What's goin on in Durand?

[pica]

I don't get it. Years ago I'd go to Durand on a Saturday night there'd be 10 - 15 people at the depot until 1-2 in the morning. I just came back from doing 24 hours at Durand and after Amtrak left the depot at 10:30pm there was NOBODY there. I was by myself from 10:30pm to 2:00am. I just don't understand the lack of railfans at Durand. I know rail traffic is down but if you have patience you will be rewarded. I saw 4 trains in a little over an hour after Amtrak, so people can't use the excuse there aren't any trains at Durand.

I use to see the same people up there every Saturday I went up there, now I'm not even seeing them. I was talking to a guy last night who said some of the old-timers who use to go there passed away, but that doesn't account for everyone. Have people just lost interest in Durand, do people just have other stuff to do, I really don't get it. Even though traffic in Durand is down, it's still my favorite place in the state to go train watching.

[Mick]

While I've never done the overnight thing, I get to Durand (from Saginaw) fairly frequently on Saturdays as well as stopping by the depot any time I'm in the area.
As to current traffic levels, there have always been lulls in traffic as well as fairly busy times in the 25+ years I have been frequenting Durand. As much as we fans lould like to see a constant parade of trains that strictly adhere to advertised schedules, the hit-or-miss nature of Durand is part of it's attraction, for me. It's kind of like fishing. If you know you're going to be constantly hauling them in, fishing becomes no more challenging or interesting than going to the fish market and loading your basket.
As long as the railroad is there, Durand will always be popular with fans. There have been some very young, enthusiastic and knowlegeable fans there the last couple of Saturdays I stopped by. I think that's one of the most positive indicators of the place's future one could ask for.
And I gotta agree, Pica---it's one of my favorite places for train-watching, too!


Mick

[SD80MAC]

I don't get it. Years ago I'd go to Durand on a Saturday night there'd be 10 - 15 people at the depot until 1-2 in the morning. I just came back from doing 24 hours at Durand and after Amtrak left the depot at 10:30pm there was NOBODY there. I was by myself from 10:30pm to 2:00am. I just don't understand the lack of railfans at Durand. I know rail traffic is down but if you have patience you will be rewarded. I saw 4 trains in a little over an hour after Amtrak, so people can't use the excuse there aren't any trains at Durand.

I use to see the same people up there every Saturday I went up there, now I'm not even seeing them. I was talking to a guy last night who said some of the old-timers who use to go there passed away, but that doesn't account for everyone. Have people just lost interest in Durand, do people just have other stuff to do, I really don't get it. Even though traffic in Durand is down, it's still my favorite place in the state to go train watching.

A lot of the guys I used to hang with in Durand have moved away recently, or have been home for the summer, like myself.

[bnsfben]

I agree with ConrailJon. There have been atleast two "weekly's" that have moved away. I still love Durand, like stated above, yes, the traffic is down... but part of the fun is talking with other railfans... which during the day there are usually some. And when a train does come, it is more exiting because it is not a repeated event. I will probably be going to Durand, no matter the traffic, until I move away or the railroad does.

[Justin]

I usually make it down to Durand on a Saturday night quite frequently, and yes the traffic around that time seems to pick up rather nice, depending. It seems that all of them come in at the same time as Amtrak. I just didn't make it down there this weekend because I went to Lapeer instead, I am trying different locations along this line, find it to be one of the more interesting rail lines in Michigan and it is a Class 1 close to home. Lapeer was nice as well, even though I waited for over three hours for anything to come and by the time they did it was dark, but that is why I am more of a video person rather than picture. And as you say patiance is key, I agree with that as well. If there is one thing I have noticed with trains and this goes for even busier railines, is that trains seem to come in groups then there will be none for awhile, and I think a lot of this happens more frequently on single track railroads which is what the CN is for the most part, so you will get a pile up of trains as they try and pass each other or overtake, then once they all clear it is dead time, or reload time. Like in Lapeer last night, dead for 3 1/2 hours, then an eastbound local, followed by Amtrak, then about 45 min. of nothing that looks promising, then all of the sudden a high yellow for a westbound at the siding because this westbound is gonna meet an eastbound that already has taken the siding, in which case the two meet and pass through Lapeer within about 20 min. So you get those big rushes or groups of trains to compensate for the longer dead time. I have sat and counted the number of trains I have caught in Durand opposed to the amount of time I stay there and it averages out to about 1 train per hour. Next time you go to Durand for a Saturday night send me a heads up.

[pica]

Yea I know all about those dead times. From 2:30pm to 8:30pm Durand was dead, then all hell broke loose.

[Justin]

Yea I know all about those dead times. From 2:30pm to 8:30pm Durand was dead, then all hell broke loose.

Thats about how it works too, there was one Saturday night I was there, it was about 10PM and 391 was approaching town, at the same time a westbound was approaching from the east, the depot was lit up because Amtrak was due in, and there was a train in the yard waiting on everyone else to clear so he could shove out around the PH Wye. Those are the times when you sit a play the game guessing who's turn is it gonna be.

[TrainWatcher]

I need to make a trip up there. Maybe when NKP 765 comes to town in a few weeks.

[jukeman45]

Love to be there when I can.

[AARR]

If there were just a few more trains Durand would be my favorite place to sit, visit, and watch trains. When CN was running 30 trains per day between Durand and Chicago was the best of times there IMO.

[conrailmike]

I would rather drive to Ohio than sit in Durand for who knows how long to see what may amount to a few trains over a long period of time.

[pica]

Well in my 24 hours at Durand I counted 17 trains and 2 Amtraks. I may have missed a couple when I dozed off.

[pica]

I would rather drive to Ohio than sit in Durand for who knows how long to see what may amount to a few trains over a long period of time.

I agree, I'd rather go to Ohio too but sometimes you don't have the time or want to drive that far, Durand is the next best thing.

Hey, how come I never see anyone talking about going to Flint. Is there no public access there.

[Jochs]

I don't get it. Years ago I'd go to Durand on a Saturday night there'd be 10 - 15 people at the depot until 1-2 in the morning. I just came back from doing 24 hours at Durand and after Amtrak left the depot at 10:30pm there was NOBODY there. I was by myself from 10:30pm to 2:00am. I just don't understand the lack of railfans at Durand. I know rail traffic is down but if you have patience you will be rewarded. I saw 4 trains in a little over an hour after Amtrak, so people can't use the excuse there aren't any trains at Durand.

I use to see the same people up there every Saturday I went up there, now I'm not even seeing them. I was talking to a guy last night who said some of the old-timers who use to go there passed away, but that doesn't account for everyone. Have people just lost interest in Durand, do people just have other stuff to do, I really don't get it. Even though traffic in Durand is down, it's still my favorite place in the state to go train watching.

I used to railfan GTW around Cassopolis, MI or at Arnold St. in South Bend, IN quite frequently 20 years ago. GTW always seemed to be busy, unlike the CN is currently. Of course many of the trains I would see in Cassopolis or South Bend would go through Durand. Another place that I railfanned was Schoolcraft, at the diamond with CR.

In the early 1990's, the auto industry was booming, and GTW's freight consisted largely of auto parts in boxcars, or autoracks of the finished product. There were by far more trains through Durand than there are now.
With the downturn in the auto industry, obviously comes a downturn in trains. If people want to see lots of trains and not sit for 6 hours with no trains, then they probably don't want to go to Durand.
Right now the big commodity seems to be overseas shipping, so places along, say the CSX Garrett Sub or NS Chicago Line, are very busy because of the container trains.

[conrailmike]

Hey, how come I never see anyone talking about going to Flint. Is there no public access there.

Nope. You cant get near the tracks at the amtrak station and the yards (CN & CSX) are all in areas where it's hard to sit anywhere. The whole area around CSX's McGrew yard has "no trespassing" posted everywhere. Besides, McGrew Yard isn't in the best part of town anyway.

[SD80MAC]

There are a couple of "ok" spots in Flint where there are decent shots and the areas are fine during the day, but most of the tracks in town are either unaccessable or pretty un-scenic.

[redside20]

There are a couple of "ok" spots in Flint where there are decent shots and the areas are fine during the day, but most of the tracks in town are either unaccessable or pretty un-scenic.

I don't know of any spots in Swartz Creek, but there are plenty of grade crossings. I did see a couple of possible places but you local guys probably know about them. I don't think Torrey Road would be a good spot because it is most likely off limits. i was curious about the corner of 12th and Van Slyke Road by the GM plant and what about the area near Southwestern High School? there is a footbridge over the tracks leading to a park on the other side of the tracks. The area over by Dort Hwy and Court Street and Center Road seems like ok spots and what about Kearsley and Davison areas? Irish Road?

[SD80MAC]

There are a couple of "ok" spots in Flint where there are decent shots and the areas are fine during the day, but most of the tracks in town are either unaccessable or pretty un-scenic.

I don't know of any spots in Swartz Creek, but there are plenty of grade crossings. I did see a couple of possible places but you local guys probably know about them. I don't think Torrey Road would be a good spot because it is most likely off limits. i was curious about the corner of 12th and Van Slyke Road by the GM plant and what about the area near Southwestern High School? there is a footbridge over the tracks leading to a park on the other side of the tracks. The area over by Dort Hwy and Court Street and Center Road seems like ok spots and what about Kearsley and Davison areas? Irish Road?

The footbridge by the school is probably the best spot in town, I'll see if I can dig up a few shots from Flint and post them here.

[conrailmike]

The area over by Dort Hwy and Court Street and Center Road seems like ok spots

Not the best area of town. You might still be able to get into the parking lot where Delphi used to be if you know CSX is on it's way.

[firemedic54]

The Davison area is pretty safe, or at least it should be.