One to make you go huh

[chapmaja]

ex Lansing BWL engine 796 was just seen in Grand Rapids heading towards Lansing on D707. Here is the routing that the locomotive apparently has taken since it was seen in CN 383 outside Toledo on April 7th.

Picked up from BWL (Lansing) around the 5th or 6th. To Flat Rock, To Stanley Yard, to Rougemere (at least once), back to Stanley, to Grand Rapids, to Lansing. It is destined to go to Peaker Services in Green Oak Township (Brighton / South Lyon). It is now the 15th, meaning the engine has taken 10 days to get about 2 miles from where it started so it can be put on a local to get it to its destination.

A much more logical routing, but one that likely doesn't have an agreement in place would be.

CN to JAIL to CSX to Peaker Services.

CN would need to take it a couple miles at most, where they would hand it off to JAIL who would hand it to CSX.

Sometimes I really think railroads hurt themselves based on who things get routed.

[KenB]

I hard it made three round trips between Stanley and Rougemere before being put on a Lansing train.

[SD80MAC]

Seems it could've gone CN to JAIL to CSX at Ensel. D708 could've then taken it east. But that routing is probably more expensive, go figure.

[~Z~]

Shortest routing on current train schedules would have likely been CN at Toledo to AA to GLC to AnnPere where D708 could have dropped it at Peaker after grabbing the AnnPere pickup. Or do CN and AA not interchange in Toledo? If not, give it to the carrier that does

[M.D.Bentley]

Maybe they are using their frequent rail miles card, Whats in your grip? (wallet)

[RRTTF]

What you are seeing is the result of what are called "routing protocols." All traffic to go between CN and CSXT must, by agreement between the two, be interchanged at Toledo. (Hence, the interchange between CN/CSXT at Trowbridge has not been used in years. Similarly, CN and NS do not interchange any traffic at Battle Creek.) Likewise, NS and CN also interchange at Toledo.

As ridiculous as it may seem, although CN, CSXT, and NS all criss-cross each other in Detroit, the "routing protocols" call for the interchanges to take place at Toledo. Each company has a Ph.D. sitting in Montreal, Jacksonville, and Atlanta, respectively, that dreams up these routing protocols. Once the routing protocols are in place, they are virtually cast-in-concrete.

NS has an interesting requirement that ALL traffic must be "classified" at a classification yard. The nearest classification yard is at Elkhart, Indiana. Thus, if traffic originates on NS at Detroit, and is destined for, say, Jackson (a distance of 75 miles), the traffic must first go to Toledo (55 miles), then to Elkhart (140 miles), then back to Toledo (140 miles), then back to Detroit (55 miles), then to Jackson (75 miles); 465 miles to go 75 miles! And, remember, the empty car has to be returned following the same route as the inbound load! Now, that is what you call CLASS 1 EFFICIENCY IN ITS FINEST HOUR! It is no wonder that NS has severe choak-and-puke traffic congestion between Toledo and Chicago!

[csxt4617]

That's how Tomorrow Moves

[Clay320]

That's how Tomorrow Moves

Because it sure ain't getting there today!

[Saturnalia]

That's how Tomorrow Moves

Because it sure ain't getting there today!

you guys just made my day.

[AARR]

Now, that is what you call CLASS 1 EFFICIENCY IN ITS FINEST HOUR!

The key to large organizations success is they are very effecient at being inefficent. Or, they lose a little on every transaction but make up for it in huge volume

[CSX_CO]

Now, that is what you call CLASS 1 EFFICIENCY IN ITS FINEST HOUR!

The key to large organizations success is they are very effecient at being inefficent. Or, they lose a little on every transaction but make up for it in huge volume

That or requiring all interchange to go through set points is more efficient then interchanging at every point two railroads meet.

CSX and NS in Indiana interchanged at no less than 4 places along a line from Danville, IL to Muncie, IN. Interchanged at Lafayette, Indy, Frankfort, and Muncie. Now the interchange is just 2, Lafayette and Indy. CSX quit going to the NS interchange at Muncie, and NS shut the door on any interchange at Frankfort. Much easier to get cars where they need to be when you're not trying to interchange at 4 places, all of which are on the same east-west line (NS Frankfort District).

In the case of the Muncie interchange here is an example: Illinois Cereal in Indy would load cars of meal for Kellog's in Battle Creek. Y335 would pull the cars, cross the diamond at the east end of Transfer Yard, and take them to Hawthorne (Day 1). Hawthorne would have to switch them into an Avon cut to get back across town to Transfer Yard (day 2 if lucky). Avon would switch them into a cut for Transfer Yard (day 2 if lucky). Y336 would get the cars from Avon, and take them to Transfer Yard (day 3). Transfer Yard would switch them onto the cut for the J767, who would take them to Muncie (late Day 3). Muncie would switch them onto a train for Fort Wayne (Usually Day 4). Fort Wayne would then switch them for a train to Elkhart (Day 5), who would then switch it for a train bound for Kalamazoo (Day 6), which would then switch it for the local to Battle Creek (day 7). So...the most 'efficent' routing, the one the customer specified) for the car would take a week. Now, if they still do it, Y335 to Hawthorne, switched to NS cut to Marion, IN, Elkhart, and then somehow to Battle Creek.

Another example is customers routing their cars to a CN/IC interchange at Tuscola, IL when CSX runs a daily interchange to the CN at Effingham, IL. Same line, just about 100 miles to the south.

Anyway...Engine shows being received at Stanley from the CN on the 8th. Put on a Q392-09, back on Q399-11, then out on Q335-12, and then D707-15. What it looks like happened is that the computer was confused as to the destination of the engine. Looks like the computer thought the waybill meant it needed to be interchanged to the CN at Detroit to get to Lansing, so it went to Detroit? Sent back to Stanley, then put on Q335 to get to Lansing.

Another possibility is that Stanley switched the engine onto what they thought would be the Q335 consist, and the power plan changed at the last minute. Easier to send it out, make the 'on-time departure', and bring the engine back then to try and switch it around at the last minute. This happens at Avon a lot. Power planned to a train has problems, late service, or hasn't arrived on time, and other power is substituted.

Practice Safe CSX

[CSX_CO]

Sometimes I really think railroads hurt themselves based on who things get routed.

That and most customers aren't looking to have their car moved across town, needing at least 2, and in the 'ideal' scenario, 3 railroads to do it to move it across town...

Practice Safe CSX

[CAT345C]

Let me put this out there, when is the last time D708 went past Ann Pere? CTC Truss has been closed for prolly 2 years now, and the last engine in to Peaker was from after they filmed unstoppable. I don't think there are any crews qualified past Ann Pere. I believe the engine last time was set out by 335 and picked up by 335. It may have even been 327. I think Bob M. could shed some light on this.

[TSB]

Right after some hairless monkey said "The only good yard is an empty yard." a new practice started
for local transportation management.

Put as many cars as possible on the next outbound train. Let it be the next guy's problem.

[GP9R]

Right after some hairless monkey said "The only good yard is an empty yard." a new practice started
for local transportation management.

Put as many cars as possible on the next outbound train. Let it be the next guy's problem.

I don't think the Battle Creek people understand that. Thankfully

[BL2-1843]

Let me put this out there, when is the last time D708 went past Ann Pere? CTC Truss has been closed for prolly 2 years now, and the last engine in to Peaker was from after they filmed unstoppable. I don't think there are any crews qualified past Ann Pere. I believe the engine last time was set out by 335 and picked up by 335. It may have even been 327. I think Bob M. could shed some light on this.

The last time D708 had any "business" east of Ann Pere is when they sat off Wheeling & Lake Erie SD40-2 6354 on August 10, 2010. Indeed the unit from the movie that went to Peaker for paint. Q32718 picked it up at Peaker after painting on Dec 18, 2010, while Q33421 took it back east to Ohio on Dec 21, 2010.

D708 has been east of Ann Pere a few times since then, but only because the siding at Howell was blocked with cars and they had to go to Brighton to run around their train. In times past, when D708 (or D709) had a unit for Peaker, it sometimes sat at Ensel for a week or longer, or they even had it there train for a few trips before they had enough time to make it to Peaker to deliver it. We'll see how long it takes this time to get this one there.