CF&E in Ada

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smokemyshorts
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CF&E in Ada

Unread post by smokemyshorts »

Yesterday, Friday, 10-21 I happened to catch this CF&E unit moving two tanks cars into the Amway plant in Ada. I don't get to Ada often and did not know about this. Anyone have any info on this? How often? Why would it be a CF&E locomotive?
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AARR
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Re: CF&E in Ada

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The line is operated by Genesee & Wyoming. It's their Grand Rapids Eastern line. G&W has numerous short line railroads and sends them across their system including Chicago, Fort Wayne & Eastern. The engine you saw hasn't been repainted yet and maybe never will.

Amway in Ada is a good customer for GRE. They get soda ash (IIRC), plastic pellets and whatever is in the tank cars. Maybe 10 cars a week or something like that.
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SD80MAC
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Re: CF&E in Ada

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CF&E 3885 first came to the Michigan Shore RR in 2010 from the CF&E. It was transferred again to the Grand Rapids Eastern in 2014.
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Saturnalia
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Re: CF&E in Ada

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Don, 2-4 cars is a much more accurate average for Amway each week.

Amway would do a lot more rail, but they are generally appalled by the service level. They want to know when their product will arrive, and the railroad's just generally don't cut it.
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SD80MAC
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Re: CF&E in Ada

Unread post by SD80MAC »

They switch Amway twice a week almost guaranteed. I would say about 3-4 in and out each time, so Don's 10 car guess isn't that far off.
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Re: CF&E in Ada

Unread post by StupidFlee​t »

I got confused. ada, Ohio is on the CFE
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smokemyshorts
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Re: CF&E in Ada

Unread post by smokemyshorts »

Thanks all for the info. I was aware of G & W as owner of Marquette Rail, but I don't think I realized they also had GRE. My office is a few blocks from the GRE track through GR (Fuller Ave. area) but of course I can't just leave work when I hear the train coming (or I would!). I knew they ran out to Lowell (thanks to TRR series) but did not know about the work they do for Amway.

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Re: CF&E in Ada

Unread post by smokemyshorts »

One of the things I have found very interesting about the railroad industry in the last year that I have become a serious railfan is this -- when you see a locomotive at the front of a train, you just assume the train is THAT company's train. You see NS at the front, "Oh, that's an NS train." Not so! There are so many variables. Trackage rights, shared power, mergers, acquisitions, locomotives being purchased by other companies but not repainted....etc. etc. It can be quite confusing. But it is also quite interesting and fun to try to figure it all out. An example in my area is the coal trains coming on CSX to West Olive. They usually have BNSF locomotives. But my understanding is they are actually operated by CSX. If find that fascinating that railroads share power like that. Anyone care to comment on this?

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SD80MAC
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Re: CF&E in Ada

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Yes, CSX gets the coal trains from BNSF in Chicago for the run to West Olive. Rather than swap out power every time in Chicago, it's easier to leave the power on and pay BNSF to use it. There could also be an agreement that has a CSX train going to the BNSF somewhere that keeps its CSX power on it and they just balance out the power usage that way. There are all kinds of odd arrangements for the use of other railroads motive power.
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Re: CF&E in Ada

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Saturnalia wrote:Don, 2-4 cars is a much more accurate average for Amway each week.

Amway would do a lot more rail, but they are generally appalled by the service level. They want to know when their product will arrive, and the railroad's just generally don't cut it.

Who's the source for this info?

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SD80MAC
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Re: CF&E in Ada

Unread post by SD80MAC »

IIRC MQT3001 heard the Amway rail and truck shipment guy speak at a rail conference in GR last year.
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EWRice
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Re: CF&E in Ada

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This is the same complaint I have heard from other west Michigan rail, and prior rail, customers.

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Saturnalia
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Re: CF&E in Ada

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EWRice wrote:This is the same complaint I have heard from other west Michigan rail, and prior rail, customers.
And it certainly isn't the local shortlines causing any of the problems. It's getting to the shortlines that is usually the problem.
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AARR
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Re: CF&E in Ada

Unread post by AARR »

One of the most frequent frustrations I hear from railroad customers is the unpredictable delivery schedules for carload service. The same commodity from the same origin may take a week or a month to reach the destination. Of course sometimes it's weather or some other factor beyond the railroads control but all too often there's no apparent reason for the time difference.
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Re: CF&E in Ada

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smokemyshorts wrote:Yesterday, Friday, 10-21 I happened to catch this CF&E unit moving two tanks cars into the Amway plant in Ada. I don't get to Ada often and did not know about this. Anyone have any info on this? How often? Why would it be a CF&E locomotive?
IMG_1841.jpg
From two years ago near Amway.

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i995impalass
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Re: CF&E in Ada

Unread post by i995impalass »

EWRice wrote:This is the same complaint I have heard from other west Michigan rail, and prior rail, customers.

What other Western Michigan Roads are you referring too?

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