MMRR Z627 Log

[AARR]

The Fremont Co-op elevator is not large enough to ship unit grain trains. It would take them WEEKS working around the clock to get one built with their setup; a stub track that holds 1 or 2 cars. The siding in Fremont will only hold about 20 cars. Not to mention their facilioty does not hold the capacity to produce unit trains.

According to the MI Ag website Fremont Coop has around 600,000 bushel capacity which would be enough to load 90 cars but as you said it would take them forever to do so and I believe one of the conditions to get favorable rates is they have 48 hours to return the cars loaded.

[Mr. Tops]

Their silos don't look that big, but then again, it's been a long time since I've been to Fremont. 600,000 bushels (of corn) would actually fill a 130-car train. Still take forever doing one car at a time up under the spout on the stub track and then back out to the siding. They'd have to have cars everywhere, including on Gerber property and still probably wouldn't be able to do more than maybe 50 or 60.

I'm thinking they were sand cars. They may have had a lot of grain cars for staging at North Yard to bring up to Fremont a handful or two at a time, which is the best way for them to do it with their setup.

Here's a blast from the past. Best one I could find online without digging the old hard drives...
The car on the right is on the loading track. D728 @ Fremont 5/23/05.

[AARR]

You're right Tops, they don't look that big. Here is something else I found that is interesting...they are no longer Fremont Coop.

North Central Co-op is pleased to announce the addition of the Fremont Coop in Fremont Michigan to the NCC family. Fremont Co-op was organized on April 1, 1912 as a fruit marketing co-op. One of the first things they did was to ship crates of apples via boxcar to Chicago and then brought back lime-sulfur spray on the backhaul. Potatoes were next to be marketed. In the first 5 years of operation, the co-op went bankrupt 3 times. However, since 1917 it has survived. Through the years it marketed fruits and vegetables, sold John Deere equipment, hatched chickens, and did egg marketing. Today it is mainly a supply co-op with an approximate breakdown as follows: Feed & Grain – 50%, Agronomy – 35%, and Energy – 15%. The co-op has facilities in Newaygo, Oceana, and Mason counties. The town of Fremont has a population of 3500 with its claim to fame being it is the headquarters for Gerber Baby Foods.

NCC has a number of places including a couple fertilizer and grain locations on INE that are steady customers.

[csx801]

3839 and 3836 came south through grand haven last night around 12:45 with 22 cars. 1 from bay, 5 or 6 tanks and a few good strings from nugent

[RRTracks]

Noticed last weekend both Kiamichi locos outside on the dead track in RP and 73 gone, today I see 3801 must be back in the barn and 3803 back on the dead track, so my question is, anyone have the scoop on 73? I know it's been on death row, did they roll it to scrap on an outbound, or did/is it getting the "180" torch treatment??? Rick

[SD80MAC]

Maybe it's inside the shop?

[csx801]

3885 is in the house at the current point in time, I saw them put her in the house tuesday afternoon after working around henry street. They have 3801 moving around up there although i personally have yet to catch them. No sign of 73.
any news on whats going on with 3803? its been sitting on the dead track ever since they got it up to muskegon.

Z627-21 southbound through grand haven 11:30. 3836 was leading 3839. missed the car count though.

[GLC 392]

73 is inside the shop i saw it last week.

[Saturnalia]

There is a string of 3-bay CHs starting at the road and headed back as far as one can see at Nugent today...

[RRTracks]

3885 is in the house at the current point in time, I saw them put her in the house tuesday afternoon after working around henry street. They have 3801 moving around up there although i personally have yet to catch them. No sign of 73.
any news on whats going on with 3803? its been sitting on the dead track ever since they got it up to muskegon.

Z627-21 southbound through grand haven 11:30. 3836 was leading 3839. missed the car count though.

GLC 392 said 73 is in the barn so it must be in the North stall, South stall will hold 2 geeps so they must be covering 73. If they have it inside I wonder what the disposition is on it, I heard they blew it up and it was on death row....as for 3803, word was that it's a pile of junk as well.....maybe it's sitting around for parts for 3801 which is barely hanging on, though they do use it on occasion to run down to Nugent at Lincoln St.

[RRTracks]

There is a string of 3-bay CHs starting at the road and headed back as far as one can see at Nugent today...

Oh yeah. They still pull plenty of sand out of there 2 or 3 days a week. They probably have 18 back there, I think 18 or 20 is the max.

[tmurray85]

3885 is in the house at the current point in time, I saw them put her in the house tuesday afternoon after working around henry street. They have 3801 moving around up there although i personally have yet to catch them. No sign of 73.
any news on whats going on with 3803? its been sitting on the dead track ever since they got it up to muskegon.

Z627-21 southbound through grand haven 11:30. 3836 was leading 3839. missed the car count though.

GLC 392 said 73 is in the barn so it must be in the North stall, South stall will hold 2 geeps so they must be covering 73. If they have it inside I wonder what the disposition is on it, I heard they blew it up and it was on death row....as for 3803, word was that it's a pile of junk as well.....maybe it's sitting around for parts for 3801 which is barely hanging on, though they do use it on occasion to run down to Nugent at Lincoln St.

My uncle does some outdoor lighting work for the railroad and was told that the 73 was actually sold to a leasing company and then leased back to Rail America. I believe he was told that the engine has a bad wheel bearing so it's possible that it's in the shop for repairs.

[GLC 392]

I cant remember which one of the Kamanchi units it is but one is to become a genset core, and yea the 73 was in the north stall... On a side note 3839 and 3836 were paired together today sitting at shops at the north end of town.

[Saturnalia]

I cant remember which one of the Kamanchi units it is but one is to become a genset core, and yea the 73 was in the north stall... On a side note 3839 and 3836 were paired together today sitting at shops at the north end of town.

So is the MS going to be seeing a genset up here at some point?

Drove by Sappi yesterday, and the tracks are still in place all they way to where they used to cross Lakeshore Drive, but they might be disconnected at points around the old log storage area...

[SD80MAC]

I cant remember which one of the Kamanchi units it is but one is to become a genset core, and yea the 73 was in the north stall... On a side note 3839 and 3836 were paired together today sitting at shops at the north end of town.

So is the MS going to be seeing a genset up here at some point?

Drove by Sappi yesterday, and the tracks are still in place all they way to where they used to cross Lakeshore Drive, but they might be disconnected at points around the old log storage area...

It's likely getting sold to the company building the genset, like the old SOR SW1200RS that sat for years in Greenville and later in Ann St. yard on the GRE.

[Saturnalia]

Here's your weekend MS Update.

- The Henry St yard is full with CHs, both of the southern tracks appear full. North Track open.
- The track to Nugent has a bunch of 2-bay CHs, of different designs and marks (not the new [..CSX..] ones)
- That Kiamachi unit is still outside, all alone.

[csx801]

A bit late:

Wednesday (03-10-12) Z627 southbound out of muskegon
MMRR 3836
GRE 3839
CF&E 3885
4 boxes (for bay)
37 hoppers (7 from barry, 30 from lincoln)
6 tanks (webb)
47 total



Friday (05-10-12) Z627 southbound out of muskegon
MMRR 3836
GRE 3839
4 boxes
10 hoppers (all from Barry)
5 tanks
17 total

[AARR]

37 hoppers (7 from barry, 30 from lincoln)

Where is Lincoln? Is that Nugent west of Muskegon (Norton Shores IIRC)?

[cnw8835]

37 hoppers (7 from barry, 30 from lincoln)

Where is Lincoln? Is that Nugent west of Muskegon (Norton Shores IIRC)?

I would guess that is a logical assumption. The older Nugent pit at the end of track just west of Lincoln St. And yes, technically just inside Norton Shores city limits.

[csx801]

Yes, Nugents older facility is frequently called the lincoln facility because of its location off lincoln street. That is just always what i have referred it to.