Ann Arbor question

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LansingRailFan
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Ann Arbor question

Unread post by LansingRailFan »

I am going to be in Ann Arbor today for work and am quite often. When and where are the best areas to see some trains? I don’t know much about this area or Jackson/Milan as well.

Thanks in advance for your help.

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PerRock
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Re: Ann Arbor question

Unread post by PerRock »

There isn't too much that goes thru Tree Town. You can camp out along the Michigan Line (the East-West line) for an Amtrak train; there are 6 scheduled & stop in A2, so just look on the Amtrak website for the next one stopping in town. Norfolk Southern occasionally runs a freight train thru town, but I believe it's another of those "when it's needed" jobs, so no real schedule & not guaranteed to run every day (someone like ypsi could verify the freight for me) from my memory, NS typically runs thru mid-afternoon.

The Ann Arbor Railroad (North South) is much harder to catch, as they only go thru town when needed; usually sometime in the middle of the night. The best option for them is to keep a scanner on & hit the tracks when you hear them heading north.

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Ypsi
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Re: Ann Arbor question

Unread post by Ypsi »

The scene is actually pretty predictable now, and given you’re in Ann Arbor during the day 350/353 are your best bets followed by 352/355. NS runs middle of the night as does the AA. Here’s what a day looks like right now:

-B25 on duty 2200 in Jackson Sunday-Thursday
-AA road train (RS-102? Or something) runs week days (might be Sunday-Thursday?)
-Amtrak trains all daily

B25 Eastbound 02:00-04:00 (mon-fri)
AA northbound 01:00-05:00 (mon-fri?)
AA Southbound 03:00-08:00 (mon-fri?)
B25 Westbound 04:00-07:00 (mon-fri)
Amtrak 351 07:20
Amtrak 353 11:17
Amtrak 350 12:46
Amtrak 352 18:30
Amtrak 355 19:06
Amtrak 354 22:55

Generally 350 runs after 1 as it is normally delayed, as is 352. Most of the time the 355/ 352 meet is at CP 28 due to late 352. 354 is generally after 11pm. B25 makes a pretty quick flip at Wayne most days.
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chapmaja
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Re: Ann Arbor question

Unread post by chapmaja »

I don't know if it is still the case, but you used to be able to see the AA from the Amtrak station. Sitting at the AA Amtrak station is the best bet (if they haven't gone to metered parking yet, which they may have). Waiting on anything E-W to come through town. If you see of hear the AA you can then chase them. Chasing them SB from the Amtrak station would be simple, head over the Main St and follow it south and you should run into them, as the speed through town is SLOW (10 mph max).

NB is a bit trickier to chase from the station, but going over to main, then going north, getting on M-14 then get off carefully at the first exit, loop under the bridge, follow Whitmore Lake Rd north to Warren and take Warren east to the AA track. Wait there until they come, as they will be doing the interchange at Osmer (Warren Rd is the south end of Osmer).

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PerRock
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Re: Ann Arbor question

Unread post by PerRock »

chapmaja wrote:Sitting at the AA Amtrak station is the best bet (if they haven't gone to metered parking yet, which they may have).
It's been metered for a long time now, however it's not heavily enforced... the "long term" lot on the other side of the tracks is unmetered.

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LansingRailFan
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Re: Ann Arbor question

Unread post by LansingRailFan »

Thank you everyone!

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