CN South Bend/Flint Sub

[LansingRailFan]

for the halibut, recent official CN official filing has approximately 17 trains per day through the tunnel.
remember some go via mt. clemens.
https://downloads.regulations.gov/FRA-2 ... ment_1.pdf

17*5 is 85 so it MUST be 85 trains a day

[J T]

So on Saturday me and my buddy are going out on the CN where would we see the most trains in 6 hours Vicksburg or Bellevue?

Me went out there a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty good.

[LansingRailFan]

I edited the below list.

Starting with the Ex-GTW Locals we have 5 daily and one as needed and you'll see L539 twice since it's a turn
L500 - BC-Lansing-Flint
L501 - Flint-Lansing-BC
L520 - SB-BC
L521 - BC-SB
L539 - BC-Kalamazoo turn
L542 - BC-Lansing turn (as needed)

BC Yard Jobs (daily)
R933
R935

Lansing Yard Job - works Potterville (2-3x a year) to JAIL interchange downtown Lansing - (M-Sat)
R934

Priority - Manifest / Automotive 5-7 days a week for the 271s, 251 is daily
E271 - 21, 31 from Canada to BC...work Flint, Lansing and can be routed to Flat Rock - also see X271s from either 21, 31 as well
E271 - 61 outbound from BC
E25161 - FR to BC

As Needed manifest/auto - keep in mind that autorack trains can be routed to different locations. an e260 can depart chicago for flint and be changed to go to lansing or flat rock as needed by customer/CN Autoport
E26091 - empties for flint
E270 - 81, 91 - can originate from either area - empties for lansing
E280 - 81, 91 - can originate from either area - empties for flat rock
E27691
E27491
E25361 - outbound from BC, replaced the E25161 from BC now that E25161 terminates in BC - not daily but probably 4-5x a week

Manifest Long Haul
M30241 - works BC
M39491 (x394s 1x a week on average)
M39671 (X39691 1x a week, originating in Champaign) - works flint now
M30131 - works BC
M39731
M39931
M39361 - outbound from BC 5x a week


Short Haul Manifest
A49131
A49291

Intermodal (daily)
Z14931 (can originate out of -21 as well) - works flint
Z14891 - works flint - has loaded autoracks
Q12291 - works flint - has loaded autoracks
Q11691 - Markham to Flat Rock, works Moterm/Ferndale

Intermodal (as needed)
Q123 (lately have been running as X123) - can work Flint
There's been a couple of other rare, one-off intermodals in the last year but nothing worth listing.

Flint local/yard jobs
L507 - FR to Flint, works moterm and pontiac
L508 - Flint to FR, works pontiac and moterm
R944 - Flint yard job that works Otterbine and Durand interchange
R943 - Flint yard job

Flint to Port Huron
E271 - 31 or 21 - these trains can terminate in Flint
L533 - PH to Flint, PH to Mount Clemens - based in Port Huron and works Lapeer interchange as well

Passenger
P364
P365

Occasional/As Needed:
B73111 - empty potash tren
M35641
E29681

Common Grain Train Symbols: rare/as needed
G825
G886
G884

If you stood IN Battle Creek and then watched the Charlotte cam and the Durand cam and then watched ATCS like a hawk, you'd catch a max around 28 trains a day on a week day.

And I guess we could add the CSX trains that run from Flint to PH and PH to Flint as H711 and H710 (L306 for csx symbol) - they go one way each day.

but that's about it.

A realistic total for you being in one spot and catching these trains is 20 as you'd miss locals, trains that terminate in Flint or trains that originate somewhere else.

So like someone said very early on and about 20 other people agreed, the best it'll get is 20 a day.

My advice to you, Nick, is don't be that railfan. You're like 13 and barely old enough to be on the internet alone. Please listen to the sage advice of the elders of the CN Flint Sub.

[chapmaja]

Did you just edit my list, or did you edit the railfan wiki page, which was where my list came from.

There is at least 1 symbol you have referenced multiple times (R934) which is not listed on the railfan wiki page. Also, R933 is listed as Lansing based, but you list it as BC based, and R935 also isn't listed.

I suspect the railfan wiki page just has incomplete data.

I edited the below list.

Starting with the Ex-GTW Locals we have 5 daily and one as needed and you'll see L539 twice since it's a turn
L500 - BC-Lansing-Flint
L501 - Flint-Lansing-BC
L520 - SB-BC
L521 - BC-SB
L539 - BC-Kalamazoo turn
L542 - BC-Lansing turn (as needed)

BC Yard Jobs (daily)
R933
R935

Lansing Yard Job - works Potterville (2-3x a year) to JAIL interchange downtown Lansing - (M-Sat)
R934

Priority - Manifest / Automotive 5-7 days a week for the 271s, 251 is daily
E271 - 21, 31 from Canada to BC...work Flint, Lansing and can be routed to Flat Rock - also see X271s from either 21, 31 as well
E271 - 61 outbound from BC
E25161 - FR to BC

As Needed manifest/auto - keep in mind that autorack trains can be routed to different locations. an e260 can depart chicago for flint and be changed to go to lansing or flat rock as needed by customer/CN Autoport
E26091 - empties for flint
E270 - 81, 91 - can originate from either area - empties for lansing
E280 - 81, 91 - can originate from either area - empties for flat rock
E27691
E27491
E25361 - outbound from BC, replaced the E25161 from BC now that E25161 terminates in BC - not daily but probably 4-5x a week

Manifest Long Haul
M30241 - works BC
M39491 (x394s 1x a week on average)
M39671 (X39691 1x a week, originating in Champaign) - works flint now
M30131 - works BC
M39731
M39931
M39361 - outbound from BC 5x a week


Short Haul Manifest
A49131
A49291

Intermodal (daily)
Z14931 (can originate out of -21 as well) - works flint
Z14891 - works flint - has loaded autoracks
Q12291 - works flint - has loaded autoracks
Q11691 - Markham to Flat Rock, works Moterm/Ferndale

Intermodal (as needed)
Q123 (lately have been running as X123) - can work Flint
There's been a couple of other rare, one-off intermodals in the last year but nothing worth listing.

Flint local/yard jobs
L507 - FR to Flint, works moterm and pontiac
L508 - Flint to FR, works pontiac and moterm
R944 - Flint yard job that works Otterbine and Durand interchange
R943 - Flint yard job

Flint to Port Huron
E271 - 31 or 21 - these trains can terminate in Flint
L533 - PH to Flint, PH to Mount Clemens - based in Port Huron and works Lapeer interchange as well

Passenger
P364
P365

Occasional/As Needed:
B73111 - empty potash tren
M35641
E29681

Common Grain Train Symbols: rare/as needed
G825
G886
G884

If you stood IN Battle Creek and then watched the Charlotte cam and the Durand cam and then watched ATCS like a hawk, you'd catch a max around 28 trains a day on a week day.

And I guess we could add the CSX trains that run from Flint to PH and PH to Flint as H711 and H710 (L306 for csx symbol) - they go one way each day.

but that's about it.

A realistic total for you being in one spot and catching these trains is 20 as you'd miss locals, trains that terminate in Flint or trains that originate somewhere else.

So like someone said very early on and about 20 other people agreed, the best it'll get is 20 a day.

My advice to you, Nick, is don't be that railfan. You're like 13 and barely old enough to be on the internet alone. Please listen to the sage advice of the elders of the CN Flint Sub.

[LansingRailFan]

I just edited your list. I don’t have time to edit wiki

[chapmaja]

I just edited your list. I don’t have time to edit wiki

Fair enough. It goes to show sometimes not even the internet has the most up to date information. Thanks.

[A No.1]

WoW. Your symbol lists are so out dated.
Half of that stuff doesn't exist

Lansing Railfan is closer

[SD80MAC]

WoW. Your symbol lists are so out dated.
Half of that stuff doesn't exist

Lansing Railfan is closer

You can help us fix that.

[NickThatRailfan]

Heres a trip report: just leff Battle Creek we were there from 9AM to 4PM 13 trains in that time span with E251 in BC working as we left and then the other 3 Amtraks cominv in tonight so thats 16 including ahy freights inbetween with a B731 and Q116 en route also so 18 trains that I know of so far

[Jetlink]

Glad to hear you went out. Thanks for the report back as well. The railfan that goes is always more appreciated than the railfan that doesn’t go or just talks about going.

[NickThatRailfan]

Glad to hear you went out. Thanks for the report back as well. The railfan that goes is always more appreciated than the railfan that doesn’t go or just talks about going.

Yeah I forgot to mention my buddy was on Blue Water amd he passed Q122, M396, and X296 sp add 3 more trains into that mix 18+3=21 so I guess that line sees more then 20 trains a day, lol im kidding they ran alot of as needed today X396, Q116, Q122, G887, and B731

[LansingRailFan]

WoW. Your symbol lists are so out dated.
Half of that stuff doesn't exist

Lansing Railfan is closer

Be the change you want to see.

[CSXBOY]

It really depends on the day you go out too. Sometimes it's busier with extras running like you said, other times you get the normal traffic and maybe 1 extra, other days they run everything at night and it's more dead than a doorknob during the day. It's like everywhere else with railroading these days in 2023. Railroads run trains whenever they want to and could care less what kind of show they put on. Although in the last few years CN tends to run more trains in daylight which is helpful.

[NickThatRailfan]

I am looking at going back to Bellevue here soon. I have been there a couple times, once in the morning and the other in the afternoon, in the afternoon I only saw 4 trains. But when I went in the morning I saw 9. My buddy who lives in Battle Creek went up to Bellevue in the morning and caught 14 trains! I would like to know when the busiest time is in Bellevue. Disclaimer: I do understnad it can be hit or miss with Bellevue seeing give or take 20 trains a day.