GDLK/NS 2015 OPS

[Super Chief]

Plan for now is to get 4124 back up and running and fast track it for a dyno test to replace 4206. Haven't heard the particulars yet on the other geep? NS units may be the prevailing power if this keeps happening.

[PatAzo]

4206 worked the 303 yesterday.

[Super Chief]

Heres the latest. 4009 was the geep with the problem. 4206 just blew its crank at CP Cowling. A rescue engine is being dispatched from Kazoo. 501 ran around 302 as 4206 4125 and 100 cars are sitting dead between Park and Cowling. This time there is a confirmed hole in the bottom with fluids dripping on the ties. The crew is going back with ehgines only. Keep you posted.

[NSSD70ACe]

Heres the latest. 4009 was the geep with the problem. 4206 just blew its crank at CP Cowling. A rescue engine is being dispatched from Kazoo. 501 ran around 302 as 4206 4125 and 100 cars are sitting dead between Park and Cowling. This time there is a confirmed hole in the bottom with fluids dripping on the ties. The crew is going back with engines only. Keep you posted.

There goes another one...

Two out of the five SD40s on the property have had major mechanical failures now. If I was a betting man I'd say 4125 is next to have an issue. Would this be just because of the age of the locomotives or a maintenance problem?

[Super Chief]

4125 put 4206 into GM siding went back to train on the main and waiting for another mate to pull to Elkhart. She definitely cannot pull 100 cars by herself. 501 will probably pick up 4206 on its way north later today. The earlier reports on 4206 were correct she kept tripping her crankshaft pressure button so trouble was coming and todays train taxed her to the limit.

[Super Chief]

4009 & 4190 are the rescue engines they are on scene now . 4009 is coupled to 4206 to tow it back to Kazoo. 4190 is backing up to 4125 and train for the pull to Elkhart.

[ThreeRiversChris]

501 was tied down behind American Axle at 7:00 tonight.

[Super Chief]

Theres a 503 coming tonight to get it. With 302 in 501s way most of the day they ran out of time. Were still switching IP at 5:15pm. What a Friday for the Elk!!

[ThreeRiversChris]

302 just went south with 4190 & 4125, both still long hood forward with 93 cars.

There is also a cut of 116 cars from when 302 returned yesterday I believe. They left the cars in the hole at Park and took the power north.

[NSSD70ACe]

Grand Elk is reportedly getting a new customer in Elkhart, a company by the name of Great Lakes Forest Products. Looks like they're building a siding for the place.


***NOT MY PHOTO***

[ThreeRiversChris]

302 left their train of 67 cars behind at Park last night and went north with the power. The train was left on the main surprisingly, and they are also using a tow behind air compressor that's sitting in the weeds to keep the air built up. First time I've seen them do this.

[GAP]

This morning (Wednesday) I saw a northbound thru Portage at 11 o'clock. Only saw the last engine which was in Wisconsin and Southern paint. Didn't count cars but the 67 reported earlier sounds about right. Quite a few coiled steel cars and about 6 Amtrak ballast hoppers were included in the mix.

[Super Chief]

Well as tight as power is now 3829 can't just sit between the two CP's as a mobile air station. Maybe they'll put one air compressor at each end to build up air. Gone have to keep them gased up though, and some body will have to drive from Kazoo with the fuel. How long can a mobile air compressor run on a tank of fuel and how many RPMs to keep the train line charged on a 100 car train? Also with only a main and passing siding things are gonna have to keep moving to make way for the next one. They have parked trains on both but something has to give to get the local through. I still think power will be parked in TR as a local starting point as following a road train to and from Kazoo without any problems is not the norm right now. With the NS cars in the mix now the line isn't as fluid as before. Elkhart releasing trains is a big factor on how the line runs for any given day. If Gearhart has all its tracks now refurbished why are the northbounds dropping trains at Park and running engine light to Kazoo? Same for the southbounds dropping trains at Cowling and going back to Kazoo for the second half? That's all I'm saying.

[NSSD70ACe]

Well as tight as power is now 3829 can't just sit between the two CP's as a mobile air station. Maybe they'll put one air compressor at each end to build up air. Gone have to keep them gased up though, and some body will have to drive from Kazoo with the fuel. How long can a mobile air compressor run on a tank of fuel and how many RPMs to keep the train line charged on a 100 car train? Also with only a main and passing siding things are gonna have to keep moving to make way for the next one. They have parked trains on both but something has to give to get the local through. I still think power will be parked in TR as a local starting point as following a road train to and from Kazoo without any problems is not the norm right now. With the NS cars in the mix now the line isn't as fluid as before. Elkhart releasing trains is a big factor on how the line runs for any given day. If Gearhart has all its tracks now refurbished why are the northbounds dropping trains at Park and running engine light to Kazoo? Same for the southbounds dropping trains at Cowling and going back to Kazoo for the second half? That's all I'm saying.

Things don't seem to be as smooth on the Elk as they used to be. It could be all the new business they've gotten and just a lack of infrastructure. Does the Elk park trains at TR because of capacity in Gearhart or because of time? If it's capacity then maybe GDLK should be looking into investing some $$$ into expanding Gearhart. Kinda hard to do so, however, because they're cornered on all sides except an old, empty paper mill lot just to the east:




It sounds like the Elk either needs more capacity or more power. But I'm not an expert like some people on here (no sarcasm intended, I'm serious)

[JStryker722]

They could add another track or two at CP Park to use as a mini-yard set-up for the issue they are experiencing. It's farmland mostly right there. That would leave at least one track open.

[Super Chief]

I was hoping someone in the know in Kazoo could shed some light on why we're seeing the ops the way they are right now? Maybe they can't build a 150 car train up there but for what reason? Is it crew times or phyiscal issues doing it at night? Blocked crossings or B33 arrival times or something totally different? Most of the time their bring the first half down to Cowling during the night go back engine light bring the second half down early am. When they did the 3829 stayed with the first half to pump air. In the morning then power from 2nd half would uncouple and couple on to 3829/train and back on to the last half they just brought down. During such moves the front end would be over Hoffman St. crossing to back up to the last half. If at the times B33 comes in after the Amtraks up in Kazoo I assumed all the switching could be done up there to build trains?

[Saturnalia]

Gearhart isn't very long. I'm sure they can't build 150 car trains. Not even Wyoming or Stanley can build 150 car trains without a double. And Gearhart doesn't have a ton of working room.

I'm guessing they may have to look into using the north pass or whatever. Doesn't make sense to me why they wouldn't use those long sidings to interchange with NS.

[NSSD70ACe]

Gearhart isn't very long. I'm sure they can't build 150 car trains. Not even Wyoming or Stanley can build 150 car trains without a double. And Gearhart doesn't have a ton of working room.

I'm guessing they may have to look into using the north pass or whatever. Doesn't make sense to me why they wouldn't use those long sidings to interchange with NS.

North Pass lost several hundred feet when Amtrak was doing all their MoW in Kalamazoo. It's still there but it couldn't handle very much.

[Ben Higdon]

Conrail road trains would pick up multiple yard tracks every night and head south with trains well over 100 cars.

[PatAzo]

Gearhart isn't very long. I'm sure they can't build 150 car trains. Not even Wyoming or Stanley can build 150 car trains without a double. And Gearhart doesn't have a ton of working room.

I'm guessing they may have to look into using the north pass or whatever. Doesn't make sense to me why they wouldn't use those long sidings to interchange with NS.

Why would doubling keep them from building a long train? It's a pretty common movement. Conrail would have the power across Kalamazoo Ave everynight when they pulled their pick up clear of West Botsford.