Michigan Shortline Updates June 2013

[Patriot]

GRE: westbound over Leonard/Plainfield at 1:35 with a total of four cars, including one tanker and three CHs (I think only one from King).

[JDavis21835]

The elevator in Carrollton has multiple short spurs. I've been told it can take a full day to load a unit train.

Peavy/Gavilion grain has 4 spurs. 2 on the east, 2 on the west of the elevator. Each spur seems to hold a dozen to twenty cars. SOP is to spot the cars, broken in a few blocks on each line. This is usually a late afternoon/night switch. LSRC comes over, grabs any loaded and returns to the yard. Then they bring back the empties. The elevator fills during the day. Seems to take a day to do two spurs worth of cars.

Not sure if they are back to 4 spurs or not. My home time is light right now so my opportunities to fan are very slim. Last month there was some track work being done on the west side of the elevator. Looked like it was mostly tie replacement, and a few rails.

[AARR]

The elevator in Carrollton has multiple short spurs. I've been told it can take a full day to load a unit train.

Peavy/Gavilion grain has 4 spurs. 2 on the east, 2 on the west of the elevator. Each spur seems to hold a dozen to twenty cars. SOP is to spot the cars, broken in a few blocks on each line. This is usually a late afternoon/night switch. LSRC comes over, grabs any loaded and returns to the yard. Then they bring back the empties. The elevator fills during the day. Seems to take a day to do two spurs worth of cars.

Not sure if they are back to 4 spurs or not. My home time is light right now so my opportunities to fan are very slim. Last month there was some track work being done on the west side of the elevator. Looked like it was mostly tie replacement, and a few rails.

Elevators like the one in Breckenridge can load 10 cars an hour so the can theoretically load a 90 car unit in a day which probably has economic advantages over one like Carrollton's.

[Evan]

You both are forgetting a major detail. They load however many cars at a time depending on how long they are given to load the train and return. CSX I've heard is always giving short load periods consisting on 1-3 days tops. GLC Loaded an NS Grain train this last winter and they had about 4 days to load that and return, which they did. Although, it may differ from railroads tho. LSRC usually is good about returning them on time.

[AARR]

You both are forgetting a major detail. They load however many cars at a time depending on how long they are given to load the train and return. CSX I've heard is always giving short load periods consisting on 1-3 days tops. GLC Loaded an NS Grain train this last winter and they had about 4 days to load that and return, which they did. Although, it may differ from railroads tho. LSRC usually is good about returning them on time.

Normally the faster the turn around the better the rate. So although the elevators may be given X amount of days to load there are usually cost incentives for quick turn around. Although I can't speak specifically to the elevators you mention.

[Patriot]

GRE: Eastbound over Leonard/Plainfield at 8:55 with a total of five cars consisting of one tanker and four CHs for King.

[59caddy]

GLC did an interchange with AA at osmer, and is now heading north at high speed with 14 cars.

Probably within or past Howell now.

4 engines, they are 399, 397, 390(?), ???

The consist includes a flat car with rails on it.

[Evan]

HESR 701, HESR 2668, is ready to leave Durand with 49 cars.

[penn central]

LSRC Z127 is getting there train together to head south power is the 3100 and the 3062, I looked it up over the weekend the 3100 was built for the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1966, And the 3062 was built for the Union Pacific in 1971.

[Patriot]

GRE: eastbound over Leonard/Plainfield at 9:10 with one CH for King.

[lightning]

LSRC Z127 is getting there train together to head south power is the 3100 and the 3062, I looked it up over the weekend the 3100 was built for the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1966, And the 3062 was built for the Union Pacific in 1971.

Yup and they were both rebuilt in 2000 by g&r Locomotives......Great pullers!!!!

[Mackinac Mac]

GLC at Osmer now. 92 cars of grain. 396, 397, 399, 393 are power.