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So along with the ongoing track removal projects at Wyoming Yard, I saw the other day that it appears track gangs are outright removing the old siding at Sunfield, which outside of storage hasn’t been used in sometime as an actual siding.

When I was in Grand Ledge in the last month I also noticed some track being pulled as well in the old yard.

Is it me or is CSX on a scrapping binge as of late pulling up anything they can? Is some of this due to the impending signal project out this way? I’m assuming that in order to PTC or CTC the line that some simplifying would have to take place?

I honestly would’ve thought Sunfield would receive upgrades but clearly this isn’t the case. Now meets will have to be planned accordingly at Lake O and Ensel. Grand Ledge doesn’t surprise me since it’s not used much outside of an occasional storage car or MOW.

Seems like a lot of investment in a railroad that doesn’t see a lot of use when compared to a line like the GR Sub that despite minimal traffic sees more trains a day then the Plymouth Sub.

Railroads get Taxed on Tracks IIRC, Just a better bottom line

Current management mentality is "scorched earth". Don't leave anything useful for the next guy. The yard at Grand Ledge has been mostly OOS for years so them removing it doesn't surprise me. Same with Sunfield, I think the last time I actually saw it used was 2011.

Talk wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 20, 2021 8:39 am

Railroads get Taxed on Tracks IIRC, Just a better bottom line

Exactly. Railroads have been doing this wherever possible for decades.

meets further south of ensel will happen in Brighton south lyon and if im missing any sidings just correct me, and the rumor of CP buying the plymouth has been floating around since they left

AndrewsTrains wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 20, 2021 2:08 pm

meets further south of ensel will happen in Brighton south lyon and if im missing any sidings just correct me, and the rumor of CP buying the plymouth has been floating around since they left

Trowbridge, Williamston and Fowlerville are additional sidings between Lansing and Brighton.

Don't forget Howell.

No spike left behind campaign.

Scrap prices are up. Now's the time to scrap it.

SD80MAC wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 20, 2021 4:37 pm

Don't forget Howell.

howell almost always got ann pere cars so i dont count that

AndrewsTrains wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 20, 2021 6:26 pm

SD80MAC wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 20, 2021 4:37 pm

Don't forget Howell.

howell almost always got ann pere cars so i dont count that

It's still a siding...

Also, was Sunfield just used as a run around track? Not saying this can't happen, but it looks like there are no signals for entering / exiting the siding, and it was probably installed like this so it wasn't designed for high traffic use.

No, Sunfield was a siding just like any other. The west end was a spring switch so that west bounds could spring out without having to line a switch. Since Sunfield was located in the ABS blocks, there were no power switches. If a meet was going to happen, the dispatcher would issue a train order that told the westbound train to stop at the east end of Sunfield, line themselves in and take the siding. Consequently, the east bound would also have orders to stop at the east end of Sunfield on the main and re-line the switch for the main (the signals would also be red showing that the switch wasn’t lined for the main). Grand Ledge worked the same way, but the spring switch was on the east end. Neither siding has/had signals in the actual sidings.

Before verbal DTC block and EC-1 authorities, there were good old train orders! Meet set up for westbound to take siding and then "spring out" at the west end. Link below to another one:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ren3cgrvfvnu0 ... 4.jpg?dl=0

MQT1223 wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 20, 2021 8:12 am

So along with the ongoing track removal projects at Wyoming Yard

Whats being removed at Wyoming Yd? I believe they removed the old piggyback tracks but thats all I've heard.

Most of the tracks leading into the engine house have been removed. There's talk of removing Even Yard tracks 14 through 36 as well.

Great to see the posted train order photo. I had these saved by the HUNDREDS from 1956 to the early 1970s, given to me by an engineer friend starting when I was 12 years old. This was back in the days when B.G. Nash was superintendent and had his initials (BGN) at the bottom. Finally, about ten years ago, I tossed them all out as I had to many other saved things as well I rarely looked at.

"Yellow board east" (Receive Orders indication) at Lake Odessa. Engineer (and conductor on caboose) will snag their running orders to
Ensel and maybe a meet at Sunfield or Grand Ledge to boot. I miss working with train orders. In CTC, they were just slow orders and for maintenance activities. The REAL train order operations for me were on the Elmdale, Port Huron and Bad Axe Subs. Also some between Romulus and Erie for against current of traffic on the double track (now CTC). Engineer friend Myron Wyrnette took this photo.

C&O Dispatcher wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 21, 2021 3:53 pm

12370704_486648408181542_8896063968841415612_o.jpg

"Yellow board east" (Receive Orders indication) at Lake Odessa. Engineer (and conductor on caboose) will snag their running orders to
Ensel and maybe a meet at Sunfield or Grand Ledge to boot. I miss working with train orders. In CTC, they were just slow orders and for maintenance activities. The REAL train order operations for me were on the Elmdale, Port Huron and Bad Axe Subs. Also some between Romulus and Erie for against current of traffic on the double track (now CTC). Engineer friend Myron Wyrnette took this photo.

Four passenger trains that served that Lake Odessa depot in the above shot , were C&O Ry. passenger train nos, 11,12, 14 and 15.

On the Plymouth sub was the switch from train orders to DTC around '87-88?