The new grand elk railroad

[Y@]

Have to remember some of the kids on this site haven't grown out of the drama queen mentality yet, exemplified by the above statements.

Kids? Yeah... I'm pretty sure Hogger is well into his 50's.

[GTW]

I think BO Tower will be in the Gilmore Car Museum along with Tower 1.

[berkmeister]

Considering that Watco will be taking over the dispatching and CTC duties from NS, does it make sense to operate from Elkhart to Three Rivers with CTC and signals? It doesn't seem to be cost worthy to maintain the 1958-era searchlight signals and the 1980's-installed Type G tri-lights for the few trains that ply this route each day. Wouldn't be just as safe and productive to issue track warrants and let these signals go dark except at interlockings? Berk

[conrail7695]

Were is this musemu at?

I think BO Tower will be in the Gilmore Car Museum along with Tower 1.

[conrail7695]

If the 501 switcher would run in the day time and the 302 run at night...theres no reason to just take them out and make dark territory. No confusion or trains dodgeing each other. Just make a track warrant and run. When they get to "bo" seceondary talk to the tower and get into the yard or what ever..very money saving there.

Considering that Watco will be taking over the dispatching and CTC duties from NS, does it make sense to operate from Elkhart to Three Rivers with CTC and signals? It doesn't seem to be cost worthy to maintain the 1958-era searchlight signals and the 1980's-installed Type G tri-lights for the few trains that ply this route each day. Wouldn't be just as safe and productive to issue track warrants and let these signals go dark except at interlockings? Berk

[Typhoon]

Considering that Watco will be taking over the dispatching and CTC duties from NS, does it make sense to operate from Elkhart to Three Rivers with CTC and signals? It doesn't seem to be cost worthy to maintain the 1958-era searchlight signals and the 1980's-installed Type G tri-lights for the few trains that ply this route each day. Wouldn't be just as safe and productive to issue track warrants and let these signals go dark except at interlockings? Berk

Good luck getting the FRA to sign off on the removal of a signal system these days.

[Brakey]

Considering that Watco will be taking over the dispatching and CTC duties from NS, does it make sense to operate from Elkhart to Three Rivers with CTC and signals? It doesn't seem to be cost worthy to maintain the 1958-era searchlight signals and the 1980's-installed Type G tri-lights for the few trains that ply this route each day. Wouldn't be just as safe and productive to issue track warrants and let these signals go dark except at interlockings? Berk

Good luck getting the FRA to sign off on the removal of a signal system these days.

DING DING DING!!! We have a winner here with that answer!

[Firemedic Mike]

To Conrail 7695:
One veteran to another, thanks for your service. I stayed in the U.S. on active duty, so I salute you for serving overseas.

To answer the Gilmore Car Museum Question: http://gilmorecarmuseum.org/

They are located at 6865 Hickory Road, Hickory Corners, MI 49060

This is a short drive from Kalamazoo on M43 (Gull Road). I hadn't really heard of the museum until I was in Hickory Corners last weekend. If you go to visit, I recommend eating at the Hickory Timber Inn about 2 miles down the road. Really good food at a great price.

-Mike

[PAT.C]

A COUPLE OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT POST HERE HAVE PROBLEMS. ONE IS A DEAF/MUTE AND ANOTHER SUFFERED SEVER HEAD TRAUMA IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT.
BEFORE YOU CRITICIZE OTHERS - TRY TO DETERMINE WHY THEY POST THE WAY THEY DO.

BEING NICE TO PEOPLE IS A LOT MORE ENJOYABLE WAY OF SPENDING YOUR TIME ON THIS EARTH THAN SOME OF THE ALTERNATIVES.

[donnieland]

hi pat
amen, your post is spot on
don
ps
enjoy one on me when we meet again

[That Guy]

Look for Watco to expand in the Eastern US in 2013. Lots on the table out that way that they are deep in at this point!

[conrail7695]

Care to tell us what u know or how u know this?

Look for Watco to expand in the Eastern US in 2013. Lots on the table out that way that they are deep in at this point!

[Ben Higdon]

On a side note, the tower at the Gilmore Museum is not Tower 1. I'm reliably informed its the tower that stood at Church St in Kalamazoo. I was unfortunately misinformed that it was Tower 1 over 15 years ago and unwittingly helped spread that misinformation.

[PatAzo]

I think BO Tower will be in the Gilmore Car Museum along with Tower 1.

If it's lucky. I talked to one of the operators who says NS told them to expect it to close within a year. Amtrak he says is gathering equipment to eliminate it.

[NSSD60M]

I think BO Tower will be in the Gilmore Car Museum along with Tower 1.

If it's lucky. I talked to one of the operators who says NS told them to expect it to close within a year. Amtrak he says is gathering equipment to eliminate it.

That'll be a sad day indeed. Passed that tower many of times given a friendly wave to the operator. It would be nice to see it salvaged as a museum piece, but I have my doubts.

[PatAzo]

Conrail was making plans to eliminate BO back in the 90's. I suspect only Norfolk Southern's desire to not spend capitol dollars on the west side of Michigan let it hang on this long.

They also say Amtrak was in Kalamazoo looking at re-installing the connection from the mainline to the old GR&I so they could move 370/371 off of CSX. That idea got kicked around in the Conrail days too. I wouldn't be surprised if CSX were to looking at Pere Marquette the same way NS did the Michigan Central. Why maintain it for better than 40MPH unless someone else is going to pony up?

[Saturnalia]

Conrail was making plans to eliminate BO back in the 90's. I suspect only Norfolk Southern's desire to not spend capitol dollars on the west side of Michigan let it hang on this long.

They also say Amtrak was in Kalamazoo looking at re-installing the connection from the mainline to the old GR&I so they could move 370/371 off of CSX. That idea got kicked around in the Conrail days too. I wouldn't be surprised if CSX were to looking at Pere Marquette the same way NS did the Michigan Central. Why maintain it for better than 40MPH unless someone else is going to pony up?

370 & 371 will NOT be re-routed off the CSX in the near future unless something major happens, such as a big reduction in funding. The GDLK is not in a good condition to run Passenger right now, and there is some doubt Watco would be willing/able to keep the track that good. Also, AMTK would be essentially dumping Holland & St. Joseph, two pretty big station stops you couldn't serve with a GDLK routing. If they tried to pull, Holland & St. Joe would probably raise a major defense of their train, even if only for political practicality.

[J T]

Also, AMTK would be essentially dumping Holland & St. Joseph, two pretty big station stops you couldn't serve with a GDLK routing. If they tried to pull, Holland & St. Joe would probably raise a major defense of their train, even if only for political practicality.

I imagine it would probably look something like this...

[bctrainfan]

Nothing worse than a mob of angry emoticons!

[MaintainerGary]

[quote="conrail7695"]Grand Elks channel" and the old dector at m.p.72.5 pops on and sez it's thing..402 axels no defects...not whats strange is from throughs of u that know what I am talking about this is an NS dector and for the last few years it have not been working properly for a wile now...but the dector cleared it self with out addressing who it belonge too..."

That dector thingie can be reprogrammed in a matter of minutes. As far as using their own dispatch, which takes forever to get a hold of, its a lot cheaper than having NS do it. I have had to contact WATCO dispatch a few times now and it has taken up to thirty minutes to get a hold of them.