. There wasn't much at all in the yard on the south side. What facilities are these and what railroads do they serve? Thanks in advance for the info.

[sd70accsxt700]

That is CSX Oak yard. Part of the yard, on the north side is leased to CP for intermodal. They run one train in and one train out. Also CSX has a few tracks on that side for switching cars and to service industries on the West Detroit Branch. It heads due east towards downtown, and has a few industries on it, Coke, a steel plant, and a few others. The south side part of the yard is for when the CP comes in with the intermodal train and parks it there. From there CSX crews switch it out to the other side. CP also parks there locos on the south side of the yard. Other then that the south side is only used for ocassonal set offs, of CP cars on X500 that need customs inspections, and for line of road bad orders.

[pbmaxno15]

Thanks for the quick response. That is what I thought, but I was not sure.

[AARR]

From what I hear the West Detroit Branch local runs two days a week. Outbound scrap steel is the main commodity. There's also a fair number of inbound steel coils. Then regular inbound syrup (for Coke) and brick. And then an occasional sand car, transformer, and lumber.

For 14 years I would drive by this yard 3-5 times per week. I recall when it was switched daily and brick was the main commodity. Only in the last couple years did service drop to 3x and recently 2x per week.

[GP30M4216]

I remember once a meet at Fullerton Junction (east of Oak Yard) between that CSX West Detroit Branch local and the Conrail Union Belt switcher... seems the crew almost didn't know what to do! A meet at the stopsigns as busy busy Fullerton Jct!

In years past, there was usually as Chessie caboose stationed at Oak Yard. It was usually a Bay Window type, and the number was always hard to read from zooming by on the freeway. The only number I ever remember seeing on a caboose there was the #904139.

[GP30M4216]

Search up "12500 westwood detroit mi" on http://maps.google.com. It'll give you a great look at the layout and how the freeway slices through the various train tracks. My question... where did the rail line go that goes almost directly north/south over the freeway on the separate bridge right beside the east leg of the wye? Industry spur or something?

[GTW6401]

The last I knew CSX was operating on the West Detroit Branch on Tuesdays and Fridays. I have caught it a few times in the past few years, but not too often recently. Here is a photo on the far end of the line near the Coca-Cola plant on West Warren Avenue near Livernois. The line is one that I’d suggest might be better to avoid if you don’t really know the area.

[ConrailDetr​oit]

I caught the West Detroit Branch Local on a tuesday here.

http://railroadfan.com/gallery/thumbnai ... album=1077

[hoborich]

I worked at Oak yard in 1968, before the freeway was built through the middle of it.

[amtrakjackson]

My dad drove my brother and I to Oak Yard (1981?) to ride the Chessie "Safety Express" from Oak Yard to Grand Rapids. I remember my dad commenting on how bad it was around there at the time.

We only passed one train (942) the entire trip- not unlike the current environment.

[Cinderpath]

My dad drove my brother and I to Oak Yard (1981?) to ride the Chessie "Safety Express" from Oak Yard to Grand Rapids. I remember my dad commenting on how bad it was around there at the time.

We only passed one train (942) the entire trip- not unlike the current environment.

-The area has aged like fine wine! (A screw-top bottle of night train express) Seriously, parts of that area are pretty rough, and we're talking about Detroit here.