Busy Wabash main 6/10/09
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Busy Wabash main 6/10/09
Mackinac Mac and I unexpectingly caught 4, yes FOUR trains all within a half hour on the old Wabash mainline this evening, from the Holland Road crossing in Taylor. We spied the first train shortly before 6:30, a westbound CP Train waiting just east of Monroe St. on the WB mainline. Turned out they had a stop signal at the crossover there between Monroe and Pardee, and were waiting for L63 to finish switching Atlas Oil on the track ahead. When we realized we were heading toward a recently spun off A&W on Ecorse Road, we turned around and went back down Ecorse to Holland, where the action unfolded.
The CP train (25T) couldn't pass L63 because there was not one, but TWO eastbounds coming on the other track. The action began shortly after 6:30PM, when an eastbound local (L64) passed by us with the following consist:
Conrail GP38-2 #5318 (eerie and awesome Conrail horn)
CR 86' boxcar
6 black tankcars (will try to get reporting marks later)
4 NS 86' boxcars (including a freshly painted one, no graffiti, wow!)
2 50' boxcars
2 gondolas
1 Wisconsin Central 50' boxcar
After giving L64 a roll by, L63's crew had reassembled their train to proceed west, and took off, passing us just a few minutes later. Meanwhile, behind L64, another eastbound headlight appeared off near the airport.
NS GP38-2 #5348 (ex CR) (Nice Conrail Horn)
4 covered hoppers (including 2 NS)
4 tankcars
1 50' boxcar
1 86' NS boxcar
N&W 555069 cupula caboose
As L63 trailed off into the distance, the eastbound NS manifest (196) slowly came closer, following L64 on approach indications:
NS 9504 D9-40CW
NS 9677 D9-40CW elephant style
2 flatcars with OOCL containers
2 well cars with OOCL containers
10 autoracks with Chryslers onboard
1 empty centerbeam
2 white tankcars
1 86' NS boxcar
2 covered hoppers, the last one NS
As the eastbound passed, the signal for the CP 25T went from red to yellow and then yellow to green, as L63 moved farther west. With elephant style GE's screaming in notch 8 and alco-esque exhaust, the train passed us around 7:05PM:
CP 8760
CP 8643
Lots of autoracks at the front, and just as many mixed freight cars behind, including lots of tankcars, covered hoppers, and a few boxcars.
Thus concludes our unscheduled half hour of railfanning. The Wabash seems to be one of the hardest hit mainlines in Michigan when it comes to train counts and lengths, so it was good to see this fleeting moment of busyness.
The CP train (25T) couldn't pass L63 because there was not one, but TWO eastbounds coming on the other track. The action began shortly after 6:30PM, when an eastbound local (L64) passed by us with the following consist:
Conrail GP38-2 #5318 (eerie and awesome Conrail horn)
CR 86' boxcar
6 black tankcars (will try to get reporting marks later)
4 NS 86' boxcars (including a freshly painted one, no graffiti, wow!)
2 50' boxcars
2 gondolas
1 Wisconsin Central 50' boxcar
After giving L64 a roll by, L63's crew had reassembled their train to proceed west, and took off, passing us just a few minutes later. Meanwhile, behind L64, another eastbound headlight appeared off near the airport.
NS GP38-2 #5348 (ex CR) (Nice Conrail Horn)
4 covered hoppers (including 2 NS)
4 tankcars
1 50' boxcar
1 86' NS boxcar
N&W 555069 cupula caboose
As L63 trailed off into the distance, the eastbound NS manifest (196) slowly came closer, following L64 on approach indications:
NS 9504 D9-40CW
NS 9677 D9-40CW elephant style
2 flatcars with OOCL containers
2 well cars with OOCL containers
10 autoracks with Chryslers onboard
1 empty centerbeam
2 white tankcars
1 86' NS boxcar
2 covered hoppers, the last one NS
As the eastbound passed, the signal for the CP 25T went from red to yellow and then yellow to green, as L63 moved farther west. With elephant style GE's screaming in notch 8 and alco-esque exhaust, the train passed us around 7:05PM:
CP 8760
CP 8643
Lots of autoracks at the front, and just as many mixed freight cars behind, including lots of tankcars, covered hoppers, and a few boxcars.
Thus concludes our unscheduled half hour of railfanning. The Wabash seems to be one of the hardest hit mainlines in Michigan when it comes to train counts and lengths, so it was good to see this fleeting moment of busyness.
Last edited by GP30M4216 on Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Busy Wabash main 6/10/09
When did they spin off A&W on Ecorse Rd.? Did you make it there? Are they still serving the same type of food? I always thought there dog sauce was off and not right.
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Re: Busy Wabash main 6/10/09
L64 10
L63 10
196 22
25T 10
JQ
L63 10
196 22
25T 10
JQ
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Re: Busy Wabash main 6/10/09
Thanks JQ for the symbols.
Matt, it was recently, within the past month, as you would still see the old Allen & Wright signs behind the new ones. We actually elected not to stay there for dinner but instead ended up at the real A&W at Eureka and Inkster, where the food was quite tastey. I never patronized the Ecorse Road drive-in when it was an A&W.
Matt, it was recently, within the past month, as you would still see the old Allen & Wright signs behind the new ones. We actually elected not to stay there for dinner but instead ended up at the real A&W at Eureka and Inkster, where the food was quite tastey. I never patronized the Ecorse Road drive-in when it was an A&W.
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Re: Busy Wabash main 6/10/09
I enjoy reading your reports, Nathan. Thanks.
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Re: Busy Wabash main 6/10/09
Look what I found! Only 13 years later, all the photos from this busy evening on the Wabash, not previously shared. How's this for a trip down memory lane? Should this be in the Historical topics section at this point?
NS local L64
Conrail GP38-2 #5318 (eerie and awesome Conrail horn)
CR 86' boxcar
6 black tankcars (will try to get reporting marks later)
4 NS 86' boxcars (including a freshly painted one, no graffiti, wow!)
2 50' boxcars
2 gondolas
1 Wisconsin Central 50' boxcar
NS local L64
Conrail GP38-2 #5318 (eerie and awesome Conrail horn)
CR 86' boxcar
6 black tankcars (will try to get reporting marks later)
4 NS 86' boxcars (including a freshly painted one, no graffiti, wow!)
2 50' boxcars
2 gondolas
1 Wisconsin Central 50' boxcar
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Re: Busy Wabash main 6/10/09
NS local L63
NS GP38-2 #5348 (ex CR) (Nice Conrail Horn)
4 covered hoppers (including 2 NS)
4 tankcars
1 50' boxcar
1 86' NS boxcar
N&W 555069 cupola caboose (Anyone know if this caboose is still based at Oakwood all these years later??)
NS GP38-2 #5348 (ex CR) (Nice Conrail Horn)
4 covered hoppers (including 2 NS)
4 tankcars
1 50' boxcar
1 86' NS boxcar
N&W 555069 cupola caboose (Anyone know if this caboose is still based at Oakwood all these years later??)
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Re: Busy Wabash main 6/10/09
NS manifest 196
NS 9504 D9-40CW
NS 9677 D9-40CW elephant style
2 flatcars with OOCL containers
2 well cars with OOCL containers
10 autoracks with Chryslers onboard
1 empty centerbeam
2 white tankcars
1 86' NS boxcar
2 covered hoppers, the last one NS
NS 9504 D9-40CW
NS 9677 D9-40CW elephant style
2 flatcars with OOCL containers
2 well cars with OOCL containers
10 autoracks with Chryslers onboard
1 empty centerbeam
2 white tankcars
1 86' NS boxcar
2 covered hoppers, the last one NS
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Re: Busy Wabash main 6/10/09
CP Rail manifest 25T
CP 8760
CP 8643
Lots of autoracks at the front, and just as many mixed freight cars behind, including lots of tankcars, covered hoppers, and a few boxcars.
CP 8760
CP 8643
Lots of autoracks at the front, and just as many mixed freight cars behind, including lots of tankcars, covered hoppers, and a few boxcars.
Re: Busy Wabash main 6/10/09
How did you even remember that you posted this report 13 years ago? Nice to see the photos though. Conrail paint even! nice
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Re: Busy Wabash main 6/10/09
Ha! I am an historian and do have a long memory, but in this case, I found the photos first and said “I bet this would be an interesting ‘old’ post on RRFan.” Then I couldn’t remember any of the train symbols, so while I was searching about for info on the Wabash line locals from that time period, I came across my own report with everything I wanted to know, just no photos! And 13 years later….the story is complete. It is neat to look back on that big can opener CR unit and the unmuddled N&W logo on the cab, among other details.