CSX Train Location Updates - April 2024

[Tom49801]

Amtrak P371-20 @ 07:34:10 westward N. Center St crossing Bangor, Mi mp CG60.35 IDTX engine #4617 & 5 cars (2 Venture Coaches + AmCafé + Venture Business + Venture Coach) with 2 passengers On at the station mp CG60.5

M327-20 @ 07:47 westward reported from Grandville, Mi mp CG6.0 with a Medium Clear signal. CSX engine #897 + mid dpu CSX engine #876 & 207 cars (86 loads + 121 empties) @ 14,881 tons & 11,925 feet long.

[LSRC]

M327 West @ Grandville

[Tom49801]

W085-14 Ballast Train in Grand Rapids: around 08:25, per Rouge Tower, will be getting his engines from the Service Track to start his day on the Plymouth sub-division.

Amtrak P371-21 @ 08:23 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG91.9 St Joseph, Mi with 24 axles. IDTX engine #4617 & 5 cars (2 Venture Coaches + AmCafé + Venture Business + Venture Coach).

M327-20 @ 08:23 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG19.1 Zeeland, Mi with 840 axles. CSX engine #897 + mid dpu CSX engine #876 & 207 cars (86 loads + 121 empties) @ 14,881 tons & 11,925 feet long.

W085 @ 08:52 was told "the ballast man" is about 20 minutes away, apparently that's to re-fill their cars.

W085-14 @ 09:00 Grand Rapids mark up with the RN Dispatcher with: UP engines #7680 + #8178 & 89 loaded cars & rear dpu UP engine #7134 @ 12,602 tons & 4,939 feet long. The rest of his crew is due there in about 20 minutes & will give their work locations to the Dispatcher then. They had said they will update the tonnage after some of his cars are re-filled.

[Tom49801]

M327-20 @ 09:24 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG44.2 Pearl, Mi with 840 axles. CSX engine #897 + mid dpu CSX engine #876 & 207 cars (86 loads + 121 empties) @ 14,881 tons & 11,925 feet long.

M327-20 @ 09:48:40 westward Bangor, Mi N. Center St crossing mp CG60.35 live cam.

Note: M326 is off today.

[Tom49801]

W085-14 (ballast train) @ 10:30 eastward reported from Godfrey mp CG 0.99 with UP engines #7680 + #8178 & 89 loaded cars & rear dpu UP engine #7134. He's working on the Plymouth sub-division & will start dropping ballast at mp CH108. He hadn't updated the rest of his locations, but, yesterday evening he had said they'll be dropping ballast from mp CH89 to CH87 & mp CH75 to CH60.

W085-14 @ 10:46 eastward reported from Seymour with a Medium Clear signal mp CH148.1

W085-14 @ 11:04 eastward reported from Thornapple mp CH139. At 11:05 he had advised the Dispatcher he’ll be dropping ballast from mp CH108.94 to CH58.98 where needed at a speed of 15 mph.

M327-20 @ 11:08 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG91.9 St Joseph, Mi with 840 axles. CSX engine #897 + mid dpu CSX engine #876 & 207 cars (86 loads + 121 empties) @ 14,881 tons & 11,925 feet long.

[Tom49801]

W085-14 (ballast train) @ 11:31 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CH126.3 Clarksville, Mi with 374 axles. UP engines #7680 + #8178 & 89 loaded cars & rear dpu UP engine #7134. He’ll be dropping ballast from mp CH108.94 to CH58.98 where needed & at a speed of 15 mph.

W085-14 (ballast train) @ 12:17 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CH104.3 Mulliken, Mi with 380 axles (should have been 374 axles).

L303-19 @ 12:29 Grand Rapids mark up & EC1 with the RN Dispatcher with: CSX engines #5474 + #7267 & 72 cars (12 loads + 60 empties) @ 3,335 tons & 3,888 feet long. He’s ready to depart & has work in Lansing - final destination is Detroit.

[Tom49801]

L303-19 @ 13:02 eastward reported from Seymour mp CH148.1 with a Medium Clear signal. CSX engines #5474 + #7267 & 72 cars.

L303-20 @ 13:46 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CH126.3 Clarksville, Mi with 304 axles. CSX engines #5474 + #7267 & 73 cars (1 car more than what the job briefing had specified or there is a special multi-axle car). He has work in Lansing - final destination is Detroit.

[Tom49801]

L303-20 @ 14:26 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CH104.3 Mulliken, Mi with 304 axles. CSX engines #5474 + #7267 & 73 cars.

[Tom49801]

C801-19 @ 15:32 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG91.9 St Joseph, Mi with 532 axles. BNSF engine #6319 & 130 loaded coal cars & rear dpu BNSF engine #(?).

[amessmann]

15:38 - W085 thru Wallace Rd. CH 66.32. HiRail maybe 1/4 miles behind.
15:57 - reportedly finished dumping ballast, stopping just east of EE Fowlerville to let the Herzog man and his equipment off the train.
16:43 - W085 thru EE Brighton, UP engines 7680 and 8178 on the front, and UP 7134 pushing from the rear. 89 cars, 87 empties and 2 loads which gave trouble when time to unload.

[MuskegonRailfanning]

16:27 - W085 Highball through Howell under the Signal Bridge

[Tom49801]

C801-19 @ 16:38:30 eastward Bangor’s Division St crossing mp CG60.93 live cam with BNSF engine #6319 & 130 loaded coal cars & rear dpu BNSF engine #9381. He’ll add CSX engines #7381 + #858 behind his leader at Grand Jct mp CG54 & then head into Wells Siding mp CG43.3 & tie down.

[Tom49801]

C801-19 @ 16:38:30 eastward Bangor’s Division St crossing mp CG60.93 live cam with BNSF engine #6319 & 130 loaded coal cars & rear dpu BNSF engine #9381. He’ll add CSX engines #7381 + #858 behind his leader at Grand Jct mp CG54 & then head into Wells Siding mp CG43.3 & tie down.

C801-19 @ 17:45 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG44.2 Pearl, Mi with 544 axles.

[amessmann]

18:28 - L302-20 thru Rickett Rd. CH 44.35 with 5390 and 426 leading 121 cars. Lots of stone loads making up the majority of the consist.
19:47 - L303-20 thru Ridge Rd. CH 28.1. The reported 338 axles works out to 81.5 cars.

[Tom49801]

Amtrak P370-20 @ 21:14 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG91.9 St Joseph, Mi with 24 axles. AMTK P42 engine #39 engine & 5 cars.

[Tom49801]

18:28 - L302-20 thru Rickett Rd. CH 44.35 with 5390 and 426 leading 121 cars. Lots of stone loads making up the majority of the consist.
19:47 - L303-20 thru Ridge Rd. CH 28.1. The reported 338 axles works out to 81.5 cars.

L302-20 @ 21:14 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CH104.3 Mulliken, Mi with 408 axles. CSX engines #5390 + #426 & 99 cars. He had work in Lansing – final destination is Grand Rapids, Mi.

L302-20 @ 21:54 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CH126.3 Clarksville, Mi with 408 axles.

Amtrak P370-20 @ 21:57:44 eastward Division St crossing Bangor, Mi mp CG60.93 AMTK P42 engine #39 & 5 cars (Venture Coach + Venture Business + AmCafe + 2 Venture Coach) with 6 passengers Off at the station mp CG60.5

[Tom49801]

Amtrak P370-20 @ 22:20 eastward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG44.2 in Pearl, Mi with 24 axles. AMTK P42 engine #39 & 5 cars (Venture Coach + Venture Business + AmCafe + 2 Venture Coach).

L302-20 @ 22:23 westward reported from mp CH143.3 with CSX engines #5390 + #426 & 99 cars.

[amessmann]

00:52 - B222-19 thru EE Brighton with CP 7050 on the head and CP 8016 pushing from behind. Per Green Oak, 82 empty potash cars in between.

I had woken up maybe 10 minutes after they passed Ann Pere, making it to Hyne St. CH 44.98 just in time to dig the camera out. The new potash hoppers gleamed in what little light was available and 8016 sounded healthier than on their way west. W085-14 sits in the siding between CH 25 and CH 26, not visible around the corner from Beck Rd. Friends suggested B222 will tie down at Lilley or Joy Rds. On paper there is enough room to fit the 4,074' B222 behind the 4,939' W085 in the 10,000' between CH 27 and CH 25 but with W085 sitting well before the signals at CH 25, I don't see that happening.

Regarding W085, I had forgotten to mention that the engineer stated he "in 26 years had never seen so many railfans out".

[Tom49801]

R598-20 @ 04:24 copied their EC1 to depart the power plant in West Olive, Mi mp CGP 1.0 & diverge onto the Fremont sub-div & head south to the Grand Rapids sub-div in Holland, Mi with BNSF engine #9013 & 130 empty coal cars & rear dpu BNSF engine #5776. He’ll be taking Grand Jct siding mp CG54 & tie down.

R598-20 @ 05:11 westward Holland Depot mp CG25.3 After he ties down in Grand Jct siding, he'll go to Wells siding mp CG41.4 to pickup loaded coal train C801-19 that had tied down there yesterday. C801-19's CSX extra power, #7381 + #858 was added yesterday behind the leader engine, but, don't know if the train was cut for a crossing there.

M327-21 @ 05:38 Grand Rapids, Mi mark up with the RN Dispatcher: CSX engines #4589 + #3239 (in tow) & 95 cars (36 loads + 59 empties) @ 6,573 tons & 5,700 feet long. He’s building his train. These engines were on Friday's L303-19 with the #3239 leading & had lost "tractive effort".

R598-20 @ 05:51 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG44.2 Pearl, Mi with 532 axles.

[Tom49801]

Amtrak P371-21 @ 06:43 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG19.1 in Zeeland, Mi with 24 axles. AMTK P42 engine #39 & 5 cars (Venture Coach + Venture Business + AmCafe + 2 Venture Coach).

M327-21 @ 06:45 westward reported from Ivanrest mp CG4.7 with an Approach Medium signal. CSX engines #4589 + #3239 (in tow) & 95 cars (36 loads + 59 empties) @ 6,573 tons & 5,700 feet long.

M327-21 @ 07:18 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG19.1 Zeeland, Mi with 392 axles.

Amtrak P371-21 @ 07:20 westward reported by the Defect Detector mp CG44.2 in Pearl, Mi with 24 axles.

Amtrak P371-21 @ 07:35:48 westward N. Center St crossing Bangor, Mi mp CG60.35 live cam with 4 passengers On at the station mp CG60.5