The Detroit Southern RR

[I&Ofan4life]

Heads up Heart extra auto parts/ racks coming north for you. Power is a single SD40-2 #301, if you want the CSE will let the engine run through as this train is a train of nothing but hot cars for Ford.

[heartlandguy]

Heads up Heart extra auto parts/ racks coming north for you. Power is a single SD40-2 #301, if you want the CSE will let the engine run through as this train is a train of nothing but hot cars for Ford.

That sounds good. We'll let it run through to Detroit, and then send your engine back as soon as we can. Quick crew change in Cincy before we send her off.

[heartlandguy]

Starting on June 1st, the GR&P Railroad will now be operating trackage rights trains from Monroe, MI (on the recently purchased Diann-Monroe line) to Riga, MI, where they will get back onto their own rails. They will be using this route to bypass Toledo, OH. This also gives us a reason to keep the second track in place, at least north of Riga, MI. There will be anywhere from 17-20 GR&P trains a day, plus extras. The run-through symbols will be added to the list on Pg. 1 later...

Also, a hot extra autorack train from the CSE is running up the DSR this afternoon, bound for Detroit. He's made a fantastic run from Cincinnati, departing at 10:27am, and is the hottest train on the line as of now. Trains on the line now are below:

M-FRCI29 departing Lima, grabbing orders of the iron man near the yard office. DSR 400 (GP40) and DSR 407 (CN paint*, GP40-2) with 42 cars.

M-CIFR29 departing Cincinnati. DSR 704 (B30-7) and DSR 402 (GP40) with 29 cars.

M-COFR29 at Ottawa. DSR 224 (GP38-2) and DSR 701 (B30-7) with 31 cars.

A-FRWK29 crossing the MQT at Carleton, MI. DSR 703 (B30-7) and NS 6645 (SD60) with 35 autoracks.

A-CIDE29X pounding the AW diamonds and snagging orders at Maitland (Springfield). Will meet M-FRCI29 at Quicny. CSE 301 (SD40-2) and 16 boxcars + 20 autoracks (36 hot cars)

A-CIDE29 at Washington C.H. DSR 409 (CN paint*, GP40-2) and DSR 407 (GTW paint*, GP40-2) with 40 cars.

[heartlandguy]

GR&P trackage rights trains begin today between Monroe and Riga, MI. A few of these trains are already out running on the DSR mainline. Intermodal trains from them will be given a little more priority, unlike the freight and autorack trains.

GR&P trains running:
I104-01 at Diann.
I111-01 at Riga.
S106-01 at Monroe, entering the GRP connection
M102-01 at Diann, waiting to get on the GRP Connection.

Also, work has begun on the MQT interchange in Carleton, MI...

[heartlandguy]

A few things have happened since I last posted on here. First things first, some new acquisitions...

The Detroit Southern RR has acquired the lease of the lines formerly operated by US Rail out of Jackson, OH. The lines, owned by the City of Jackson, serve multiple industries in the area, but have been having problems keeping traffic up. To add on to that problem, years of deferred maintenance (stretching back to the B&O era) have caused track speeds to plummet. Both the Detroit Southern & the City of Jackson hope to turn these problems around in the next few months... The line will be operated under a new subsidiary of the DSR, known as the Jackson Central Rail Company (JCRC). We purchased 2 GP9s and two GP40-2s for the line to use (the GP9s for local runs south and east from Jackson, and the GP40-2s for the road turn from Jackson to the CSX interchange Vauces, via the AW). I will post an image of a JCRC GP9 when I get the chance...

We are on the fence about the double trackage from Detroit to Lima, that was installed by the DT&C a few years ago. The rails from Riga, MI and northward to Detroit are safe due to increased traffic from GR&P and GLH trains. Everything south of there is up for debate. Original plans were to scrap the double track from Riga to Delta, leave double track in from Delta to Liberty Center, then rip up the rest except for a few scattered sidings here or there. Now, debate has grown over what should be done. If the 2nd track does eventually get taken up, the materials will be put to use on the JCRC to improve their trackage...

[heartlandguy]

Jackson Central RR Co. #998:



This unit is used primarily for runs south of Jackson to where the line ends south of Oak Hill...

[heartlandguy]

Been awhile since I posted on this one, so here we go:

As for roster changes, the DSR has purchased 5 former GT/DWP SD40s from NREX. These engines are unique, as they are some of the last straight SD40s around. They currently still retain their original schemes, with 2 being in CN North America paint, 2 in GTW paint, and the 1 (and only) in DWP paint. The engines will need a little fixing up before being put into service, but should be out by the end of this week. They are to be numbered DSR 500-504...

The second main has been ripped up between Riga and Lima. The following locations remain as sidings and short stretches of double track (all trackage remains dark territory/TWC, w/ train orders):
-A 6500ft siding at Metamora, MI.
-11 miles of double track between Liberty Center (ND&W diamonds) and just north of Delta
-A 5700ft siding in Malinta
-A 5000ft siding, as well as an interchange track, at Hamler
-A 3000ft siding at Leipsic
-A 6000ft siding at Ottawa
-A 2000ft interchange track at Columbus Grove
-And 3 miles of double track from Lutz (Lutz Rd crossing south of Cairo) to Ford Park Yard in Lima.

Since the AW Railroad pulled out, the DSR acquired the former B&O St. Louis Line from Midland City to Cincinnati, as well as the stub to Greenfield, where a handful of industries are served. Under the AW, the line was fully equipped with CTC, with B&O CPLs guarding sidings and junctions. These will remain in place and controlled from the depot in Midland City, which will now become headquarters for that division AND the dispatchers office on the former B&O to Columbus, as well as on the former DT&I to Springfield. The Jackson Central operation also gained trackage from this, with them aquiring the St. Louis line from Hamden to West Jct, before getting on the former Wellston Line to Vauces. Also aquired was a stub to Red Diamond, where the large Red Diamond Explosives plant exists.

New traffic may be coming from the NS, as well as from the OHCR/G&W, in Columbus. The OHCR traffic will mainly be from PA. Detroit-bound freight will be tacked on to the M-COFR/M-FRCO. Traffic for Cincinnati will go via T-WCCG to Washington C.H, and then M-FRCI to Cincinnati (and vice versa). The NS traffic is still a bit uncertain, but rumor has it that NS may be running a pair of intermodals from their Rickenbacker terminal to Cincinnati via the DSR. Also, a new mill will be building north of Washington Court House, and will require a few grain trains from the CN in Detroit...