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As posted by Anumber1 on the Michiganrailroads.com Lower Michigan board.

Trainmonster capone stated in the rules class I attended today that the future of the line is in hopper cars.
We got a contract signed for a million tons of coke through Detroit for the next year, the Essexville BNSF coal trains and the projected start in early April of 3 a day for western omelette (complete with a helper district from Grand Junction-Fennville to Elmdale to keep the eastbound coal moving through the Thornapple river valley).

Figure in some rocks in the summer months and the merchandise we have now.

There is talk of finally putting on the Waverly-GRR turn and opening the door to getting the Chicago-Toledo traffic (Q324) from Garrett as there seem to really be some meat in the threats of making Garrett an away-from-home terminal for Columbus, Toledo and Willard crews due to weekend crew availability issues.

Thanks Gregg and to Mister A numero uno for posting this. It sounds like good news all around. Good to know that the West Olive western coal is still moving along, it sounds like the line south of Holland could be busier that it has been in years (at least since the CP trains all disappeared) when three in and three out become the norm, along with the various other trains along that line.

A through helper district from below Holland all the way to Elmdale if necessary is also a cool thing. Are these still slated to be crewed helpers, or will they be radio control or DPU's? I'm personally hoping for crewed, CSX power sets myself What sort of facilities will be necessary at Elmdale then? And for that matter, what is currently left at Elmdale? Is any of the old Turkey Trail branch still in place or has the switch from the main been pulled and all the track with it? I see new signals are ready for installation there at the passing track.

A million tons of coke should be good for a healthy number of K35x series coke loads and empties going back and forth the whole length of the Pere Marquette across the state A number 1 didn't mention it, but in addition to the seasonal rock trains, we cannot forget the seasonal grain trains also utilizing CSX tracks, locomotives, and crews. As we learned in one of my geography classes this week, agriculture is still the second largest income producer in Michigan, so here's hoping for a good crop.

We do also have the manifest merchandise trains as well. It sure seems like Q326 west of GR can get quite lengthy, and the Q334/Q335s can be quite long as well sometimes. If Michigan snagged additional Chicago-Toledo traffic, that would figure well for us railfans across the state. Good for GR yard crews too. Too bad for Garrett, but ok for us.

Finally, I hope that CSX does implement a Waverly-GR turn. Seems like it would just make so many things easier. No more complicated pickups or setouts by Q326/Q327. Fewer blocked road crossings. No more reasons to snag helper or coal crews to do yard work with those huge SD70MACs or ES44DCs. And another local job for us to follow along with!

CSX and GR guys, please do keep us updated with how things shake out. I for one, will certainly be interested.

They would be crewed helpers. If they were DPU it would stay on all the way from the BNSF, and not take it off. DPU's dont need people, there fore they have to be maned.They wouldent need anything at Elmdale. All of the turkey trail is gone. They would either have two back to back sixes or one standard cab six. The crew would run down to the start of the shove and shove all the way to Elmdale, cut off and return to GR. No need for anyting in Elmdale. From what I understand there is no major grade going west just east.

Don't count on very many grain trains from now on. A lot of the corn is going to Ethanol and that is drastically cutting down on the number of grain trains on the CSX system. A friend of mine is over operations for the elevators in Auburn, Hemlock, and Oakley. He told me that they would be shipping very few IF ANY unit corn trains once the new ethanol plant opens in Ithica. You might see one or two wheat and soy trains but that is it. I find it very interesting to see how ethanol is changing the way grain moves around the nation. At some point I think you might even see loaded grain trains coming into Michigan instead of going out.
Mike H

Where is Waverly? would this proposed Turn come via Plymouth or the west side? I'm all up for the BNSF trains, 3 a day, dang its almost like the SOO never left, cept its coal and orange.

Mike Tabone wrote:Where is Waverly? would this proposed Turn come via Plymouth or the west side?

Holland.

And what is this "turn" that has been mentioned? I'm unfamiliar with that terminology.

Finally, I hope that CSX does implement a Waverly-GR turn.

a turn is a train and crew that goes to a certain place and then returns to the beginning yard. the wyoming - waverly turn is used for a train and crew that will take
the cars that q327 would set off at waverly yard and pickup the cars that q326 would pickup and then return to wyoming yard. it would just reverse
what was the old cannonball, but cover half the distance. the cannonball was a turn also, but it ran from north yard ( muskegon ) to waverly to
wyoming yard and then back to waverly to north yard picking and setting
out cars at waverly. when coal first started to go to west olive from wyoming, the train was called the west olive turn because the same crew
would take the loads there and return light power to wyoming ( or return
with empties ) or run light power there and then return with the empties to wyoming. if the turn is put on then 327 and 326 would not have to work at waverly, but would let them set out and pickup at benton harbor again?

Thanks Matt for filling me in on Elmdale. After Elmdale, the only major grade to be encountered would be Salem hill, and for an eastbound, its a descent.

Mike, thanks for bringing that up about the Ethanol. Obviously that would effect the large grain elevadors at Webberville and Grand Ledge. Maybe even a grain train just from these locations to Woodbury, for example, to the ethanol plant? hmmm. I wonder what will happen with the grain going out of the MAC elevador in Newago. At one time, it was all being used at feed corn for chicken farms in the south.

Yep, Waverly is the name of the CSX Yard in Holland, just as Ensel is in Lansing. Many local jobs operate as turns, as it saves on crews and locomotives than running one train each direction. All the CSX Baldwin Sub trains were turns: D704 GR-Baldwin turn, D771 Ludington-Baldwin turn, D712 Manistee-Walhalla turn. D709 Lansing east would be an example closer to you, Mike.

Don, in accordance with the all powerful One Plan, yes, if the Holland setout/pickup is elminated from Waverly for Q326/Q327 (thanks to a new turn job), they could again do the work at Benton Harbor, which would of course mean D700 being reassigned to B-H yard again. We'll have to see if tha actually comes about, however.

Thanks for the explanation, Don. Now it makes perfect sense.

I hate to say it, but I'll bet the helper power will be BNSF units. Hope not though. Hey CSX, send us a few sets of SD80MACs and we'll never whine again!

What's wrong with BNSF units? Don't care for orange paint?

Maybe even a grain train just from these locations to Woodbury, for example, to the ethanol plant?

Unfortunately, when they built Woodbury they did not put enough track in to hold a unit grain train....So unless they build more track I don't think you will see any grain trains going to Woodbury. I think that was a little short cited on their part but then again maybe they had good reasons for not putting that much track in.
Mike H

J T wrote:What's wrong with BNSF units? Don't care for orange paint?

It's getting to the point where if I go out railfanning it's impossible to not see atleast one BNSF Gevo or 70MAC. I'd much prefer CSX SD70ACs..... or 80MACs.