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South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2019 9:52 pm
by MQT1223
The Chicagoland Railfan group on Facebook had a member posting a photo of a freight train heading north on the Michigan Line under the coaling Tower at Michigan City with what is apparently a test train for a new service the South Shore is running.

Does anyone else have any insight to this??? If this is to happen regularly this would be very cool and neat to see Freight between Michigan City and Kzoo again.

If they are to run on the Michigan Line, why run all the way to Jackson and not just Kalamazoo into Kilgore?

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2019 10:06 pm
by NS3322
I was just informed that the post on Facebook was one big joke. A cruel one at best. It has since been removed from Facebook.
Especially for those who were tired of seeing black and white GP38's :lol:.

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2019 10:54 pm
by MQT1223
NS3322 wrote:Zach please delete this topic.
I was just informed that the post on Facebook was one big joke. A cruel one at best. It has since been removed from Facebook.
Especially for those who were tired of seeing black and white GP38's :lol:.
So I have learned myself... it was a well done photo I will say.

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2019 11:00 pm
by NS3322
O Scale Railfanner wrote:
NS3322 wrote:Zach please delete this topic.
I was just informed that the post on Facebook was one big joke. A cruel one at best. It has since been removed from Facebook.
Especially for those who were tired of seeing black and white GP38's :lol:.
So I have learned myself... it was a well done photo I will say.
I think the South Shore runs freight along the line frequently under the tower. I should've known better.

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:08 am
by GreatLakesRailfan
I know you're not pleased that the post was a prank, but...I wasn't sure quite what was going on when I saw that post, so thank you both for sticking your necks out there and exposing the prank. Certain members of that group need a major attitude adjustment and a lot of it seems to be driven by the South Shore crowd.

One thing I've learned over the past several years is that the railfans in the Chicagoland area are a strange bunch. It can't hurt to take anything they post with a large grain of salt. (Note: this isn't a knock on all of the railfans in the Chicagoland area, just a warning that some don't know where to draw the line with what they post.)

Honestly, I was wondering if there was another Jackson along their route as there's not really a good way to get to Jackson, Michigan from the CSS&SB core route...

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:59 pm
by justalurker66
GreatLakesRailfan wrote:Honestly, I was wondering if there was another Jackson along their route as there's not really a good way to get to Jackson, Michigan from the CSS&SB core route...
The Amtrak Michigan line from Michigan City would be the most direct route to Jackson.

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:47 pm
by J T
NS3322 wrote:Zack please delete this topic.
I was just informed that the post on Facebook was one big joke. A cruel one at best.
How was it cruel?

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:49 pm
by NS3322
Deleted

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:16 pm
by Steve B
NS3322 wrote:
I do not understand why NS keeps hauling freight west of Kalamazoo.
Without access to NS's financial books regarding its operations on that line, one wouldn't expect you, me, or anyone else to understand.

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 5:46 am
by Ypsi
NS3322 wrote:
I do not understand why NS keeps hauling freight west of Kalamazoo.
[/quote]

They don't own the tracks, don't pay the MOW, but still get the customers. My guess is the deal for the freight is pretty ok/ makes sense for the remaining traffic.

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 7:22 am
by AARR
Also, I think they save at least two to three crews sending the cars to Kalamazoo/Elkhart rather than going east to Wayne/Detroit then south to Toledo then west again to Elkhart.
Ypsi wrote:
NS3322 wrote:
I do not understand why NS keeps hauling freight west of Kalamazoo.
They don't own the tracks, don't pay the MOW, but still get the customers. My guess is the deal for the freight is pretty ok/ makes sense for the remaining traffic.[/quote]

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:02 am
by Super Chief
NS only had to install the ITCS radios in their 7100 series locomotives (6 or so) and crew costs. Customers are really getting good service. I've followed this crew and they do have a full day of work. Leave Burns Harbor , wait in Michigan City for the morning Amtrak, proceed east, switch Dowagiac, Decatur and Lawton staying out of Amtraks way there. Going back thru Michigan City at 7:30pm to get home. Some days light traffic some days heavy with grain trains for Decatur or Herzog ballast trains for Amtrak. Don may know of other customers on the west end.

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 6:28 pm
by NS3322
Super Chief wrote:NS only had to install the ITCS radios in their 7100 series locomotives (6 or so) and crew costs. Customers are really getting good service. I've followed this crew and they do have a full day of work. Leave Burns Harbor , wait in Michigan City for the morning Amtrak, proceed east, switch Dowagiac, Decatur and Lawton staying out of Amtraks way there. Going back thru Michigan City at 7:30pm to get home. Some days light traffic some days heavy with grain trains for Decatur or Herzog ballast trains for Amtrak. Don may know of other customers on the west end.
No more customers in Niles?

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:19 pm
by AARR
This what I show for customers.
Lawton – Welch’s
Decatur – North Star Grain
Dowagiac – Ameriwood
Niles – National Standard
Buchanan – Co-Alliance
Corrections are welcomed
NS3322 wrote:
Super Chief wrote:NS only had to install the ITCS radios in their 7100 series locomotives (6 or so) and crew costs. Customers are really getting good service. I've followed this crew and they do have a full day of work. Leave Burns Harbor , wait in Michigan City for the morning Amtrak, proceed east, switch Dowagiac, Decatur and Lawton staying out of Amtraks way there. Going back thru Michigan City at 7:30pm to get home. Some days light traffic some days heavy with grain trains for Decatur or Herzog ballast trains for Amtrak. Don may know of other customers on the west end.
No more customers in Niles?

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:00 am
by GTW6401
South Shore does switch out a few customers on the Amtrak line in Michigan City. Ive saw them working at the USALCO plant before, which is located right behind the coal tower off US12.

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:21 pm
by chapmaja
NS3322 wrote:
Super Chief wrote:NS only had to install the ITCS radios in their 7100 series locomotives (6 or so) and crew costs. Customers are really getting good service. I've followed this crew and they do have a full day of work. Leave Burns Harbor , wait in Michigan City for the morning Amtrak, proceed east, switch Dowagiac, Decatur and Lawton staying out of Amtraks way there. Going back thru Michigan City at 7:30pm to get home. Some days light traffic some days heavy with grain trains for Decatur or Herzog ballast trains for Amtrak. Don may know of other customers on the west end.
No more customers in Niles?
Looking at the Google Maps, National Standard still has a spur in place, but it has been cut near the mainline. The only other "customer" line I see in Niles is the line that runs south off the main past Quality Composite Systems. This line looks disused past QCS and is cut south of Wayne St. The industry on the east side of that line appears long gone since the side / roof has collapsed on the west side of the building.

Farther east there are cars at a place of Terminal Road that are either being loaded or unloaded (my guess based on the setup is loaded). These appear to be open hoppers.

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 1:22 pm
by eastonj
chapmaja wrote: Looking at the Google Maps, National Standard still has a spur in place, but it has been cut near the mainline. The only other "customer" line I see in Niles is the line that runs south off the main past Quality Composite Systems. This line looks disused past QCS and is cut south of Wayne St. The industry on the east side of that line appears long gone since the side / roof has collapsed on the west side of the building.

Farther east there are cars at a place of Terminal Road that are either being loaded or unloaded (my guess based on the setup is loaded). These appear to be open hoppers.
QCS is the old Simplicity plant. Its been years since I saw a boxcar spotted there. Late last summer, they pulled the rails out of Wayne St. and paved it over.

Recently I was out at Co-Alliance Coop in Buchanan, it looks like they recently replaced the switch, but the grain elevator loading pipes are reconfigured to load trucks, not rail cars. it did appear the Coop recently added an unloader under their spur for possibly fertilizer? unloading into the building just North of the grain bins.

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 2:10 pm
by Super Chief
Some hopper cars east of Niles depot are Amtrak ballast cars, remember a few years ago the eastbound passenger train almost hit them head-on because a signal maintainer shunt the circuit and gave them a proceed signal and routed them into the siding and he was in the bungalow.

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 3:09 pm
by AARR
I show Co-Alliance receiving liquid fertilizer only
eastonj wrote:Recently I was out at Co-Alliance Coop in Buchanan, it looks like they recently replaced the switch, but the grain elevator loading pipes are reconfigured to load trucks, not rail cars. it did appear the Coop recently added an unloader under their spur for possibly fertilizer? unloading into the building just North of the grain bins.

Re: South Shore to run Frieght To Jackson???

Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2019 3:36 pm
by J T
NS3322 wrote:
J T wrote:
NS3322 wrote:Zack please delete this topic.
I was just informed that the post on Facebook was one big joke. A cruel one at best.
How was it cruel?
Well it was not very harmless.
Were someone's emotions affected or something?