RailRoadFan.com

ConrailDetr​oit wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 22, 2020 6:22 pm

GTW6401 wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 22, 2020 4:16 pm

Technically part of the Holly is already gone south of Milwaukee Junction. I also heard that they were looking to spinoff the Holly in the 1990s, so don't say never.... Its like the showcase showdown...it all can yours if the price is right!

What was the reason for spinoff of the Holly in the 90s? Back then with strong auto business from GM Pontiac, GM Poletown, loaded Coal in both directions, and overall more business in southeast Michigan, etc.

Word is the Mt Clemens Sub was nearly abandoned from Nolan to Richmond in the early 90s with only a few trains and a local and existing traffic going to the Romeo Sub before that was gone.

Cannot speak for the Holly sub, but the MTC sub was about as close as you can get to becoming a trail in 1990. I had the opportunity to interview the late Gerald Maas, who was the president of the Grand Trunk Corp., and he said that all of the necessary paper work had been prepared to abandon everything north of Gillen Yard (MP 11.67) to Tappan. It was about this time that the early plans for the new Port Huron tunnel were being solidified and that, of course, is what saved the line from oblivion. They surely wiped their collective brows when they realized just how close they came to making a monumental error.
Somewhere, in a dark corner, I still have that interview on a cassette tape - need to dig it out and refresh the complete facts !

Man o' War

Gotta be the U. P. and branches in Wisconsin. With the tunnel in Port Huron, the instant bypass around Chicago acquiring the "J" and getting the main line from Chicago to Superior Wi, CN has a huge advantage over everone else. Just have to trim some of the branches. I agree also that they could sell the Kazoo branch and interchange at Pavilion with WAMX.

Let's quell most of the rumors here, all lines being put up for sale in the US are in the Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin. The only 2 lines presently that are in Michigan on the block is the Newberry line from Trout Lake to Munising, and the White Pine Branch that has been mothballed for several years. Everything else is in Wisconsin. Nothing on the GTW is up for sale.

I'm sure people will doubt me, so go right ahead, but all property up for sale according to CN is wholly contained to the former WC, so please, put 2 and 2 together.

Is there any potential business on the White Pine Branch?

kckorienek wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 22, 2020 9:20 pm

...and the White Pine Branch that has been mothballed for several years.

kckorienek wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 22, 2020 9:20 pm

Let's quell most of the rumors here, all lines being put up for sale in the US are in the Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin. The only 2 lines presently that are in Michigan on the block is the Newberry line from Trout Lake to Munising, and the White Pine Branch that has been mothballed for several years. Everything else is in Wisconsin. Nothing on the GTW is up for sale.

I'm sure people will doubt me, so go right ahead, but all property up for sale according to CN is wholly contained to the former WC, so please, put 2 and 2 together.

I tend to agree. CN still has a decent-sized operation out of Gladstone/Escanaba and they still have a few ore trains. I don’t see them dumping the Manistique Sub or the southern end of the Marquette Range.

Here are the lines (bolded in red) that CN is looking to shed. Looks like just the Newberry Branch and White Pine Sub here in Michigan.

NS3322 wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 23, 2020 6:55 am

Here are the lines (bolded in red) that CN is looking to shed. Looks like just the Newberry Branch and White Pine Sub here in Michigan.

Do you have a link to that?
The only place I could find that image was a facebook post which based on the URL of your image, is where your image came from.
I have seen nothing related to the specific lines on the official CN website.

That map is legit.

Saturnalia wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 23, 2020 8:26 am

That map is legit.

Anyone seen what CN wants to unload in Ontario?

The line in Ontario that I could see spun off would be the line to Thunder Bay. Other than that I dont know if there is the line to North Bay. I dont see any other lines that stand out. One question is the short segment they show in Windsor. Would they divest this? What customers do they serve in Windsor?

chapmaja wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 23, 2020 5:15 pm

The line in Ontario that I could see spun off would be the line to Thunder Bay. Other than that I dont know if there is the line to North Bay. I dont see any other lines that stand out. One question is the short segment they show in Windsor. Would they divest this? What customers do they serve in Windsor?

Could the Sault Ste Marie-Hearst line be one of the sales?

CN just announced sale of all of these lines to Watco.

Is CN still considering selling the line south out of Flat Rock? Haven't seen a CN operated train running that direction in quite some time.

Chip wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 30, 2021 3:54 pm

Is CN still considering selling the line south out of Flat Rock? Haven't seen a CN operated train running that direction in quite some time.

On the same beam is the track south of Diann still owned by CN but leased to I&O or does the I&O own it outright?

ns8401 wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 30, 2021 4:04 pm

Chip wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 30, 2021 3:54 pm

Is CN still considering selling the line south out of Flat Rock? Haven't seen a CN operated train running that direction in quite some time.

On the same beam is the track south of Diann still owned by CN but leased to I&O or does the I&O own it outright?

Chip - no lines in the lower peninsula were considered for sale, ever, in this process.

Hopefully someone will put together a news story soon which goes further than the press release, including spelling out exactly what's included in those 650 US miles.

No sale filings listed yet at STB site.

Steve B wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 30, 2021 5:20 pm

Hopefully someone will put together a news story soon which goes further than the press release, including spelling out exactly what's included in those 650 US miles.

No sale filings listed yet at STB site.

Never mind, just saw the map Watco released that confirms Watco will apparently buy all of what was for sale.