Shortline Updates - September 2024

[Mikeyt2004]

Marquette D704-01 heading south leaving Baldwin, MI at 11:52.

[GP30M4216]

Marquette D704-01 heading south leaving Baldwin, MI at 11:52.

Close. That was the northbound heading into Baldwin, with this consist I reported on Friday:

MQT northbound parked at the Nelson’s corners crossing near Grant with maybe 40ish cars including a Southern Pacific 50’ boxcar. Power (I think) is 3413, 2042, 3343, and 3408.

The southbound just left Baldwin about 1pm after their block swap, 3408, 3343, 2042, 3413 and 38 cars south, all comprised of various tankcars and both long and short covered hoppers. One CH was still lettered for GTA.

Are you up in the Baldwin area, Mikey?

[Jim_c]

Grand Elk still hanging out in Plainwell. I estimate the train is around 2200' long counting the power. Does anyone have a rough guess as to how many cars that would be?

[Andy24]

Grand Elk still hanging out in Plainwell. I estimate the train is around 2200' long counting the power. Does anyone have a rough guess as to how many cars that would be?

I could take a wild guess and say between 35-45 cars given if each engine is about 60-65ft long

[Mikeyt2004]

Marquette D704-01 heading south leaving Baldwin, MI at 11:52.

Close. That was the northbound heading into Baldwin, with this consist I reported on Friday:

MQT northbound parked at the Nelson’s corners crossing near Grant with maybe 40ish cars including a Southern Pacific 50’ boxcar. Power (I think) is 3413, 2042, 3343, and 3408.

The southbound just left Baldwin about 1pm after their block swap, 3408, 3343, 2042, 3413 and 38 cars south, all comprised of various tankcars and both long and short covered hoppers. One CH was still lettered for GTA.

Are you up in the Baldwin area, Mikey?

For the weekend, my passed grandparents have/had (still settling) a little cabin on the Pere Marquette River a few miles back in the woods off of 76th (a couple miles south of Baldwin) east of M37 and you can hear them crossing. I am based out of Grand Rapids, wish I could move up here, the fiancé needs to be near hospitals for work though.

I didn’t know they tied down in Grant, do they usually do that on Fridays? Thanks for the info by the way! : )

[Jim_c]

This morning I thought I heard the train horn but the EOT telemetry was still going long after that. When we took the dogs to the park, the same GDLK engines were still there, but farther forward. The Otsego box cars were on the Otsego branch, and the boxcars that were behind the power had been replaced with tank cars. Being the clever fellow I am, I surmised that they made a holiday run to Otsego, and will likely head north in the AM.

[GP30M4216]

Marquette northbound hitting White Cloud around 17:20. Same 4 units and estimate 80-100 cars. A line of shortie covered hoppers stashed in the White Cloud siding, a surprising cut of grungy hoppers on the spurs down to MAC in Newaygo. New ribbon rail and track components staged at Newaygo, too, and new ties at Grant.

[Andy24]

Just drove by Hughart Yard in Grand Rapids and noticed a string of brand new AITX 3-bay covered hoppers. With the power of WAMX #4124?, WAMX #4225 connected back to back. The WAMX #4190 Wisconsin and Southern unit sitting near the engine house. WAMX #3534 and WAMX #3531 was probably moving cars around where I didn’t have a clear view from the highway

[kd_1014]

GRE east thru Ada 10:50

[~Z~]

Grand Elk north through Byron Center at 11:01am. WAMX 4206 and 4125 looked both LHF with 30ish cars. Maybe not 4125 but looked like it, so maybe what Andy saw wasn't 4125 in the yard.

[LansingRailFan]

NB JAIL Z646-03 with adbf 825/822 WB at CP MA on CSX in Lansing

[kd_1014]

GRE east thru Ada 10:50

Back west thru Ada at 13:34

[LansingRailFan]

13:00 - CN R934 with CN 5378 and JAIL Z646 with ADBF 825/822 are both working the New Hollow Yard interchange

[LansingRailFan]

14:20 - HESSER 702 is inbound into Durand with HESR 2145/CFE 3486

[~Z~]

Grand Elk south through Byron Center at 2:22pm. WAMX 4125, 4206, and 4190 with 60 cars.

[Mikeyt2004]

Grand Elk is currently working on the Hastings runner.

[LansingRailFan]

15:08 - HESR 701 shoves onto the Port Huron Wye and M1 for headroom, preparing to depart Durand. The rocket blasts off at 15:15

[Andy24]

Grand Elk north through Byron Center at 11:01am. WAMX 4206 and 4125 looked both LHF with 30ish cars. Maybe not 4125 but looked like it, so maybe what Andy saw wasn't 4125 in the yard.

Those 30 ish cars are visibly parked on the 2nd track away from the US 131 Highway, blocking the yard view now. It was probably WAMX 4125’s twin 4124 that I saw this morning with a EX UP WAMX 4225

[Plannerdad]

GRE east thru Ada 10:50

Back west thru Ada at 13:34

The Ann St yard was still full at 6:00 this evening. No CSX local yet at that time.

[Jim_c]

Grand Elk north through Byron Center at 11:01am. WAMX 4206 and 4125 looked both LHF with 30ish cars. Maybe not 4125 but looked like it, so maybe what Andy saw wasn't 4125 in the yard.

Looks like Andy was right on the money with his car estimate when they were tied down in Plainwell. The usual run to Otsego is typically 5 or 6 boxcars. They drop those at the mill, and haul the outgoing to Plainwell. They pick those up on the way back south. My post about the estimated train length was before the run to Otsego.