Jackson ops

[GP30M4216]

What are operations looking like around Jackson these days? I actually swung through there this evening on my way back from Lansing. Checked in on the Mechanic Street crossing - still doing well, Amtrak Station - still looking good and they're setting up the Christmas tree and decorations, but it's still only open from 7:30AM-3:00PM daily, and the NS yard. All red signals to be found at the Michigan Ave. control point. I found a pair of NS GP40-2s at the west end of Jackson Yard, it looked like they had just cut off from their train, which was 6-7 covered hoppers and a single boxcar with flashing EOT. This was at 6:30PM. Couldn't see into the rest of the yard thanks to the dark rain.

Amtrak is obviously easy to figure out. What trains does NS still run to/through here? Has the Jackson & Lansing normalized their time for coming to make their interchange in Jackson Yard yet? I've had some good luck taking photos here in the past and am looking to get some information to come back again some day. Amtrak is back to using track 1 for westbound movements, right? Thanks for any help.

[Scooterb]

I will chime in, just what I have caught on the scanner. Which hasnt been much lately.
B22 Jackson local M-F 8:00 am-6:00 pm sometimes run to Chelsea and 4 mile.
B34 Battle Creek Jackson M-F arrives Jackson between 10am-12 pm. Leaves 12pm-2pm back west.
B16 M-F Albion train switches early morning 8;00 am- 1:00 pm heads to Albion 1-2pm, returns 5pm-7pm
B44 Daily? heads to Wayne 9-11 pm returnes early am 5-8 am
JAIL 9:00 pm-midnight arrives, returns early am 2am-5am? Have heard on the scanner they are not supposed to enter the yard until B44 has left or midnight.

AMTK seems to be using both tracks I assume, have not heard the shuffle in awhile.

[Buster Manning]

Yes we do, although we are 'supposed' to be on main 1 to be next to the platform

[GP30M4216]

Thank you! The NS symbols keep changing on me and I'm not sure what the times of operation are for these jobs so I figured I ought to see what the latest story is. Thanks Scooter and Buster!

[Scooterb]

Heard B44 was going towork Chelsea and 4 mile either Thursday or Friday night.

[RRTTF]

Hope this helps. These are "current target" times.

TRAIN CITY IN OUT
B16 JACKSON MI 11:30:00.0
B16 PARMA MI 12:30:00.0 13:15:00.0
B16 ALBION MI 14:30:00.0 15:30:00.0
B16 MARSHALL MI 17:00:00.0 17:00:00.0
B16 BATTL CREE MI 18:00:00.0 18:00:00.0
B16 JACKSON MI 18:30:00.0

B22 JACKSON MI 06:30:00.0
B22 JACKSON MI 14:30:00.0

B34 BATTL CREE MI 08:30:00.0
B34 JACKSON MI 10:00:00.0 11:00:00.0
B34 BATTL CREE MI 13:00:00.0 14:00:00.0
B34 BARON MI 14:01:00.0 14:01:00.0
B34 GORD MI 14:06:00.0 14:06:00.0
B34 AUGUSTA MI 15:00:00.0 17:00:00.0
B34 GORD MI 17:23:00.0 17:23:00.0
B34 BARON MI 17:28:00.0 17:28:00.0
B34 BATTL CREE MI 18:00:00.0

B44 JACKSON MI 20:30:00.0
B44 CHELSEA MI 21:15:00.0 21:45:00.0
B44 WAYNE MI 22:15:00.0 23:15:00.0
B44 INKSTER MI 23:30:00.0 00:00:00.0
B44 YPSILANTI MI 00:05:00.0 00:45:00.0
B44 ANN ARBOR MI 01:00:00.0 01:45:00.0
B44 DEXTER MI 02:00:00.0 02:45:00.0
B44 FOUR MIL L MI 03:00:00.0 03:30:00.0
B44 JACKSON MI 04:15:00.0

[JANGAJONGA]

t

[Buster Manning]

B44 has been working Jiffy quite a bit lately; if you want to see something interesting, go watch the contractors working on adding silos at Jiffy on the south side of the tracks. When we went thru there Fri., they had the place all lit up and were either pouring concrete or making the forms to pour; it looks like they are adding 6 more silos--maybe more rail traffic??

RRTTF, where did you 'obtain' those dreams--errr, I mean, target times??

[RRTTF]

I obtained those target times from my sister's boyfriend's mother's brother's neighbor's uncle's sister-in-law's husband... in other words, a confidential first hand, highly-placed, knowledgeable, informed source of accurate information. It could be you. Is your wife's name Gertrude?

[Buster Manning]

Nope, her name is ******** and she mostly dislikes railroads

[Ben Higdon]

Thanks for posting the times...do you have the days they operate also?

[PriorrightsConrail]

Jackson jobs-

B44, on duty 7pm, Sunday through Thursday. Wayne Turn. Main job, haul EVERYTHING in and out of West Michigan and service Chelsea Milling and Chelsea Grain.

B22, on duty 6:30am, Monday through Friday. Main job, Jackson yard work. Wolverine, Worthington, Jackson Iron & Metal, Macsteel, Miller Truck and Storage, Dawn and Way Baking.

B16, on duty 7am, Monday through Friday. Albion turn. Main job, switch the inbound train from Wayne (B44) then go do the Albion work: Guardian Fiberglass, Anderson's ethanol, Premier (Georgia Pacific) and American Colloid.

Battle Creek jobs-

B34, on duty 7am, Monday through Friday. Jackson turn. Main job, haul everything in and out of Battle Creek. No local switching along the way.

B57, on duty 7pm, Monday through Friday. Main job, Battle Creek yard work. Switch ADM (Archer-Daniels-Midland), Kellogg's, Post, Ralston, Rock Tenn (paper mill at the west end of "the corridor") and Knappen Milling in Augusta. Every once in a great while US Lumber gets a car. That is off of #1 main just west of Gord.

I hope this answers any questions you may have had.

[John Ryan]

Thanks! This is one of the most helpful and informative threads I've seen in a long time.

[GP30M4216]

Thanks to all who have contributed here, this is a great little source! I now have a really good idea of just what and when might be moving where. And I'm glad I asked, because a couple of the NS symbols have changed on me since I last checked.

I stopped by the Jackson Station quickly on the way home from work this afternoon, right before the place closed up at 3:00pm. Amazing that the place is only open for a single shift and fully half of the trains which stop at Jackson do so in the evening when the whole building is locked up tight, with no services or amenities provided for passengers. Not even on this, the busiest day of the year for Amtrak, was a second agent called in to keep the building open longer. Amazing.

An NS D9-40CW, high hood GP50, and GP38-2 were all present at the west end of Jackson Yard. Any ideas if B22 still uses that Conrail bay window caboose for local back up moves? Thanks again!

[RRTTF]

Absolutely sad that Amtrak management is so out of tune with the realities of their customer service needs. If Amtrak would only double the number of trains, they would see their ridership quadruple. The CHI-DET route is actually one that could easily go head-to-head with the airlines. And, one does not have to undergo a body scan and pat down search before boarding an Amtrak train... leastwise, TSA hasn't messed that up yet.

[Racer]

Interesting how NS operates west of Jackson.....though not as much as the pre-Grand Elk days. Speaking of Grand Elk, what NS job goes to Kalamazoo to get interchanging cars from Botsford Yard?

[AARR]

Absolutely sad that Amtrak management is so out of tune with the realities of their customer service needs. If Amtrak would only double the number of trains, they would see their ridership quadruple. The CHI-DET route is actually one that could easily go head-to-head with the airlines. And, one does not have to undergo a body scan and pat down search before boarding an Amtrak train... leastwise, TSA hasn't messed that up yet.

You are so right about the Detroit-Chicago corridor. With the new security measures airlines are losing the time advantage they held over rail for so long.

I read an article how Amtrak can take advantage of the huge mess airlines are in (it's not just TSA abuses, all airlines are in jeapordy of financial melt downs) to gain ridership and financial strength. Sadly, Amtrak hasn't had decent leadership since Mr Gunn and he was kicked out because he didn't play the political game which Amtrak is subject too.

[GP30M4216]

Cars are not interchanged in Kalamazoo between the NS and Grand Elk. Apparently, I've been told that B57 will occasionally run to Kalamazoo to switch the LC Howard Warehouse off the North Pass at the east end of Botsford, since Grand Elk does not run out the east end of the yard. Not sure if this is still in effect, or if Grand Elk now does this work. All NS interchange happens in Elkhart. I don't know about the CN, though, The CN and Grand Elk may interchange cars at Kilgore Yard or somewhere in that area.

Side note - is B22 the job that switches Certain Teed, the place on the west leg of the wye that gets covered hoppers?

[AARR]

Side note - is B22 the job that switches Certain Teed, the place on the west leg of the wye that gets covered hoppers?

Don't know the answer to your question but CertainTeed makes vinyl siding here and back in the 90's when the home market was booming so was this place. They'd usually have 6-8 cars on their spur and get switched several times a week. I'd imagine it's production is much lower now.

[Scooterb]

Side note - is B22 the job that switches Certain Teed, the place on the west leg of the wye that gets covered hoppers?

AS far as I know yes.