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I noticed that every time I drive by the ford wayne plant that they are only loading auto racks on the east side of the plant, and not the west. I was wondering, when was the last time that they used the west loading area?

Years ago maybe 2003 or so...

Full scale production in the retooled Michigan Assembly plant of the new 2012 Focus is supposed to ramp up beginning next week. They're anticipating producing more of these than the present model which was built at next door Wayne Assembly, so possibly more trains/cars in and out. Wayne Stamping will stay open. Do they get any inbound parts or materials by rail into this Ford Complex? Not sure if the new production will mean they begin to use the west loading tracks or not.

GP30M4216 wrote:Full scale production in the retooled Michigan Assembly plant of the new 2012 Focus is supposed to ramp up beginning next week. They're anticipating producing more of these than the present model which was built at next door Wayne Assembly, so possibly more trains/cars in and out. Wayne Stamping will stay open. Do they get any inbound parts or materials by rail into this Ford Complex? Not sure if the new production will mean they begin to use the west loading tracks or not.

Yes. NS 60T steel train usually heads there to drop off cars for Stamping. Also, plant might get switched by B56, and also I think 38E/39E handle all the rest of the traffic. I won't be suprised to see 20V start back up when they go full production.

NS 60T brings coil cars to the ex-Gar Wood plant on the east side of the C&O. He stores the steel for the producers than trucks it out to who ever purchases the steel. Yes, some is trucked to Wayne Stamping.

ns8401 wrote:Years ago maybe 2003 or so...

more like 2008, but who is counting??

Oops brain fart, I was thinking of when they stopped running the rack trains west over the Michigan line and used the Detroit line instead. The west loading area went out when the plant was shuttered temporarily around that time.