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Hi, I am wondering how often CSX drops off coal trains at the Michigan State Power Plant. I am also wondering if there is any way to get any good shot of their SW14? Any answers would be welcome, Thanx, Matt

Pretty difficult to get a shot of their SW14 without being where you shouldn't be, if you catch my drift, unless they're unloading a train. They seem to get a train or two each month, though I haven't seen/heard of any recently. They must have built up a good stock pile for the winter.

I seem to recall reading they burn around 250,000 tons annually. So that would be around 2,500 carloads annually. However, that was a while ago and things may have changed.

Matt Short Line H wrote: I am also wondering if there is any way to get any good shot of their SW14? Any answers would be welcome, Thanx, Matt

There is a road called Recycling Drive that crosses the west end of the plant spur. It's a public road so that could be your best option without trespassing. I drive down it whenever I'm on campus to take a look if the power is visible, but so far I haven't had much luck. That end of the spur across Recycling was built in recent years, but I've yet to see them using it.

They are probley buring gas since it is cheap so not much coal. They don't usually get coal in the winter, freezes in the cars.
Is their GE 45-ton gone yet?

Anyone willing to provide an aerial shot of where the siding that displayed 1225 used to sit? I have always been curious about that. All I know is it used to be tied into the Power Plant spur.

MQT1223 wrote:Anyone willing to provide an aerial shot of where the siding that displayed 1225 used to sit? I have always been curious about that. All I know is it used to be tied into the Power Plant spur.

The fenced in area where 1225 sat is about where the parking lot is south of W. Shaw (middle of the image). The tracks led up to the power plant (smoke stack with "MSC" on it), crossing Shaw right about where the road splits.




Then and Now shots (1964-ish and 2007) from where the tracks crossed Shaw, looking north toward the power plant.

J T wrote:

MQT1223 wrote:Anyone willing to provide an aerial shot of where the siding that displayed 1225 used to sit? I have always been curious about that. All I know is it used to be tied into the Power Plant spur.

The fenced in area where 1225 sat is about where the parking lot is south of W. Shaw (middle of the image). The tracks led up to the power plant (smoke stack with "MSC" on it), crossing Shaw right about where the road splits.




Then and Now shots (1964-ish and 2007) from where the tracks crossed Shaw, looking north toward the power plant.

I think I see where you are talking about. Too bad there isn't many shots of 1225 on display that could offer a then and now shot like the Shaw shots.

SD80MAC wrote:Pretty difficult to get a shot of their SW14 without being where you shouldn't be, if you catch my drift, unless they're unloading a train. They seem to get a train or two each month, though I haven't seen/heard of any recently. They must have built up a good stock pile for the winter.

AARR wrote:I seem to recall reading they burn around 250,000 tons annually. So that would be around 2,500 carloads annually. However, that was a while ago and things may have changed.

J T wrote:

Matt Short Line H wrote: I am also wondering if there is any way to get any good shot of their SW14? Any answers would be welcome, Thanx, Matt

There is a road called Recycling Drive that crosses the west end of the plant spur. It's a public road so that could be your best option without trespassing. I drive down it whenever I'm on campus to take a look if the power is visible, but so far I haven't had much luck. That end of the spur across Recycling was built in recent years, but I've yet to see them using it.

Thank You so much for this info! Matt

SD80MAC wrote:Pretty difficult to get a shot of their SW14 without being where you shouldn't be, if you catch my drift, unless they're unloading a train. They seem to get a train or two each month, though I haven't seen/heard of any recently. They must have built up a good stock pile for the winter.

AARR wrote:I seem to recall reading they burn around 250,000 tons annually. So that would be around 2,500 carloads annually. However, that was a while ago and things may have changed.

J T wrote:

Matt Short Line H wrote: I am also wondering if there is any way to get any good shot of their SW14? Any answers would be welcome, Thanx, Matt

There is a road called Recycling Drive that crosses the west end of the plant spur. It's a public road so that could be your best option without trespassing. I drive down it whenever I'm on campus to take a look if the power is visible, but so far I haven't had much luck. That end of the spur across Recycling was built in recent years, but I've yet to see them using it.

Thank You so much for this info! Matt

J T wrote:

MQT1223 wrote:Anyone willing to provide an aerial shot of where the siding that displayed 1225 used to sit? I have always been curious about that. All I know is it used to be tied into the Power Plant spur.

Ah the smokestack. I miss that thing. It was such a cool landmark. Not at all train related, but here was the last picture I took of it before demolition. RIP

msurailfan wrote:

J T wrote:

MQT1223 wrote:Anyone willing to provide an aerial shot of where the siding that displayed 1225 used to sit? I have always been curious about that. All I know is it used to be tied into the Power Plant spur.

Ah the smokestack. I miss that thing. It was such a cool landmark. Not at all train related, but here was the last picture I took of it before demolition. RIP

You mean that stack is gone? Man that sucks it looks so cool.

SD80MAC wrote:Pretty difficult to get a shot of their SW14 without being where you shouldn't be, if you catch my drift, unless they're unloading a train. They seem to get a train or two each month, though I haven't seen/heard of any recently. They must have built up a good stock pile for the winter.

Are there any pictures of the locomotive in question? Does it wear some unique paint scheme because it's the university's? I am assuming an SW14 is a rebuild and not a factory model.

Last I saw, it was in a nice green and white paint scheme

MQT1223 wrote: You mean that stack is gone? Man that sucks it looks so cool.

Yup. Taken down summer of 2011. It was really cool to see it from the stadium. The bricks were sold off. The stack and the power plant building are no longer standing.

End thread hijack. Sorry, it just brings a bit of nostalgia and it got a little dusty in here. As you can probably tell by my username, I spent the best years of my life on that campus.

msurailfan wrote: The stack and the power plant building are no longer standing.

If this makes you feel any better, the power plant actually is still standing! At least it was this passed October

Also, looking through Google Images, I found this article that describes #1225's tenure at Michigan State. It has a couple photos, though because there's just trees in the background I can't tell where they were taken:
https://msuarchives.wordpress.com/2012/ ... ette-1225/

PMQT1223 wrote:I am assuming an SW14 is a rebuild and not a factory model.

An SW14 is an ICG Paducah rebuild from an earlier EMD switcher type (mostly SW7s and SW9s). It has a 12-567BC block.

Bulby wrote:

PMQT1223 wrote:I am assuming an SW14 is a rebuild and not a factory model.

An SW14 is an ICG Paducah rebuild from an earlier EMD switcher type (mostly SW7s and SW9s). It has a 12-567BC block.

Ya I figured that, I just wasn't going to go out of my element when I didn't know 100%.

iandt wrote: Also, looking through Google Images, I found this article that describes #1225's tenure at Michigan State. It has a couple photos, though because there's just trees in the background I can't tell where they were taken:
https://msuarchives.wordpress.com/2012/ ... ette-1225/

I'm pretty sure the road the MSU dignitaries are standing on in the first pic is gone, and has been replaced by the parking lot in the satellite image I posted above. And 1225 faced the north where it sat for many years.

Are there any pictures of the locomotive in question? Does it wear some unique paint scheme because it's the university's? I am assuming an SW14 is a rebuild and not a factory model.[/quote]


This is the best photo I have found of it and BOY OH BOY does it look sharp!!!!!!

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3859216

Matt Short Line H wrote:Are there any pictures of the locomotive in question? Does it wear some unique paint scheme because it's the university's? I am assuming an SW14 is a rebuild and not a factory model.

This is the best photo I have found of it and BOY OH BOY does it look sharp!!!!!!

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3859216[/quote]

It would look better in Blue and Yellow. I love the comment on the pic and those clean CSX hoppers behind it. Looks ugly but it's better then Notre Dame's switcher. It is common anymore to have universities or colleges that have rail access to their own power plants?