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Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:05 pm
by LansingRailFan
AARR wrote: ↑Mon Jul 10, 2023 6:37 pm
Is this corn oil coming from The Anderson's ethanol plant in Hartung (Albion)? If yes, why would they transload on other railroads which involves trucking the product rather than load on their own inter-plant spur?
LansingRailFan wrote: ↑Mon Jul 10, 2023 11:29 am
AARR wrote: ↑Mon Jul 10, 2023 11:02 am
Does anyone know what is being loaded into the tank cars?
Corn oil - the Andersons.
“It’s all about price. Andersons were trucking corn oil from its Albion biofuel processing plat to Coldwater to load into rail cars for shipment to Louisiana. Canadian National Railroad gave a better price so now the corn oil is trucked to Lansing to connect to that rail line.”
https://www.thedailyreporter.com/story/ ... 389378001/
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:43 pm
by AARR
Thank you LRF.
When the corn oil was trucked to IN in Coldwater, IN would hand the cars back to NS in Montpelier. The Anderson's could have loaded at their Albion plant serviced by NS and skipped the cost of trucking and transloading on IN. Yet, somehow it was cheaper to transload
.
I would love to be on the inside of these price calculations to see how it can be cheaper to transload vs. using direct dock service.
LansingRailFan wrote: ↑Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:05 pm
AARR wrote: ↑Mon Jul 10, 2023 6:37 pm
Is this corn oil coming from The Anderson's ethanol plant in Hartung (Albion)? If yes, why would they transload on other railroads which involves trucking the product rather than load on their own inter-plant spur?
“It’s all about price. Andersons were trucking corn oil from its Albion biofuel processing plat to Coldwater to load into rail cars for shipment to Louisiana. Canadian National Railroad gave a better price so now the corn oil is trucked to Lansing to connect to that rail line.”
https://www.thedailyreporter.com/story/ ... 389378001/
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 9:47 pm
by Andy24
Train horns heard in the distance of Wyoming, MI area @ 9:47pm. Maybe a Grand Elk switching?
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2023 10:15 pm
by LansingRailFan
AARR wrote: ↑Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:43 pm
Thank you LRF.
When the corn oil was trucked to IN in Coldwater, IN would hand the cars back to NS in Montpelier. The Anderson's could have loaded at their Albion plant serviced by NS and skipped the cost of trucking and transloading on IN. Yet, somehow it was cheaper to transload
.
I would love to be on the inside of these price calculations to see how it can be cheaper to transload vs. using direct dock service.
LansingRailFan wrote: ↑Mon Jul 10, 2023 7:05 pm
AARR wrote: ↑Mon Jul 10, 2023 6:37 pm
Is this corn oil coming from The Anderson's ethanol plant in Hartung (Albion)? If yes, why would they transload on other railroads which involves trucking the product rather than load on their own inter-plant spur?
“It’s all about price. Andersons were trucking corn oil from its Albion biofuel processing plat to Coldwater to load into rail cars for shipment to Louisiana. Canadian National Railroad gave a better price so now the corn oil is trucked to Lansing to connect to that rail line.”
https://www.thedailyreporter.com/story/ ... 389378001/
I was told that The Andersons In Albion gets three unit trains-worth of corn a week trucked from Breckenridge. It’s cheaper than trying to send it by rail. It’s a massive facility but by transloading on JAIL they now have connections with CN, CSX and NS. Most goes via CN but all three RRs ship the cars.
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2023 6:49 am
by AARR
Thanks again LRF. I appreciate your insights.
LansingRailFan wrote: ↑Mon Jul 10, 2023 10:15 pm
I was told that The Andersons In Albion gets three unit trains-worth of corn a week trucked from Breckenridge. It’s cheaper than trying to send it by rail. It’s a massive facility but by transloading on JAIL they now have connections with CN, CSX and NS. Most goes via CN but all three RRs ship the cars.
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2023 8:43 am
by Andy24
Marquette Rail Z151-11 @ 8:43 am reported highballing Comstock Park with MQT #3408 leading
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2023 9:52 am
by Andy24
Andy24 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 11, 2023 8:43 am
Marquette Rail Z151-11 @ 8:43 am reported highballing Comstock Park with MQT #3408 leading
Marquette Rail Z151-11 @ 9:50 just reported at Turner St Yard
Grand Elk Z439-11 @ 9:50 reported with WAMX #3531, likely they are building their train for CSX Wyoming Yard
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2023 10:02 am
by LansingRailFan
JAIL JL-1 with 821/822 SB last night to Jackson with a couple dozen cars.
They had 65!!!! nB out of Jackson. 51 coils, a dozen boxcars and 2 tanks. They had two tracks taken up in Jackson yesterday when I was down there.
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2023 1:23 pm
by ~Z~
Grand Elk north through Byron Center at 1:22pm. WAMX 4125 and WAMX 4124 with a whole zero cars, lite power... been ages since I've seen what's basically not a train.
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2023 1:34 pm
by Andy24
~Z~ wrote: ↑Tue Jul 11, 2023 1:23 pm
Grand Elk north through Byron Center at 1:22 pm. WAMX 4125 and WAMX 4124 with a whole zero cars, lite power... been ages since I've seen what's basically not a train.
GDLK north through 54th Wyoming Area at 1:34 pm. Clear horns were heard and no visual
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2023 3:21 pm
by Plannerdad
MQT NB at Comstock Park, 3 engines 3389 leading, around 50 cars, at ~12:35p.
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2023 3:29 pm
by ~Z~
Grand Elk south through Byron Center at 3:25pm, WAMX 4124, 4125 and 32 cars.
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2023 10:50 pm
by Dan Cluley
JAIL southbound out of Mason at 22:47
821, 822 light engines
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Tue Jul 11, 2023 10:51 pm
by Andy24
Grand Elk horns in the distance around Wyoming 44th St area at 10:51pm
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 10:20 am
by Andy24
Marquette Rail Z151-12 @ 10:00 is currently working at a customer around Grant/Sparta area with MQT #3408 leading south
Marquette Rail Z151-12 @ 10:50 arrived at Turner St Yard mp CGE 3.6 and copied an EC1
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 3:51 pm
by Talk
Michigan Shore Z627-12 os Grand Haven Northbound 15:50. 2170 leading 2019 reverse elephant style
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Wed Jul 12, 2023 5:49 pm
by ~Z~
Grand elk north through Byron Center at 5:48pm, wamx 4125, 4124 and 17ish cars.
Back south through Byron Center at 8:02pm with 33 cars, mostly new AEX covered hoppers. Same power.
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2023 10:16 am
by Andy24
Marquette Rail Z151-13 @ 10:15 am copying EC1 at CGE 3.6 Turner St Yard with MQT #3408 leading south
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2023 6:48 pm
by cnw8835
LSRC Y119 south in to Mt Morris at 1849. 6431, 301 & 4301 for power. 398 axles per the detector.
Re: Shortlines of Michigan Location Updates July 2023
Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2023 9:42 pm
by cnw8835
Late report. HESR’s 805 job went from Vassar to Gera tonight to switch Star of the West. Power was 2026 & 3865. I could not stick around long enough to see how many cars they left with or if they went back to Vassar or straight to Saginaw.